Interesting, bizarre crime briefs from Macomb County, Grosse Pointes in 2024

Tire-slasher sought
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — A resident in the 1700 block of Huntington Boulevard appears to be the victim of a vengeful Instacart delivery person’s friend. 

According to a police report, the victim had been told a woman was going to be delivering her order at around 9:15 p.m. Jan. 4, but instead a man in a burgundy minivan was dropped off at her home with the delivery. When she asked about the original delivery person — who the victim believes was the driver of the minivan — she said the male told her, “Oh, that’s my girl.” 

The victim said her food order was incorrect, so she gave the female delivery driver a critical review on Instacart. A few hours later, the victim saw the man who had actually delivered her order standing next to her vehicle; she told police he was wearing the same clothes he had on earlier that day. She said the male then took off running east on Huntington. 

When the victim went outside at around 5:30 a.m. Jan. 5, she discovered that her front driver’s side tire was flat after having been punctured by a sharp object.
 

Hats stolen from sporting goods store
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police were looking for a suspect who reportedly stole 43 hats from Dick’s Sporting Goods, 13000 Hall Road, Jan. 5. 

The suspect allegedly grabbed the hats – described as Detroit Lions winter caps and beanies – from a shelf, exited the front entrance without paying, and got away in a black pickup truck that had tinted windows. The hats were worth a total of $1,344, police said.
 

Police say they stopped 2 scams at the same time
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — While investigating a possible scam in progress Jan. 21, officers with the Shelby Township Police Department believe they prevented a second scam from also being successful.

Police said they were aware of a suspected scam in which a person planned to come to an 88-year-old Shelby Township resident’s home to pick up $8,400 in cash. Detectives set up surveillance of the resident’s home and soon observed a woman driving for the ridesharing company Lyft pull into the resident’s driveway. Police detained the woman and then released her when they were sure that an unknown person was using the woman, who had no knowledge of the scam, to pick up the money.

Police said that they were continuing to investigate who was responsible for the attempted scam against the resident.

While the detectives were guarding against the $8,400 scam, they saw a suspicious Ram pickup truck slowly driving in the area. Police said that they saw the truck park in a driveway down the street and a man in his 30s talk to the homeowner, 84, in the driveway.

The two talked for a half-hour before they went in the home. Detectives went to the home and spoke to the homeowner to ask what was going on. The homeowner reportedly said that the man in his 30s randomly approached him and talked about doing cement repairs. Police said two more men were in the pickup truck.

According to Shelby Township police, all three men were identified as scam artists known to law enforcement in the metro Detroit area. Shelby Township police said that typically while one distracts a homeowner, another suspect enters the home and steals money and valuables. Shelby Township police said that they often target senior citizens.

Police arrested two of the suspects, one for a valid felony warrant and the other for soliciting without a permit, police said. One of the suspects, police said, had recently pleaded guilty to defrauding a senior citizen of more than $50,000, but the suspect was not sentenced to jail time.
 

Fire leads to discovery of mushroom grow operation
EASTPOINTE — According to a police report, the Eastpointe police assisted the Eastpointe Fire Department on a structure fire Feb. 5 at a location in the 23000 block of Schroeder Avenue, south of Stephens Road, during which officers observed a mushroom grow operation in the basement. The Eastpointe Special Investigations Unit then conducted a search warrant and arrested one person for the manufacturing of psilocybin mushrooms, with about 1 pound of mushrooms seized. Investigations were ongoing.

Cars stolen from repair shop
EASTPOINTE — According to a police report, a vehicle repair shop in the area of Eight Mile and Kelly roads was broken into overnight Feb. 10. Two vehicles that were left for service were driven through repair doors and stolen. Surveillance video was obtained. The stolen vehicles are a gray 2018 Dodge Durango and a gray 2017 Chrysler 300. Police were investigating.

Suspect fires at vehicle
EASTPOINTE — According to a police report, at around 8:45 p.m. Feb. 16, police were dispatched to the area of Nine Mile and Kelly roads on a report of shots fired. 

