From Monday, August 3rd to Sunday, August 9th, your Clayton Police Department (CPD) Officers responded to 400 calls for service, including 19 vehicle crashes and 34 requests for our Officers to assist other agencies. Among those calls were the following incidents:
A woman contacted the CPD on Monday evening to report she had fallen victim to a phone scam. She explained she had received a phone call from someone claiming her bank account had been compromised. The fraudster instructed her to deposit money into a bitcoin account, and the woman withdrew thousands of dollars and deposited it in a bitcoin ATM in another jurisdiction before realizing she had been scammed. She contacted the other jurisdiction and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov) to report the fraud. For more information on imposter scams, visit: How To Avoid Imposter Scams | Consumer Advice
A traffic stop in the east end of town early Wednesday morning resulted in the driver’s arrest for driving while impaired. As the Officer conducted a roadside investigation, the man admitted to driving while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, and an unknown controlled substance. During a search of the man’s vehicle, Officers discovered a clear plastic bag that contained a white powdery substance believed to be a controlled substance and another baggie with a white powdery residue. The bags were seized as evidence and will be forwarded to the St. Louis County Crime Lab for analysis. Pending lab results, the case will be presented to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration.
A few hours later, Officers responded to the Davis Place neighborhood for a report of property damage. A resident explained he had been awoken by his vehicle alarm sounding and discovered someone had broken the rear driver’s side window of his car. Upon closer inspection, Officers noticed damage to the vehicle’s steering column, consistent with an attempt to steal the car. While searching the area, Officers discovered another vehicle with a broken window. Nothing appeared to have been taken from either vehicle.
Officers returned to the neighborhood later that day and learned a third vehicle had been rummaged through overnight. The vehicle had not been damaged, and nothing was taken. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.
Officers were called to the 6300 block of N. Rosebury later that morning for a report of a vehicle leaving the scene of an accident. A resident explained she had parked her vehicle on the street Tuesday evening. When her husband awoke Wednesday morning, he discovered fresh damage to her vehicle’s driver-side taillight. The driver of the striking vehicle did not leave a note behind, and no suspects or witnesses have been identified.
A short time later, Officers were called to the central business district for another report of a vehicle leaving the scene of an accident. A woman explained she had been stopped on the Forest Park Parkway exit ramp, waiting to merge onto S. Central Ave., when a dark blue sedan struck her from behind. When she pulled to the side of the road to exchange information, the other vehicle drove away. She described the driver as a man in his thirties with dreadlocks. The investigation continues.
Officers returned to the Davis Place neighborhood late Wednesday morning after someone complained a bicycle had been abandoned near the intersection of Orlando and S. Central Ave. Officers found the mountain bike lying on the sidewalk and seized it for safekeeping. If you believe the bicycle belongs to you, please contact the CPD at (314)645-3000.
A man reported he had been driving northbound on S. Central Ave. Thursday afternoon when another vehicle suddenly exited a nearby parking lot. He explained he was unable to stop and struck the driver’s side of the vehicle. His van sustained heavy damage to the front bumper but remained operable. The other driver stated he had not seen the van approaching and thought he had been clear to exit the lot. His vehicle sustained heavy damage and was towed from the scene. Thankfully, neither driver was injured in the crash.
Later, Officers responded to an accident with injuries near the intersection of Clayton Rd. and Crescent. A woman explained she had been stopped at the traffic light when her vehicle was struck from behind. She complained of neck pain but refused medical attention while on the scene. The other driver stated he had crashed into the other car after becoming distracted. He stated he was not injured in the collision. Both vehicles were driven from the scene.
That afternoon, the executive director of a local business contacted the CPD to report the business had been defrauded of a significant sum of money. She explained that in late July, the business had received a call from someone claiming to be a representative of their bank. The fraudster spoke with an employee and warned the man that they had discovered multiple suspicious electronic transfers associated with their account. When the employee confirmed the transfers were unauthorized, the caller convinced him to change his banking password and unwittingly provided the fraudster with access to the business account. The theft has been reported to the bank and ic3.gov. For more helpful information from the American Bankers Association on how to spot an imposter scam, visit: Banks Never Ask That! Fraud Prevention
Officers were called to the central business district early Saturday morning to assist in removing vehicles that had been parked on the street in violation of temporary “no parking” signs. As they worked, they learned one of the vehicles, a motorized scooter, had been reported as being stolen from O’Fallon, Illinois. O’Fallon PD was notified that the vehicle had been recovered in our jurisdiction, and the scooter was towed as evidence.
Later that day, a woman contacted the CPD to report her vehicle was missing. Officers determined she was referring to the scooter and asked her to respond to the CPD to speak with them. The woman complied and brought a bill of sale indicating she had purchased the scooter the week before from a dealership in the City of St. Louis. The information has been shared with the O’Fallon PD and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) criminal investigations bureaus for further investigation.
Officers responded to a local coffee shop on Saturday afternoon after a man exposed his genitals while inside the business. The store manager explained that customers had complained earlier in the week that the man was photographing college-age women, and they had been keeping an eye on him. After ordering a drink, the man took a seat at a table in the corner of the store. Not long after sitting down, the man unzipped his pants and inappropriately exposed himself. At the time, the shop was filled with several other customers, including juveniles. When one of the customers informed the staff of the man’s behavior, the staff asked him to leave and called the CPD.
Officers located the man nearby and arrested him. The case was presented to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration on Monday, and a warrant was issued for one count of Sexual Misconduct 1st Degree – 2nd or Subsequent Offense, a class A misdemeanor. A cash-only bond was set at $25,000.
Early Sunday morning, a woman reported a vehicle had left the scene of an accident. She explained she had been stopped at a red light at the intersection of Shaw Park Dr. and S. Bemiston Ave. when a dark colored SUV struck her from behind. She stated she had exited her vehicle to exchange information with the other driver; however, the striking vehicle sped away without attempting to speak with her. She described the driver as a woman in her twenties. She provided officers with the SUV’s license plate, which showed the vehicle was registered to a Florissant resident.
At our request, Florissant Officers responded to the last known address associated with the SUV. They observed fresh damage on the vehicle’s front bumper, consistent with the reported crash. Additionally, they spoke with the registered owner and learned the man’s daughter had last driven the vehicle. While they were on the scene, the woman admitted she had driven the vehicle; however, she denied any involvement in a crash and has ignored all additional attempts our officers have made to speak with her. The investigation continues.
Later Sunday morning, a resident of the Moorlands neighborhood contacted the CPD to report that items had been stolen from his vehicle. He explained he had left his car unlocked overnight and awoke to find the contents of his glove compartment strewn about the car’s front seat and his golf bag and clubs missing. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.
Finally, a man reported he had been driving westbound on Forest Park Parkway when he suddenly heard what he believed to be glass breaking. He stated he quickly assessed his vehicle and realized the glass from his sunroof was shattered and collapsing onto his sunshade. He explained he believed someone must have thrown something at his vehicle, and he immediately pulled to the side of the road and called for assistance. Thankfully, he was not injured by the broken glass. Responding Officers searched the area and reviewed surveillance footage and did not observe anyone throwing items onto the roadway. Additionally, they did not recover anything that might have caused the damage. 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!
