From Monday, May 18th to Sunday, May 24th, your CPD Officers responded to 410 calls for service, including 16 vehicle crashes and 51 requests for Officers to assist other agencies. Among those calls were the following incidents:

Late Monday morning, Officers responded to the intersection of Clayton and Hanley for a vehicle crash with injuries. One of the drivers reported she had been turning westbound onto Clayton Rd. from Hanley and had not seen a car heading southbound until it was too late to stop. She could not avoid a collision and struck the other vehicle’s driver’s side door. The driver of the southbound vehicle complained of injuries to her arm and was treated on the scene by Clayton EMS personnel. The crash caused the southbound vehicle’s airbags to deploy, and the car was later towed from the scene.

That night, Officers responded to the east end of town after a woman reported she had struck a parked vehicle. She explained she had been driving southbound on DeMun near S. Rosebury when she sideswiped a vehicle that was parked on the east side of the street. The owner of the parked vehicle did not observe the crash but had been nearby and heard the collision. His vehicle sustained heavy damage and was later towed from the scene.

Earlier this month, we reported that a rental vehicle had been stolen from a local hotel. On Monday afternoon, we were alerted that St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officers had recovered the car after finding it abandoned in their jurisdiction. The investigation continues.

Officers responded to the intersection of Forsyth and Lyle after an insect contributed to a chain-reaction collision on Tuesday afternoon. A woman explained she had been distracted by a bug on her windshield and had not noticed that traffic ahead had stopped at a red light. She struck the vehicle in front of her, causing the second vehicle to collide with the rear of a third vehicle that had been stopped at a red light at the intersection. Two of the vehicles were later towed from the scene. The driver of the first vehicle was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. A passenger in the second vehicle complained of neck and shoulder pain and advised that she would seek medical treatment on her own.

Later that afternoon, Officers responded to the interstate for another vehicle crash. One of the drivers explained he had struck the passenger side of another vehicle as he merged into the lane to his right. The driver of the second vehicle explained she had just merged into the lane when her vehicle was struck. Thankfully, neither driver was injured. As a result of the collision, the driver’s door of the second vehicle could not be securely latched, resulting in the car being towed from the scene.

Officers returned to the intersection of Clayton and Hanley on Tuesday night after a vehicle left the scene of an accident. A man explained he had been stopped at the intersection when the vehicle to his left struck his vehicle as it passed. He described the striking vehicle as a blue Ford Explorer and provided a Missouri license plate number. He stated he had not seen the driver and last saw the SUV driving southbound on Hanley from the intersection. Officers have identified the registered owner and are attempting to contact them for further investigation.

A man contacted the CPD on Wednesday morning to report he had seen an unfamiliar man rummaging through his coworker’s vehicle. He explained that the vehicle had been parked at the rear of their business in the 100 block of S. Hanley Rd. He stated he had confronted the man and that he had last seen the stranger running into a parking garage in the 100 block of Carondelet Plaza. Interestingly, the man lost both of his shoes as he ran from the scene. Officers later found the shoeless subject in a nearby alleyway. He confessed to being inside the vehicle and was subsequently arrested for Burglary 2nd degree – entry into a vehicle. This case will be forwarded to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for consideration.

A woman contacted the CPD that afternoon to file a delayed theft report. She explained that earlier this month, someone had stolen cash and two credit cards from her wallet while she was at a local gym. She stated she had only become aware of the theft when she received a message from her credit card company alerting her to an unauthorized purchase at an unknown Best Buy location. Thankfully, the credit card company recognized the charge as suspicious and did not authorize the transaction. The investigation continues.

A short time later, Officers responded to a local hotel for a report of an individual trespassing. The caller, an off-duty Officer, had observed the man inside the hotel and recognized him as someone who had previously trespassed from the property. The man was arrested for Trespassing on Private Property and has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court.

CVS employees requested assistance on Wednesday night after a man stole items from the store. Staff explained the man had concealed merchandise in a bag before leaving the area in a white sedan. The investigation continues.

Officers responded to the intersection of Bonhomme and S. Meramec for a vehicle crash with injuries on Thursday afternoon. One of the drivers explained she had been attempting to make a left turn onto S. Meramec from the westbound lanes of Bonhomme when she struck a vehicle traveling eastbound. She reported she had injured her wrist in the crash, but she refused medical attention while on the scene. The other driver sustained a minor laceration on her finger, and her occupant believed he had struck his head in the crash. Both were evaluated on the scene by Clayton EMS personnel. The second vehicle was later towed from the scene.

