Kirkwood police say a single week brought a little bit of everything: a pricey pop-up scam, gunfire on a neighborhood street and an arrest after officers stopped a suspicious vehicle. The department's weekly "Police Beat" recaps the run of calls that came in between April 14 and April 19.
In a summary posted to Facebook on April 22, the department reports that on April 14 a resident ran into a tech-support style pop-up on their laptop, then got a call from someone pretending to be a Microsoft representative. The victim ultimately handed over $4,500 in gift-card redemption codes, and purchases tied to those codes later showed up at stores including Nordstrom, Circle K, Target, CVS, Dollar Tree and Sephora. The same post also details an exchange of gunfire around 8:18 p.m. on April 14 in the 300 block of New York Street that left one person with a graze wound, an impersonation vehicle reported the next day and a traffic-stop arrest on April 17 for impersonating an officer, according to the Kirkwood Missouri Police Department.
Costly pop-up scam targeted a resident
According to the police beat, the resident was instructed to buy gift cards and share the codes after encountering the fake tech-support pop-up. The department says the victim provided $4,500 in codes before realizing both the call and the pop-up were fraudulent. Investigators are asking anyone who might have surveillance footage or receipts from the listed stores to contact police.
The Federal Trade Commission warns that anyone who asks for payment by gift card is a scammer and recommends that people report these incidents to the agency. The FTC notes that legitimate companies do not demand gift-card payment for tech support, or for anything else that should be handled through normal billing, according to the FTC.
Exchange of gunfire in the 300 block of New York Street
Police say officers headed to the 300 block of New York Street around 8:18 p.m. on April 14 after reports of shots fired. The incident involved an exchange of gunfire between several young males, according to the weekly summary. One person received a graze wound to his leg and was treated. The department's Detective Bureau is leading the investigation, and no additional suspect information was released in the report.
Vehicle impersonation led to an arrest
Residents reported seeing a vehicle in town outfitted with emergency-style lights, barred rear passenger windows, faded "police" lettering and megaphone siren effects. Officers investigated and later conducted a traffic stop on April 17 in the Kirkwood-Monroe area. That stop resulted in arrests on multiple outstanding warrants, and the driver was charged with impersonating an officer, according to the police beat.
Teens found playing with a makeshift blowtorch on Union Pacific tracks
On April 19 officers located four juvenile males walking on Union Pacific tracks near Frieda. The teens were reportedly using a makeshift blowtorch built from an aerosol hairspray can and a lighter. Officers returned the juveniles to their parents, who took custody while police documented the incident.
Rail-safety groups routinely warn that walking on or near tracks is illegal and extremely dangerous and recommend reviewing safety guidance from Operation Lifesaver.
Week at a glance: calls and enforcement
The department's activity snapshot lists 598 total calls for service for the week of April 13. That tally includes 168 traffic stops, 31 motorist assists or traffic complaints, 26 motor-vehicle accidents, 14 juvenile-related complaints and seven shoplifting incidents in south Kirkwood. During the same period, officers also handled 87 assists to Fire/EMS and responded to 13 welfare checks.
How to reach police and what to watch for
For tips or information tied to any of these incidents, the department identifies Officer Gary Baldridge as public information officer. The community services line is listed as 314-822-5868, and the email contact is [email protected]. The City of Kirkwood Police page outlines additional non-emergency numbers along with services for filing reports and registering community cameras. Anyone with relevant footage or evidence is asked to contact the department directly.
Legal note
The weekly post states that the impersonation arrest will move through the normal charging process and that detectives are continuing to follow up on leads. Anyone with information about the shooting, the scam or the impersonation vehicle is urged to contact Kirkwood police or use St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers to submit tips anonymously.
