Allen Park
House broken into
A four-hour absence Dec. 5 was enough for a burglar to hit a house in the 6400 block of Osage.
The homeowner said she left the house about 8:30 a.m. that day and returned about 12:30 p.m. to find her back door kicked open.
A laptop computer and several pieces of jewelry were missing.
Bomb threat believed to be cover
A woman and girl who allegedly called in a bomb threat to Old Navy, 3260 Fairlane, and attempted to steal more than $1,000 worth of clothing were arrested Dec. 5.
When officers arrived about 8:30 p.m. that day, they found the two suspects, a 22-year-old Toledo woman and a 17-year-old Toledo girl, running from the front doors with mesh shopping bags in their hands. Officers caught and handcuffed them and store employees identified them as the suspects who had stolen the clothing.
Store employees said the woman and girl attempted several times to exit the store without paying for the clothing, but employees blocked them. They then saw the suspects text on their phones and several minutes later, the store received three phone-in bomb threats. In one, the caller said, “You bitches need to get out of the building. I’m going to blow it up,” according to the report.
Officers determined the threats were a distraction and no evacuation was needed.
The pair is believed to be responsible for a string of retail frauds from Troy to Toledo.
Presents stolen from house
Someone stole several wrapped Christmas presents and other items from a house in the 14000 block of Meyer Avenue Dec. 6.
The homeowner said she left her house about 1 p.m. that day and when she returned about 8 p.m., she saw the side door open and several rooms ransacked. Missing was a television set valued at $1,2000 a DVD player ($150) two bottles of prescription pain killers, a laptop computer ($700) and several wrapped gifts.
Entry appeared to have been gained through an unlocked rear window.
Window broken out
The rear window of a 2007 GMC Envoy was found broken out about 4:30 a.m. Dec. 7.
Officers responded about that time to a house in the 14000 block of Keppen where the owner said she had parked the vehicle the night prior. About 4:30 a.m. that morning she found the damage. It appeared as though an unknown object had been used to break the window.
Entry attempted into garage
Someone attempted to break into a garage in the 10000 block of Reeck Road sometime before 10:30 a.m. Dec. 9.
About that time, the owner noticed damage to the garage door’s locking mechanism. It appeared as though it had been pried, but that entry was not gained. The door was still locked.
Dearborn
Suspect slashes tires
A man reported to police that between 11 p.m. Nov. 30 and 2 a.m. Dec. 1, someone slashed two of his vehicles’ tires in the 1400 block of Venice.
The man said he parked his two vehicles — a black 2011 Ford Fusion and a black 2007 Ford Mustang — on the street. The man said he does not know who might have slashed the tires.
Car damaged in theft
Someone stole a man’s Global Positioning System unit between 11:30 p.m. Dec. 2 and 9 a.m. Dec. 3 from an apartment complex in the 600 block of Lincoln Lane.
The man said someone broke the rear passenger window of his vehicle, shattering the glass on the inside, and took his GPS unit off of his dashboard. The victim said he parked and locked his vehicle about 11 p.m. Dec. 2 and saw the damage about 9 a.m. Dec. 3. The man said his vehicle’s alarm went off but he didn’t hear it.
Thief steals car tires
A man noticed landscaping bricks instead of tires under his car between 1 and 7:30 a.m. Dec. 4 in the 6800 block of North Oakman. The man reported to police he discovered that someone stole his tires from in front of his house but he does not know who.
Dearborn Heights
Suspects allegedly steal merchandise
A Family Dollar store manager reported to police that about 6 p.m. Dec. 8 three people stole about $50 worth of items from his store at 8655 N. Telegraph Road.
The man said two women and one man, described as black, came into the store and stole four boxes of over-the-counter heartburn medication, valued at $11 each, and one bar of soap, valued at $3.50.
The manager told police the suspects then got into a blue Ford Fusion and he overheard one of them say, “Let’s go to I-96 and Telegraph (at another Family Dollar store) and return the stolen items.” The manager contacted the store the suspects planned to go to.
Mp3 player, valuables taken from car
A woman noticed valuables stolen from her car about 12:40 p.m. Dec. 5 in the 4100 block of Katherine. The car owner said someone unlocked her car, parked in her driveway, and stole her Mp3 player, Global Positioning System unit, loose change and a tote bag.
Lincoln Park
Dogs rescued from cruel conditions
It wasn’t the first visit to a house in the 900 block of Moran Avenue for complaints about animals. Tuesday Trenton officers removed two dogs suffering from dehydration and mistreatment after the animals’ owner ignored court orders.
Officers were sent to the home to check on two dogs that were supposed to have been removed but reportedly were chained to a wall and in poor health. According to police reports, the owner “had been given several warnings and tickets for cruelty to animals.”
Inside the open garage officers found first one dog anchored to a wall by a short chain. The garage floor was covered with animal feces, and a second dog was found. Both animals were severely dehydrated and underweight.
