Allen Park
Man huffing air duster in front of store taken into custody
A man who was sitting in front of Meijer, 3565 Fairlane, huffing an inhalant to get high the night of Aug. 28 was arrested by police officers and charged with violation of the Controlled Substance Act.
The 44-year-old Dearborn man, who had five cans of air duster in a bag, was sitting on the ground, inhaling the substance, and was unresponsive to verbal commands from police officers.
Huffing inhalants causes a short-term, euphoric, hallucinatory high, and has dangerous health side effects.
The man was restrained and handcuffed, then was medically cleared by emergency medical service personnel. He declined transport to a hospital. He was taken to the police station, where he was charged with violation of the controlled substance, and was released on $300 bond.
Price sticker switch results in retail fraud arrest
A 41-year-old Taylor man was arrested for third degree retail fraud when he tried to switch the $100 price tag on a pair of Nike Air Jordan 11 Retro Low men’s shoes the evening of Aug. 29 with a $20 price tag from another pair of Nike shoes at a local consignment shop.
The manager of Plato’s Closet, 23021 Outer Drive, said she watched the man switch the tags on closed circuit security cameras. She warned the cashier, and when the man attempted to buy the shoes at the lower price, she called police officers, who detained that man in the parking lot, then arrested him after seeing his actions of the security footage. He was taken to the police station for booking, and released on a $300 bond, using cash he had in his possession.
Dearborn
Woman locks keys in vehicle
Police were dispatched to Exxon, 14545 Ford Road, to assist a senior citizen who locked her keys in her 2016 blue Subaru on Aug. 31.
The woman told officers she was filling gas when the keys got locked inside. Rusko’s Service Center responded and the doors were opened.
According to the report, the woman told police she lives in Troy and was having a hard time remembering how to get back home. Directions were written for the woman and police escorted her to northbound Southfield Freeway to direct her in the right direction home. When the officer exited the freeway on Warren Avenue, the woman followed and said she was concerned about driving on the freeway.
With permission, police escorted the woman back to her home in Troy. The report said that the woman had been lost for several hours prior to locking her keys in the vehicle.
Dearborn Heights
Resident reports fraudulent transactions
A man living in the 24400 block of Hanover went to the Dearborn Heights Justice Center, 25637 Michigan Ave., Sept. 4 to file a report on two fraudulent bank transactions.
He called PNC Bank earlier that day to find out if $150 was transferred from his savings account to his checking account, but was advised it was no longer there. According to the report, the resident discovered two unauthorized transactions that took place at a Sunoco Gas Station in Otisville, totaling $148.55. Both transactions were made on Sept. 3 for $99.87 and $48.68.
The man said he was in possession of the debit card and believed he may have been skimmed. As a result, the bank account was closed and a new debit card was issued.
On Sept. 6, police called the man who confirmed PNC was refunding his money for the transactions and that he does not know anyone in Otisville.
The case was closed due to lack of leads and evidence.
Man steals $450 in items from 7-Eleven
Police are seeking information on a man who stole merchandise totaling $450 Sept. 9 from 7-Eleven, 5697 Pelham.
Just after 9 a.m., the man walked around the store for a few minutes and filled his pockets with food and candy. When the manager confronted the man, he walked out the door and headed east on Van Born into the neighborhood.
The man was described as black, approximately 6 feet tall, 200 pounds, with a goatee, and wearing a blue baseball cap with a white old English D, blue and gray flannel blue jeans, and black shoes.
Anyone with information can contact Det. Sgt. Michael Gondek at [email protected] or 313-277-7487.
Lincoln Park
Woman threatened when she confronts man over fraudulent check
A woman who was attempting to sell two Harley-Davidson motorcycle jackets online reported Aug. 30 that she received a death threat from the attempted purchaser when she confronted him about the fraudulent check sent in payment.
The woman said she was offering a man and a woman’s jacket for sale for $500 for the two items, and the purchaser, who claimed to live in Chicago, mailed her a check. The purchaser sent a check for $1,849.99, and told the seller to take out the $500, and to return $1,200 via a CVS money gram. However, the seller was suspicious, and learned that the check was fraudulent. She then called the purchaser, who threatened to “send his people to her house to kill her.”