Further investigation revealed that a black Chevrolet Malibu had stopped at a red light, northbound on Nine Mile Road, when a white Dodge Durango was seen pulling up in the area. 

An unknown suspect exited the rear seat of the Malibu, and the Durango started driving eastbound through an adjacent parking lot. 

That’s when the suspect reportedly reentered the rear seat of the Malibu, and a short time later began shooting at the Durango, the occupants of which returned fire. Both vehicles then fled the scene and were last seen driving toward Interstate 94. 

An innocent victim was in the area and was shot in the hand. She was not involved in the incident but got caught in the crossfire.

Not so ‘SMART’ escape
GROSSE POINTE CITY — A 27-year-old Detroit man was arrested after he reportedly assaulted a Corewell Health Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital employee who was trying to process the suspect into the hospital at around 1:50 p.m. March 1. After the attack, police said the suspect fled the scene and tried to leave the area by hopping aboard a Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation — or SMART — bus at Kercheval Avenue and Notre Dame Street. The suspect was arrested within moments and charged through the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office with assault, police said.
 

Detergent thieves make clean getaways
GROSSE POINTE WOODS/CITY — An unknown suspect is said to have stolen at least four containers of Tide Pods — valued at a total of $133 — from a CVS store in the 20400 block of Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe Woods at around 1:17 p.m. March 3. 

A police report states that the suspect, a woman about 50 years old, was confronted by an employee and asked to show a receipt, which caused the suspect to rapidly exit the business.

In a separate incident, a male suspect was spotted stealing about six to eight packages of Tide Pods — valued at $13.49 apiece — from The Village CVS store at around 4:22 p.m. Feb. 29.

Couple spotted having sex outside crowded restaurant
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police reportedly investigated an indecent exposure case the evening of March 1 when they approached a parked vehicle – in which two people were allegedly having sexual intercourse — outside a “heavily populated” restaurant in the 44000 block of Mound Road the evening of March 1. 

Police reportedly ordered the couple to put on their clothes and step outside the vehicle. Police reportedly issued case slips, parents were informed, and the individuals were released.

Sneeze triggers assault
GROSSE POINTE CITY — A suspect faced assault charges after he reportedly struck a victim in the emergency room three times because, according to a police report, the victim sneezed in the suspect’s direction. The incident is said to have happened at around 8:40 p.m. March 5 at Corewell Health Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital.
 

Man tricked into accidentally signing deed 
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — At 3 p.m. March 11, a resident came to the Shelby Township Police Department’s front desk to file a fraud report. The man stated that a family member had him sign a document, which happened to be the deed for his house, without him reading it. The suspect then took the document to be notarized. The man’s lawyer advised him to file a police report. The detective bureau was investigating.

Pair accused of stealing Legos from Kohl’s
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police said a male suspect and a female suspect left Kohl’s, 44200 Schoenherr Road, after allegedly stealing a $19.99 Lego set March 17. According to store staff, the suspects have previously stolen from the store.

Police said they found the pair walking by Lakeside Circle and arrested them on suspicion of third-degree retail fraud, though the suspects reportedly didn’t have the Lego set on them, and they allegedly wouldn’t say what happened to it.

Intoxicated driver arrested
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Police pulled over a 24-year-old Grosse Pointe Woods man in the area of Mack Avenue and LaBelle Circle at 11:43 p.m. March 19 after spotting him traveling 50 mph in a 35 mph zone, swerving on the road and nearly hitting a legally parked scout car. 

Although the driver smelled of alcohol and had slightly slurred speech, police said he denied having been drinking. The driver was asked to recite the letters of the alphabet from D to Q, and he reportedly said, “D, E, F, G, Q.” According to a police report, the driver then told police he was “never very good at mathematics.” 

After failing field sobriety tests and having a blood alcohol content of 0.17% in a preliminary breath test, the driver was arrested for operating while intoxicated. When police inventoried the contents of the driver’s vehicle before it was impounded, they said they found an open bottle of Coastal Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, which they confiscated.

