Dearborn, Heights: A look back at 2019

 

By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers

Here’s a look back at September through December 2019 and the news that shaped Dearborn and Dearborn Heights:

September

The Dearborn Heights District No. 7 Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution to award the district-wide food services to ChartWells. The contract will be the standard Michigan contract for a one-year contract with one four-year renewal.

Dustin Jordan, 21, of Dearborn and Richard Hayes, 18, of Detroit were charged Sept. 6 with the Aug. 12 stabbing death of Corey Crum, 26, of Marine City. Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office Spokeswoman Charli Rose said the cause of death for Crum was multiple incised wounds to the neck and his death was ruled a homicide.

Mourad Jawad, 47, of Dearborn was charged with sending sexually explicit texts to a 14-year-old girl. Jawad was arraigned on formal charges of child sexually abusive commercial activity, and accosting children for immoral purposes, according to the court records.

Three male suspects, ages 17, 14 and 13 were arrested and charged with killing Saja Aljanabi, 29, of Warren Sept. 6 outside her family’s house in the 7800 block of Bingham. Jamel Philson, 17, of Highland Park, Demaurio Dismuke, 14, of Detroit and a 13-year-old were also charged by Wayne County Prosector Kym Worthy for two armed robbery incidents that took place the same night.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs suspended the registered nurse license of Rana Holman of Dearborn Heights for several possible violations, according to a Sept. 11 press release. She worked at Fountain View Surgery Center in Southfield. Holman’s suspension came after she attempted to obtain or possess a controlled substance or drug without lawful authority, the press release said.

Graham Street Park was dedicated during a Sept. 16 ceremony in Dearborn. The park includes a miniature soccer field, an ADA-compliant play area with swings, a slide, a seesaw with ADA-accessible walking paths, benches and picnic tables aglow with shrubby and small trees in the future.

Longtime attorney Helal Farhat, 42, of Dearborn was sworn in as a Wayne County Circuit Court judge by Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack during an investiture ceremony Sept. 18 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. Farhat was appointed on March 28 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for a term ending on Jan. 1, 2021 succeeding former Judge Vonda Evans.

James Lindsey, 40, was charged with first degree murder and habitual second offender Sept. 23 for allegedly killing 34-year-old Taylor resident Sherry Kietrys whose body was found in Dearborn. Officers responded to the area of Paul and Southfield roads at 7:45 a.m. Sept. 20 on a report of an unresponsive woman, a 34-year-old Taylor resident, police said. First responders and Detroit Fire Department personnel immediately provided first aid to the woman who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pharmacist Mohamed Gomaa, 28, of Dearborn Heights was charged with four counts of mail fraud for his role in alleged Medicare fraud schemes totaling $144.8 million in Michigan alone. Gomaa also owns MedlifeRx Pharmacy in Auburn Hills and was formally charged in a Sept. 26 federal indictment. He allegedly dispensed expensive and medically unnecessary medications, using forged or fraudulent prescriptions, and sent them by mail to Medicare, Medicaid, BCBS and other private insurance beneficiaries who did not want or need them, a Department of Justice press release said.

Former Dearborn Farm Market owner Art Hughes of Plymouth, died Sept. 27 at the age of 82 due to complications of temporal arthritis. Hughes owned Dearborn Farm Market, 2645 Monroe from 1983 until 2018 when it was sold.

Dearborn Heights mother Tabatha Cleary rushed her 12-year-old son Jason to the hospital after two friends set him on fire as part of the social media, fire challenge. On Sept. 28, the friends applied nail polish remover on Jason and set him ablaze. Jason sustained second-degree burns on his chest, arms, neck and chin as a result. He was released from the hospital after four days.

October

The Dearborn City Council unanimously approved to amend and extend the contract with Calhoun County to house and transport Dearborn’s misdemeanor prisoners only. The contract is valid through June 30, 2022, with a total amount of $778,000. During the Aug. 20 City Council meeting, Mayor John O’Reilly Jr. withdrew the resolution to extend the contract with Calhoun County for sentenced prisoner housing and transportation.

Michigan State Police Metro Narcotics Enforcement Team completed an Oct. 10 raid in east Dearborn where more than 4,500 pills were seized. A 22-year-old Dearborn resident was arrested. Prescription pills taken from the house included amphetamine, benzodiazepine, large quantity of carasipradole, hydrocodone and oxycodone along with $6,654 in cash seized with various drug paraphernalia.

