Weekly Clayton Police Incident Report: March 22-28

From the City of Clayton:

March 29, 2021

For the reporting period of Monday, March 22nd - Sunday, March 28th, CPD officers responded to 447 calls for service, including 11 automobile accidents, 30 calls to assist the CFD & 2 reports of stolen vehicles. Please help us reduce the opportunity for these crimes by using your #9pmroutine all day, every day. Removing all valuables, keys & remotes from your vehicles & secure your vehicles & property. Read on for more:

Monday afternoon, staff at The Wine and Cheese Shop reported a delayed fraudulent purchase. Earlier this month, a woman used what appeared to be a pre-paid debit card to purchase two bottles of alcohol valued at nearly $200. The card was declined when the woman attempted to buy a 3rd bottle. A short time later, an unknown male caller informed the staff the purchases were fraudulent & his bank would be declining the sale. Last week, the store's financial institution notified the owner the cardholder disputed the purchase & the cost would be withdrawn from their business account. The investigation is ongoing.

While patrolling Shaw Park after hours Monday night, officers located six individuals at the Enterprise Pavilion. They were informed of the park hours & left without incident.

On scene investigation following a traffic stop in the area of Clayton Rd. & DeMun Tuesday morning revealed the driver had multiple warrants through University City PD. The driver was arrested & released from the scene to University City PD Officers.

A resident of the Moorlands returned home Tuesday evening & parked his vehicle in front of his residence. The resident reportedly left the car unlocked with the keys inside. When he awoke Wednesday morning, he discovered the vehicle had been stolen overnight. An investigation is ongoing.

Wednesday evening, witnesses watched as a pickup truck struck a parked vehicle in the area of S. Rosebury & DeMun. The truck did not stop & the investigation continues.

CVS employees confronted a woman who attempted to shoplift by concealing merchandise in her clothing Thursday morning. The woman returned the items to employees & was issued a trespass warning.

Due to power outages in the area Thursday evening, a resident of Davis Pl. was unable to access her garage & parked her vehicle in front of her residence. Friday morning, she discovered the car was missing. She stated she secured her vehicle Thursday night. However, she believes a "hide-a-key" box was attached to the car. An investigation is ongoing.

Later Friday morning, officers responded to the area of Forest Park Parkway & I-170 to assist a cab driver with an uncooperative customer. He believed the man was under the influence of a controlled substance & was behaving erratically. When the passenger refused to provide an address for his destination, the driver pulled to the side of the road, refunded the fair & requested the passenger exit his vehicle. Instead, the passenger became aggressive & physically assaulted the driver. Following an on-scene investigation, officers arrested the man for assault 4th degree, possession of marijuana, resisting arrest & assault 4th special victim. The case was forwarded to the City of Clayton Prosecutor for his consideration.

Residents of the Moorlands neighborhood reported a subject was looking into parked vehicles Saturday evening. Officers responded to the area & located the individual. While on the scene, they discovered the subject is a juvenile & had been reported as a missing runaway. He admitted to taking cash & other items, including a Ford key fob, from unlocked vehicles when questioned. He was arrested & released to the custody of the St. Louis County Juvenile Detention Center. The case will be forwarded to the St. Louis County Family Courts for consideration.

Finally, a traffic stop in front of the CPD Sunday morning resulted in the recovery of a stolen license plate. The plate was stolen from a St. Louis City based dealership in January. The vehicle owner reportedly purchased the vehicle from a different dealership earlier this month & was unaware the plate was stolen. The license plate was seized & returned to the Missouri Department of Revenue.

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

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