City Of Clayton: Weekly Police Incident Report: July 12th - 18th

Press release from the City of Clayton:

07/19/2021 3:06 PM

For the reporting period of Monday, July 12th through Sunday, July 18th, the CPD responded to 542 calls for service, including 12 vehicle accidents, 23 calls to assist the CFD & 4 fireworks complaints. Among those calls were the following incidents:

As we reported last week, CPD officers responded to the area of I-170 & Forest Park Parkway early Monday morning for a report of a fatal crash involving a bicyclist. The incident is being investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Anyone with information related to the crash is asked to contact MSHP Troop C at (636)300-2800.

Storms from Friday & Saturday night continued to cause problems for residents over the weekend as damaged tree limbs fell onto parked vehicles. Monday morning, residents in both the 7400 block of Wellington Way & the 6300 block of Ellenwood awoke to find their vehicles damaged by fallen tree limbs.

Later Monday morning, a CPD officer was conducting a traffic stop in the area of Big Bend Blvd. & Clayton Rd. when he discovered the driver did not have a valid driver's license. Additionally, he was a person of interest in a felony stealing incident out of Bridgeton & he was wanted for burglary (felony) out of St. Clair County, Illinois.

Construction workers watched Monday morning as a white tractor-trailer attempted to turn onto eastbound Forsyth from S. Brentwood Blvd. The truck ran over the curb & struck the pedestrian signal. The job site coordinator spoke to the driver & informed him he had hit the signal. However, the driver made no attempt to stop & continued onto Forsyth Blvd. Witnesses photographed the truck & attempts to identify the driver are ongoing.

A man reported his handgun was stolen from his work van sometime Monday afternoon while the van was parked in the 8000 block of Bonhomme. He stated he inadvertently left the vehicle unlocked & discovered the gun was missing at the end of his shift. A review of nearby surveillance cameras showed a dark grey BMW sedan parking next to the victim's vehicle at approximately 1:40pm. A man wearing a facemask & a yellow vest was seen entering the van's passenger side door & reaching toward the center console. The BMW is described as having a lowered frame, dark tinted windows & black wheels. At the time, it appeared to have only one license plate or a temporary license attached to the rear bumper. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Clayton Police Department.

Tuesday morning, the General Manager of the Hampton Inn reported a man had been loitering in the hotel over the weekend & throughout the day. The man was not a guest & the GM requested assistance in removing him from the property. Officers located the man nearby & after confirming he was the same subject, officers notified him he was no longer welcome at the hotel. Additionally, he was informed he would be arrested for trespassing if he returned to the property.

A Walgreens customer returned to her vehicle Tuesday night & discovered her purse had been stolen. She reported leaving the bag on her passenger side floorboard & taking only her car keys & debit card with her into the store. She stated she thought she had secured her vehicle. However, there were no signs of forced entry or damage to the car. A witness recalled seeing a gray minivan, occupied by 2 men, stop near the victim's vehicle while she was in the store. One of the men entered the woman's car & rummaged through the interior before returning to the van & leaving the area. An investigation is ongoing.

A passerby reported seeing a handgun on the passenger seat of a parked, unoccupied vehicle Wednesday afternoon. The vehicle owner was contacted & after a conversation with officers regarding firearm safety, he safely secured the handgun. As a reminder, the CPD provides free cable gun locks upon request. To receive your free lock, please contact Cpl. Schwartz at (314)290-8424 or by email at jschwartz@claytonmo.gov.

After bypassing Shaw Park Pool gate attendant Wednesday afternoon, 2 juveniles discharged several fireworks from the bleachers. Thankfully, no one was injured & no property damage was reported. The pool manager detained the juveniles & contacted the CPD for assistance. Officers released the youths to their guardians & the case was forwarded to the St. Louis County Family Court for consideration.

Wednesday evening, a parkgoer parked & secured her vehicle on the north Shaw Park lot. When she returned to her car an hour later, she discovered the front passenger side window was shattered & someone had rifled through the center console. Additionally, a sealed UPS box was stolen from the vehicle's front seat. While searching the area, officers found a 2nd vehicle that appeared to have been rummaged through. The second vehicle driver reported his bank card & a company gas card were taken from his SUV. He later learned an unknown subject used his bank card to make a $600 purchase through Walgreens & several additional transactions at other businesses were declined. The investigation is ongoing.

While on patrol in the Hi-Pointe DeMun neighborhood early Thursday, a CPD officer observed a white, midsized pickup truck driving at a suspiciously slow rate. He continued to watch the vehicle & the driver quickly turned onto S. Rosebury Ave. before speeding away. As the truck turned onto S. Rosebury Ave., an object fell from the truck bed. The item was recovered & later determined to be part of a Toyota Rav 4's exhaust system. Unfortunately, thieves mistakenly stole the part while attempting to steal the vehicle's catalytic converter.

Later Thursday morning, Starbucks employees reported a man stole the tip jar from the counter at the N. Central store. When the store manager confronted the man, he left on foot. Officers found the man hiding in the restroom of the Starbucks located in the 7600 block of Delmar Blvd. Officers recovered the stolen funds & he was issued a summons for stealing.

Less than an hour after his release with a summons, the man walked to the Hampton Inn & attempted to walk upstairs toward the guestrooms. When employees realized he was the same man who was banned from the hotel on Tuesday, they confronted him & contacted the CPD. Officers found him in the area of N. Meramec & Forsyth. He admitted to entering the hotel & was issued a summons for trespassing.

Thursday afternoon, an employee in the 800 block of S. Hanley Rd. reported over $1,000 worth of tools & equipment was stolen out of his unlocked work van. Surveillance footage showed a white, single cab pickup truck parked near his vehicle at approximately 9:30am. A man exited the pickup & walked toward the van before returning to the truck & driving away a few minutes later. The video showed the van's sliding door was closed when the truck arrived. When the truck left, the van door was left open. The investigation is ongoing.

While reviewing her financial statements Friday, a woman discovered 4 fraudulent charges were made with her debit card between July 6th & 12th. The card was still in her possession & it was unclear when or where the card was compromised.

Friday afternoon, a resident of the 100 block of S. Brentwood reported his bicycle was stolen from his storage unit. He last saw the bike when he returned it to his locker Tuesday morning.

Finally, officers responded to several complaints over the weekend of fireworks being discharged in the area of Glenridge Elementary. Witnesses reported a gray passenger vehicle may have been involved in the violations. Sunday night, officers were on patrol in the area of Wydown & Hanley when they saw a car matching the description parked on Wydown. Officers contacted the occupant of the vehicle, who denied any involvement in the fireworks offenses. However, as they spoke, officers observed fireworks in plain view on the rear floorboard of the car. Also located inside of the car was a backpack containing several "bottle rockets." The fireworks were seized & properly disposed of.

Anyone with information regarding ongoing investigations is asked to contact the CPD. Until next week, stay safe!