Farmington Hills Police Calls: Armed Robbery, Counterfeit Bills

A man wearing a mask took about $900 in cash from a BP gas station on Haggerty Road in Farmington Hills early Monday morning.

According to the report, a store employee said a man wearing a black, hockey-style mask entered the store with his hand in his pocket and demanded money. The employee, a 33-year-old Madison Heights man, told police he turned over the cash, and the suspect also took two packs of Newport cigarettes and two shot-sized bottles of liquor before fleeing on foot. A K-9 team reportedly tracked the suspect to Interstate 275, along the south shoulder, about 1,000 feet from the gas station.

Marijuana possession

Officers stopped a vehicle on Inkster Road near Sedalia after the driver ran through a stop sign and pulled directly in front of their marked patrol car around 12:25 a.m. Tuesday. According to the report, the 25-year-old Livonia man told police he knew he had run through the stop sign, but he said he had not seen the police car. Officers noticed a strong odor of marijuana, and the man reportedly admitted to having two bags of marijuana on him. Eight ounces of the drug were found, and the man was arrested for marijuana possession. He was also ticketed for running the stop sign.

On April 14, police arrested the driver of a vehicle stopped for a faulty brake light at Nine Mile and Middlebelt roads after noticing a strong odor of marijuana. The 34-year-old Detroit man had no valid license and admitted there was marijuana in the car, according to the report. Upon searching the vehicle, police found five baggies of marijuana, 31 empty baggies and a digital scale. The driver reportedly had $1,000 in cash folded in his pocket. He was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Thefts from the YMCA

Two men reported having cash stolen from their lockers at the on Monday, between 5:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. A 23-year-old Farmington Hills man reportedly had $37 taken from his unlocked locker; a 35-year-old Farmington Hills man had $200 stolen, and his combination lock was forced open.

Counterfeit bills

The owner of restaurant told police Sunday evening that a customer who made multiple purchases paid for them with counterfeit bills. According to the report, a man came in and bought a bowl of soup, receiving $17 change from his $20 payment. He came back a short time later, reportedly purchasing a soft drink and receiving $18 change from another $20 bill. The third time the man returned, the owner realized the bills were counterfeit, according to the report. When she told the man she knew, he left. She followed and was able to give police a partial plate number.

An employee at also reported a counterfeit bill was passed on Sunday, around 12:30 p.m. The 41-year-old Farmington Hills woman said she had gotten the bill from her business the previous night, according to the report. Later, she admitted using another counterfeit bill, which was located by police at Kroger on Middlebelt Road. The woman was reportedly arrested at the scene, and her two children were taken to the Farmington Hills Police Department, where they were picked up by a relative.

Purse stolen

A 53-year-old Farmington Hills woman told police her purse was stolen after she accidentally left it in a shopping cart at Saturday around 6 p.m. The woman reportedly returned to the lot shortly after realizing her purse had been left, but it was nowhere to be found and had not been returned to any of the businesses in the shopping center. The purse reportedly contained her checkbook, wallet, driver's license, credit cards and cell phone.

Prescription fraud

A pharmacist at on Grand River told police April 14 that a 40- to 50-year-old man had dropped off a Vicodin prescription he was unable to verify. According to the report, the pharmacist told police he had contacted the prescribing physician, who said the prescription was fake and three other attempts had been made to fill fake prescriptions under his name. A report has been filed with the Livonia Police Department, the physician said.