Allen Park
Ripped window turns up attempted theft
A broken window screen at a house in the 9200 block of Vine led to the discovery of an attempted burglary when the resident checked surveillance footage.
The man noticed the rip in the screen about 11 p.m. March 31. Surveillance footage from 4 p.m. the day prior showed a white man wearing a red hooded sweatshirt try to open the rear and side doors before cutting the screen on the rear patio window. He then reached in and tried to push the window open before leaving.
Converter swiped during school day
A student at Allen Park High School, 18401 Champaign, said her 2006 Buick’s catalytic converter was stolen while she was in school Monday.
About 3 p.m. that day, the student went to her car in the back parking lot to find the converter had been stolen. Several other cars in the same lot had also been targeted.
Dearborn
Valuables taken from residence
A Dearborn woman was the victim of a theft when an unknown suspect stole her valuables worth up to thousands of dollars.
Between 8:15 a.m. and 9 p.m. March 30, in the 5000 block of Heather Drive, the victim left her apartment with her door locked. When she returned the same day at 9 p.m., she noticed her front window pushed open, while the front door was still locked. Upon inspection she noticed her boots, valued at $250, were stolen, along with another pair of shoes valued at $460, a $1300 laptop and a television valued at $700.
Her neighbor was reported to have seen a man around 9 a.m. near the area, and they were unsure of his race. The man was described as being 5 feet 11 inches tall, 200 pounds, and wearing a black nylon jacket and jeans.
Burglars empty apartment
A building manager at an apartment complex said unknown people forced their way into an apartment at 9:19 a.m. April 2 in the 1000 block of Leonard, breaking a dead bolt and causing the door and door frame to splinter.
The manager said nothing was removed or damaged and the apartment is under renovation.
Copper stolen out of renovated house up for sale
Two heavy-set men between 50 to 60 years old are suspects on the loose in the area’s latest copper theft.
From 12 p.m. March 15 to 12:30 p.m. April 1, in the 7000 block of Middlepointe block, an officer responded to a breaking and entering that was discovered at 12:30 p.m. on April 1.
The victim, who was renovating the house, said someone had stolen copper and plumbing out of his basement and cut most of it from the house that was up for sale. A 1990s green-over-tan two-tone General Motors pickup is alleged to be the suspects’ getaway vehicle.
Dearborn Heights
Copper stolen out of business
Copper and an air conditioning unit were stolen out of a business on January 13, in the 20000 block of Powers, according to a police report on March 26. It was noted in the report that an unknown offender kicked in the side door and stole the copper and air conditioning unit.
Car vandalized in parking lot
A woman parked her vehicle legally in a parking lot according to police reports but her property was vandalized between 9 p.m. March 29 and 6 a.m. March 30 in the 2000 block of Westphal Drive. The victim said after she parked her car, an unknown offender stole all four of her tires and rims, leaving the vehicle on four landscaping blocks.
Woman falls victim to online scam
A woman looking for a job found herself in trouble when a Craigslist advertisement turned out to be false.
The unemployed Dearborn Heights woman replied to a Craigslist advertisement for a personal assistant position at her house in the 5000 block of Robindale and received a reply from a man who said the position was filled but a currier position was available and she could work from home.
After being accepted for the position, the victim was told she would make $620 a week, as long as she provided her personal information such as her address and telephone number.
The woman never spoke with the man on the telephone but she received several monetary transactions for nearly $3,000, in which he told her she can keep $310 for herself and forward the remainder to Western Union for an orphanage.
After several similar transactions, she received a check with the account held at First Republic for $1,950.67. When she was to deposit the check in her Bank of America account, the bank told her the check was fraudulent and they would shut her account down permanently.
The victim contacted First Republic Bank and the last check was allegedly drawn upon but not returned. The victim attempted to get copies of both drafts from the bank showing her statements. The victim lost $140 in the scam, but she hopes to clear her name of any civil or criminal liability.
Lincoln Park
TV, electronics taken from home
While a man was bowling, one or more thieves broke into his house and stole a $500 TV, a video game system and several video games.
Police were called to the 2100 block of University Avenue shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday. The victim told police he left the house for bowling at about 6 p.m., and when he returned discovered that someone had pushed open a window to gain entry. Responding officers took note of several prints on the window and on objects that were moved.
Police collected evidence and are investigating.
Taylor
Drug store hit twice
Taylor police responded to “an irate store supervisor” at Rite Aid drug store, 9155 Telegraph, who said that two different shoplifters visited her store.
