Farmington Employee's Car Stolen from City Lot, Recovered Downtown

A Farmington city employee's vehicle was stolen from the parking lot adjacent to city hall Sept. 7 and recovered a short time later, in downtown Farmington, according to police.

According to a report filed with Farmington Public Safety, a co-worker of the employee saw the vehicle traveling fast through the parking lot at around 1:15 p.m., but did not realize until later that the employee was still in the building. The employee said he had his keys, but was unsure whether he had locked the vehicle. About 15 minutes after the vehicle was taken, an officer discovered it parked in a lot near a downtown Farmington business. Police department surveillance cameras did not capture the theft. 

Loaded gun found at rental property

The owner of a rental property on Shiawassee turned a loaded Lorcin 9mm semi-automatic handgun over to police on Sept. 11, after finding the gun in a storage area used by a tenant who had been evicted. According to the report, the owner told police that the tenant left no forwarding address and was not responding to phone calls. Police sent the gun to Michigan State Police for destruction. 

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Drunken driving arrests

A 31-year-old Novi woman faces a charge of drunken driving after an officer saw her vehicle swerving on the road near Grand River and Mooney at around 2 a.m. on Sept. 12. According to the report, the officer noticed an odor of alcohol as he talked with the woman, who said she was headed home to Novi. The report noted the woman was traveling east on Grand River, which is opposite the direction she should have been driving. A preliminary breath test showed her blood alcohol level was .094, which is more than the .08 legal limit.

A 54-year-old Farmington Hills man faces a charge of drunken driving after an officer spotted his vehicle speeding and moving erratically in the area of Freedom and Gill at around 1 a.m. on Sept. 11. According to the report, the officer noticed two flat tires and accident damage on the driver's side. The driver, who appeared "confused and disheveled", was wearing only a t-shirt and boxer shorts, no socks and shoes. The report indicated the man told police he left home after having a fight with his wife. He told the officer he had combined alcohol and prescription drugs and said he hit a tree, but didn't know where. Two preliminary breath tests showed his blood alcohol level rising from .07 to .09, according to the report. The legal limit is .08.

A 20-year-old Belleville woman faces a charge of drunken driving, after an officer saw her vehicle cross the center line and tailgate another vehicle in the area of Grand River and Lakeway at around 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 9. A preliminary breath test showed her blood alcohol level was .10, which is more than the .08 legal limit.

A 37-year-old Farmington Hills man faces his second drunken driving charge, after police stopped his vehicle at W. 10 Mile and Power Roads just before 4 a.m. on Sept. 8. According to the report, officers saw the driver fail to signal a turn and drift into the left turn lane. A preliminary breath test showed his blood alcohol level was .14 , which is more than the .08 legal limit. A check of the man's record showed a previous drunken driving conviction in 2000. 

Narcotics arrest

A 19-year-old Farmington Hills man faces a charge of marijuana possession, after officers returning from another call shortly after midnight on Sept. 9 noticed a vehicle behind them that was running without headlights in the area of Farmington and W. 9 Mile Road. According to the report, officers noticed a strong odor of marijuana while speaking with the driver and, while patting him down, found a small bag of marijuana in the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt.

Found bicycles

Police took possession of three bicycles that were found in Shiawassee Park on Sept. 8. The report described the bikes as a Roadmaster green girls mountain bike, a black and silver Ralley Raceline boys mountain bike, and a red Magna Excitor mountain bike. 

For more information on any of these calls, contact editor Joni Hubred-Golden, joni.hubred-golden@patch.com.

Read Farmington Public Safety's weekly neighborhood reports.