Bras stolen in self-checkout
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police investigated a shoplifting report March 22 at Walmart, 33201 Van Dyke Ave. Police said video footage showed a suspect scanning two bras in a self-checkout but holding four of various colors and tags. 

Police arrested the suspect, determined that $23.96 worth of bras had been stolen, and cited the suspect for third-degree retail fraud.

Mother arrested for child neglect
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Police responded to the Kroger store in the 20400 block of Mack Avenue at around 7:50 p.m. March 22 after being alerted to a running vehicle in the parking lot with unattended children inside. 

Officers said they found a 6-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old alone in the vehicle, which was running and had the heater on. An officer found the mother — a 27-year-old Detroit woman — inside the store. She told police she had only been in the store for 10 minutes, but police said she had a cart full of groceries. The mother reportedly told police she had a license to carry a concealed weapon and her gun was under the front passenger seat, which meant the children had access to an unsecured firearm while she was shopping. 

Police said they ran a check on the woman and found an active felony warrant against her out of Novi for fraud. They said she also had no license plate on her vehicle. The woman was arrested and faced possible child neglect charges. Her vehicle was impounded and the children were turned over to the woman’s brother.

Disorderly suspect arrested at adventure park
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police said they went to Urban Air Adventure Park, 12050 Hall Road, March 23 and saw a security guard arguing with a man. Police were told that the man had been evicted and was threatening staff. 

Police said the man showed signs of intoxication, and he reportedly accused the staff of not treating his kids nicely. Officers said they later were told that the kids had been instructed not to jump from a platform due to safety issues, and when this happened, the man allegedly grew angry and started yelling. Police said they ultimately arrested and cited the man for disorderly conduct.
 

Busker told to leave business
STERLING HEIGHTS — A solicitor was reportedly playing a violin and asking for money at a business in the 43000 block of Schoenherr Road, near Canal Road, April 8. 

According to police, the business’s property manager said the busker had been asked to leave before, and the complainant wanted him evicted. Police said they contacted the violin player, who then departed.

Credit card skimmer found in checkout
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — At 6:56 p.m. April 10, Shelby Township police officers were dispatched to Walmart, 51450 Shelby Parkway, for a fraud complaint. Upon arrival, officers spoke to an employee, who stated that he found a credit card skimmer on one of the credit card payment systems in the self-checkout lane. It is unknown who placed the credit card skimmer on the payment system. Police planned to review video from Walmart in an attempt to locate a suspect.

Police subdue blade wielder outside Fuddruckers
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police said they went to Fuddruckers, 40955 Van Dyke Ave., April 19 after hearing that someone with a hatchet or ax was acting disorderly. 

Police said they found the man outside and confronted him, but he allegedly did not follow multiple orders to drop his weapon. The suspect also threatened to harm others and himself, police said.

Police said they subdued the man with a “less-than-lethal weapon” and then apprehended him. The Sterling Heights Police Department praised the officers’ performance in a Facebook post. 

“The individual who was clearly suffering from mental illness was transported to the hospital for a mental petition,” the department said. 

Man evicted from market for insulting, swearing at woman
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police went to a supermarket in the 43000 block of Schoenherr Road April 19 upon hearing that a man allegedly swore at a woman without cause. The man then reportedly followed the woman down an aisle and insulted her and called her an evil woman. 

Police said they found the man after he left the store, and he allegedly confirmed that he had used bad language and had a temper. Police said they told the man he couldn’t come back to the store, upon the manager’s request.

Suspect vanishes after overpayment
GROSSE POINTE CITY — A 21-year-old Detroit man is being sought for the crime of larceny by conversion after he reportedly refused to return overpayment after he was accidentally overpaid by a business in the 600 block of St. Clair Avenue. 

