Wyandotte Blotter: Police Catch Liquor Store Thief, Couples Home Ransacked, More Police Briefs

   Wyandotte police are searching for a suspected arsonist that set fire to a 2000 red Ford F-250 at about 2:30 a.m., Dec. 3 in the alleyway off Cora Street and Alkali Avenue, officials said.

According to the report, the owner was in his garage until about 1:45 a.m. The man told police that the truck was loaded with cabinets he had just built.

Police have reserved comments because it is an ongoing investigation

   Just before 5 a.m. on Nov. 29, police arrested a 48-year-old Wyandotte man carrying pliers, a knife, black gloves and a crack pipe, while riding a bicycle southbound on 21st Street, north of Orchard. The man also had a plastic bag containing suspected crack cocaine residue. 

Police said that “he could not provide a reasonable explanation” as to why he was outside at such an unusual time in frigid temperatures. The man had three outstanding warrants for his arrest, including criminal bench warrants in Wyandotte and Dearborn. He was arrested for possession of narcotic paraphernalia and no light reflectors on a bicycle.

   On Nov. 29, police reported that a 1966 Chevrolet Biscayne was stolen at Joe’s Right-Way Auto & Truck Repair, 3611 Fort St. An employee told police that the car was on a trailer that was also stolen. Police contacted the owner, a 65-year-old Dearborn Heights man, who said the car was in very good condition and worth about $20,000 with the trailer. Police checked surveillance cameras at two nearby businesses to see if the theft was caught on video. Each store owner was given a contact number in case they saw any useful video of the incident. 

   On Nov. 21, a man walked out of the Walgreens, 3221 Fort St., with roughly $1,000 or more in merchandise in less than 3 minutes. An employee said the man was white, in his mid- to late-20’s, with a medium to small, thin build. The suspect was wearing a puffy red winter jacket, a blue winter knit hat, dark pants and white tennis shoes. A witness described the man as being a “professional thief as he was able to remove the electronic anti-theft devices from several high-end electric razors,” the report said. The man hid his face and walked out the door past all points of purchase. He was last seen running north on 23rd Street.

The thief left with at least five electric razors valued between $59.99 and $99.99, and an entire shelf of Crest white strips, valued between $39.99 and $54.99. 

The witness suspects the man will try to return the items to another Walgreens. The store video shows the man entering the store at 5:43 p.m. The store planned to make a DVD copy of the video for police use.

   Police arrested the man suspected of breaking into Johnny Mac’s Party store, 3312 4th St., Nov. 21 only hours after the break-in occurred.  Security footage showed that the male made entry into the store at about 2 a.m. and took a bottle of liquor. He returned a short time later to take a bag of chips. Despite a window being broken, the alarm did not sound at the time of the incident. It did, however, sound later when officers entered the building.

Several hours later, officers noticed a male walking west on Eureka toward Fifth Street matching the description of the suspect. The man was arrested after officers positively identified him from the store’s security footage. He was carrying an open 20-ounce pop bottle that’s contents smelled of alcohol.

   A couple’s home was ransacked Nov. 20 in the 3300 block of 22nd Street. The owners told police that hundreds of vintage silver coins were stolen and numerous pieces of jewelry were missing from the bedroom. The coins were mostly silver dollars, some dating back to the late 1800s. The victims estimated the value of the coins between $5,000 and $6,000. The woman told police all of her jewelry had been stolen, including rings, necklaces and earrings, which were also described as vintage. “Items were thrown all over the place, and dresser drawers were pulled or removed,” the report said. Police took three items from the bedroom that the victims believe the thief may have touched, and left fingerprints.