Blotter: Thrown Cigarette May Have Caused Car Fire

Every week, Patch will publish a selection of Inver Grove Heights police reports taken from previous weeks.

Nov. 5

8 a.m.—Police responded to a report of a burglary on the 6400 block of Cahill Ave. E.

11 p.m.—A woman living on the 5300 block of Audobon Ave. visited the police station to report that someone spat on her car and wrote "haters love me" in black permanent ink. The woman told an officer that she believed it was her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend who had committed the act. Police spoke with the ex-boyfriend and his girlfriend, who denied any wrongdoing and told an officer the victim may have written on her own car because "she is crazy." The boyfriend also told an officer that the victim's mother had left him a harassing message on his phone. Police called the mother, who admitted leaving the message and told officers the ex-boyfriend had insulted her daughter. Police informed the mother that if she left any more harassing message on the ex's phone, she could face charges.

Nov. 6

11:47 a.m.—Police and fire units responded to a report of a car fire on the 5500 block of Cenex Drive. The driver of the vehicle told police she smelled gasoline and then saw flames coming up from her dashboard, at which point she put the car in park and jumped out. The fire department extinguished the flames and advised the police that the fire came from carpeting in the interior of the car. The driver then told officers she was smoking and threw a cigarette out the window. Gusty flames may have pushed the cigarette back into her vehicle.

1 p.m.—A resident living along River Road called police to report a dumping complaint. The woman saw a white male drive a pick-up truck loaded with cables down the road. When the truck passed a second time, the cables were gone. Police found an old mattress and a heap of black cables at the end of the road, and called a city worker to clean it up.

11:55 p.m.—Police spoke with a woman living on the 5300 block of Greystone Dr., who told an officer her husband had been missing for several days. She told police she suspected he was on a crack-cocaine binge, but did not know where he was. Five days later, police found the man in St. Paul and brought him in to the police department. The husband told officers he was in a fight with his wife several days ago, but didn't appear to be acting oddly. Inver Grove Heights police spoke with the wife, who said she did not want him to return to their apartment because of his drug habit.

Nov. 8

8:48 a.m.—Police responded to a fifth-degree controlled substance incident on the 5700 block of Cahill Ave.

6:50 p.m.—Police responded to a report of a disturbance on the 1900 block of 55th St. Ct. E. A woman spoke with officers, telling them she and her ex-husband had gotten into an argument when he stopped by to drop off their kids.

Nov. 10

9:17 a.m.—Police responded to a tobacco violation on the 2900 block of 80th St. E.

Nov. 11

12:29 p.m.—Police responded to a tobacco violation on the 2900 block of 80th St. E.