Allen Park
Backhoe stolen
A backhoe belonging to the Olson Cement Co. was reported stolen from the parking lot of Meijer, 3565 Fairlane Drive, the afternoon of April 10. A company employee said he had last seen the equipment 48 hours earlier.
He said his employer stores several pieces of industrial equipment near the south end of the store building during the winter with the store’s permission. He said an insurance claim had been filed, and Meijer would produce any video surveillance requested by the police officers.
Man stealing baby monitors detected through surveillance monitors
A 44-year-old Detroit man who tried to leave Target, 3100 Fairlane Drive, the evening of April 10 with two baby monitors was detected and apprehended through the use of more sophisticated monitors that those he allegedly attempted to steal.
Loss prevention personnel watched live surveillance feed as the man selected two baby monitors without attached security devices, and monitored him as he moved toward the front of the store, placing the devices in a gift bag. As he attempted to leave the store without paying for the merchandise, he was detained by loss prevention personnel.
The man was taken into custody, booked, and held at the Dearborn Police Department on bond and for a parole violation hold out of Ingham County.
Dearborn
Truck stolen from distribution center
Police were dispatched to the Detroit Distribution Center, 6301 Wyoming Ave., April 22 after a black Chevy pickup ruck was stolen.
The Securitas security guard informed police the truck was stolen and the thief fled north on Wyoming. Officers conducted a search of the area and could not find the suspect.
The security guard said that when a man drove up to the guard shack in the black pickup truck she became suspicious because no one had entered the lot since 6 p.m. that day. She told police the truck had no license plate and several stickers that the distribution lot uses for vehicle identification and inventory.
When the security guard asked the man how he had gotten in there he said he was “kind of lost and just trying to get out.” The security guard also said that when she asked the man if he had a pass for visitors entering the lot or identification he said he didn’t have either. While feeling uneasy, the security guard lifted the gate and allowed the driver to leave with the truck before calling 911.
Once police were at the scene, the security guard was unable to reach her superior but the storage lot manager said the lot stores vehicles for GM Financial who sells them to local dealerships. The manager also said there was no way to tell which exact vehicle was taken at the time and GM would need to be contacted.
There are no security cameras at the distribution lot.
A search of the lot revealed no damage to the surrounding fence and all the vehicles officers checked were unlocked with the keys inside.
The driver was described as a Hispanic male in his mid- to late-20s wearing a cowboy hat and red scarf or turtle neck.
Wallet, cellphone stolen from vehicle
Police responded to a house in the 24508 block of Calvin April 24 after a woman’s wallet and cell phone were taken from her 2007 Mercury Montego.
The woman said the vehicle was parked in the driveway at 11:30 p.m. April 23, and at 12:45 a.m. April 24 she noticed it was rummaged through. She said the doors were left unlocked and her black wallet valued at $120, $190 in cash and a LG K20 Plus phone valued at $120 were missing from the vehicle. The woman had no suspect information. Police set up a perimeter around the area but were unable to locate the thief.
After the cell phone was pinged for location, an officer was sent to 9900 block of Telegraph Road area but was unable to locate a suspect.
Dearborn Heights
Chevy Tahoe stolen from driveway
A man called police to a house in the 7300 block of Drexel after his 2004 Chevy Tahoe went missing overnight April 16 to 17.
He told officers that he vehicle was parked on the driveway at 10 p.m. on April 16 and at 7 a.m. the next morning it was stolen.
The man said he had the only set of keys. There was no evidence or suspect information.
Window found damaged at Thorne Elementary School
The principal of Thorne Elementary School reported that a window was cracked at the school between April 20 and 23.
Police arrived at the scene on the morning of April 23 when the principal noticed the window. According to the police report, officers believe the perpetrator may have used a rock to cause the crack in the window.
Lincoln Park
Elderly woman distracted while checkbook, cash stolen
An 81-year-old woman was was shopping at Kroger, 2060 Dix, the afternoon of March 25 when a middle-aged woman approached her in the bread aisle and asked her for advice about healthy food choices for diabetics. While they were talking, she saw a man approach her shopping cart and take her checkbook and cash out of her purse, which she had left unattended in her shopping cart. The man then quickly left the store.
The woman tried to follow him, but was unable to see if he entered a vehicle to leave the parking lot. The woman told police that the woman who distracted her left the store shortly after the man. The woman gave a description of the two suspects to the police. No store personnel witnessed the incident, nor were they able to retrieve the surveillance video.
Woman’s car tires punctured overnight in her driveway
A 47-year-old woman in the 600 block of Mill Street reported the morning of March 26 that the two rear Bridgestone tires on her 2003 white Dodge Intrepid were punctured overnight in her driveway. She said she is unsure who would be motivated to vandalize her car. She said she did not have surveillance video on the outside of her home. The estimated cost to repair her tires was $300.
Melvindale
Business vehicles vandalized
Two vehicles at Protech Mechanical Heating and Cooling, 19555 Allen Road, were discovered vandalized April 2, but not reported until April 5 because the owner did not plan to file an insurance claim until he noticed that the ignition was damaged on one of the vehicles.