According to a police report, the suspect was hired to work for $15 an hour at the business, but the payroll company administering the paychecks is said to have paid him $1,500 an hour instead, resulting in him receiving $16,000 for his first paycheck. The business owners called him to fix the error, but they said he stopped returning their calls and didn’t show up for work again. Police said the investigation was ongoing.

Cat held hostage
GROSSE POINTE PARK — A 62-year-old Grosse Pointe Park man was arrested April 30 after he reportedly found a cat that his neighbor owned and had reported missing, but he refused to return the cat. The suspect reportedly showed the victim that he had the missing feline but wouldn’t give it back. Police went to the suspect’s home but said he wouldn’t turn the cat over to them, either. The suspect was eventually persuaded to turn the cat over to an animal clinic, after which it was reunited with its owner. Police said the suspect was cited for larceny and disorderly conduct.

Suspects arrested in armed robbery
GROSSE POINTE CITY/PARK — A 22-year-old Detroit man and a 25-year-old Detroit man were arrested in Grosse Pointe Park May 3 after they were reportedly involved in the theft of multiple pieces of lawn equipment from landscaping trailers, including an armed robbery May 1 in Grosse Pointe City that resulted when a worker confronted one of the suspects in the act and the worker said the suspect pulled a gun on him. Police said the suspects committed several larcenies in Grosse Pointe City and Grosse Pointe Park before they were apprehended.
 

Indecent exposure reported at median by Hall and Hayes
STERLING HEIGHTS — During the afternoon of May 3, officers investigated a median near Hall and Hayes roads upon hearing that a man was allegedly indecently exposing himself by a pond. 

Police said they saw the man lying down, with his zipper undone. Police said in the reports that the suspect did not speak fluent English and might not be a U.S. citizen. He reportedly shook his head when asked what he was doing or why his zipper was down, and he later “stated he was just walking around.” 

Police said they arrested him for aggravated indecent exposure. 

Larceny at English Gardens
EASTPOINTE — According to a police report, Eastpointe police officers were dispatched to English Gardens on Kelly Road at around 10:40 a.m. May 19 to investigate a larceny that occurred the night prior. Police were told that three men arrived in a black Ford F-150 pickup truck that night, loaded up the truck bed with numerous flower pots and left the scene. Later in the morning, they returned, jumped the fence and reportedly stole clay pots along with other gardening items.


Ducklings saved
GROSSE POINTE CITY — Officers were called to the 300 block of St. Clair Avenue at around 7 a.m. June 1 after someone noticed that several ducklings had fallen into a storm drain and couldn’t get back out. Using a pike pole and a basket, officers were able to safely retrieve the ducklings and return them to the custody of their worried mother.
 

Bicycle getaway fails
GROSSE POINTE CITY — A 34-year-old Detroit man was arrested after he reportedly stole multiple bottles of alcoholic beverages from The Village CVS store at 4:20 p.m. June 20 and fled the scene on a bike. Police arrested the suspect as he was making his getaway. They said he faced possible charges including retail fraud and resisting and obstructing police.

Dog toy leads to assault and battery complaint
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Officers from the Shelby Township Police Department responded to Dequindre Estates, near the intersection of Dequindre and Hamlin roads, for an assault and battery complaint at 6:15 p.m. June 25. When officers met with the caller, she stated that she had been attacked by one of her good friends after an argument regarding a dog toy hitting her friend’s bad foot. The aggressor was issued a citation for assault and battery, police said.


Portable toilets destroyed
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Officers were dispatched to Whispering Woods Kiwanis Park on 21 Mile Road for a malicious destruction of property complaint. The portable toilets at the park had been destroyed.
 

Unconscious driver found to be intoxicated 
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Police were called to the 200 block of Merriweather Road at 5:28 p.m. July 7 because a woman was slumped over the wheel of a parked vehicle. 

Officers said the motorist, a 33-year-old Detroit woman, smelled strongly of alcohol and told them she had consumed wine in the last 30 minutes. Police would subsequently discover four empty bottles of wine in the vehicle. When police asked her to rate her level of intoxication on a scale of zero to 10, with zero being totally sober and 10 being the most intoxicated she’d ever been, the driver reportedly rated herself at five. 

