Farms Woman Carjacked, Police Tracking Suspect

Grosse Pointe Farms police were searching Tuesday for the man suspected of carjacking a woman in her driveway late Monday. 

The victim and suspected carjacker don't know each other, Detective Lt. Richard Rosati said, so the crime was more of opportunity and not someone targeting residents to steal their cars. 

The victim saw the man walking with a woman near Belanger and Williams when she left to run an errand. When she returned to her home in the 400 block of Belanger, the man was walking on the sidewalk near her driveway. 

She drove her car into the driveway and all the way to the back of the house and he approached her when she got out, demanding her keys, according to police reports.

The pair struggled over the keys and she tried to jab him with a key. Eventually, the woman bit the man and then he repeatedly said "you're dead" to her, Rosati said. At that point, the victim backed off from the struggle. The man had ripped the keys away from her, and he drove away in her 2009 Ford Edge.

The woman did not sustain any serious injuries, Rosati said. The victim, who contacted Patch via email Saturday, said her purse was ripped from her hands during the fight.

Officers were called to the scene by neighbors who originally reported hearing loud car noises and a woman screaming for help, according to reports.

The suspect had been to a neighboring house looking for money, and Rosati said likely he took advantage of an opportunity that presented itself. 

"There was a moment of opportunity and a need for money," Rosati said, explaining that police don't think the man is out there looking for other victims to carjack. 

Patrol officers checked several area drug houses in an attempt to locate the stolen car, as the suspect is believed to have a drug problem, Rosati said.

The car has not yet been recovered, but a bank official checking up on foreclosed homes in the 400 block of Whittier Road found and returned the victim's purse Tuesday morning. It was lying between two houses, Rosati said.

Rosati said an ATM card was missing, and the victim has reported it stolen to the bank to prevent any charges from going through.

Although police believe this was an isolated crime, Rosati said he strongly recommends residents to resist the urge to fight for their property.

"Defend yourself, not your property. It's just property, and it's all insured," Rosati said. "Legally you can fight to defend property, but it's just not recommended. It's just not a good idea."

Fighting over property could only lead to more physical violence or even the use of a weapon if a suspect is armed, he said. 

Police described the suspect in this incident as a white male in his early 20s, 5-foot-10 to 6-foot, 150 to 160 pounds, and unshaven. He was last seen wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt and jeans. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the police at (313) 885-2100.