Crime & Safety

Police Blotter: $1,100 Stolen from Parcells Fundraiser, DUI Arrests and More

Grosse Pointe Woods police are investigating the theft of more than $1,000 from a Parcells drama club fundraiser. In the City, police arrested a woman accused of taking children's clothing from a store.

A fundraiser for drama club ended up being anything but that after someone stole more than $1,000 in cash, a $100 check and a camcorder.

Woods police were called to the school March 18 after the director of the drama club found the money and camcorder missing.

About 100 people attended the fundraiser. Students who were counting the money in a separate room left it alone to view an encore performance at the end of the benefit. When they returned, the cash, check and camcorder were gone, according to Woods police.

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In addition to the fundraiser, there was a pickup game of basketball going on, but none of the attendees witnessed anything suspicious. Janitors were interviewed as well, but none saw anything suspicious either, according to Woods police.

Detective Sgt. Raymond Yonkowski said that, initially, it would appear the thief is someone with intimate details because part of the cash stolen was petty cash that was not sitting out in the open, but in a closed filing cabinet. 

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Medical problem leads to traffic stop

Grosse Pointe Woods and Shores police helped a 55-year-old man stop his vehicle on Vernier Road March 20 after erratic driving and near crashes led them to believe he was drunk. The man did not stop when an officer initially tried to stop him; he was hitting curbs, disobeying traffic signals and driving erratically but slowly. A Shores officer positioned his car perpendicular to the motorist, who eventually came to a stop but then rolled into the Shores squad car slowly. Officers removed the man from his truck and gave him a breathalyzer, which registered at zero. They inquired about medical conditions, of which he said he had none. An ambulance responded to the scene and the emergency medical technician determined the man to be having a diabetic emergency. After treating him, he was released. The man thanked officers for helping him stop his truck before he injured anyone, according to police reports.

Four unrelated drug/drinking arrests

• Woods police arrested a 24-year-old Detroit man March 18 after stopping him for driving without headlights on. The officers discovered the man smelled of alcohol and he had a 0.16 percent blood alcohol content. The man admitted to drinking in Royal Oak, according to police reports.

• Farms police arrested a 21-year-old St. Clair Shores man March 20 about 1 a.m. after watching him park his car illegally and erratically on Newberry Place, exit the vehicle and knock on the door of a residence where the resident clearly didn't know him. The resident saw the officer outside and pointed to the man questioningly before shutting his door. The man was disheveled looking with his pants unzipped and belt undone, according to police reports. He had a 0.14 percent blood alcohol level and was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and possession of marijuana. 

• In an unrelated case, a 17-year-old Woods boy was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia March 20 after he and another boy ducked in the front seat of a Ford Escort parked near Sunningdale and Holiday roads when an officer drove by at 3:20 a.m. The officer approached the vehicle and smelled the marijuana. A search of the car found the drug and related paraphernalia.

• Shores police arrested a 40-year-old Southfield man March 20 after a traffic stop at Lakeshore and Hampton roads. The man only cracked his window when the officer approached and the officer smelled marijuana. While searching the driver, the officer found a bag with 15 smaller bags of marijuana. The man said he has a medical marijuana license from the state but did not have it with him. He was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs. 

Kids clothing taken from shop

Employees of Gymboree in the Village reported a woman stealing a variety of children's clothing March 20. The woman left the store abruptly, and when someone followed her to the parking lot behind the store, she got into a vehicle and sped away. A value of the stolen items was not provided, according to police reports.

Vandalism reported

A 32-year-old Farms man reported finding his backdoor jam marred by pry marks. The man told officers the entry was not gained into the house but he wanted the attempt documented, according to the report.

A business in the 18400 block of Mack Avenue reported graffiti on the building March 18. The graffiti appeared on the building overnight and officers retrieved a can of spray paint in satin French lilac from the scene for processing, according to reports.

Officer checks home after ID, key theft

A Shores resident called police March 20 to ask for a walk-through of her home upon arriving home from the MGM Casino, where her purse with her keys and identification were stolen. Officers met her in her Lake Shore Road driveway, checked out the house and put it on a special watch list for suspicious activity.


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