Staff at a local eatery requested assistance on Thursday afternoon after a man stole from the business. They explained that the man had demanded a refund for an order he had placed the day before. However, they had not recognized him, and when they asked for his receipt, the man became belligerent and attempted to steal someone else’s order from their takeout area. When staff tried to prevent the man from leaving, the man threatened to return with his family and had pushed and shoved an employee out of his way. They last saw him driving away in a white Chrysler sedan and provided officers with photos of the vehicle. When asked if they could identify the man, employees correctly identified the Chrysler’s registered owner. Later that night, Officers with the St. Louis County Police Department arrested the man in connection with our investigation.

When asked about the altercation, the man denied stealing from the restaurant or making any threats toward the staff. The case was presented to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office, and charges were issued for Assault 4th degree and Stealing Under. Both charges are misdemeanor offenses. A $30,000 bond was set, and he was released into the custody of the St. Louis County Justice Center.

Officers responded to the Metro Link station early on Friday morning after a Metro Transit Security Officer reported he had been assaulted. He explained he had responded to the scene to check on the man’s welfare. When he arrived, he found the man asleep on one of the platform benches and asked the man to leave. Before leaving the platform, the man spat on the security officer and kicked him in the leg. When responding Officers found the man in the 7800 block of Bonhomme, the man became confrontational and refused to comply with their orders. After placing him in handcuffs, the man attempted to spit on the Officers. He was ultimately trespassed from the Metro Link station and issued summonses for Assaulting a Police Officer and Assault - Simple Assault 4th Degree. He has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court.

A few hours later, a CPD Officer was on patrol in the 8100 block of Maryland when he noticed a man wearing a facemask sitting at a table in front of a closed business. The Officer approached the man and asked for identification, which the man gave without hesitation. A computer inquiry revealed the man had several active warrants for his arrest and a warning that the man was known to be physically violent. The warrants were confirmed, and the man was arrested without incident. He was later transported to the St. Louis County Justice Center to await further action by the other agencies.

Later Friday morning, Officers responded to the southbound lanes of I-170 for a vehicle crash. A woman explained she had been stopped in traffic just before the S. Brentwood exit when her vehicle was struck from behind. The force of the impact caused her vehicle to spin before coming to a stop facing the wrong direction. She complained of head pain and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. The other driver stated he was unable to avoid the collision. Both vehicles were heavily damaged and were towed from the scene.

CVS employees called for assistance just before noon on Friday after catching a man concealing merchandise in his clothing. Additionally, they believed the man had been warned not to return to the store after a previous theft. When the first Officer arrived on the scene, he observed the man at the front of the store, near the registers. He stated that he repeatedly told the man to leave the store, but the man refused and became belligerent and uncooperative. When the Officer attempted to physically escort him from the store, the man pushed him and physically assaulted the Officer, resulting in the Officer sustaining a broken ankle. A second Officer assisted in controlling the man and securing him in handcuffs. However, as they did so, the man continued to resist and assaulted the second Officer by biting him. The case was presented to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office, and charges were issued for Assault 2nd Special Victim – Law Enforcement Officer, Resisting Arrest -Felony, Trespassing 1st Degree, and Property Damage 2nd Degree. A cash-only bond was set at $200,000.

That afternoon, Officers responded to the 7600 block of Forsyth for a delayed report of a vehicle leaving the scene of an accident. The reporting party explained they had parked their vehicle on the 7th floor of a local parking garage on May 20th. When they returned later, they discovered fresh damage to their vehicle. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.

Security at a local hotel requested assistance escorting an intoxicated guest back to his room. They explained the man was behaving irrationally and was causing a disturbance. The man was issued a summons for Peace Disturbance and has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court.

Officers returned to CVS on Sunday morning for a delayed theft report. Employees explained that overnight, two women had accessed an employees-only area of the store and stolen five bottles of perfume. The investigation continues.

Finally, Walgreens employees contacted the CPD on Sunday night after a man stole merchandise from the store. He was last seen driving away in a silver Chevrolet Impala with Illinois license plates. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about these or other investigations is asked to contact the CPD at (314)645-3000. Until next week, stay safe!