A protest led by residents, community members and students was held outside of Stout Middle School Oct. 9 after a student reported racist comments were made by a teacher at the school regarding her Muslim heritage. The 13-year-old eighth-grader who wears a hijab claims the teacher first told her on Sept. 23, “Are you an American? Do you want to be an American? Why don’t you go back to where you came from? You come here and get free food and free education; why aren’t you grateful?” Principal Gregory Oke said the teacher involved was placed on paid administrative leave pending the completion of the investigation.

The Crestwood School Board unanimously voted to appoint Youssef Mosallam the district’s next superintendent Oct. 9. Mosallam officially began his first day as Crestwood School District superintendent on Oct. 22 after the board approved his contract. He served as the Dearborn Public Schools Community Partnerships, Career and College Readiness Achievement executive director and as the DPS executive director of Student Achievement from 2015 to 2018.

Chelsi Evans, 12, was killed Oct. 12 when she was struck by a vehicle on Ford and Telegraph roads. She was crossing on Telegraph Road with her twin brother when a passing motorist hit her in the middle of the road. Evans landed about 50 feet away from where she was struck.

Sewage flooded basements of houses in the 6800 block of Silvery Lane in Dearborn Heights Oct. 12. Department of Public Works Director John Selmi said the cause of the flooding was related to a broken water main. When asked what was being done to prevent future flooding Selmi said, “Investment in aging infrastructure to help reduce the possibility of this type of event from happening again.”

The family of James White held a protest and rally Oct. 19 to call for change at Beaumont Hospital-Dearborn after their father was admitted as John Doe and no one was alerted about his admittance. White’s daughter Paine White said her father was taken to the hospital after an Aug. 20 car crash on Dix and Monti in Lincoln Park where suffered a stoke while driving, causing the crash.

Lebanese Americans showed solidarity with protestors in Lebanon during a rally Oct. 20 outside Henry Ford Centennial Library. In Lebanon, anti-corruption protests began on Oct. 17 after new taxes were announced on Internet-based calls made on messaging services such as WhatsApp leading to the spark of protests and ultimate resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Frederick Hoffman, 68, a longtime Dearborn resident and attorney died after a long battle with cancer on Oct. 26. Hoffman was an attorney at Clark Hill Law, a former Dearborn deputy mayor and state official, columnist and editor of the Times-Herald and Dearborn Guide newspapers, and Chrysler executive for 20 years. Hoffman was known for his character, contributions made to help others, and for being a community and political activist.

Claire Linzell, 18, became the second woman awarded millions by a Wayne County Circuit Court jury Oct. 29 after local doctor Yasser Awaad misdiagnosed her with epilepsy as a child. According to the Associated Press, the $2.77 million verdict was returned but could be reduced by a judge because it exceeds a cap under Michigan law. The pediatric neurologist was found negligent for the false epilepsy diagnosis and that Oakwood Healthcare — now Beaumont Health — also is negligent in hiring and failing to supervise Awaad.

University of Michigan-Dearborn junior Raven Cason, 20 and her mother Alene Cason, 52 were killed in a crash on Greenfield Road and Grand River in Detroit Oct. 28. Both were pronounced dead at the hospital after their vehicle was T-boned when a driver ignored a traffic light as the pair made a left turn. Marvin Dismuke, 33, was charged with two counts of reckless driving causing death and one count of reckless driving causing serious impairment of a body function by the Wayne County Prosector’s Office.

Dearborn residents Ahmad Ayoub, 25, and Tyrell Jones, 20, were charged in connection with the murder of 28-year-old Delshon Scott Oct. 29. Both faced charges of felony murder, two counts of carjacking, assault with intent to murder and arson preparation to burn property. On Oct. 19, Scott was found shot in back in the 8000 block of Fielding in Detroit and died as emergency first responders transported him to the hospital.

November

Dearborn Public Schools voters rejected the district’s $240 million bond request for district wide improvements during the Nov. 5 general election. Results showed a less than 500 vote difference with 7,252 against the 4.82-mill and 6,782 for the millage. The bond was not a tax increase from the current rate, but instead replaces other bonds that are expiring.

Residents in Dearborn Heights re-elected City Council incumbents Lisa Hicks-Clayton, Dave Abdallah and Ray Muscat during the Nov. 5 general election. Candidate Stephen Henry finished third with 2,225 votes, forth was Rose Tripepi with 1,724 votes and Larry Henney with 1,478 votes.

Dearborn Heights resident Ali Jaber, 26, filed a complaint after his Henry Ford College business professor allegedly went on an Islamophobic rant in front of other students Oct. 31. The civil rights complaint was filed with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Executive Director Dawud Walid said Nov. 12. Jaber said that while asking his Introduction to Business professor, Michael Thomas, for help regarding a Facebook page promoting Lebanon tourism, he was questioned because of his Lebanese heritage.

