Crime Report: Identity Thieves Victimize Farmington Residents

Four Farmington residents reported identity theft incidents in April, according to reports filed with the

On April 24, a Farmington man told police that his bank contacted him following a suspicious credit card transaction in Ypsilanti. The man told police the credit card was still in his possession. On April 21, a Farmington woman told police she had been contacted by two credit card companies about her accounts being accessed. 

Other reports were filed on April 19, by a resident who was told someone filed an income tax return using her Social Security number, and by a resident who received a collection letter about a retail credit card account she had not opened. 

Drunken driving arrest

A 22-year-old Southfield man faces charges of operating a vehicle under the influence and without a driver's license, after his vehicle was clocked at 110 miles per hour on M-5 around 2 a.m. on April 23. According to the report, the man was only able to produce identification from Mexico and an immigration form. The report indicated police found a case of beer, with open bottles and cans in the car. A preliminary breath test showed the man's blood alcohol level was .09, more than the legal limit of .08. Police contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and learned there was no information that the man had entered the country legally, the report indicated. 

Hit and run accident

A Farmington resident's home security recordings helped shed some light on a public safety investigation into a hit and run accident on Shiawassee at Prospect on April 21. A resident contacted police after seeing a heavily damaged vehicle parked on the street early that morning, according to the report. Officers were able to get into the vehicle, which was registered to a 25-year-old Walled Lake woman with an extensive history of alcohol-related charges.

The report indicated that police found an open container of alcohol and cups, along with men's and women's clothing in the vehicle. A neighbor told police that surveillance devices on his property recorded the sound of a crash and a woman's voice saying she had been involved in an accident and needed a ride home. Contacted by police, the Walled Lake woman admitted to being involved in an accident with a vehicle that left the scene, according to the report. Police cited the woman for leaving the scene of an accident and having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle, then released her. 

Tobacco charges

An officer monitoring traffic at Farmington High School ticketed a 16-year-old Farmington Hills resident April 20 for tobacco use. According to the report, the 16-year-old lit up and smoked a cigarette while standing in front of the officer's patrol car. In Michigan, it's illegal for people under the age of 18 to possess tobacco. The student was released and his parents were contacted. 

Narcotics paraphernalia arrest

A 23-year-old Warren man faces a charge of possessing narcotics paraphernalia, after an officer spotted him working on a vehicle at around 3 a.m. on April 19. According to the report, the man's car was parked at a gas station at Grand River and Power, and he told officers he was trying to repair wires under the steering wheel. A search of the vehicle turned up a glass marijuana "bong", and the vehicle's plates were expired, the report indicated. Police issued a citation for the bong and a verbal warning for the expired plate. 

Theft of chopped wood

A resident on Shiawassee told police that a man in white pick-up truck took wood on April 18 that was stored outside the home. According to the report, the resident got a license plate number, which traced back to a man who had contacted the resident's daughter in January to ask about whether the chopped wood was available, because that's how he heated his home. Police contacted the man about the current incident and told him to stay away from the property, or he would be charged with trespassing.