The dogs were taken to a shelter in Allen Park. Tickets were issued and sent by mail to the owner. Charges are pending.
Southgate
Police seek thief seen stealing laptop
Police are looking for a former student believed to have been one of two thieves that stole a teacher’s laptop computer from a classroom at Asher School, 14101 Leroy.
The laptop was reported missing shortly after 4 p.m. Dec. 7.
Police viewed a school surveillance video that showed two suspects — one believed to be a former student — who entered the classroom shortly before the laptop was missing. The two were seen “milling around,” according to investigators. They left briefly but soon returned with one suspect standing near the door and the other walking in the direction of the teacher’s desk. The alleged former student was seen leaving the classroom with a square-shaped indent visible on his jacket.
One of the suspects was believed to have outstanding warrants; the former student was expelled for disciplinary reasons. Police were clarifying a recent address of the former student, and are investigating.
Taylor
Cash, jewelry taken during brief absence
A man who left his home unattended and back door unlocked for 45 minutes returned to find someone had ransacked several rooms and stole a video game system and jewelry valued at $5,000.
Police responded about 3 p.m. Dec. 5 to the 7300 block of Birch Avenue, where a man said he’d left for less than an hour to pick up his grandson from school. The unlocked back door was the likely entry as thieves made off with a $200 gaming system and jewelry including a multi-diamond ring.
Police awaited further descriptions of missing items and are investigating.
Purse snatched from disabled woman
A woman shopping at a dollar store Dec. 8 reported the theft of a purse that was hanging from her disabled mother’s wheel chair.
Shortly before 4 p.m. police were told that thw two women were browsing the aisles of Dollar Tree, 23867 Eureka Road and noticed that the purse, which contained cash, jewelry, identification and personal papers, was no longer strapped to the chair arm. A search of the store failed to locate the purse or anyone suspicious.
Police took note of the contents, jewelry descriptions and are investigating.
Melvindale
Vehicle targeted
A vehicle owner noticed a dent and spray paint after leaving it in front of her house in the 3600 block of McKitrick overnight.
A dent was visible in the driver’s-side quarter panel and blue spray paint was along the driver’s-side front and rear doors and window.
She said she noticed the damage that morning and did not hear anything during the night.
A description of the vehicle was not provided.
Man arrested for pot
Marijuana was found on a 19-year-old Lincoln Park man after an alleged drug deal in the parking lot of a gas station in the 2000 block of Dix Avenue.
After receiving a call that the man was driving a Chevrolet Impala recklessly and was known to not have a driver’s license, officers caught up to him in the parking lot and, according to the report, saw him toss money to a driver of a sedan parked next to him. The sedan pulled away quickly and the Impala headed south on Dix, where he stopped just south of Outer Drive.
The man could not produce a driver’s license and said he had never acquired one. A small bag containing 1.4 grams of marijuana was found in the vehicle. The man said he had just purchased it from the man in the sedan and had tossed him $5 as payment.
He was arrested for operating a vehicle without a license and for possession of marijuana. His car was forfeited.
Trenton
Store owner thwarts robbery
Police are looking for a man suspected of attempting to rob a party store. The knife-wielding robber was turned away when the store owner in turn pointed a gun at the would-be thief.
Shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, police responded to a call from Ron’s Par-T-Pack, 3800 Fort St., where a man wearing a black ski mask, hooded sweat shirt and dark pants had just left after an unsuccessful robbery attempt.
The store owner told police the suspect ran into the store and then jumped over the counter, behind which the manager had fallen when trying to put distance between them.
The suspect showed a silver butterfly knife, and told the manager he didn’t want to hurt anyone, he just wanted the money.
When the suspect moved toward the cash register, the owner aimed a handgun at the suspect, and said he didn’t want to hurt anyone either.
The suspect ran out the door and south on Fort Street.
Police reviewed surveillance video footage that showed the suspect enter the store, but did not show the confrontation behind the counter.
Police searched the area for the suspect but were unable to locate him. Evidence was collected and police are investigating.
Wyandotte
Garage door opened, items missing
A garage door was opened and entry was gained through it to a house in the 145 block of Cora sometime before 8:30 a.m. Dec. 9.
About that time the couple noticed their overhead garage door open as well as a door leading from the garage to the house. A men’s wallet and a purse were missing from just inside the open door to the house. That door had been left unlocked but the overhead garage door had been closed. The owners are not sure how it was opened.
A neighbor from across the street came to the house while the officer was there to report that he had found his overhead garage door open about 3:30 a.m. that morning.
Car door open
A neighbor in the 400 block of Maple heard a car horn about 7 a.m. Tuesday and turned to see a 2006 Honda with its door open and dome light on.
The glove box was open. The neighbor searched the area but found no items or suspects. Nothing appeared to have been taken from the vehicle.
(Compiled by Sherri Kolade, James Mitchell and Andrea Poteet.)