From Monday, July 6th to Sunday, July 12th, your Clayton Police Department (CPD) Officers responded to 432 calls for service, including 12 vehicle crashes and 49 requests for our Officers to assist other agencies. Among those calls were the following incidents:
Officers responded to the 900 block of St. Rita for a report of a single vehicle crash early Tuesday morning. Upon their arrival, they found the vehicle in the yard of a condo building. The driver explained she had been attempting to hone her driving skills in a nearby parking lot when she lost control of her vehicle. Her car drove down a hill and through two fences before coming to a stop in the grass. Neither she nor her passengers were injured in the crash. The vehicle sustained heavy front-end damage and was towed from the scene.
Later that morning, Officers responded to the 6400 block of Clayton Rd. to assist the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) in locating a stolen vehicle. Officers found the SUV abandoned in our jurisdiction. At the SLMPD's request, the vehicle was towed from the scene. Their investigation is ongoing.
A man reported he had been turning onto southbound Big Bend Blvd. from Wydown Blvd. on Tuesday evening, when a vehicle entered the intersection heading northbound and struck the driver’s side of his SUV. He was not injured and refused medical attention. The other driver stated he believed he had fallen asleep behind the wheel, resulting in the crash. He sustained a laceration on one of his hands but refused medical attention. His vehicle was later towed from the scene.
A traffic stop in the east end of town late Tuesday night resulted in the driver’s arrest for Possession of an Illegal Weapon. While our Officer was speaking with the driver, he observed the magazine of a firearm and a spent shell casing in plain view inside the vehicle. The driver initially denied having a gun but later admitted he had fired a weapon over the holiday weekend. During a search of the vehicle, the Officer found a loaded semi-automatic handgun with a round chambered concealed within the driver’s reach. Upon closer inspection, the Officer noted that the firearm was equipped with an automatic sear, allowing it to be fired as a fully automatic weapon. The gun was seized as evidence, and the driver was arrested. Subsequent tests by the St. Louis County Crime Lab confirmed the weapon functioned as a fully automatic firearm. The case was presented to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration, and a warrant was issued. A cash-only bond was set at $75,000.
A resident of the 6500 block of San Bonita awoke Wednesday morning to find his vehicle had been stolen overnight. He explained he had parked his car on the street late Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, the vehicle was gone, and shattered glass and a screwdriver were left in its place.
Officers from the Belleville, Illinois Police Department contacted the CPD on Thursday morning to inform us the stolen vehicle had been abandoned in their jurisdiction. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.
Later Wednesday morning, Officers were called to a local house of worship for a fraud investigation. An employee explained that he had written a check to a contractor at the beginning of the month, and the check had been picked up by their mail carrier the same day. However, when reviewing the financial statements on Wednesday, he noted that the check had been cashed and altered to make it payable to an unfamiliar person instead of the contractor. This case will be forwarded to the United States Postal Inspection Service for further investigation.
The CPD Business Officer was on patrol just before noon on Wednesday when he noticed a man walking toward a local hotel and carrying several bags. Despite the man wearing a surgical mask and a hat, the Officer immediately recognized the man as someone he had arrested multiple times for Burglary. Suspicious of the man’s attempts to hide his identity, the Officer stopped to speak with him. As he watched, the man entered the hotel and began concealing hotel property in his bags. The Officer detained the man and observed that his bags appeared to contain several industrial-sized cleaning and office-supply items. He arrested the man for Stealing from the hotel, and the man has an upcoming court date in the Clayton Municipal Court. The cleaning and office supplies were seized as evidence, and an investigation continues to determine where they were stolen from.
That afternoon, a man responded to the CPD and informed Officers he wished to relinquish a rifle. He explained that he had no use for the weapon and requested that it be disposed of. Officers took possession of the firearm without incident and secured it in our evidence locker. It will be properly destroyed at a later date.
A man contacted the CPD on Wednesday night to report that a vehicle had left the scene of a crash. He explained that he had parked his SUV in the 8000 block of Venetian Drive earlier that evening. When he returned approximately three hours later, he discovered fresh damage to the rear driver’s side of his car. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.
CVS employees requested assistance Thursday evening after a woman stole merchandise from the store. They explained the woman had filled a cart with items and pushed it out of the store without attempting to make a purchase. She was last seen driving away in a white Mazda SUV. The investigation is ongoing.
A short time later, Officers responded to assist a motorist on Topton Way. The man explained he had accidentally placed his vehicle in drive instead of reverse and had driven it off the parking pad, causing it to become stuck atop a retaining wall. As the Officers spoke with the man, they observed signs of impairment and observed an open container of alcohol in his vehicle’s cup holder. Following a roadside investigation, Officers arrested the man for Driving While Intoxicated. He was issued summonses for Urinating in Public, Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol, and Possession of an Open Container of an Alcoholic Beverage. He has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court. Additionally, Officers learned the man was wanted by the St. Louis County and St. Charles County Police Departments. Their warrants were confirmed, and he was transported to the St. Louis County Justice Center.
While on patrol in the east end of town early Saturday morning, a CPD Officer noticed a vehicle parked with a blanket hanging out of a rear door. Upon closer inspection, he noted that the vehicle had a flat tire, a broken window, and a damaged steering column. A computer inquiry revealed the car had been stolen from St. Louis City on Wednesday. Officers contacted the SLMPD and notified them the vehicle had been recovered. Their investigation continues.
Later that morning, Officers responded to the central business district for a reported assault at a local restaurant. The manager explained he had been assaulted by an employee when he asked him to comply with a safety policy. Instead of complying with his request, the man punched him, causing a laceration on his head. When two other employees intervened, the man had fled the scene. The assault was captured on video by the restaurant’s surveillance cameras. The investigation continues.
Finally, Officers responded to a vehicle crash at the intersection of Clayton Rd. and S. Hanley Rd. on Saturday afternoon. One of the drivers stated she had been driving westbound through the intersection when a vehicle from the eastbound lanes turned in front of her, causing a collision. Both she and her passenger complained of non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. The driver of the other vehicle explained he had been making a left turn onto S. Hanley Rd. from the eastbound lanes of Clayton Rd. with a solid green signal. He stated he had seen the westbound vehicle approaching the intersection but had believed the vehicle’s turn indicator was on, signaling the driver’s intent to make a right turn. However, the vehicle had not turned, and they had collided in the intersection. Neither he nor his passengers were injured in the crash. Both vehicles were later towed from the scene.
Anyone with information about these or other investigations is asked to contact the CPD at (314)645-3000. Until next week, stay safe!
