West metro police blotter

WEEK OF APRIL 5

Alcohol violation. A man reportedly was walking through the parking lot of City Hall, One City Hall Plaza, while drinking from a bottle of vodka. An officer witnessed the incident and stopped the man. He was cited for consuming liquor on public property.

MARCH 25

Indecent exposure. A woman called police to report that she had witnessed a man masturbating in a vehicle on Flying Cloud Drive and Singletree Lane. The woman said she followed the man to get a better description for police. Police found the suspect, a 29-year-old Richfield man, and arrested him for indecent exposure and texting while driving. Police said he had been looking at a pornographic website on his phone.

APRIL 4

Drunken driving. Someone called police to report that a woman was driving a vehicle on the wrong side of the road in the 7600 block of France Avenue S. Police located the vehicle and arrested a 36-year-old St. Paul woman for drunken driving.

APRIL 8

MARCH 21

Theft. Someone reportedly stole $50 in cash and a bottle of oxycodone from a home on the 200 block of Mill Street.

MARCH 24

Careless driving. An officer pulled a vehicle over for an equipment violation in the 400 block of Hwy. 7. During the stop, the officer observed that a sofa in the cargo area of the pickup truck was resting over the closed tailgate, hanging over it by about a foot, and a woman was lying on the sofa, covered with a blanket; she stated that she was trying to keep the sofa from falling out of the truck. The driver was cited for careless driving.

APRIL 2

MARCH 26

Disorderly conduct. Police went to a store on the 3000 block of Fernbrook Lane after receiving a report of an altercation between a woman and a store clerk. The suspect reportedly swore at the clerk. An officer found the suspect in the parking lot and observed her drop a small plastic bag. The bag contained a small amount of marijuana, police said, and the 23-year-old woman from Kansas City, Mo., was arrested.

Suspicious activity. Police in a parking lot on the 4400 block of Nathan Lane witnessed a man go into a liquor store and exit the store with a bag. The man then handed the bag to an individual in another vehicle -- someone who appeared to be underage, police said. An 18-year-old New Hope man was cited for possession of alcohol and a 34-year-old Golden Valley man was arrested for providing it.

MARCH 29

Underage consumption. Police responded to a call about a fight on the 11500 block of 41st Avenue. They found a group of individuals there had been attending a gathering, and when some of the individuals came outside they found their vehicle had all four tires slashed and fecal matter smeared on it. That led to a fight. Police cited a 15-year-old boy, two 16-year-old girls, a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man for underage consumption of alcohol.

Suspicious vehicle. Police observed an occupied parked vehicle with fogged windows in Freeman Park at 6000 Eureka Road. Officers found that the occupants were a 17-year-old Minneapolis boy and an 18-year-old Shorewood woman, and warned them about being in the park after hours.

Susan Hilliard • 612-673-7131