Police Blotter: Intruder Ransacks Hiller's Office; Stuffed Animals Taken from Vehicle

Public Safety Department officials in Berkley and Huntington Woods have been busy with a variety of reports since Dec. 15, including the following.

License plate taken in Berkley

A victim in the 3700 block of 11 Mile Road in Berkley reported at 4:42 p.m. Tuesday that a Michigan license plate was taken from his work van. There is no known suspect.

Disability parking placard, stuffed animals taken

A father and daughter in the 2300 block of Oxford in Berkley reported at 12:32 p.m. Dec. 15 that a state of Michigan disability parking placard and nine stuffed animals were taken the day before from inside their locked vehicle, which had been parked in the Oxford Towers lot since Dec. 13. One of the victims stated that the vehicle would not start. There were no signs of forced entry, and the driver and rear left passenger doors were unlocked, the report said. There is no known suspect.

Estate sale shoppers mistaken for drug dealers

An anonymous caller reported to the at 9:08 a.m. Dec. 15 a suspected drug deal in process at the corner of Elgin and Meadowcrest. A responding officer determined that the occupants of a Ford Windstar van and a Land Rover both had clean records and were waiting for an estate sale to begin.

Man breaks into Hiller's, ransacks office

An assistant manager at  told a  officer that employees discovered a rear entry door open upon their arrival at the store Dec. 15. When he entered his office, the assistant manager found his desk drawers open, file cabinet drawers pulled out and left on the floor and other items scattered around the room, the report said. The assistant manager reported that he did not leave the room in that condition. Security tapes showed an unknown man forcing his way into the building's rear entrance at 5:10 a.m., which triggered an alarm and subsequent BPS response to the scene. The tapes showed that after he entered the building, the man forced his way into the assistant manager's office, which he ransacked before he fled through the store and back out the doors through which he entered.

Residents or business owners who have information to report or who notice something unusual in their neighborhood can call the Berkley Public Safety Department at 248-658-3380 or the at 248-541-1180. Public Safety officials encourage residents and business owners to keep their doors and windows secured at all times.