Blotter: Investigators probe tailgate thefts

Denton County sheriff’s investigators are looking into a spate of pickup tailgate thefts in unincorporated areas.

Four victims reported losing the after-market tailgates on Monday and one reported a loss Friday, according to separate reports released Tuesday.

The victims estimated their losses at between $1,000 and $1,500.

Two victims were in the Little Elm area, one in the 2300 block of Castle Court and the other in the 2100 block of Scott Court. Two other victims reported that someone took the tailgates from their pickups in the 1600 block of Chuker Drive and the 700 block of Meandering Drive in unincorporated areas.

On Friday, a family attended a birthday party at a restaurant in the 26000 block of U.S. Highway 380. When they returned to the truck in the large parking lot, the tailgate was missing.

Investigators are working to determine whether the thefts are related.

Other reports

2100 block of Fairfax Road — A woman reported to Denton police that she received a message from her bank Monday that someone in Rosenberg used her credit card four minutes earlier to purchase more than $1,000 worth of merchandise at a supermarket.

The woman said she still has her credit card and has no idea how someone gained the information.

600 block of East Hickory Street — A woman reported to police in an online message that her former husband’s new wife fraudulently used her identifying information to shift responsibility for a hospital bill to her.

The victim said she recently checked her credit record and found a charge-off from a hospital in California. The man and new wife live in California with the victim’s son, she said, but the former husband carries sole responsibility for the son’s medical bills.

Roundup

From 7 a.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday:

•  Denton police handled 288 service and officer-initiated calls, including one fraud, five thefts, two domestic disturbances, three debit or credit card abuse reports, one case of harassment, one case of possession of marijuana and one suicidal person.

•  Denton firefighters responded to 16 medical calls, one request for public service, two traffic accidents, one smoke investigation and one alarm.

From 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Tuesday:

•  Denton County sheriff’s dispatchers handled 2,036 service and officer-initiated calls for the agencies they serve.

A total of 126 people were booked into county jail.

Deputies took reports of nine thefts, one public intoxication, two frauds, one criminal mischief, two cases of harassment, one debit card abuse, four assaults, two burglaries and one forgery.

Argyle firefighters responded to one assault, three medical calls, one electrical fire, one smoke investigation, one structure fire, two traffic accidents and one request to unlock a vehicle.

Aubrey firefighters responded to nine medical calls, one illegal burn, two smoke investigations, one unknown-type fire, one missing person, one traffic accident, one request to unlock a vehicle and one welfare concern.

Double Oak firefighters responded to one medical call.

Krum firefighters responded to four medical calls, two traffic accidents and two requests to unlock a vehicle.

Lake Cities firefighters responded to two carbon monoxide investigations, one alarm, nine medical calls, three requests to assist a citizen, one smoke investigation, one structure fire, one suicide attempt and six traffic accidents.

Oak Point firefighters responded to one medical call.

Ponder firefighters responded to two medical calls.

Pilot Point firefighters responded to nine medical calls, one request to assist a citizen, two traffic accidents and one welfare concern.

Sanger firefighters responded to one assault, four medical calls, one controlled burn and one structure fire.

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com .

Denton County Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in these or other crimes. Callers will remain anonymous. Call 1-800-388-TIPS (8477). Reach the Denton police narcotics tip line at 940-565-5801.