According to the police report, she had a blood alcohol level of 0.32% — four times the legal limit — in a preliminary breath test. The driver, who had been making deliveries at the time, was arrested for operating while intoxicated.
 

Scam costs victim more than $1 million
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — A 67-year-old Grosse Pointe Farms woman filed a report with police July 10 after unknown suspects tricked the victim into sending them $1.28 million dollars in cashier’s checks and money transfers between October 2023 and July 2024.

The victim told police she first received a pop-up warning Oct. 26, 2023, telling her that her computer had a virus and she needed to contact Apple. The victim told police she called the phone number in the pop-up, believing it was the number for Apple. The victim was connected with someone who claimed there was child pornography on her computer and he would be handling her investigation. He told her she could prove her innocence the public way or she could do it in a private way by making payments to what he claimed was a government account. The suspect told her not to share this information with anyone, including her husband. 

The victim told police she thought it was real because the suspect had her Social Security number and knew which banks she used. After each payment, the victim said the suspect told her investigators were finding more fraudulent activity and locating more children who had been trafficked, thanks to the victim’s cooperation. The suspect kept asking the victim for additional payments to continue the investigation. 

The victim told police she was supposed to make another payment July 12. The victim told police she had been monitoring her accounts since October and there had been no suspicious activity. Police advised her to contact credit reporting agencies and the Social Security Administration fraud line as soon as possible. 
 

Man seeks advice on assembling crossbow
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — A 59-year-old Shelby Township man who was reportedly known to police is said to have pulled next to an officer who was parked and monitoring for speeders on Moross Road at around 8:42 p.m. July 24 and asked the officer if he knew how to assemble a crossbow. 

The Shelby Township man, who police said was driving on a suspended license, then drove away from the officer and went to the Public Safety Department with the crossbow, seeking the same help putting it together. Police told the suspect that he wasn’t free to leave when he entered the lobby and asked him for his vehicle keys, which he initially denied having with him. A police report states that the keys were in the suspect’s pocket. 

Police impounded his vehicle and issued the suspect a ticket for driving with license suspended. During an inventory search of the vehicle before it was impounded, police said they found a box containing a new, unassembled crossbow on the front passenger seat. The weapon was placed into the property room for safekeeping. 

Earlier in the day, police said, the suspect presented them with a note telling them some people were looking for him and were going to shoot him in the face. An officer asked him if he intended to use the crossbow to protect himself, and he responded, “Possibly.” Police pointed out that the suspect would be no match for someone with a gun, to which the suspect answered, “You know what? If I leave my car somewhere and they come up to it, who knows, you know what I mean?” Police warned the suspect that lying in wait for someone with the intention of shooting them with a crossbow would constitute first-degree murder.
 

Thief asks for permission before stealing gas station sandwich
STERLING HEIGHTS — A worker at a gas station in the 40000 block of Van Dyke Avenue, south of 18 Mile Road, reportedly told police that a man grabbed a deli sandwich, asked an employee, “You mind if I take this sandwich?” and then left without paying early in the morning of July 28. 

An officer wrote in a report that he saw the suspect on foot along Constitution Boulevard and interviewed him. According to police, the man admitted to taking the sandwich without paying for it and added that he forgot to pay. 

Police said they cited the suspect for third-degree retail fraud and let him know he wasn’t allowed to return to the gas station.
 

Burglar turns out to be something else
GROSSE POINTE SHORES — A resident in the second block of Fontana Lane called police at around 11:21 p.m. Aug. 9 to report that her Ring security camera had captured footage of an unknown person inside her garage. Police responded immediately to the home, but they found the garage to be secure and could locate no one else on the property. Officers spoke with the resident again and asked to see her security camera footage. Upon reviewing the footage, police said it appeared that an insect had set off the camera.