The supervisor called police at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 29, after the second of two shoplifters left the store with about $100 worth of merchandise, including 20 packages of deodorant.
First, a customer alerted the supervisor that a white man of unknown age, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, of medium build, was seen removing watches from packages. The man was stopped by the supervisor and patted down, with no sign of the merchandise on his person. Later, the packaging was discovered for an estimated $250 worth of watches.
A short time later, a 5 feet-9-inch tall white woman weighing an estimated 200 pounds was seen loitering in the store; she left without paying and was believed to have taken an estimated $100 in merchandise.
Both suspects were captured on video surveillance, and it was uncertain if the two were connected. Police believe one of the suspects is a resident of a nearby motel, and are reviewing surveillance images and investigating.
Southgate
Cash taken at church sale
A woman told police that someone walked off with a pouch full of cash that was taken from a Mom-to-Mom sale booth at a church fund raiser.
Police responded to Calvary Baptist Church, 15221 Eureka Rd., at about 11:30 a.m. March 31. A woman said she opened her booth to sell clothing at 7:30 a.m., and kept the receipts in a pink pouch. At 11:30 a.m. she noticed the pouch was missing, which contained an undisclosed amount of cash.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the church or Southgate Police at 734-258-3060.
Trenton
Gun, jewelry taken during home invasion
A woman returned home after a three-hour absence to discover broken windows and the theft of a 12-gauge shotgun and an estimated $500 worth of jewelry.
Police responded to the 3400 block of Third Street shortly after 2:20 p.m. March 31. The woman told police she left home at about 11:30 a.m., and when she returned at 2:15 p.m. she noticed a glass window on her porch was broken, and another door was open which she had closed and locked.
Inside, she found jewelry scattered around and discovered that a Winchester pump-action shotgun was missing from a bedroom.
Police located a shard of glass with blood on it, and attempted a K-9 tracking search. The window piece was taken for evidence and DNA examination.
Smashing spree takes out car windows
Trenton police are investigating a rash of broken vehicle windows in the city’s northern and eastern neighborhoods.
Eleven separate reports were called in between midnight and late morning March 31, each indicating a parked vehicle, broken windows and damaged hoods. Investigators located at most scenes either a brick or a large rock or piece of concrete likely used.
According to police reports, most incidents likely took place between midnight and three a.m.
At one location near the intersection of New York and Detroit streets, a man returned home from work just after midnight, and within minutes heard noises outside followed by a revving engine.
He discovered his 2000 Hyundai Tiburon sustained damage to the hood, windshield, roof and quarter panel.
Beginning around that time, police took similar reports from vehicle owners on West Jefferson, Ardmore, Kenwood, Fifth Street, Harrison, Evergreen, Westfield, Fourth Street and Truax.
Most vehicles sustained at least one broken window, and there was no common denominator among vehicle makes or models.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Trenton Police at 734-676-3737.
Melvindale
Woman sees tax fraud
A woman attempting to file her federal tax return recently found it already had been filed by an impostor.
The woman filed the report Tuesday, after representatives from the Internal Revenue Service directed her to do so.
The woman said she had been the victim of identity theft a few years prior when utilities were fraudulently put in her name.
Rack stolen from business
A man allegedly stole a steel rack from Core Electric, 25125 Outer Drive about 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Witnesses said a white man in his 30s driving a blue, red or primer-colored Chevrolet S-10 pulled into a fenced-in area of the business and took the rack, valued at $500.
Wyandotte
Brick thrown at car
A resident of the 1500 block of Dee went out to her 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to see an unidentified suspect throwing a brick at her car.
The car was parked on 15th Street. The brick hit the door and window, which was not broken.
She saw a dark-colored sport utility vehicle with a spare tire mounted on its back driving away from the vehicle.
She suspects an 18-year-old Detroit woman who had allegedly threatened her on Facebook.
Thirst leads to theft
A sudden thirst may have led to the theft of a 2011 Cadillac from the 500 block of Plum March 29.
About 7 a.m. that day the owner started the car to leave for work when she remembered she had forgotten her water bottle inside the house. She went inside to get it and when she came out, the car was gone.
The car contained her house and car keys and several confidential papers.
Paint it, tan
Someone threw paint at several vehicles around 15th and 16th streets sometime before 7 p.m. March 29.
In the 3000 block of 16th, a resident reported tan paint thrown at the side of his 2007 Ford explorer. Several other residents on the block reported the same tan paint on their vehicles, and one on 18th and Grove reported red paint. All vehicles were washed clean with no damage.
(Compiled by Sherri Kolade, James Mitchell and Andrea Poteet.)