The seller, who is moving out of her current location, said she wishes to make a police report to document the incident. She said she did not attempt to deposit the fraudulent check, and had no further contact with the would-be purchaser once the threats were made. She was given a report number and told to call 911 immediately if a stranger showed up at her location.
Locked minivan stolen from driveway during daylight hours
A 39-year-old woman living in the 900 block of Moran Avenue reported the afternoon of Aug. 27 that her locked white 2002 Dodge Caravan minivan was stolen from her driveway between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. She said the vehicle was paid off, and she has both sets of keys. Police officers did not detect any broken car window glass at the scene. The vehicle was entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network as stolen.
Melvindale
Rear window of Lincoln Continental shattered with landscaping brick
The rear window of a dark green 1999 Lincoln Continental parked in the 18200 block of Robert Street the night of Sept. 2 was shattered with a landscaping brick. The vehicle owner, a 54-year-old man, was drunk when he called the police at 11:20 p.m. to report the vandalism. Police found a brick on the back seat of the vehicle, and broken glass scattered near the window, on the car trunk and inside the vehicle.
A neighbor, who had gone to a convenience store about 9 p.m., said when he returned about five minutes later, he noticed the car window damage. He said he saw pedestrians nearby when he went to the store, but did not see anyone damage the car. Police officers were unable to find any nearby surveillance cameras.
Riverview
Lumber stolen from driveway
Lumber stacked outdoors for an addition a man said he is having built onto his house was reported stolen the afternoon of Aug. 22 from a driveway in the 14000 block of Brookline Street. The homeowner said an unknown quantity of 2-inch-by-10-inch and 2-inch-by-6-inch pieces of lumber were missing. He said he was unsure of the value of the missing lumber. Several boards were still in place on the driveway.
The man said he had last seen the lumber two hours earlier. He said he has had some conflicts with the contractor doing the work on his house.
Jeep window shattered; wallet stolen
A Lincoln Park man visiting a female friend in the Colonial Village Townhouses on Shenandoah said he parked and locked his green 2000 Jeep Cherokee about 11 p.m. Aug. 26, and 40 minutes later he heard a loud noise, and discovered the rear passenger door window shattered, and his wallet and $250 missing.
The victim said he saw a white male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, about 165 pounds, wearing blue jeans and a gray hoodie in the area after he heard the loud noise. Police officers found no recoverable fingerprints on the vehicle. The wallet was the only item taken. No other vehicles in the area appear to have been damaged.
Southgate
Woman defrauded by fake loan company
A woman reported the evening of Aug. 30 that when she attempted to help her nephew obtain an online loan, she was instead defrauded of $372 in Walmart gift cards.
The victim said she was told to purchase the gift cards, then send a picture of the numbers on the gift cards to the unknown lending party. She also provided them when her bank account number and routing number, into which they were allegedly planning to deposit the loan and return her gift card deposit amount. No loan was granted after the gift card numbers were provided.
The bank was able to prevent any future access to her bank account, but said they could not refund the amount the woman spent on gift cards. Police officials advised her to cancel any debit or credit cards associated with the account and to monitor her credit rating in the upcoming weeks.
Golf ball shatters car windshield
A man who parked his burgundy 2018 Lincoln MRX in the 13000 block of Westminster the evening of Aug. 25 near the Southgate Municipal Golf Course reported the afternoon of Aug. 26 that a golf ball shattered his car windshield, and created a hole through the glass. The man said the it will cost about $700 to replace the windshield.
Taylor
License plate larceny
A license plate was stolen between 10 p.m. July 30 and 4:30 a.m. July 31 from a white 2013 Dodge Avenger parked overnight in front of a house in the 9600 block of Elm Street. The license plate cover and screws also were taken. The man said there was no damage to his vehicle. There were no suspects. The plate was entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network as stolen.
Boy’s bike stolen from park
A woman reported that her 7-year-old grandson’s bike was stolen about 5 p.m. July 2 from a park near the 15500 block of Court Village while he was playing. She said the bicycle, valued at $120, was a 20-inch Kent Chaos model, gray and orange in color, with orange pegs. There were no suspects.
