Police Blotter: Teens Dine and Dash at Roman Village

Dine and Dash

On April 2 around 7 p.m., the manager of restaurant called Dearborn police to tell them that four customers had left without paying for their dinner.

According to the manager, four teenage boys believed to be around 14 years old came into the restaurant, ordered food and ate. However, before paying their $20.14 bill, the boys left the restaurant through the front door.

The manager told police two of the boys wore all black, one wore a grey hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans and the fourth wore a red hooded sweatshirt with Salina written on it. The fourth teen also was carrying a black backpack.

Surveillance video footage viewed by police at the scene showed the boys walking out the door and running south across Dix Avenue. It appeared to police as though the boys ran into the mosque across the street and then out the back door. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate the boys.

Vehicle Thefts

A resident of the 7400 block of Middlepointe reported to Dearborn police at 7 a.m. April 1 that his car was stolen. The man said he had parked his 2009 black Nissan Maxima in front of his house at 10 p.m. the night before. When he went outside the next morning, the car was gone. The owner told police that he had locked his car and was in possession of both sets of keys. He was unable to provide any possible suspect info, and there was no broken glass where the car was parked.

A resident of 6200 Coleman told police that it appeared as though someone had tried to steal his Dodge pickup truck between 3 p.m. April 1 and 3 p.m. April 2.

The man told police that he had parked the truck next to his house on Hemlock Street between those times, but did not lock the vehicle. When he returned, he found that the glove box was open and items were strewn around the interior of the car. Police said the steering column had also been tampered with, suggesting that someone may have been trying to steal the truck.

There were no suspects and no witnesses to the crime.

Thefts From Vacant Homes

The owner of a vacant property on the 5400 block of Calhoun reported a theft from the property, telling police that the theft happened sometime in the last month. The owner had not been to the home since March 1 and when he returned on April 3, he saw that two electrical meters had been taken from the west exterior wall of the two-family home, according to reports.

The man told police that he owns several vacant rental properties and the electric company has never removed meters before. Police observed damage to plastic boxes that had enclosed the meters and loose wires, suggesting that they were not removed professionally.

In another incident, neighbors alerted a resident to trouble at his newly purchased home on the evening of March 30. The man had purchased the home on the 4800 block of Helen on March 28. The home was empty at the time.

On March 30, a neighbor called the man and asked him how his new home was coming along, since two men had been seen working at the house earlier that day. The owner had not hired anyone to do work on his home, and so he called the police about the matter.

The neighbor had told him that a truck was parked at the side door and when he checked the home, he found that the side door had apparently been pried open and his hot water heater and several parts of his furnace were missing.

When police arrived, the neighbor was not home to provide witness descriptions.