Police assist with getting drunken moviegoer to leave
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police went to a movie theater in the 44000 block of Mound Road, near Dobry Drive/M-59, Aug. 9 upon hearing that an intoxicated man wouldn’t leave. According to cinema staff, a man was sleeping in one of the top rows and, using vulgar language, told off staff who woke him up and tried to get him to head out.

Police said they roused the sleeping man and told him he had to go, and then the man allegedly stumbled and fell. Police gave the man a preliminary breath test, which reportedly resulted in a 0.399% blood alcohol content. The police and fire departments arranged his hospitalization, the report concluded.

Meal thieves spotted
GROSSE POINTE CITY — A 21-year-old Detroit man and a 30-year-old Detroit man allegedly stole a meal awaiting delivery from a restaurant in the 17000 block of Kercheval Avenue in The Village at around 6:30 p.m. Aug. 20. 

According to a police report, the suspects entered the restaurant and asked the cashier for water. When the cashier was getting water for them, the suspects are alleged to have taken someone else’s meal, which was valued at $59. Police said the suspects were spotted in the area days later, at which time they were cited for larceny and released in conjunction with this incident.

Moped wheelies reported
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police heard a complaint the evening of Aug. 23 about two mopeds doing wheelies along a trail in the area of Dodge Park, near Utica Road. Police did not say in the report what sort of action they took in response. 

Patrons evicted over hotel swimming pool argument
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police went to a hotel in the 36000 block of Van Dyke Avenue Aug. 24 upon hearing that some patrons had been arguing with a worker. 

According to police, guests from two rooms had reportedly been celebrating a birthday party at the swimming pool, and a worker reportedly told them that too many people were in that area. This reportedly made several patrons mad, and they allegedly yelled and “got into her face,” according to staff. 

Police said a hotel manager wanted the patrons to leave, so police passed on the message, and they followed the order. Police took no further action.

Armed robbery reported
ST. CLAIR SHORES — At 5:03 a.m. on Aug. 30, a report was made about an armed robbery that occurred in the 25000 block of Jefferson Avenue.

The night shift store clerk, a 34-year-old woman, stated she was alone in the building when a man came up to the register and told her to give him the money in the cash register. The woman misunderstood what he said and asked him again. The suspect repeated what he said and reportedly lifted up his shirt revealing a black handgun in his waistband. The clerk then took around $340 out of the cash register and gave it to the man. He stuffed the cash in his pockets and then left in an unknown direction.

The clerk called her manager before she called the police, which she said was a couple minute delay. The clerk stated the man came in before wanting to buy cigarettes earlier in the morning, but then changed his mind. Video surveillance shows similar events to what was described. 

A DNA swab was done on the door and the counter. 

Bomb hoax leads to arrest
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — On Sept. 10 at around 9:05 a.m., Macomb County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the 24000 block of Bradford Drive to investigate a report about a suspicious situation. 

A 45-year-old Harrison Township man had attached propane tanks and electrical wiring to his sedan and had affixed warning signs to the car, claiming the car was rigged to explode if touched. Deputies closed the street and evacuated homes while the Michigan State Police bomb squad was called in to search the vehicle. The device was ultimately determined to be fake.

The Harrison Township man was arrested without incident.

Cash-to-crypto scam
MOUNT CLEMENS — At around 6 a.m. on Sept. 17, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrived at the Shell gas station on Market Street to investigate a case of fraud. 

Earlier that morning, the gas station’s clerk received a call from someone claiming to be with the “Macomb County Fire Department” requesting payment for an incoming shipment of fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. The caller then received a text message from a sender claiming to be the clerk’s manager and instructing the clerk on how to carry out the payment, asking the clerk to gather up cash and send it to a QR code using the gas station’s cash-to-bitcoin transfer kiosk. The sender asked the clerk to find cash in an envelope, bank bag, the manager’s office and even to break open the Michigan Lottery kiosk with a hammer.

By the time the clerk realized a scam was underway, around $1,000 of the station’s cash was converted to bitcoin and transferred to the perpetrator. 

