ALLEN PARK
Man arrested for retail fraud
Police were dispatched to Home Depot, 3163 Fairlane Drive for a retail fraud incident with the suspect in custody Dec. 18.
The store’s Loss Prevention Officer said he observed the man enter the store, walk toward the hardware section, select multiple items from the shelf and place them into his cart. According to the report, the man then walked to the front of the store and passed all points of purchase without paying for the items.
The LPO identified himself to the man, then advised him to walk to the back office until police officers arrived. He was placed under arrested for retail fraud and transported to the Allen Park Police Department.
Over $600 in merchandise was recovered: one Milwaukee band saw valued at $299, two M12 Fuel multi-tool valued at $298, and one band saw blade valued at $25.
Wallet stolen from vehicle at LA Fitness
The victim of a larceny from vehicle called police to the parking lot at LA Fitness, 3223 Fairlane Drive, Dec. 24.
Police were told that the victim parked his Chevrolet Traverse at 11 a.m. unlocked. When he returned approximately one hour later, his father’s wallet was missing from the vehicle’s center console. A check of his bank accounts showed that someone was using all three of his debit cards at different locations in Detroit. The fraudulent charges totaled $3,834.
Police received a copy of the bank transactions and locations where the cards were used.
No further information was provided in the report.
DEARBORN
Shoplifter makes a clean getaway
A female shoplifter quickly stole three bottles of shampoo and cleanser the afternoon of Dec. 28 from Dollar Tree, 10830 W. Warren Avenue, by heading straight to the Health and Beauty aisle, placing the bottles inside her coat, then exiting the store, a manager said.
The thief was described as a white female, wearing a black coat and red pants. She left on foot, walking east on Warren Avenue. Police officers were unable to find the suspect nearby.
The manager said if the woman returns to the store, she wishes to have her banned from the premises.
Vehicle window shattered on New Year’s Eve
The rear window of a red 2016 Dodge Caravan was shattered between 7:20 p.m. Dec. 31 and 9:25 a.m. Jan. 1 in the 4500 block of Rosalie Street.
The victim said the vehicle door locks and ignition were intact, and nothing of value from the vehicle, including her wallet, was disturbed or taken.
While no shell casing was found, police officers did not rule out the possibility that the window might have been damaged by a New Year’s reveler discharging a firearm.
A neighboring surveillance camera was angled toward the vehicle, and may reveal footage with actionable information.
DEARBORN HEIGHTS
Resident reports vehicle damage, cause unknown
A resident living on Eton called police to his house Jan. 3 after finding damage to the hood of his Chevy Equinox.
He said that the “check engine light” came on when the vehicle was started on the day before, the same day he drove the vehicle without noticing the damage.
Police observed a round conical shaped hole through the hood of the vehicle; the object continued completely through a plastic part of the engine. Metal fragments were found under the vehicle but were small, and it was undetermined if it was the pieces of the engine or the object that caused the damage.
The next day, police contacted the resident who confirmed the damage to his Equinox. According to the report, police believe that the damage was caused by a stray round fired into the air possibly on or around New Years Day.
There were no further leads or evidence to assist police with the investigations.
Glass door shattered at plumbing supply store
Police were dispatched to Ferguson Plumbing Supply, 26390 Van Born Road after the business alarm went off about 8:30 p.m. Jan. 2.
When officers arrived at the store, they noticed the front door was broken out with glass scattered around it. The building was checked, cleared and nothing else was found to be disturbed.
According to the report, the manager responded to the scene and said she secured the store at noon Dec. 31. The store had been closed since then.
She also said there were no interior or exterior security cameras that may have caught the incident on video. The manager checked the store herself and determined nothing appeared to have been taken, but pointed out three drawers next to the cash registers at the front of the store which were left shut, were now open.
Photographs of scene were taken and evidence was collected.
LINCOLN PARK
Electronics, designer shoes stolen from SUV
A $400 Samsung Galaxy Note cell phone, a $2,000 HP touchscreen laptop and a $200 pair of Nike Kevin Durant athletic shoes were stolen between 11 p.m. Dec. 28 and 5 a.m. Dec. 29 from a Ford Flex parked in the 1600 block of Marion Avenue.
The victim, a 30-year-old woman, said she thought she had locked the vehicle, which was not damaged.
Surveillance camera footage from two neighboring houses, which was not immediately available, may have recorded the theft.
Identity documents, credit cards stolen from unlocked car
An unlocked Kia Optima was relieved of its owner’s credit cards and identity documents between 8 p.m. Dec. 28 and 6:30 a.m. Dec. 29 in the 1300 block of Ethel Avenue.
The victim, a 46-year-old woman, said her Social Security card, two credit cards, a pre-loaded debit card, the vehicle registration and her proof of insurance certificate were stolen.
There were no surveillance cameras, and no suspects. The victim was advised to cancel her credit cards.
MELVINDALE
In-transit plate stolen from auto repair shop
An in-transit license plate, used on vehicles not yet registered to an owner, was stolen between 8 p.m. Dec. 22 and 10 a.m. Dec. 23 from a car parked at Dix Auto Clinic, 18809 Dix Road.
The complainant said the business has surveillance cameras, and he would have an employee check the footage and forward any relevant footage to the detective bureau.
