Allen Park
Racial vandalism discovered
A worker at Belle Tire, 3500 Enterprise Dr., believes vandalism to his vehicle parked there between noon and 6 p.m. Tuesday was racially motivated.
The man discovered at the end of his shift that someone had carved “KKK” into the passenger-side door of his 2002 Buick. The car had been parked in the west parking lot.
The victim said everyone he works with knows his wife is black and he believes that was the cause of the vandalism.
Items gone from garage
A lawnmower valued at $500, a snowblower valued at $250, and a women’s bicycle ($600) were discovered missing from a garage in the 9900 block of Becker shortly before 7 a.m. July 24.
The door had been forced open and the door frame was broken.
Dearborn
Break-in nets over $1,000 in goods
Four bottles of cologne valued at $150 and a laptop computer valued at $1,200 were stolen between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. July 22 from a house in the 5000 block of Calhoun.
A relative of the homeowner said he arrived at the house after 7 p.m. that day and noticed some belongings were moved around and the rear sliding glass doors were open.
Officers discovered several drawers in the living room and bedroom were in disarray, and a 32-inch television was found in the west-facing backyard next to a drugstore.
Close call in potential auto theft
Thieves tried to steal a 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe from Ford Wyoming Auto Center, 10100 E. Ford Road, between 8 p.m. July 21 and 7 a.m July 22.
The owner of the repair shop, who also owns the vehicle, said the suspects got in the unlocked sport utility vehicle and tried unsuccessfully to strip the column. He said he parked the vehicle next to the east access door trying to block it to prevent a break-in which he said happened the night before.
Dearborn Heights
Armed robber gets away with watch
Officers are looking for a suspect who robbed a 61-year-old resident at gunpoint at 1:30 a.m. July 23 in the garage of his house in the 1000 block of Marie.
The suspect, described as a white male in his 30s, with a medium but muscular build and wearing dark clothing and a mask, got away with the victim’s wrist watch, valued at $10,000.
The victim said he pulled into the garage and walked around to the passenger-side door when the suspect, who had a gun, struck the victim in the lip and demanded he hand over his wallet and watch.
The victim fought the robber off, punching him in the face and attacking him with a shrub hedger. After a neighbor tried to find out if the victim was OK, the robber fled east on Lawrence in a older-model truck.
Two bicycle riders involved in theft
A robber on a bicycle stole $15 from a resident who was riding his bicycle on Van Born near Telegraph at 6 p.m. July 21.
The victim said the thief approached him on a stunt bicycle asking him if he wanted to by some marijuana, a purchase the victim declined. The victim said he was then pushed off the bicycle and the suspect stole the money from his wallet.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 20s, with short light brown hair, 5 feet 5 inches tall and 150 pounds. He was wearing blue jean shorts, a white tank top and a black shirt tucked into his back pocket.
Identity thieves open false account
A resident said suspects used her personal information to open an online credit line with an online money transfer company between 12:01 a.m. June 27 and 12:59 a.m. July 2.
She said the thieves then used the account to make $288 worth of online purchases.
Lincoln Park
Thief nabs, discards woman’s purse
A 21-year-old resident was approached as she exited her car in the 1200 block of Garfield Avenue by a man who asked for a lighter, then took her purse.
The woman, who was not harmed during the encounter, told police she was leaving her car at about 1 a.m. July 23 when a man approached and asked for a lighter. She said no, he reportedly grabbed the purse off her shoulder, outmuscled her and took off down an alley. The woman heard a vehicle’s engine start and drive away, but she was unable to see the vehicle behind nearby buildings.
The purse contained about $150 cash and personal items. A resident found and turned in the purse Monday and it was returned to the victim minus the cash.
The man was described as white and in his mid 20s. Police provided a description of the suspect to patrol officers.
Equipment stolen from shed
Police responded to a burglary call from the 1800 block of Horger Ave., where a woman said that nearly $1,000 worth of equipment was stolen from her shed.
The woman said her shed was broken into sometime between 9 p.m. July 21 and 1 p.m. July 22, and police observed that someone pried open the front door and broke the latch.
A lawnmower, weed trimmer, edger and chainsaw, valued together at $950, were missing. The woman was unable to immediately provide police with serial numbers or other identification for the items.
Police advised the woman to notify area pawn shops of the missing equipment.
Southgate
Safe stolen from grieving woman
A woman who recently lost her fiancee told Southgate Police of another loss – that of a small safe from her bedroom that contained cash and jewelry including her engagement ring.
Police were told that sometime after July 8, a safe was taken from an apartment in the 13000 block of Village Park Drive. The woman said the apartment hosted a wake on July 13 for her fiancee, and that she was away until July 23, when she noticed the safe was missing.
The safe held an estimated $2,000 in cash and $5,000 worth of jewelry.
Police observed no signs of forced entry.
Trenton
Mp3 player lifted from vehicle
A resident told police that sometime during the night of July 20, an Mp3 player was removed from his 2006 Buick parked in the 2400 block of Cambridge.
The victim told police his car was legally parked on the road, and there were no signs of forced entry. The victim had not yet provided police with the serial number for the device.
Taylor
Church thief nabs instruments
Taylor Police responded on Friday, July 22 to calls from a church youth pastor who discovered the theft of drum cymbals and other equipment.
The victim, a youth music pastor with New Hope Assembly Church, 1400 Racho Road, told police that an estimated $1,200 worth of equipment, including drum high-hats and a piccolo, were stolen from the main auditorium.
Police noted the descriptions and information of the missing equipment.
Television taken from home
A woman living in the 15000 block of Dupage Blvd. reported the theft of a 32-inch television sometime between July 16 when she left for a few days and her return on July 19.
Police noted that one or more thieves broke and forced open the front door and an upstairs bedroom door, where the television was attached to a wall.
Police reported the information and description of the television.
Melvindale
Propane pilfered
Thirty six propane tanks were reported stolen from a propane cage just before 6 a.m. in the 18600 block of Dix Tuesday.
The lock on the cage had been cut. Nine of the tanks were full and the rest were empty. The owner said they were valued together at about $2,200.
Wyandotte
Theft suspects arrested
Two men and one teen were arrested Monday in connection with a string of thefts from vehicles early that morning.
About 6:30 a.m. officers responded to the area of Alkalai and 11th after receiving a tip that three men had been pulling on door handles of parked cars there.
More than five residents had reported items stolen from their car overnight Monday.
With the help of Lincoln Park Police, officers apprehended two of the men, a 22-year-old Romulus man and a 20-year-old Lincoln Park man, while they attempted to cross the Harrison Street Bridge into Lincoln Park.
The Romulus man said he was with the other two suspects who had been stealing from the vehicles, but he was not. A backpack full of items reported missing from the vehicles, including various laptop computers, cellular phones and global positioning system units, was found on the men.
About three hours later, a tip from a witness helped officers locate the third suspect, when they stopped a blue Ford Explorer he was riding in. The driver said he had asked her to pick him up.
Emails threaten death
A resident of the 2500 block of Second reported receiving email death threats July 20.
The unidentified writer said he was paid $15,000 to “terminate” the resident and asked for the same sum to “give (him) life.” The email also included instructions for the resident to meet the writer at a yet undetermined location to pay him. It also alluded to the shooting in Arizona in January that killed U.S. District Judge John Roll and wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
The resident suspects a 27-year-old Southgate man who went on a date with his girlfriend while the couple were briefly separated.