World War II Veteran Henry Kroll received his service medals 70 years after he should’ve received them for serving in the 106th Infantry Division during a ceremony at Beaumont Commons Nov. 15. He was presented with the World War II Campaign Medal with four Bronze Stars, an Army Good Conduct Medal and a World War II Victory Medal. Kroll’s family, the Dearborn Historical Museum, Dearborn Vet Center and Dearborn Army Recruiting Office worked to process the paperwork needed for Kroll to receive the medals.

Macy’s Fairlane and Novi High School donated $5,000 each to Fordson High School Nov. 20 to establish a business incubator program during the launch at the FHS media center. The program will be implemented in the 2020-21 school curriculum for seniors allowing them to complete the five-step process before their products could be launched. The Novi donation was made possible from the $36,000 made from the student-made products sold at Macy’s 12 Oaks.

Dearborn Heights Police Chief Michael Petri was sworn in as the new chief during a change of command ceremony Nov. 21 at the Dearborn Heights Justice Center, 25637 Michigan Ave. By mid-2020 the police department will have another police chief because Petri plans to also retire, but was next in rank as the former deputy chief. Former Police Chief Dan Voltattorni retired after 31 years of service with the department.

Paul Oscar-Cuevas Alvarado, 28, a Mexican citizen living in Dearborn was arrested by U.S. Marshals at O’Hare International Airport on the charge of alleged sexual assault against him. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said Alvarado was attempting to board a connecting flight to Dallas and then to Mexico on Nov. 21. He was charged with third degree sexual assault by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office in connection to an alleged incident out of Commerce Township that took place at a party with a woman in October.

December

The family of Dearborn Heights resident Median El-Moustrah, 49, held a rally outside their house Dec. 2 where they pled for his stay of deportation after he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month. El-Moustrah suffers from health issues including liver damage, hepatitis B and diabetes and hearing loss, according to his family. He was held at Calhoun County Jail since his dentation Nov. 12 and his green card was revoked. On Nov. 27 a request for a stay of deportation on humanitarian grounds was rejected and a temporary stay has been put in place while El-Moustrah is in ICE custody.

Rami Jaber, 26, of Dearborn Heights was sentenced to 35 to 50 years in prison by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Regina Thomas after being found guilty of second degree murder Dec. 5 for the shooting of Derek Roberts at a Detroit gas station. Roberts was shot and killed on May 13 at Citgo, 17804 W. McNichols after he allegedly approached the gas station counter where Jaber was working as the clerk, and made a purchase when a disturbance took place between the pair.

The Ford Homes Historic District celebrated its 100th anniversary with a Holiday Home Tour by having 15 homeowners open their doors for visitors to explore Dec. 8. The homes were built near downtown west Dearborn in 1915 when Henry Ford opened his Henry Ford & Son tractor plant and employed 400 workers by 1918.

Dearborn Heights City Council approved a moratorium ending June 30, 2020 on used car lots along Van Born Road. The moratorium was made effective Dec. 10 and impacts new used car lot plans and requests submitted to the city. A discussion by the Steering Committee between the cities of Taylor and Dearborn Heights took place Dec. 2 to address the issue, according to a letter from Mayor Daniel Paletko to the city council.

Leaders from Beaumont Health and Universal Health Services broke ground Dec. 16 on a new $40 million mental health hospital in Dearborn. The 100,000-square-foot mental health hospital will fill the now vacant land on Rotunda Drive just west of the Southfield Freeway come 2021. Construction on the 150-bed hospital will begin early 2020 and double Beaumont Health’s current capacity for inpatient mental health care, according to a press release.

U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced 10 residents from Dearborn and Dearborn Heights have been indicted in a $46 million alleged drug fraud scheme Dec. 18. According to the news release, Dearborn residents Mohamad Abou-Khodr, 30; Nabil Chehadeh, 39; Ali El-Moussawi, 29; Bassem Farhat, 46; Hussein Wazne, 50; Suzan Berro, 20; and Bahia Zeidan, 28, and Dearborn Heights residents Hussein Abdallah, 36; Daniel Haidar, 30; and Linda Fawaz, 25, were accused of defrauding pharmaceutical companies. Charges against each member of the group ranged from conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, money laundering, wire fraud — aiding and abetting and mail fraud — aiding and abetting.

A 61-year-old man stepped out of his vehicle about 6:20 p.m. Dec. 21 and committed suicide on the pavement outside the Dearborn Police Department Dec. 21, Police Chief Ronald Haddad said. The investigation was ongoing and no further details were provided.