Suspicious Fire 

CLAYTON, MO – August 5, 2025- The Clayton Police Department is actively investigating a suspicious fire that damaged multiple vehicles early this morning. Just after 3 a.m., officers responded to a report of a vehicle fire in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found that three vehicles had sustained damage from a fire believed to have been intentionally set. No injuries have been reported.

Due to the nature of the incident, the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit has been requested to assist with the investigation.

This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact the Clayton Police Department Detective Bureau at (314) 290-8414.

Additional details will be shared as they become available.

Investigation into Suspicious Fire and Hate Crime Ongoing

CLAYTON, MO – August 5, 2025, The Clayton Police Department continues to investigate a suspicious fire in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue early this morning. Just after 3 a.m., responding officers discovered that three vehicles had been damaged by a fire, believed to have been intentionally set. Additionally, officers located antisemitic graffiti written in the roadway. No injuries were reported. This incident is currently being investigated as a hate crime.

We believe the victim in this incident, a Clayton resident, was specifically targeted. There are no indications of any further threat to the community. The FBI and the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit have been requested to assist with the investigation.

The Clayton Police Department takes this matter seriously and is pursuing every lead to ensure the individual responsible is held accountable. We are committed to protecting the safety and well-being of every member of our community.

This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact the Clayton Police Department Detective Bureau at (314) 290-8414.

Updates will be shared as additional details become available.

Clayton Police Seek Public’s Help in Ongoing Hate Crime Investigation 

CLAYTON, MO – August 8, 2025, The Clayton Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance as we continue to actively investigate the hate crime and suspicious fires that occurred in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue during the early morning hours of August 5, 2025. If you live or work in the neighborhood or surrounding area and have a surveillance system, including doorbell cameras, dashcams, or private security systems we urge you to share anything that may be helpful. Specifically, we are looking for any video footage or still images between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on August 5th. Your surveillance system may be the key to identifying the individual(s) responsible for this disturbing and targeted attack.

How to Submit Information:

Clayton Police Department Detective Bureau: (314) 290-8414

St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers (anonymous tips):

• Via the P3 Tips App
• Call (314) 725-8477 or 1-866-371-TIPS (8477)
• Visit www.stlrcs.org

All calls to CrimeStoppers are completely anonymous. If your tip, emailed or called directly into the CrimeStoppers Tip Hotline, leads to the arrest of the subject(s) wanted for this crime, you may be eligible for a reward.

The Clayton Police Department is committed to the safety of our community. We take this crime seriously and are pursuing every available lead to hold the perpetrator(s) accountable. Further updates will be shared as new information becomes available.

Rewards Announced for Information in Hate Crime Investigation

CLAYTON, MO – September 15, 2025, The Clayton Police Department remains steadfast in our commitment to community safety and is pursuing every available lead to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the hate crime and suspicious fires that occurred in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue during the early morning hours of August 5, 2025.

Reward Information:
• The Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the Anti-Defamation League are each offering an additional $15,000 (totaling $30,000) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s). This additional reward is not in conjunction with the CrimeStoppers reward and will be paid only after a conviction is obtained.
• The Jewish National Defense Network is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible for this targeted hate crime.
• St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers is offering an additional reward of up to $2,000 for information, submitted only through the CrimeStoppers Tip Hotline, that leads to the arrest of those responsible.

We urge anyone who lives or works in the neighborhood or surrounding area to review their surveillance systems for anything that may aid the investigation. We are specifically seeking video footage or still images captured between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on August 5, 2025 from doorbell cameras, dashcams, or private security systems. Your footage may be the key to identifying those responsible for this disturbing and targeted attack.

How to Submit Information:

• Clayton Police Department Detective Bureau: (314) 290-8414
• St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers (anonymous tips): 
• Use the P3 Tips App
• Call (314) 725-8477 or 1-866-371-TIPS (8477)
• Visit www.stlrcs.org

All calls to CrimeStoppers are completely anonymous.

Further updates will be shared as new information becomes available.

Attempting to Identify Person of Interest

CLAYTON, MO – December 16, 2025, The Clayton Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a person of interest in connection with our ongoing investigation into the suspicious fires and hate crime that occurred in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue on August 5, 2025. The individual shown in the video and photographs below was last seen wearing:

• Dark shoes with a distinctive white or light-colored sole
• A light-colored fanny pack or crossbody-style bag worn across the chest.

We remain committed to pursuing every available lead to bring accountability in this case. Community assistance is vital, and we encourage anyone with information to come forward.

How to Provide Information

• Clayton Police Department Detective Bureau: (314) 290-8414
• St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers (anonymous tips):
  • Submit via the P3 Tips App
  • Call (314) 725-8477 or 1-866-371-TIPS (8477)
  • Visit www.stlrcs.org

All tips submitted through CrimeStoppers remain completely anonymous. If your information leads to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible, you may be eligible for a reward.

We will share further updates as new information becomes available.

Investigators Seek Information in Hate Crime Investigation

CLAYTON, MO – December 29, 2025, The Clayton Police Department, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s St. Louis Field Office, remains steadfast in its commitment to community safety. Investigators continue to pursue all available leads to identify and hold accountable the individual responsible for intentionally setting fire to vehicles at a Jewish family’s home. The antisemitic hate crime took place in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue on August 5, 2025.

In the coming weeks, investigators will conduct a canvass of the neighborhood and surrounding areas to gather additional information. Anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity, seen an individual matching the suspect’s description, or possesses information relevant to this investigation, no matter how small, is urged to come forward. Your tip may be the key to identifying the person responsible for this targeted and deeply troubling act.

To encourage public assistance, multiple organizations are offering rewards totaling up to $57,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the individual(s) responsible. For details on the available rewards, and information on submitting a tip, please visit www.claytonmo.gov.

The Clayton Police Department and the FBI remain committed to identifying those responsible and ensuring accountability for this hate crime.

Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.

Clayton Police Seek Public's Assistance in Ongoing Hate Crime Investigation

CLAYTON, MO – August 5, 2026, The Clayton Police Department, in partnership with the FBI St. Louis Field Office, continues its active investigation into the August 5, 2025, hate crime. Last year, officers responded to an early morning report of a vehicle fire in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue, where they found three vehicles intentionally set on fire outside the home of a Jewish family. Antisemitic graffiti written in the roadway confirmed the crime was deliberate and targeted.

We encourage the public to review the accompanying surveillance video and photographs to assist in identifying the person responsible. At the time of the incident, this individual wore:

• Dark shoes with distinctive white or light-colored soles;
• A dark hooded shirt; and
• A light-colored fanny pack or crossbody-style bag worn across the chest.

Anyone with information related to this case is urged to come forward. We understand that someone may have hesitated to share information because of a personal relationship or concern for their own safety. Tips may be submitted anonymously. A friend, family member, coworker, classmate, or acquaintance may recognize the individual in the surveillance images or remember changes in that person's appearance, behavior, or routine around the time of the crime. Information you may believe is insignificant or already known could be the key to bringing justice to the victim and their family.

Rewards totaling up to $47,000 are available for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the person responsible. Details about available rewards and how to submit a tip can be found on the Clayton Police Department's website at www.claytonmo.gov.

The Clayton Police Department and the FBI remain committed to the safety of our community and ensuring accountability for this hate crime. Further updates will be shared as additional information becomes available.