ALLEN PARK
Sister of car thief calls victim
A woman who found a suspicious registration for the vehicle her sister was driving contacted the vehicle’s lawful owner, who called police officers after finding the suspect in the vehicle Nov. 28 at the suspect’s Allen Park apartment complex.
The vehicle, a 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser, was stolen Nov. 12 from AAA Fuels, on Dix Highway in Lincoln Park. The victim and her boyfriend drove to the apartment complex, found the vehicle with the suspect sitting in it, and detained her until police officers arrived.
The suspect has active warrants from several cities, including a felony arrest warrant out of Lincoln Park.
The woman, who confessed to the theft, said she was going to have a seizure, so she was transported to Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn.
The recovered vehicle was free from damage, and its stolen status was removed from the Law Enforcement Information Network.
Drunken driver crashes car on Southfield near I-94
A 32-year-old Detroit man was charged with operating while impaired, having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle and driving without insurance the night of Nov. 25, when he was in a single vehicle crash on the southbound Southfield Freeway near I-94.
The vehicle sustained heavy front-end damage and the airbags were deployed.
The man, who had bloodshot eyes and a glassy stare, smelled strongly of intoxicants. He admitted to drinking, and when he spoke, his words were slurred.
He failed multiple field sobriety tests. A preliminary breath test was administered, and the man had a blood alcohol content of 0.159, twice the 0.08 limit for legally drunk in Michigan.
An open fifth of Royal Crown whiskey was discovered on the vehicle floor near the front passenger seat.
After being booked at the police station, where the man refused further breath tests, a search warrant for a blood draw was initiated, and the man was taken to Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn for a blood draw and for the back pain which he said he sustained during the crash.
DEARBORN
Guns, wallet stolen from vehicle
A man told police that his wallet two firearms were stolen from his Ford F-150 in his work parking lot Nov. 18.
According to the report, the truck was parked in the northwest corner of the lot about 6:40 a.m., and he returned at 6:45 p.m. but did not notice any signs of forced entry. While searching his truck, the victim observed that his center console had been moved; however, he didn’t initially didn’t think anything of it. When the victim began looking for his brown leather wallet, he noticed it was missing. The wallet contained the victim’s driver’s license.
There was no suspect information and the victim had not notified security at his job before filing the police report, but was planning on doing so.
Multiple boxes of Red Bull stolen
Police responded to Kroger, 15255 Michigan Ave., after a man took six boxes of 12-pack Red Bull energy drinks valued at $90 from the store Nov. 26.
An employee told police that the thief is a man wearing all black and was seen walking toward the nearby CVS Pharmacy.
The report said officers responded to CVS and made contact with the described suspect, but it was later discovered that he was not involved and he was released at the scene without incident.
Security video was shown to police by the employee where a different man is shown wearing all black. The suspect placed the Red Bull boxes in his shopping cart and passed all checkout points before exiting the store.
The video showed the suspect exit the building, walk west in the parking lot and then away from the camera’s view. The employee said Kroger will cooperate with prosecution.
An incident report number was provided and the employee was advised to contact Dearborn police with any further information.
DEARBORN HEIGHTS
Woman defrauded of $1,000 in scam
A woman living in a house on Annapolis reported a fraud scam after she was defrauded of $1,000 in two Visa gift cards Nov. 28.
The woman told police she received a Facebook message from an individual claiming to be a former co-worker when she worked at Five Guys from 2015 to 2016.
The resident was told that the individual invests in Bitcoin and that she receives an investment. Next, the resident was forwarded to another individual through Facebook who advised her it would be a one-time transaction if she invested $1,000 in Visa gift cards. The resident was told she would receive $19,000 every month. According to the report, the resident went to Walmart in Taylor to make the purchase using a credit card.
Photos of the gift cards showing the card and personal identification numbers along with a photo of the resident’s driver’s license were sent to the individual. She also provided the individual with her email address. The individual told the resident to give him a couple hours to do the investing.
Since the resident sent the individual the information, she had been receiving emails from a gmail account asking her to send $1,200 to active her account.
She later realized she was a victim of a scam. The resident contacted her credit card company to file a dispute as a fraudulent transaction.
The resident was contacted on Dec. 1 by police via phone, who advised that this type of scam is very common and will be difficult to prosecute due to the perpetrator being out of state.
Amazon packages reported missing
A police report was filed by a woman living on Legacy Park Circle told police that several of her Amazon packages were stolen off her front porch last month.
Between Nov, 9 and 17, the woman made several purchases through Amazon which were a Trademark Innovations portable bar valued at $59.89; 20 window treatment curtains sent in packs, but she was missing eight valued at $110.16 and six Meridian dining room chairs valued at $711.24.
The woman received confirmation from Amazon along with a photo showing her portable bar and eight curtains were delivered on Nov. 11 and 13, respectively. Also, the dining room chairs confirmation said they were delivered Nov. 16.
She did not find any of the packages on her front porch, so she contacted Amazon which said the chairs would be delivered Nov. 17. That day, the woman received another confirmation but no photo showing the chairs were delivered.