Trenton
Jaguar vandalized
A man reported the afternoon of Aug. 30 that his unlocked 2003 Jaguar S-Type, parked in front of his residence on Superior, was vandalized overnight. He said the sunroof was opened, and the passenger side mirror, wiper blades and hood ornament were damaged. He said the center console navigation system was damaged in an unsuccessful attempt to remove it. Both front seats were also damaged, with puncture holes in the seats.
Computer hacked; credit card account compromised
A woman reported to police officers the morning of Aug. 27 that when her husband was on his laptop computer, a flashing popup window appeared on the screen, claiming to be a warning from Microsoft, and stating that the computer was compromised. When her husband called the phone number provided, he was told to purchase several thousand dollars in Target gift cards to pay for the removal of the threat from his computer. However, he became suspicious, and did not comply, and hung up on the scammer.
Shortly afterward, the woman discovered an unauthorized $10,000 charge to her Discover Card. She said she had the fraudulent charge investigated, and she was not being held responsible for the debt.
They were advised to monitor their credit accounts, and to take the laptop into a reputable dealer to be scanned for any online viral threats.
Wyandotte
Driver with suspended license flees police while tossing Adderall out the window
A 36-year-old Lincoln Park man with a suspended driver’s license attempted to flee police officers at 1:11 a.m. Aug. 15 while tossing contraband Adderall pills out the window onto the road.
Police officers ran the plate of the vehicle, a black 1994 Chevy pickup, which was stopped at a red light on northbound Fort Street at Goddard Road, and found it to be uninsured. They activated the police vehicle’s emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, which the man ignored. He sped away, driving erratically, and began to toss items out of the car window, which were later found to be Adderall pills.
The officers activated the siren, and the man continued to flee, tossing pills onto the road, until he pulled into Stewart Street, west of Fort Street, and stopped the pickup.
Police officers then approached the driver at gunpoint. He was arrested, handcuffed and searched. Officers found 15 Adderall pills in his right front pocket, 78.5 pills on the front seat and floorboard of the truck, and more than 100 pills on the road along Fort Street.
He said the vehicle, which was seized and forfeited, belonged to a friend who let him drive it. He was taken into custody, booked, fingerprinted and held. He had $277 in his wallet, which was also forfeited.
Burned out brake lights leads to narcotics arrest
A 63-year-old Detroit man and a 34-year-old Taylor woman were arrested the night of Aug. 11 when a traffic stop triggered by burned-out driver and passenger side brake lights resulted in an arrest for cocaine possession.
When police officers were driving west on Ford Avenue, they saw the burned-out brake lights, and when they ran the license plate, the vehicle was found to be uninsured. A traffic stop was initiated, and the driver, a man, and the female passenger appeared to be very nervous, and avoided eye contact with the police officers. The driver provided a driver’s license, and the passenger provided her identification.
The man, who said he had never been in trouble in the past, was found to have priors for narcotics, theft and weapon violations.
The vehicle was impounded for lack of insurance. When the man exited the vehicle, a glass crack pipe was observed on the front dash on the driver’s side, near the windshield. He was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police vehicle.
The passenger was also handcuffed, and placed in the back of another police vehicle.
When the vehicle was searched, a foil wrapper was found on the passenger seat, with two white rocks, which tested positive for crack cocaine. A second glass crack pipe was found on the passenger side of the vehicle. Additional drug paraphernalia was found inside a bag in the vehicle.
A cup containing alcohol was found in the cupholder on the driver’s side of the car, and another rock of crack cocaine was found on the floor on the driver’s side.
A bag full of personal care products, which the driver was unable to identify, was found in the trunk, leading the police officers to suspect the items might have been stolen.
The man and the woman were taken to the police station, where they were booked, fingerprinted, photographed and held. A preliminary breath test was administered to the female passenger, who had a blood alcohol content of 0.155, nearly twice the 0.08 limit for legally drunk in Michigan.
The vehicle was impounded and forfeited. Both were charged with possession of crack cocaine and narcotic paraphernalia, and the man was also charged with having an open intoxicant in the vehicle, no insurance and defective break lights.
(Compiled by Zeinab Najm and Sue Suchyta.)