He said a side window was broken on the other work vehicle, but nothing was taken. The other vehicle was broken into and used as a toilet, which the owner immediately cleaned up. He said he didn’t notice the damage to the ignition switch until several days later.
Five men reported entering garage at vacant residence
A woman reported on the evening of April 17 that five unknown men entered the unsecured garage of a vacant residential property in the 17000 block of Flint Street. She said when the men exited the garage, they left in a white, 4-door sedan of indeterminate make, and went north on Flint Street. She said she was uncertain if they took anything from the garage.
Police officers check the vacant house and found it to be secure. The garage was unlocked, and contained cabinets and household items. No fresh damage was observed.
Riverview
Xbox controller stolen from Game Stop
The manager of Game Stop, 17124 Fort St., reported the morning of April 8 that when he was busy with customers, a man entered the store, took an Xbox controller for the Stealth series, valued at $30, off a store rack and concealed it under his jacket. The man then left the store, walking north toward Pennsylvania Road.
The manager said he verified through his inventory list that a controller was missing. He said he recognized the man from another Game Stop store at which he used to work, and said the man hadb’t purchased any items in either store.
He described the man as black, with a beard, and wearing blue jeans, an orange hoodie, green jacket and a black hat. The manager also provided police with a copy of the surveillance video.
Money missing out of man’s wallet at assisted living facility
When a missing wallet was returned the afternoon April 6 without its cash, a man staying at Atria Kinghaven assisted living facility, 14800 King Road, contacted police. The man said he lost the wallet the night before in the parking lot of the facility, and when the wallet was turned into the front desk April 6, $498 in cash was missing. The credit cards in the wallet were still there. The officers checked the area near where the wallet was found, but did not find anything.
Southgate
Storm door shattered
A 32-year-old man in the 13000 block of Mulberry reported about noon April 28 that the glass from his front storm door was shattered during the night. Neither the officers nor the resident found any object that might have been thrown at the door glass. The man said when he went to bed at 12:30 a.m., the glass was intact. He said he couldn’t think of anyone who would want to damage his property. The glass had an estimated $300 replacement value.
Gold iPhone 8 FedEx delivery stolen
A 24-year-old woman in the 13000 block of Irene reported the evening of April 24 that she hadn’t received a FedEx package containing a gold iPhone 8, valued at $600, despite being home all day and not seeing a FedEx truck. She said FedEx records indicate that the package was delivered about 2 p.m. She said she checked with her neighbors to see if anyone else had received her package or seen a FedEx truck, and she said none had.
Taylor
Unlocked apartment window gives thief entry
A 22-year-old woman living in an apartment the 15800 block of Court Village Lane reported the night of April 17 that her apartment door was ajar when she arrived home, and a Dell laptop computer, valued at $1,000, was stolen from the apartment. She said she does not have renter’s insurance.
She said the point of entry may have been an unlocked ground floor window. She said her boyfriend has the only other key to the apartment. Police officers found no fingerprints on the windowsill. She was advised to look for paperwork with the laptop serial number so it can be entered as stolen into the Law Enforcement Information Network.
Unauthorized transaction leads to missing money
A 61-year-old man living in the 8300 block of Cornell Avenue reported the afternoon of April 17 that he found an unauthorized withdrawal from his checking account at a nearby store for $202 that he did not make. His credit union told him to file a police report, and he canceled the account.
Trenton
Razor scooters stolen
Two olive green Razor RX 200 off-road electric scooters were reported stolen the evening of April 20 from a shed behind a house on Hillcrest. The woman said she hadn’t seen the scooters since January. She was advised to look for paperwork with the scooter serial numbers so they can be entered as stolen in the Law Enforcement Information Network.
Identity theft 3 years ago leads to battle over credit card debt
A man whose identify was stolen and used to apply for a credit card three years ago filed an identity theft report at the police station the morning of April 25. The report is needed as part of a civil court case filed against him by Midland Funding LLC, which is seeking the $826 card balance run up by the identity thief.
Wyandotte
Attempt to hotwire minivan unsuccessful
A woman living in the 2300 block of 15th Street reported the morning of April 28 that someone tried to steal her Chrysler Town and Country minivan by punching out part of the ignition module in an unsuccessful attempt to hot wire the vehicle. There were loose wires dangling from the steering column.
The woman said her auto start feature on the van might have prevented the theft. The damage was estimated to be more than $500. The woman said she could not think of anyone who would want to damage or steal her minivan. She was advised to notify her insurance company and report any suspicious activity she sees in the area.
Motorcycle stolen overnight
A man living in the 900 block of Cora reported the afternoon of April 28 that his motorcycle was stolen overnight. He said the motorcycle was sitting in his driveway at 9 p.m. the night before, but was missing at 8 a.m. that morning. There were drag marks from the motorcycle tires in his driveway. The man said he could not think of anyone who would want to steal his motorcycle. There were no surveillance cameras nearby. The motorcycle was entered as stolen in the Law Enforcement Information Network.
(Compiled by Zeinab Najm and Sue Suchyta.)