City Of Clayton: Weekly Police Incident Report: October 11th - 17th

Press release from the City of Clayton:

10/19/2021 11:41 AM

A warning before we begin, among the calls described in this week's incident report, are two incidents of domestic violence. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), "41.8% of Missouri women & 35.2% of Missouri men experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence &/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes." Domestic violence does not discriminate & can impact anyone regardless of gender, race, or economic status. If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, please dial 911. For non-emergency help, visit TheHotline.org or call 1(800)799-SAFE (7233). For additional information on domestic violence in Missouri: https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2497/ncadv_missouri_fact_sheet_2020.pdf.

For the reporting period of Monday, October 11th – Sunday, October 17th, CPD officers responded to 433 calls for service, including 19 automobile accidents, 40 calls to assist the CFD & 2 fireworks complaints. Among those calls were the following incidents:

A woman was driving westbound on Clayton Rd. Monday morning, when a second vehicle ran a red light on S. Hanley & collided with her car. The driver of the striking vehicle made no attempt to contact her or exchange information before leaving the scene.

Officers responded to the central business district after receiving a report of a domestic assault Monday evening. According to witnesses, a man entered a store & began verbally assaulting his ex-girlfriend, an employee. When she & her coworkers asked him to leave, he ignored their pleas. Instead, he physically & violently attacked his ex-girlfriend, causing visible injuries. He has been identified & officers are actively looking for him.

Walgreens employees contacted the CPD Tuesday morning after observing a woman taking merchandise into the store's restroom. A female employee entered the bathroom & overheard the sounds of someone opening packages. Officers contacted the woman, who initially denied stealing. However, as she continued to speak with officers, she changed her story, claiming she had attempted to conceal merchandise but had returned the items to the shelves.

The woman consented to a search of her purse & officers found nearly $150 in stolen Walgreens merchandise. Additionally, officers found a small container of suspected methamphetamine. A subsequent search of her vehicle resulted in the discovery of drug paraphernalia. The woman was arrested for petty larceny, possession of a controlled substance & possession of drug paraphernalia. This report will be forwarded to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Office for their consideration.

A greedy criminal was caught Wednesday afternoon after he stole not one but two vehicles from a parking garage. A parking attendant reported a man was looking into cars & checking the door handles of vehicles parked in the garage. When the attendant confronted the man, the suspect fled the garage in a stolen BMW SUV, breaking the parking gate in the process. It turns out the man is not familiar with the area & he returned when he reportedly got lost. Officers found him parked nearby in the stolen vehicle.

While investigating, officers learned the man had rummaged through several unlocked vehicles in the garage. He initially started to drive off in a Nissan SUV after finding keys inside the car. However, upon spotting the BMW SUV, he parked the Nissan & drove off in the BMW. The man was charged with two counts of stealing a motor vehicle & one count of property damage 1st degree. The report was forwarded to the St. Louis County Prosecutor's office for consideration & he is currently being held on a $25,000 cash-only bond.

Officers were called to the Moorlands neighborhood Wednesday evening after a woman attempted to leave the scene of an accident. After striking the stone wall at Glenridge & Clayton, the woman drove several blocks away before coming to a stop. Investigating officers determined she was driving while intoxicated & arrested her for DWI. Following her arrest, she made several attempts to escape custody. In addition to the DWI, she was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with damage exceeding $1000 & resisting arrest on a felony offense.

A short time later, officers received a report of a domestic assault. A woman reported she arrived home to find her husband intoxicated & angry. What began as a verbal argument escalated when he physically assaulted her. The man was arrested for domestic assault 4th degree & the case has been forwarded to the Clayton prosecuting attorney for consideration.

A resident of the Hillcrest neighborhood awoke to find his vehicle missing Thursday morning. He stated he last saw the car parked in front of his home Wednesday night. He believes he may have inadvertently left the vehicle unlocked with a key inside. An investigation is ongoing.

A man tried to outwit officers Friday morning when he failed to stop his vehicle for officers following multiple traffic violations. An officer first witnessed the male driver violate "enter only" road signs near Clayton & Big Bend. When the officer attempted to stop the SUV, the driver activated his hazard lights but continued driving. Minutes later, a second officer observed the vehicle run several red lights in the central business district before turning into a residential area. When the car reemerged on N. Brentwood Blvd., officers noticed the driver had swapped seats with his passenger. They again initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle & the female driver stopped pulled over.

When confronted about his traffic violations, the man denied driving & claimed he & the woman had been asleep in the vehicle. The woman quickly dispelled his version of events & confirmed the man had been driving erratically. While on the scene, officers learned that St. Louis County PD wanted the man for stealing a firearm/explosive, a felony. Additionally, the woman was wanted by Rock Hill PD for traffic violations. However, she was released from the scene with a new court date through their municipal court.

Officers searched the vehicle & discovered drug paraphernalia, marijuana, unmarked pills & a baggie containing a white crystal substance. The man claimed all of the items belonged to him. He was arrested for the warrant & charged with possession of a controlled substance & possession of drug paraphernalia. The case will be submitted to the St. Louis County Prosecutor's office pending lab results. As a result of his traffic violations, he has an upcoming court date through the Clayton municipal court.

Later Friday morning, officers spoke with a resident who reported she had fallen victim to an elaborate employment scam involving fraudulent checks & bitcoin. After posting her resume to several job search platforms, she received an emailed offer of employment. The company claimed to be based out of the country but sought a new office in the St. Louis region. With the job offer, the woman received a "code of conduct" manual for the company & various forms, including a W-4. She completed the forms & returned them via email. At the same time, she was contacted through Zoom direct messaging & began corresponding with someone she believed to be a company representative.

Wednesday, she received a check for just under $5,000 & instructions to use the funds to pay a specific vendor for equipment she would need for her new position. She completed the transaction as instructed. However, the representative contacted her Thursday to claim the vendor was asking for additional funds. The contact led her to deposit two more checks & to use the funds to purchase bitcoin. Friday morning, the woman's financial institution informed her the checks had been forged & she had been defrauded of over $7,000. The investigation is ongoing. For information on recognizing & reporting employment scams, visit: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams.

A was driving westbound on Forest Park Parkway Friday morning when a vehicle entered his lane & struck the passenger side of his SUV. When the driver made no attempt to stop, he took a photo of the car & contacted the CPD for assistance. Officers connected the vehicle to an address in Maplewood, where they found the car parked outside. The car had visible damage on the driver's side, consistent with the damage to the victim's SUV. Unfortunately, officers were unable to locate the driver.

Early Saturday morning, officers responded to the 800 block of Westwood for a report of a vehicle alarm sounding. Responding officers found 10 vehicles in the Moorlands neighborhood had been rummaged through. Six of those vehicles were left unlocked. The remaining four were damaged when the suspects broke out the windows. Among the items stolen were sunglasses, a wallet, US Currency & credit cards. Surveillance footage showed a gray SUV in the area at approximately 3am. The driver appeared to be male & two additional male suspects were seen rifling through the victims' vehicles. Additionally, the same vehicle & subjects were seen checking the door handles of cars parked in the 900 block of S. Hanley & may be linked to reports from neighboring jurisdictions.

Finally, a woman parked her vehicle in a public lot in the central business district while at work on Saturday. When she returned to the car Saturday afternoon, she discovered the passenger window had been broken out & her backpack had been stolen. No witnesses or suspects have been identified.

Anyone with information related to these or other investigations is asked to contact the CPD at (314)645-3000. Until next week, stay safe!