Nothing else was taken, and no vehicles were damaged. The license plate was entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network as stolen.
Ring Doorbell captures footage of larceny suspect
A larceny victim reported that his Ring doorbell camera captured the image of a suspicious person next to his vehicle on Dec. 22, after which he discovered $20 in singles missing from his unlocked van in the 2500 block of Corbin Street.
The footage shows a person in blue jeans and a white hoodie, wearing a face mask. While the footage does not show the suspect entering the van, the far side of the van is outside of the camera range.
RIVERVIEW
Damaged reported to parked Ford Escape
On Dec. 24, police responded to Kings Forest Apartments after a caller said her vehicle was damaged while parked next to a building in the apartment complex.
The caller said her Ford Escape was in the parking lot closest to the grass to the south of the building at the time. She came out to her vehicle and observed fresh damage to the passenger side rear bumper of the vehicle and what appeared to be plastic behind the Escape on the ground.
While the caller was inspecting the damage, her neighbor came out and noticed her boyfriend’s vehicle also had damage which was parked in a spot next to the Escape. Police spoke with the registered owner of the second vehicle, which had damage to the driver side rear bumper with clear plastic pieces also on the ground in the area.
The neighbor said that when she returned home from work about 5 a.m., there was damage to neither vehicle. Police observed black paint in the damaged areas on each vehicle.
Neither party involved knew who could’ve damaged the vehicles, according to the report.
Each victim was provided with case report numbers. There was no suspect information.
Leafblower, snowblower taken from shed
Police were dispatched to a house on Smith Street Dec. 24 after a Black & Decker leafblower and a Briggs & Stratton snowblower were missing from a backyard shed.
The value of the two items totaled $180. The resident told police that he lives at the house with his grandmother and they are the only people who have access to the shed.
According to the report, the padlock on the door was found unlocked and the door was slightly open. Other items inside the shed had also been moved in addition to the stolen leaf and snowblowers.
Police observed no signs of forced entry on the shed door or padlock. The lock was in the open position and had not been touched by the resident prior to officers arriving at the scene.
The resident said the leafblower was approximately three months old and the snowblower was approximately two years old and that he is unsure of the serial numbers.
The resident told police that he was last in the shed on the evening of Dec. 21 and believes he secured the shed when he went back into the house.
There were no leads on a suspect or suspects.
SOUTHGATE
Business work truck tires flattened
All four tires of a Ford F-150 work truck used at O’Reilly Auto Parts, 14615 Eureka Road, were deliberately flattened between 6 p.m. Dec. 28 and 8 a.m. Dec. 29, a manager reported.
The quarter-inch punctures in the tires appear to have been caused by punch tool. There were no suspects or witnesses. The manager said it would cost about $600 to replace the tires.
Pellet gun used to vandalize floodlight
A pellet gun was likely used to vandalize an outdoor floodlight, valued at $75, the night of Dec. 29 in the 13000 block of Netherwood Street.
The complainant said his wife heard a loud popping noise about 9 p.m. that night, while their neighbors were outdoors and making noise. However, he did not notice the broken floodlight until later the next morning.
TRENTON
Fraudulent purchase made on Amazon account
The victim of a $862 fraudulent purchase reported the activity to police Dec. 26, after her Amazon account was hacked.
The woman observed via email that a gray Xiaomi Mi unlocked smartphone, international version, had been purchased via her account Dec. 24. According to the report, the shipping address was in Saddle Brook, N.J., and the order was placed Dec. 20. The victim said she didn’t know the person listed on the order nor anyone from that city.
A credit card listed on the account was used for the purchase, but the victim contacted her bank and was able to have the $862 reimbursed. She also changed her Amazon login information and canceled her credit card.
Police provided her with an incident number for her records.
License plate stolen off Dodge Ram
Officers were dispatched to Family Dollar, 3450 West Road, Dec. 19 after a customer discovered her license plate was missing.
The customer said she arrived at the store about 3:15 p.m. and returned about 15 minutes later. She then noticed her plate was missing from the rear bumper of her silver Dodge Ram 1500. A case number for the incident was provided and the customer was advised to contact the Secretary of State to obtain a new license plate.
The license plate was entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network as stolen. An officer note in the police report said that the customer stated she was at several shopping malls prior to stopping at Family Dollar where she noticed her license plate was missing.
No further information was provided.
WYANDOTTE
Men with gun lead police on foot chase
A neighbor spotting two suspicious men walking along 23rd Street at 12:47 a.m. Jan. 1, carrying unknown items, notified police officers, who responded to the area.
When the men spotted the police vehicle, they took off running through yards. A police officer gave chase, tackling and arresting one of the men.
Other responding police officers searched unsuccessfully for the second man, but found an abandoned shotgun in a nearby yard.
Investigating officers learned that the two men had been communicating with a woman on Snapchat, and were likely headed to her residence to meet her.
Deputy Police Chief Archie Hamilton said the firearm leads to the assumption that the men had ill-intentions.
“It is likely that the citizen who reported the suspicious men, coupled with the relentless effort by the officer, prevented a violent crime,” he said.
(Compiled by Zeinab Najm and Sue Suchyta.)