By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE – A known lawbreaker was arrested in the early morning hours of Oct. 1 when an alert resident notified police that a man was systematically checking for unlocked cars.
The suspect, a 50-year-old Wyandotte man, was seen about 4 a.m. trying to enter vehicles in the 100 block of Riverbank Street, gaining entry to at least one car that the witness saw.
As police officers responded to the man’s last known location, the witness pointed them in the direction of a residence, where they found a middle-aged white man in a gray hoodie inside a car in a driveway, rummaging through it.
When he was approached and ordered to exit the vehicle, loose change began to fall out of the pocket of his sweatshirt. He was subsequently handcuffed and placed in a patrol car, charged with larceny from a motor vehicle.
The vehicle owner, who was alerted to the theft, said she was unable to ascertain how much change she had left in the vehicle.
Deputy Police Chief Archie Hamilton said residents should be able to sleep in peace without worrying about thieves stealing or damaging their property.
“This incident demonstrates the necessity for a strong partnership between the public and law enforcement,” he said. “This thief was arrested because we had a citizen with outstanding situational awareness.
“Additionally, we had competent police officers investigating the call. Law enforcement is truly a team effort between the public and police.”