Police Blotter: Fraudulent Attempts, Foot Chase, Retail Theft, Vandalism

Pushy Caller Attempts To Scam Woman

On Sept. 28 at approximately 2 p.m., a woman reported to that she received a suspicious phone call at her parent’s home on the 500 block of Collins Drive. According to the woman, the caller had identified himself as a representative from Pro Energy Maintenance Corp. Police said the caller told the woman that he was calling on behalf of Meenan Oil and offered to clean their oil heater for $40. The man was apparently pushy and offered the woman to do the cleaning for $35 that day. The woman told him she wasn’t interest and called Meenan Oil, in which they told her that the man identified did not work for them and was not affiliated with them. In addition, Meenan Oil told the woman that, “subjects use this scam to gain entrance into homes and then change a lot more money claiming to find other issues with the heating system.”

Man Leads Police On Foot Chase

On Sept. 28 just before 3 p.m., police were traveling south on Sproul Road when a police saw a man dressed all in black walking outside in the northbound travel lane. Police were able to stop the man and identify him as a Marple resident involved in an incident with a knife earlier that day. Police asked the man if he still had the knife from earlier and insisted he did not, said police. When he was searched, police found a large hard object behind his belt buckle in which the man said it was his wallet. While the man struggled as police tried to apprehend him, the officer’s two fingers were punctured while conducting the search. The man then fled on foot and police chased after him. He was apprehended after running into a nearby cemetery. The man was arrested and was placed under investigation. Police discovered $715 in cash on the man. Police are further investigating this incident.

Woman Returns Stolen Baby Monitor For Full Refund

On Sept. 26 at approximately 3:05 p.m., police responded to the at Lawrence Park Shopping Center for a reported retail theft. The store officer told police she saw a woman selecting two curling irons from the sales display and concealed them into a bag she was carrying. The woman later removed these two items from that bag and returned them to the sales display. The store officer continued to watch the woman, in which she selected a red leather wallet on sale for $19.99, and placed it into the bag she was carrying. In addition, the woman selected a baby video monitor from the sales display. The woman placed the item in her bag as well, according to the store officer. The woman then went to the return sales counter in which she requested a refund for the baby monitor as if she had previously paid for the item, said police. The woman had no receipt and was given a store credit for $137.79. Nicole Williams was arrested and a live scan showed a lengthy criminal history including nine prior arrests for retail theft and at least six convictions, said police. The Pennsylvania State Board of Probation and Parole issued a warrant to detain Williams.

Vandalism Reported at Springton Lake Village

On Sept. 26 at approximately 9:15 a.m., police responded to the 100 block of Longview Circle in Media by Springton Lake Village for a reported criminal mischief incident. Upon arrival, police said they spoke to an employee who said that sometime between 5 p.m. on Sept. 24 and 9 a.m. on Sept. 26, someone had damaged part of the wood fence by their entrance on Route 252/Newtown Street Road. The actor(s) had apparently kicked out the panels and individual fence pieces, said police. The estimated damage was totaled to $120. The employee also told police that they have been experiencing multiple acts of vandalism over the past few months. According to the employee, most of the damage had been in and around their clubhouse at 101 Longview Circle. Police are further investigating this incident.

Flowers Uprooted From Community College Thrown Onto Roadway

On Sept. 25 at approximately 6:30 a.m., police reported to the 900 block of South Media Line Road for debris reported on the roadway. Upon arrival, police discovered a piece of fence and several flowers thrown onto South Newtown Street Road and Timberlake Drive. According to police, the same individual had apparently also ripped out numerous plants from flowerbed and also threw them into the street.

10 Full-Sized HVAC Units Stolen From Office Building

On Sept. 22 at approximately 3:30 p.m., police responded to the Marple Commons building off of 2002 Sproul Road for a reported theft. The manager of the property told police that 10 full-sized HVAC units were cut away and removed from the rear of the building with two additional units damaged but not removed sometime the night before, according to the incident report. Police are further investigating this incident.

Fraudulent Attempt Conducted In Front Of Giant

On Sept. 21 at approximately 3:20 p.m., a woman had reported a fraud attempt. According to police, the woman was exiting the off of Springfield Road at around 11 a.m. when she was approached by an attractive, well-dressed white female in her early thirties, said police. The woman had a black zippered pouch in her hand and asked the woman leaving the supermarket if she had dropped it. The woman with the pouch then showed the woman the contents of the pouch, which contained a large amount of money with a note that had stated there was $180,000 and that it was deposited into a Swiss Bank account. The woman with the pouch told her that she was an employee at Sovereign Bank on West Chester Pike and called her “boss” who told them to bring the money over. The man told the women that all they would need to do would be to pay the taxes on the money and then they would eventually receive the whole amount. The woman told the other woman with the pouch that she should report it to the police station in which she refused. The woman reporting the incident then drove the other woman with the pouch to the bank in which she walked towards the front of the bank and returned a short time later without the pouch and said her “boss” was in a meeting. The woman then told the woman with the pouch that she had to go home, in which the other woman accompanied her and helped carry in her groceries. The woman with the pouch then asked the woman for a ride to the to get something to eat and stated she would call the woman within the hour after dropping her off. The woman never received another phone call from the woman. Police are further investigating this incident.