By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — Crime in the city is down 13.6 percent over the past year, and police officers in 2018 had 33 incidents with force used in 2018, Police Chief Ronald Haddad announced during a press conference March 15 at the Dearborn Administrative Center, 16901 Michigan Avenue.
Haddad said he was proud of the men and women in the Police Department for their work training, pushing de-escalation considering all the statics and use of force incidents.
“We had 33 incidents where our men and women here used force in their contact with citizens, and when you think of that there were 70,000 police runs answered, 7,000 arrests, 400 weapons taken out of vehicles, 45,000 tickets of all varieties issued, we do between 600 to 800 school visits per month, we engage and have to apprehend about 600 people for domestic violence and scores of drunk drivers, for the men and women to virtually only go hands-on with our citizens 33 times given all those context is really mind numbing,” he said.
“When you look at the 33 incidents, over 70 percent of them are normal police takedowns, and what that means is that it’s a tactic where you put people on the ground to keep them safe, keep the men and women safe, pat them down and handcuff them.”
Haddad gave updates on crimes that took place over the last few months and arrests or charges that have been made in relation to the crimes.
He began with a woman and man who were arrested in an attempted bank robberies Dec. 13 at Huntington Bank, 5251 Oakman Blvd. and 22290 Michigan Ave. Tiffani Hardy was charged with multiple counts of bank robbery and arraigned in front of 19th District Court Judge Sam Salamey. Her bond was set at $30,000 cash and was required to wear a GPS tether if bond was posted. The man was not charged by the Wayne County Prosecutor and was released.
Police received a call for a bank robbery in progress, and the caller said Hardy indicated that “they were watching” and that she was forced to carry an explosive device. No money was given to her and she left the scene in a while sedan.
That same morning, police received another call of a female who just robbed with the bank with a note indicating an explosive device. The woman also left the area in a white sedan.
A description was broadcasted and Dearborn patrol officers located the vehicle on Michigan Avenue near Southfield where the two suspects were arrested. The Dearborn Police Bomb Squad was called to the scene and ensured that there was no explosive device in the vehicle.
On Dec. 12, Donutville, 14829 Ford Road, was robbed by a a young male threatening employees that he had a firearm. Police responded to the scene but did not locate the man.
A few weeks later on Jan. 4, a woman was pumping gas near Greenfield Road and Tireman Avenue when a man similar in description to the man from the Donutville robbery approached her. The woman said the man demanding her vehicle and money while implying he had a firearm so she began screaming, causing the man to flee on foot.
Through an investigation, Haider Al-Baseri was developed as a suspect, arrested on local warrants and interviews by Dearborn police detectives. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office charged Al-Baseri with armed robbery, felony firearm and additional felonies. Al-Baseri was arraigned in front of 19th District Court Judge Mark Somers and a $50,000 cash bond was set.
On Jan 11, Paul Hardison, 51, was arrested for breaking into multiple businesses in January. The first reported break-in was at a business in the 3700 block of Monroe where a cash register was taken.
Three days later another business nearby was broken into. A security video showed a white male wearing a hooded sweatshirt and heavy jacket while driving a striped pickup truck.
The next week, an off-duty Dearborn police officer saw a vehicle matching the one in the security video on Telegraph Road and Carlysle. A license plate and driver description was obtained, then officers watched the man as he entered Dearborn Heights and broke into a business.
Dearborn Heights police arrested Hardison, but Dearborn police detectives continued the investigation which lead to multiple felony charges from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Hardison was arraigned in front of Somers and bond was set at $50,000.
Haddad provided information on threats via social media March 5 against Edsel Ford High School. Police increased their presence at Dearborn school buildings on March 6.
Investigators tracked the post to a 14-year-old student. Police questioned the student who admitted to sending the post as a joke, but he was suspended pending expulsion as a result. The student could be charged as a juvenile with threats via electronic device.
“Of late, we’ve had many school threats — people threatening to shoot up our schools — and it’s happened all over the county, the Momo challenge, if you will,” Haddad said. “Young people don’t really know what they’re getting into and I can tell you that based on our regional partnerships and technology we can usually get out in front of these and the person that has sent these threats out in less than an hour.”
On Feb. 28, a Dearborn resident met with an individual to purchase items from a social media site when the resident immediately recognized the money given to him was fake. The resident demanded the items back from the individual, a female.
While the exchange took place, a man hiding in the back seat of the vehicle appeared and pointed a gun at the resident, demanding the items, and causing the resident to flee. The suspect vehicle sped away, but was stopped shortly after by a Dearborn police officer who arrested the man and woman following an investigation.
Nijah Riley, 23, and Lanardo Sain, 25, were charged with multiple felonies by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and were arraigned in front of Salamey. The bond for Riley was set at $50,000 and Sain’s bond was set at $250,000.
On Feb. 17, police responded to a house in the 24000 block of Hickory on a report of family trouble. It was revealed Arrieana Yednock became angry with her boyfriend and allegedly put a substance in his orange juice to make him sick.
Yednock’s boyfriend was unaware of the substance in his drink and gave some to the couple’s children, leading them to complain of upset stomachs. The children were found to be uninjured following an evaluation by Dearborn fire and rescue.
Yednock admitted to spiking the drink, was arrested and charged with poisoning food, then appeared in front of Somers before being released on a $5,000 personal bond.
Three men and a woman were arrested and arraigned on charges of attempted strong armed robbery, attempted carjacking, and other felonies in front of 19th District Court Judge Gene Hunt.
Meon Marshall, 18; Zarrece Cole, 19; D’Mondra Alford, 20; and Joddie Williams, 18, were identified by Dearborn police detectives following a disturbance in the area of Chase Road and Alber on Jan. 31. Police responded to the location and determined that a meeting to purchase a cell phone off of Facebook Marketplace turned into a violent struggle and attempted theft.
All four suspects fled before police officers arrived.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)