Here are some of the latest crime updates from the Rochester Hills Police Department as well as a special report sent from the Troy Police Department.
(As of Tuesday, Rochester PD has been rather quiet this week, Police Chief Steven Schettenhelm said.)
Man on parole for CA home invasions arrested in Rochester Hills for string of 15-20 Michigan burglaries
On Tuesday, March 26, officers from three different units arrested D’Mario Darrell Thornton, a 32-year-old Sterling Heights resident suspected to be the man behind the latest string of 15 or more burglaries in Rochester and Rochester Hills, Troy, West Bloomfield and Shelby Township.
A team of the Troy Police Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and the South Oakland Narcotic Investigation Consortium (SONIC) were collecting surveillance on a home invasion suspect when they witnessed Thornton break in to a Rochester Hills home.
Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO, Rochester Hills substation) along with Troy Police SIU and SONIC investigators arrested Thornton without incident, according to the media release.
Through a search of Thornton’s 2009 white Cadillac Escalade and Sterling Heights home, several stolen TVs, electronics, jewelry, collectibles as well as currency were recovered and connected to the recent home invasions. But many items remain unidentified.
On Sunday, March 28, Thornton was arraigned at the 52-2 District Court on one count of home invasion and his preliminary exam date has not been set.
When arrested, Thornton was on parole in California for home invasion.
Currently being held at Oakland County Jail, bond is set for $1 million without 10 percent surety.
“This was a great joint operation and thorough investigation involving investigators from SONIC, Troy Police SIU and the OCSO, Rochester Hills substation,” the media release said.
If you have information on any home invasion in these areas, please call the Troy Police Department at 248-524-3447.
Troy Police SIU consists of officers from Troy, Auburn Hills and Bloomfield Township police departments. SONIC is comprised of officers from the West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills and Novi police departments.
Vehicle vandalism trio
Vehicle vandalism seems to be a theme in this week’s Crime Files as the Rochester Hills Police Department reported three different instances of damaged property involving two cars and one dump truck.
Dump truck shootout
On Monday, April 1, a Tienken Road resident reported that the headlights and door windows had been shot out of their GMC dump truck. There were also three holes in the windshield from what is suspected to be pellet gun.
The dump truck was parked in the field next to the residence and is a family member’s property, which is being used for nearby construction.
Upon investigation, a small glove and a container of pellets were found near the truck and are being used to narrow down a possible suspect list.
There is no further information at this point.
Pellet gun vandalism continues
Rochester Hills Police also responded to reports of a damaged vehicle on Oklahoma Avenue on Tuesday March 30. The car being examined had been parked overnight on the owner’s property when someone broke the driver’s side window.
There was a small hole with a circular pattern so police believe a pellet gun may have been involved in the vandalism.
There are no current suspects.
Shattered car window
Also on Tuesday, March 30, a Lassiter Drive resident notified police that their driver’s side car window had also been broken the night before.
The owner shared with officers that a nearby neighbor had been known to cause trouble with the current victim prior, such as writing on their cars and stealing items from their garage.
So officers interviewed the possible suspect but the neighbor was at a friend’s house during the time the vandalism was taking place.
There is no other information at this time.
No goal
On April 1, a Stellma Lane resident reported their soccer net was stolen.
The net, standing at 10 feet by 5 feet, had been in the resident’s backyard for nearly ten years.
Officers confirmed the missing net was in fact in the yard in the past by reviewing photos from the owner.
There are currently no suspects in this larceny case.
Laptop larcenist
On Sunday, March 31, a local man reported his laptop and case as well as some software was stolen from his car while parked in the Rochester Road Meijer parking lot.
It was noted that the man had parked his 2007 Chrysler Sebring near the parking lot pole marked “A” around 4 p.m. but was uncertain if the car doors were locked.
Rochester Hills Police teamed with Meijer’s Loss Prevention and Parking Lot Security to review lot security footage.
A black car was reported parking next to the victim’s vehicle around 6 p.m. But it was not clear if the driver and passenger from the black car took anything from the neighboring victim’s vehicle.
There are no leads at this time.
Rock through window
A Fontainebleau Drive resident and her son experienced a rock being thrown through their home window on Tuesday, March 26.
The mother had been sitting in the living room when she heard a loud noise come from her son’s bedroom. Her son, who was lying on his bed at the time, ran to tell his mother that someone had thrown a rock through his bedroom window.
Both ran outside to see if they might learn who the suspect or suspects were.
Three younger residents, described as juveniles in the file, were reported nearby. When questioned if the juveniles had thrown the rock, all replied that they were looking for their dog and hadn’t seen who threw the rock.
Both mother and son wrote witness statements and officers took photos of the damage. No one was hurt and there are no suspects at this time.
Dispatch details
Have information on a crime? Or just want to contact the Rochester or Rochester Hills Police Department?
Please call 248-651-9621 to reach the Rochester Police Department and 248-537-3530 for the Rochester Hills Police Department.
You can also share your story with reporter Jen Bucciarelli: Send her a note at JenBucciarelli@gmail.com.
About Jen Bucciarelli
Fascinating read, this will prove helpful!