Through the gates
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — In the early morning hours of Sept. 24, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to Selfridge Air National Guard Base after an unauthorized SUV drove through the gate. No damage was done to base property, but the SUV was stopped by spike strips.

The driver, a 40-year-old Roseville man, passed field sobriety tests and was negative for alcohol on a breath test. He told deputies that he wanted to go to the pier, that he had not slept for two days and did not remember when he last ate. The driver agreed to seek medical attention.

Man stomps sprinklers
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Officers from Shelby Township responded to Kay Jay’s Irish Pub for a male subject damaging property outside the business at 8:54 p.m. Oct. 2. An eyewitness observed a man stomping and kicking sprinkler heads near the business. The case was turned over to the Shelby Township Police department’s detective bureau.

Threatening trespasser
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — On Oct. 2 at around 9 a.m., Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the Harbor Club South apartments about a man threatening residents. 

A 30-year-old male resident told deputies about a man who would visit the apartments for unauthorized fishing off the point. Arguments ensued when he was confronted, but the man would eventually leave.

About half an hour before the call, the 30-year-old resident spotted the man unloading fishing equipment from his Jeep Grand Cherokee. The resident told the man to leave and was allegedly threatened. The man then took off in his Jeep with the tailgate still open.

Porch pirate
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — At around 10:40 a.m. on Oct.7, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a home in the 50000 block of Madison Drive to speak with a 59-year-old woman about a stolen package.

As caught on a doorbell security camera, a FedEx employee dropped off a box containing a USB cord outside of the caller’s front door at around 9:50 a.m. At around 9:57 a.m., a man impersonating an Amazon delivery employee approached the home with a counterfeit box. The suspect replaced the USB cord box with the counterfeit box, tucked the USB cord box beneath his Amazon vest and returned to his vehicle. 

Police, Reptarium catch gator
UTICA/STERLING HEIGHTS — Sterling Heights police went to the 3000 block of Summit Drive, located near Ryan Road and Dobry Drive, at around 8 a.m. Oct. 3 after hearing a report of an alligator sighting. Police said they found a 4-foot-long gator under a car in a driveway and then contacted The Reptarium in Utica to assist in catching and taking care of it.

Police said, as of Oct. 8, that the reptile’s former owner was still unknown. They added that it’s a misdemeanor to own such a creature in Sterling Heights, potentially carrying a fine as high as $500.

Drunken driver blames police 
MOUNT CLEMENS — At around 2 a.m. on Oct. 13, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies performed a traffic stop just over the Harrison Township/Mount Clemens border. An erratically driving Jeep Grand Cherokee was pulled over near the intersection of Rathbone Avenue and Avery Street.

The driver, a 23-year-old Harrison Township woman, was upset with the deputies and blamed them for driving too close, thus pressuring her into swerving. She told deputies she had two drinks before leaving the bar she worked at.

Deputies performed field sobriety tests, and a breath test registered a 0.11 blood alcohol content. The woman was arrested.

Prowler arrested
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — A couple in the first block of Christ Church Lane contacted police at 8:38 p.m. Oct. 13 after seeing an unknown man prowling around their home and trying to open the front door. 

One of the homeowners told police the suspect came to the front door and knocked, and when the homeowner answered, the suspect said there were two men hiding in the couple’s bushes. The homeowner allowed the suspect to enter his home. 

Police said the suspect — a 59-year-old Shelby Township man — told officers several times he was running away from two men who had been shooting at him and there were bullet holes in his vehicle, which he claimed to have parked on the next block. Police said the suspect, for whom the department already had a warrant, had been arrested before for breaking and entering homes. He was also wanted on two felony warrants out of Macomb County for shoplifting.

The suspect, who was arrested for prowling and on the warrants, reportedly refused to cooperate for booking photos or fingerprinting, telling police he knew he could be charged for refusing and police could just add his refusal to the list of charges against him. Police said the suspect told them he intended to return to the Farms, slash the tires of every vehicle in the City Hall parking lot, break whatever he could and break into homes and steal items from residents of the city. 

