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06 20 14 JTF1 The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener SERGEANT Eric Petersen POLICE OFFICERS Jerry Murphy Scott Patrick John Larrive Bobby Lambert Tanner Spicer Todd Rosse Jeff Vonfeldt Steven Meyer Denise Urmann Michael Shepard Peyton Fleming INVESTIGATIONS Chad Willson SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER Jennifer Fordham SUPPORT STAFF Kim Henning Trista Miller Lisa Brandt Becky Pentel RESERVES Randy Pentel Jim Knox Jeff Parker George Castillo CHAPLAINS Frances Cuenca Joel Detlefsen Lynn Liberman Butch Millett Sue Plucker John Snider David Wick JUNE 20, 2014 Identity Theft is now one of the fastest growing crimes worldwide. According to a November 2013 article published by the FBI, more than 1600 people were investigated by the FBI alone and ultimately convicted of identity theft between 2008 and 2013. “So what can we do to protect ourselves, Officer?” Take heart, we are not completely helpless and our protection starts at our mailbox, with an important first step: Walk out to your mailbox, take hold of that red, attention-getting, ‘steal-me’ flag that is at- tached to your mailbox and rip it off. Seriously. You see, there are actually those who make their living by wandering through neighborhoods looking for those red flags. Those cute little red flags scream: “Hey, the money is right here! Come and get it!” From your outgoing mail they can get your credit card information, bank account in- formation from your signed checks, social security number, cash and gift cards. Then, they can open lines of credit and checking accounts in your name and even wash your checks to make them out to anyone for any amount they desire! All on your dime. “But how will the US Postal Service employee know I have out-going mail?” Because the postal employee will check your mailbox anyway; they (and thieves) don’t need a signal it’s there. If you are worried, mail outgoing mail from secure spot with more vigilance or security, e.g. a USPS collection box or from your outgoing mail at work. You can further protect against mail theft with the following ideas:  Ask the Post Office to hold your mail if you plan on being away from home for an ex- tended period of time.  Ask a trusted friend or neighbor to retrieve your mail for you while you are away.  Remain watchful of your neighborhood and call 911 if you see someone or something suspicious, or if you are the victim of mail theft. The citizens are our eyes and ears and together we make this a safe and wonderful place to live and work. Resources: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/cyber/identity_theft/identity-theft-overview Mail Theft 2 Vehicle Accident—Damage to Property Friday 12:59 hours Officer Bobby Lambert responded to a two car property damage report. The driver of the suspect vehicle was attempting to make a left hand turn when it struck another vehicle causing damage to the victim’s driver side panel and tire. No injuries were reported. The suspect driver reported not seeing the victim vehicle. Officer Lambert verbally warned the driver for failure to yield the right of way and cleared the scene. Health and Welfare Hold Friday 14:45 hours Officer Bobby Lambert responded to a call regarding a juvenile male who was upset and damaging property in a residence as well as threatening to kill himself. Juvenile male left the residence and was located by Sgt. Eric Petersen. Since the male was still making suicidal threats it was decided by police and family that a Health and Welfare Hold would be placed. The male was transported to United Hospital. Theft from Vehicle Friday 15:51 hours Officer Scott Patrick responded to the Mendota Height Police Department lobby to take a report regarding a theft from vehicle. The complainant reported that his vehicle was parked in the underground parking garage at his apartment complex. His vehicle was unlocked and an unknown person entered the vehicle and removed the remote control for the common garage door. Management of the building was advised and there are no suspects at this time. Theft Friday 22:34 hours Officer Bobby Lambert was dispatched to a service station to take a theft report. The owner of the service station gave permission to an adult male to remove the scrap from his dumpster. The male also took a new tire that was not part of the agreement. The suspect refused to return the tire to the service station. Follow up is pending. Property Damage Sunday 22:41 hours Officer Tanner Spicer responded to a two vehicle accident where the driver of one vehicle made a U-turn and did not see there was a vehicle behind her. The two drivers were not injured and exchanged insurance information. A state accident report was filed and Officer Spicer cleared the scene. Found Dog Monday 20:14 hours Officer Mike Shepard was dispatched to a residence on report of a found Beagle. The dog was turned over to Four Paws. Several hours later the dog’s owner called police looking for their lost dog. The dog owner was referred to Four Paws where the owner and Beagle were reunited. 