Crime Report: Purse Snatched, Damage Done to Schools

A 71-year-old Farmington Hills woman told that a masked man accosted her Monday night in front of her home on Bycroft and took her purse.

According to the report, the woman had returned from watching a softball game in Redford and was walking to her home when the man ran up and demanded she hand over her purse. She told police the man was about 5-foot-6-inches tall, wore a ski mask and did not appear to have a weapon. After he took her purse, he drove away in a blue, older model small pickup truck, according to the report. An officer who was investigating the scene found the woman's cellphone and returned it to her. Her son also arrived to change locks on her doors, because the purse contained her house keys, along with her identification, the police report said.

Damage to school property

Property at two was damaged this week, according to reports filed with the Farmington Hills Police Department. On Friday, a school employee at reported that a window was broken on the ticket booth outside the school's football field. A large rock was found near the window, the police report said. And on Wednesday, a janitor doing work at noticed smoke on the island near the entrance to the school. He extinguished a small grass fire by stamping on it and then doused the area with water, according to the report. In addition to the grass patch, a nearby tree sustained light damage.

Breaking and entering

A resident on Verdant Drive arrived home early Monday afternoon to find that more than $10,000 worth of her belongings were taken from her home, according to a police report. The report said that a rear patio screen had been cut sometime after 7:30 p.m. Friday to gain access to the home. The 34-year-old resident told police that two game systems, a Nintendo DS, three televisions, two laptop computers, a stereo system and thousands of dollars worth of clothing, shoes, jewelry and coats were taken.

Arrest for copper wire theft

An 18-year-old Eastpointe man was arrested at at 12:15 p.m. Saturday after he attempted to leave the store without paying for 19 rolls of copper construction wire, valued at $1,300, according to a police report. The store's loss-prevention employee told police the man was seen loading the wire into a cart and leaving the store. The employee followed the man to the parking lot and told police the man was handcuffed after he became combative and refused to return to the store, the report said. The employee said a second man — described as approximately 50 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 160 pounds — was distracting the clerk who checks receipts while the wire was taken out of the store, but he left before police arrived, the report said.

Vehicle theft

An employee of on Grand River told police he parked his truck in the business lot on Monday morning, and when he returned to pick it up late Monday night, the vehicle was missing. The 39-year-old Farmington Hills man told police a co-worker saw the silver crew cab Ford F-350 truck at around 6 p.m., according to the report. It has a silver diamond plate tool box in the bed and a large dent on the driver's side rear quarter-panel.

Narcotics paraphernalia arrest

Police arrested a 19-year-old Livonia man Monday on a charge of possessing narcotics paraphernalia after his disabled vehicle was found blocking traffic around 4:55 p.m. at Haggerty and 10 Mile Road. According to the report, a Novi Police officer was at the scene when Hills Police arrived, and traffic had backed up on northbound Haggerty. The Novi officer reported that he had attempted to find the owner of the vehicle. After waiting another 15 minutes, police called a tow truck. A search of the vehicle turned up a marijuana smoking device and three glass jars with trace amounts of marijuana, as well as $280 in cash, according to the police report. As the car was being hooked up for the tow, the owner arrived and was taken into custody, the report said. He posted bond and was released.

Marijuana possession arrests

• A 23-year-old Walled Lake man was arrested around 9 p.m. Monday after police stopped his car at M-5 and Farmington Road because the headlights, a brake light and the license plate light were not working. According to the report, a check of the man's background showed an outstanding warrant for domestic violence. A search of the vehicle uncovered a marijuana smoking device and a baggie of marijuana, the report said. In addition to the arrest for marijuana and narcotics paraphernalia possession, the man was ticketed for the defective lights.

• Late Saturday afternoon, a 19-year-old Detroit man and a 20-year-old Detroit woman were arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana after police stopped a car in which they were riding near M-5 and Drake Road. According to the report, an officer made the traffic stop because the vehicle had an expired license plate and a vision obstruction hanging from the rear view mirror. The driver, a 21-year-old Novi man, was arrested on a charge of driving on a suspended license; however, he was released at the scene, along with another passenger, the report said.

The 19-year-old Detroit man had three warrants out for his arrest on charges of aggravated assault, probation violation and a misdemeanor traffic offense. According to the police report, marijuana was found in his shoe, and the 20-year-old Detroit woman had marijuana stashed in her purse.

• A 42-year-old Brighton man was arrested on charges of marijuana and narcotics paraphernalia possession and having an open container of alcohol in the car after police stopped his vehicle for tailgating and erratic driving around 10 p.m. Friday. According to the report, a search of the vehicle uncovered a marijuana grinder, a baggie of marijuana and a half-full bottle of rum. The incident occurred on the M-5 off-ramp at Halsted.

Synthetic narcotics arrest

A 27-year-old Wayne woman was arrested on outstanding warrants and for possession of synthetic narcotics early Friday on Lake Way Drive after an officer stopped to investigate a vehicle parked in front of an apartment building. According to the report, the officer noticed the car door was open, and a pair of legs were hanging out of the car. The woman got out as he approached, the report said. A background check revealed three Detroit warrants (there was no indication in the report of the charges), and a search of her purse turned up 44 loose pills for which she had no prescription, the report said.

Malicious mischief

Police were called at 11:15 p.m. Sunday to an address on Skye Drive on a report of shots fired and found the remains of three 2-liter pop bottles, which had exploded. According to the report, the remains were consistent with homemade "Drano bombs." The property owner disposed of them.

For more information on any of these reports, contact joni.hubred-golden@patch.com.