Clayton Weekly Police Incident Report: Oct. 12-18

From the City of Clayton:

October 19, 2020

For the reporting period of Monday, October 12th – Sunday, October 18th, CPD officers responded to 364 calls for service including, 12 automobile accidents & 41 calls to assist the CFD. Among those calls were the following incidents:

Monday morning, officers met with a resident who reported someone stole her bicycle from the bed of her pickup in the 200 block of S. Meramec. The theft occurred sometime between October 5th & 9th.

An attorney returned from time off Monday to discover items missing from her office in the 200 block of S. Bemiston. She is the only occupant of the office & reported she was absent from October 1st – 10th. She estimates the items are valued at over $2,500.

An unknown subject defrauded a man of $400 Tuesday afternoon when they called the victim & claimed to be Apple Support. The fraudster verified the last 4 digits of the victim’s active credit card & directed him to purchase the gift cards as payment for services. You can report fraudulent tech support calls online: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1

Residents of the Davis Place neighborhood may have noticed an increased police presence Wednesday afternoon. Officers responded to the area to assist St. Louis County PD in searching for a subject who had fled on foot from the MetroLink. The man was not located & officers from both the Clayton PD & St. Louis County PD terminated the search efforts. It was later determined he was wanted for a non-violent MetroLink violation. At no time was there a threat to the community's safety.

Wednesday evening, a resident of the 6300 block of N. Rosebury reported someone stole her bicycle from her backyard between October 10th & 14th. Just after reporting the bike as stolen, she discovered a Craigslist ad listing what she believed was her bicycle for sale. Friday morning, detectives contacted the seller who claimed to have bought the bicycle from another subject on the 13th. Officers returned the bicycle to the victim & an investigation continues.

Thursday afternoon, a resident of the 6300 block of Northwood observed a man opening the door of a vehicle she knows belongs to another subject. She described the man as having a gray beard & wearing a gray coat. She yelled at him, telling him to get out of the truck & the man ran off toward Concordia Park. A short time later, a man stole a vehicle from the area of Dartford & Wydown. The driver left the keys in the truck while he completed lawn work with other employees nearby. Witnesses reported a man with a gray beard, black coat & red ball cap was observing the workers before stealing the truck. It is not clear whether this same man is responsible for both incidents. Investigation continues.

Officers responded to the 100 block of Crandon early Friday morning to investigate an accident involving a parked vehicle. Witnesses reported revealed the driver was also involved in a collision on Maryland Ave. Further investigation led to the arrest of the driver for DWI.

Later Friday morning, officers assisted the CFD with a fire at Le Meridien Hotel. Towels stacked too close to an outlet inside a housekeeping closet caught fire.

Surveillance cameras captured a woman stealing a yard sign from the 7400 block of Wydown early Saturday morning. It is the second time someone has stolen the sign.

A resident of the 8100 block of Kingsbury reported someone stole 2 signs supporting political candidates from her yard sometime between Friday afternoon & Saturday evening.

A CVS employee was injured Saturday night when she confronted a subject who was attempting to shoplift. The man was approaching the exit with a cart full of personal hygiene products & bottles of alcohol when the employee blocked his escape. The man reached his hand into his jacket & threatened to shoot the employee. Instead, he used one of the alcohol bottles to strike her wrist before he fled the store. Witnesses last saw him leaving the area as the driver of an older model red Ford Taurus.

Sunday morning, a resident of the 7400 block of Clayton Rd. reported stole a large weathervane from her yard. The weathervane was mounted to a wooden fence & the theft resulted in damage to the fence. The victim last recalled seeing the weathervane Saturday afternoon.

A man was arrested for trespassing Sunday afternoon after restoration crews found him in a restricted area of Le Meridien Hotel. Officers arrested the same individual last week for trespassing in the same hotel.

Finally, a man responded to the PD Sunday evening to report he was assaulted Saturday night. The man alleged an acquaintance sprayed him with pepper spray while they were at a bar in the central business district. Officers are awaiting surveillance footage from the bar as the investigation continues.

Help us prevent bicycle thefts by adding your bike & other recreational equipment to your #9pmRoutine:

-When possible, secure your bike in a locked garage or inside your home.

-In public or shared spaces, use a properly secured U-Lock or heavy-duty chain lock. Safety experts recommend placing the U-lock around the rear rim & tire, inside the rear triangle of the frame.

-Keep a record of your bicycle's serial numbers, purchase price, etc. & take a photo for reference.

Until next week, stay safe!

This press release was produced by the City of Clayton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.