Crime Report: Dearborn Police Respond to Car, Home Break-Ins

A number of thefts of car parts and personal belongings from homes were reported within the past week, according to the Dearborn Police Department.

Catalytic Converters Targeted

Reports of thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles in Dearborn have continued, with three such incidents in the past week.

According to police reports, the part was stolen from a Chevy Express van parked in a lot south of Michigan Avenue and east of Schlaff Road. The owner told police that the van had been parked there from Feb. 11 through Feb. 20, and when he came back to start it up, he found that the catalytic converter had been removed.

The same part was removed between 9 a.m. and noon from a Chevy Venture parked in the lot of Ford Motor Credit. The driver, who works there, left for lunch and noticed the vehicle making a loud noise. She called her husband, the registered owner of the car, who found that the catalytic converter had been cleanly cut off.

In the third case of theft of that car part, a witness saw the possible suspects.

A Dearborn Heights resident had his Honda Element parked in the lot behind Milan's Pizza by Michigan Avenue and Middlesex on Feb. 17, next door to the office building where he works. When he started his car around noon, he noticed a loud noise and called his mechanic, who confirmed that the converter had been removed.

An employee of Allstate, which is located in the same office building next to Milan's, told police that around 11 a.m., he saw an older model Crown Victoria park next to the Honda with three men in it, all black or Hispanic and wearing black hats. The witness took a phone call and when he came back, the suspects were driving away.

Police were not able to locate the three suspects.

Homes, Garage Burglarized

Home-related thefts ran the gamut this week, including break-ins to a garage, two homes and a vacant property.

A resident of the 5000 block of Porath reported that the detatched garage holding his landlord's belongings had been broken into between Feb. 15-18. The tenant said that he noticed the door had been pried open and damaged, but that he was unsure if anything was taken because none of the property inside belonged to him.

A break-in to a vacant house on the 7900 block of Yinger was reported on the morning of Feb. 18. The woman who called police said that her son was in the process of closing on the bank-owned home, and that she periodically checked on it for him. Her drive-by the evening of Feb. 17 showed no signs of foul play; however, the next morning, she saw that the front door was wide open.

An investigation by police revealed that copper pipes, a furnace coil and the hot water heater had been stolen. The house still belonged to Fannie Mae, who confirmed that it was set to be sold next week.

Two other burglaries on Feb. 19 left homeowners missing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.

A couple who lives on the 1700 block of Nightingale were out between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. and came home to find that a rock had been thrown through their dining room window. The dressers in several bedrooms had been gone through, and missing items included a watch, a ring and two gold necklaces.

Two neighbors had been home during the timeframe, but neither had heard or seen anything.

Police also responded to a motion-activated alarm just before noon that same day on the 8900 block of Gary.

In that case, police found that the rear door had been pried open to gain access. Jewelry was strewn all throughout the house, leaving a trail that led to an alley behind the home.

The homeowner and a family member were contacted, who verified that more than $24,000 in jewelry had been taken–including three sports-related championship rings obtained by the resident, who works for Ilitch Holdings.

Neighbors who were home during the break-in told police that they did not observe anything suspicious.

For questions on the police blotter, email jessica.carreras@patch.com.