Dearborn
Copper thieves arrested in vacant house
Police arrested two Detroit men on a slew of charges after catching them removing copper pipes from a vacant house in the 6400 block of Coleman about 10:45 p.m. Feb. 1.
A neighbor of the vacant property called police after she heard loud clanking noises coming from inside. When police arrived, the suspects were still inside. One officer warned them to surrender or a police dog when be sent in to apprehend them.
While one suspect complied, the other attempted to hide underneath the basement stairs and reportedly resisted arrest when police told him to come out.
After a brief struggle, police subdued and arrested the man, who they later discovered had two outstanding warrants for failing to appear for cases in 19th District Court. The other suspect had no previous criminal history.
Dearborn Heights
Man arrives home to burglars in driveway
A resident of the 26300 block of Timber Trail foiled a suspected burglary when he arrived home to find an unknown car in his driveway and two men casing his house at 7 p.m. Jan. 26.
The homeowner told police that when he pulled up one of the men was walking to his front door while the other appeared to be walking around to the back of the house.
The homeowner said he yelled at the suspects, which caused them to turn and charge him with their hands under their shirt imitating the appearance of a gun.
At that point, the homeowner said he got into his car and called police, while the suspects retreated to their car. With the homeowner parked in the driveway, the suspects attempted to ram their way out, but instead ended up on the median of Timber Trail as a result of the collision.
Police arrived shortly thereafter and arrested the men for felony assault with a motor vehicle and possession of marijuana, due to a small vial that was found inside their car. Both men told police they were using the driveway to turn around and that it was the homeowner who had rammed them, not the other way around.
Police warn of vehicle involved in attempted burglaries
Police are advising residents to be on the lookout for a car that is believed to be involved in several recent attempted burglaries in the city.
The car is described as an unspecified older, white model with a missing hood and was first reported by a resident in the 21200 block of Whitlock about 10:30 am. Jan. 26. The woman said she saw two men exit the car and walk to the back of the house while a third stayed on lookout. The two men soon came running from behind the house and the car fled, she said.
Police found that a window had been broken at the house and surmised that an alarm system probably scared off the suspected burglars.
Suspicions about the vehicle were raised again Feb. 2, when a homeowner called police to investigate a set of unknown footprints around her house in the 27300 block of Michelea. Police followed the footprints to other neighboring properties until they disappeared on Cambridge, where the suspect apparently entered a car. No houses were broken into.
The homeowner told police she recently saw a suspicious white car with an unspecified number of passengers parked at the corner of Michele and Cambridge. She said no one exited the car, which pulled off after a short time.