Police said there were no reports of anyone firing weapons in the city, contrary to the suspect’s allegation that he was being shot at by a pair of men in a white vehicle. Police told the couple that the suspect was someone known to them and they needed to be more careful about letting strangers into their home.

Seasonal décor used in vandalism
GROSSE POINTE PARK — Sometime between the hours of 10 p.m. Nov. 1 and 11:50 a.m. Nov. 2, an unknown suspect is said to have shattered the windshield of a 2020 Jeep Compass while it was parked in the 1100 block of Kensington Road. Police said they found chunks of broken pumpkin around the vehicle, leading them to believe that the pumpkin was tossed at the Jeep’s window.

Vehicle theft attempted
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — A witness apparently scared off a would-be vehicle thief during an incident in the 19000 block of Linville Street at around 3:30 a.m. Nov. 5. According to a police report, the victim was notified by his outdoor surveillance camera system that someone was approaching his home, at which point he contacted the Public Safety Department. 

The victim’s girlfriend went outside to yell at a suspect, who was described as wearing all dark clothing. The suspect, who was trying to steal the victim’s Dodge Durango, is said in the report to have run back to an awaiting Dodge Charger when the victim walked out of his house armed with a handgun. The victim told police the Charger headed south on Linville.

Suspicious seasoning reported
GROSSE POINTE CITY — An unknown suspect is said to have thrown two small jars of spices through the window of a home in the 800 block of Notre Dame Street sometime between the hours of noon Nov. 5 and 9:45 a.m. Nov. 6. A police report states that a neighbor is suspected in the incident.

Violent driver
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — At around 5:20 a.m. on Nov. 11, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the Shook Road area to locate a white 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe that at least two 911 callers said was driving erratically along Interstate 94.

Deputies found the Tahoe on Shook Road and approached the driver, a 42-year-old Detroit woman — who presented them with a fake ID — who reportedly showed signs of intoxication. Deputies had the driver perform field sobriety tests and a breath test came back with a 0.206 blood alcohol content. 

The woman was taken to the Macomb County Jail, initially refusing to get out of the patrol car before being brought to a hospital for blood testing. The driver was reportedly violent with deputies at the jail and with hospital personnel, allegedly kicking a nurse and hospital security officer.

Gnome thief 
MOUNT CLEMENS — Around 2:50 p.m. on Nov. 11, a 52-year-old woman residing in the 4000 block of Riverview Circle received a notification that her yard gnome was being stolen.

Camera footage showed a man taking a garden gnome and antique lantern off her porch. The woman told Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies that she believed her 30-year-old neighbor was the culprit and she was just interested in getting the decor back.

Deputies spoke with the neighbor’s dad, who recovered the items, before summoning the 30-year-old himself to the screen door. He told deputies that the items were found in the garbage but, once confronted with video footage, said he did not remember everything due to the medication he was taking.

Man cited for urinating in public
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police said a complainant alerted them to a man who allegedly urinated outdoors Nov. 22 in the area of Robinnest Drive, located north of 16 1/2 Mile Road and west of Dodge Park Road. The complainant reportedly recorded the incident on his phone and was “adamant about pressing charges and following through,” police said.

Police said the suspect was “very apologetic and remorseful for his actions” and reportedly had gone into a wooded area to relieve himself. Police said they cited the suspect for urinating in public.

Police mediate refill dispute at convenience store
STERLING HEIGHTS – Police were sent to a convenience store in the 11000 block of 15 Mile Road upon hearing that a man wasn’t leaving the store because he couldn’t get a refund.

Police said they spoke to the man, who reportedly said he bought a bag of chips and a fountain drink, but the latter accidentally spilled after he bought it. He said he sought a refill but was told it would cost $1.50. 

An officer offered to pay $1.50 for the refill, and after the store accepted it, no further police action was taken.