For the reporting period of Monday, June 22nd – Sunday, June 28th, your CPD officers responded to 383 calls for service. Those calls included 18 vehicle crashes and 59 requests to assist other agencies. Among those calls were the following incidents:
A traffic stop in the central business district on Monday afternoon led to the driver's arrest after a CPD Officer learned the woman had active warrants. A computer inquiry revealed she was wanted by the Richmond Heights Police Department (RHPD) for Peace Disturbance and Property Damage. The warrants were confirmed, and the woman was arrested and later released to RHPD Officers.
That evening, Officers responded to a local hotel for a report of an individual trespassing. Hotel security explained a female in the bar area had been causing a disturbance and harassing guests, and she was no longer welcome on the property. Despite being told multiple times that she needed to leave, the woman refused and began yelling obscenities. She was subsequently arrested for Trespassing. She has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court.
A woman reported she had been driving in the westbound lanes of Clayton Rd. on Tuesday morning and believed she had the green light when a pickup truck suddenly entered the roadway from Glenridge Drive. She was unable to stop and struck the driver’s side of the truck. The driver of the pickup explained that the signal was green when he entered the intersection and was struck by the SUV. Thankfully, no one was injured in the crash. Both vehicles sustained significant damage and were towed from the scene.
On Tuesday night, a man responded to the CPD, where he reported he had been physically assaulted. He explained that, while in a group setting that evening, he had confronted an acquaintance about inappropriate behavior and about sending threatening text messages. What began as a verbal argument escalated when others in attendance had suggested the acquaintance should leave the gathering. The man responded by hitting the reporting party in the face and sending a threatening text to the reporting party after he left. The case has been forwarded to the City of Clayton Prosecuting Attorney for consideration.
A man reported he had been driving in the southbound lanes of I-170 near Brentwood Blvd. on Wednesday afternoon when traffic ahead of him came to an abrupt stop. He explained he had been stopped when his car was struck from behind by another car. One of his passengers complained of back pain but declined medical assistance and stated she would follow up with treatment if needed.
The driver of the striking vehicle stated that the car in front of her had suddenly stopped, and she was unable to avoid the collision. Her vehicle sustained heavy damage and was towed from the scene.
A short time later, a man responded to the CPD, reporting that he had been a victim of a phone scam. He explained that he had received a phone call from someone who represented themselves as a Police Officer. The caller claimed the man had a warrant for his arrest and demanded he pay a fine to avoid arrest. He stated he hadn’t originally recognized the scam and had transferred funds to the fraudster using the Venmo app. The man contacted his financial institution to report the incident and request that payment on the transfer be stopped or reversed.
It is important to remember that if you get a call about an arrest warrant, it’s almost always a scam. Hang up, verify through official channels, and never pay or share personal information with the caller. Unfortunately, scammers impersonating law enforcement officials have been around for a while. This article from the Federal Trade Commission discusses how to spot and report these scams: Scammers are impersonating local law enforcement | Consumer Advice.
CVS employees requested assistance with a shoplifter on Wednesday night. They explained that a woman had just stolen laundry detergent from the store. Employees recognized the woman from previous incidents and, suspecting she would not pay for the merchandise, called for assistance as she began walking toward the front of the store. The woman and a male accompanying her ran from the store. Officers found them walking nearby. The woman was still in possession of the stolen detergent and was arrested. During a subsequent search, Officers discovered a glass pipe with burnt residue, believed to be a controlled substance, concealed in her pocket. The pipe was seized as evidence.
Once they arrived at the CPD, the woman informed Officers she had lied about her identity and had initially identified herself using her sister’s information. She also admitted to the theft and stated she had planned to sell the stolen merchandise. She was issued summonses for Stealing, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Providing False Information, and has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court. A computer inquiry revealed she was wanted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) for a Probation Violation warrant. She was transported to the St. Louis County Justice Center to await further action by the SLMPD.
A woman reported she had been stopped in traffic in the southbound lanes of I-170 on Thursday morning when her vehicle was struck from behind. She was evaluated for back pain on the scene by EMS personnel but declined transport to a hospital. She stated she would seek additional medical attention on her own if necessary.
The driver of the striking vehicle stated he observed traffic stopped ahead of him and he had attempted to stop. However, he believed his brakes had failed, causing him to strike the other vehicle. Due to the equipment failure, his vehicle was towed from the scene.
Officers returned to CVS for another report of shoplifting in the early morning hours on Friday. The manager explained that two men had walked directly to the cleaning supply aisle, grabbed various cleaning items, and immediately exited the store without attempting to pay for the merchandise. They were last seen leaving in a silver minivan with roof rack rails and an unknown temporary license plate. The stolen merchandise was valued at approximately $100. The investigation continues.
Later Friday morning, Officers responded to the interstate for a single-vehicle accident. The driver stated he had been attempting to exit onto Forest Park Parkway from the southbound lanes of I-170 when his vehicle slid off the roadway and struck the exit sign. He was not injured in the crash, but his vehicle sustained heavy damage and was towed from the scene.
A woman reported she had been driving in the southbound lanes of I-170 later that day when her vehicle was struck from behind. She stated that the other driver had not stopped to exchange information and she could only describe the vehicle as a black SUV. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.
That night, a man reported he had been on the ramp from Forest Park Parkway to Southbound I-170 when his vehicle was suddenly struck from behind. He was evaluated on the scene for back and head pain and elected to follow up with treatment on his own. The other driver stated she could not recall what had caused the collision. She sustained several scratches and abrasions on her arms and legs but refused medical attention. Both vehicles sustained heavy damage and were towed from the scene.
Finally, CVS employees requested assistance on Sunday morning after suspecting a man was attempting to shoplift from the store. The man had already left the store before Officers arrived on the scene. The manager explained they suspected he was preparing to steal because he had entered the store carrying a white trash bag. Surveillance footage showed that when the man exited the store a short time later, the bag was filled with unknown items and he made no attempts to make a purchase. While searching the area, Officers recovered the bag of stolen merchandise from the rear of a nearby hotel. The man was found hiding in the hotel lobby’s public restroom.
Officers arrested the man and issued him a summons for Stealing with an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court. Additionally, he was informed that he would be charged with Trespassing if he returned to CVS. A computer inquiry revealed he was also wanted by the Breckenridge Hills PD for two counts of stealing. He was transported to the St. Louis County Justice Center to await further action by Breckenridge Hills Officers.
Anyone with information about these or other investigations is asked to contact the CPD at (314) 645-3000. Until next week, stay safe!