3 Theft of Gas Monday 12:29 hours Officer John Larrive was dispatched to a gas station to take a theft of gas report. The store employee advised dispatch that the theft occurred 30 minutes ago. Officer Larrive was provided with a video of the suspect vehicle. The case is pending. Suspicious Person Wednesday 10:31 hours Officer John Larrive received a phone call from a woman who believed she had been swindled while she was trying to rent a home in Mendota Heights. The victim stated she e-mailed her social security number and bank account information to the person she thought was the property owner but in fact was not the owner. Officer Larrive advised the woman to keep a watch her credit and bank information. This case is currently under investigation. DWI Wednesday 21:36 hours Officer Tanner Spicer and Officer Todd Rosse were dispatched to a hit and run at Bogey’s bar. When officers arrived witnesses were able to give a description of the vehicle, a partial license plate number, and a description of the suspect. Due to past frequent contacts with the suspect Officer Spicer knew where he may be residing. Before arriving at the residence a male flagged down Officer Spicer and told him that his truck had been struck by the suspect vehicle and led Officer Spicer to the location of the suspect vehicle. Officer Spicer observed the suspect to be very intoxicated. Witnesses of the hit and run identified the sus- pect as being the one who struck the patio at Bogey’s bar. Officer Spicer arrested the suspect who refused to submit to a breath test. The suspect was brought to Dakota County jail and held on charges of 2nd De- gree DWI Refusal to Submit. Threatening Phone Call Wednesday 22:14 hours Officer Denise Urmann was dispatched to a residential home to take a report from a woman who received a threatening voicemail message. Officer Urmann requested extra patrol of her residence and this case is under investigation. Burglary—Caught! Thursday 0941 hours Officer Larrive received report of a suspicious person near an address; while en route, it was upgraded to a burglary in progress, where the homeowner had exited the home to a safe location and the suspect was still inside. Officer Larrive approached the home and seeing the front of the home appeared secure, checked the exterior. He found the suspect near the broken patio door and ordered him to the ground. The suspect alternated between talking to the officer, moving toward the ground and attempting to get up. He then got to his feet and fled. Officer Larrive pursued and soon had the suspect in custody. The young man provided the officer with a false ID (his kid brother’s name) and also some noxious body odor. He was ultimately charged with Burglary, Damage to Property, False Info, Fleeing a Police Officer and Ob- struction of Justice. Oh, and we can’t forget his three Felony Warrants—two for Burglary and one for Do- mestic Assault. Did we mention his own mother helped us ID him? Pending Formal Complaint. Mudslide Thursday 1040 hours While the suspect take-down was occurring, officers were notified of a tree down on the S-curves on Hwy 13. It was soon upgraded to a mudslide, especially when Officer Larrive, en route to MHPD with the sus- pect, encountered the situation. State Patrol was notified and handled the scene, while MHFD and city engineers checked the neighborhood for safety. Later, Mendota also had a situation near D St. At this point, we have stability, but residents near the area are cautioned to exercise caution and vigilance. 4 Please send us your positive feedback on our staff to: pdrecords@ mendota-heights.com Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helps boost the morale of our staff. 06/13—06/19 2014 YTD Calls for Service 149 3855 Citations 14 812 Warnings 18 496 Police Reports 17 457 Response Time Average 6.39 5.72 Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: https://www.raidsonline.com 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55025 If you are a Mendota Heights resident and you are going out of town or on vacation, you can notify MHPD of your outing and we will be more than happy to keep a watchful eye on your home while you are away. The House Check Request online form is available on our website; we have similar forms in the MHPD lobby and we will take your info over the phone. MHPD offers monthly Car Seat Safety Checks. To schedule an appointment, call 651.452.1366 to contact Officer Jennifer Fordham. MHPD has a Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of the PD where Dakota County residents can safely and anonymously dispose of their prescription drugs and over-the-counter medication.