Dearborn
Suspected serial burglar busted
A man suspected of burglarizing several vacant houses was caught in the act thanks to the watchful eye of a resident in the 6800 block of Steadman about 4 p.m. Feb. 25.
The resident told police he had seen the man at the house three times recently and actually confronted him the day prior. The suspect reportedly told the resident that no one lives at the house, and that he was “just taking things that were left behind.”
When police arrived they found the man in the garage, but he did not appear to have taken anything. He subsequently was arrested for breaking and entering.
A search of the suspect’s van turned up several miscellaneous plumbing fittings, brass handles, and other valuable metals apparently removed from houses.
TV discount proves bad deal for shopper
A man purporting to be a Wal-Mart employee stole $1,500 on March 1 from an unwitting shopper who thought he was about to get the deal of a lifetime.
The victim said he was shopping for a new television in the electronics department when the suspect approached him and said that he could get half off any unit with his employee discount. All the victim had to do was hand over his cash and allow the suspect to make the purchase.
The victim agreed to the deal and said he would wait for the man outside the store. But the suspect never showed, which caused the man to call police.
Dearborn Heights
Building supplies stolen from house
A combination central air-furnace unit and nearly $1,000 in tools were stolen sometime overnight from a vacant house under renovation in the 18100 block of Colgate.
The homeowner called police when he arrived at the house the following morning and found the front door kicked in. Police were unable to obtain any evidence because the homeowner had walked through the house prior to their arrival and contaminated the scene.
Teen punched, robbed of cell phone
Police arrested two Inkster teens for assaulting and robbing a fellow Inkster teen near 7-Eleven, 27150 Cherry Hill, at 10:15 p.m. Feb. 26.
The pair were arrested at the intersection of Magnolia and Somerset in Inkster after police were able to match the victim’s description to the two boys.
The victim, 15, told police he was walking west on Cherry Hill when the suspects, 16 and 17, approached him. He said he saw them inside Cherry Hill Lanes prior to the robbery, but didn’t know them otherwise.
The boys demanded the victim’s phone and then punched him in the right cheek before fleeing. The victim suffered minor injuries.