The woman contacted Amazon again to inform them about the missing and possibly stolen packages, when she was told to file a police report to be reimbursed her money or sent new replacement items.
There were no security cameras at the woman’s house or at any of her neighbors’ houses.
She made contact with neighbors but they did not provide further leads or evidence. Police closed the case due to lack or leads, but it can be reported if further information or evidence is discovered.
LINCOLN PARK
Senior victim of credit card fraud
A 72-year-old Lincoln Park woman was the victim of credit card fraud, with two unauthorized charges made at a Kroger store and another made at a Dollar Center store.
While the total amount of the charges was under $20, the victim said she has no idea who would have access to her bank credit card, and said her bank advised her to file a police report.
Catalytic converters stolen from Auto Zone work vans
The catalytic converters from two Chevy Express G250 work vans, valued collectively at $2,000, were reported stolen Nov. 5 from the parking lot of Auto Zone, 1555 Fort St.
The store manager said the vehicles had been idle for the previous week, due to a COVID-19 outbreak, and he was unsure when the theft occurred.
He said he would ask corporate personnel to review the store’s surveillance footage, and agreed to forward any relevant footage to police detectives.
MELVINDALE
Apple iPhone, passport stolen from unlocked car
A man who left his Toyota Camry parked at Deluca Field Nov. 22, with a dead battery, said when a friend came to pick him up, he was unable to lock the vehicle, due to the dead battery, and a bag he accidentally left behind in the car was missing when he returned the next day.
He said the stolen property included a damaged Apple iPhone, his passport, and assorted bills. He said he needed to file a police report to apply for a replacement passport. There were no suspects.
Dodge Charger stolen from Gale Gardens Apartments
A green Dodge Charger with a bumblebee design on the driver’s side door was stolen the night of Nov. 23, without its keys, from Gale Garden Apartments.
Stolen along with the car were an LG Aristo smart phone, valued at $200, and a $250 computer tablet. There was broken glass on the ground where the vehicle had been parked.
The stolen car was recovered the next day in Detroit.
RIVERVIEW
New pickup sideswiped by hit-and-run driver
A red 2020 Ford F-150 pickup was sideswiped sometime between 2 p.m. Nov. 22 and 1 p.m. Nov. 23 in the 20000 block of Foxboro Street.
The vehicle, which had minor dents and scratches on the driver’s side back door, also had white paint transfer, which likely was from the striking vehicle.
There was no other evidence left at the scene, and no nearby surveillance cameras. The victim was given a police report number for his insurance company.
SOUTHGATE
SUV catalytic converter stolen from store parking lot
A woman reported Nov. 17 that the catalytic converter was stolen from her father’s maroon 2011 Ford Escape while the sport utility vehicle was parked Nov. 16 at Bath and Body Works at 13697 Eureka Road.
It was unknown whether there was any surveillance footage of the area. The vehicle owner was given a police report number for their insurance company.
Key card stolen from vehicle
A key card was reported stolen Nov. 21 from a black 2010 Chrysler Sebring while it was parked in the 15000 block of Goddard Road.
There was no damage to the vehicle, and nothing else was reported stolen from its interior.
TAYLOR
Dodge Charger with lapsed insurance stolen
A locked 2016 gray Dodge Charger, for which the owner had recently let the insurance lapse, was reported stolen Dec. 3, without the keys, from a parking lot at Princeton Square Apartments.
The theft occurred between 5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 2 a.m. Dec. 3 in the 13200 block of Princeton Street. The car was not registered as being repossessed. It was entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network as stolen.
Pistol stolen from unlocked car
A Glock 48 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol was reported stolen from an unlocked Saturn Ion between 9:30 p.m. Dec. 1 and 10 a.m. Dec. 2 in the 15700 block of Pond Village Drive.
There were no suspects. The pistol was entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network as stolen.
TRENTON
Lost time?
An Apple watch that was found Nov. 28 near Edsel and Groh streets, in the neighborhood southwest of West Road and Fort Street, was brought to the police station. Anyone seeking to claim the watch should contact the police station with proof of ownership.
WYANDOTTE
Police officer witnesses start of drag race
A drag race that began on southbound Fort Street at Eureka Road the night of Nov. 23 was cut short when a police officer, alerted by the sound of squealing tires, witnessed the start of an illegal street race and quickly initiated a traffic stop, during which he cited both men and impounded their cars.
The drivers, a 17-year-old Ecorse man and a 19-year-old Southgate man, reached speeds of 70 mph in a 45-mph zone before the officer activated his emergency lights and initiated a traffic stop.
The vehicles, a black Chrysler and a silver Nissan, were impounded and towed, and the men were told to call for a ride home.
Employee faces retail fraud charges for processing false returns
A retail employee who was fired Nov. 25 faces prosecution for retail fraud after it was discovered that she had been processing non-existent merchandise returns and pocketing the refunds.
A regional asset protection manager said her scheme was discovered when it was noticed that the woman processed an unusually high volume of customer returns in a four-week period.
The employee, who would save discarded customer receipts and process them as customer returns, pocketing $593 from 13 fraudulent refunds.
(Compiled by Zeinab Najm and Sue Suchyta.)