Police Blotter: Parking Lot Target for Car Thieves

police are investigating a series of vehicles thefts and attempts from the parking lot of .

On Jan. 15, officers were first called about 2:10 p.m. by a car owner who came out to find damage to a lock and to the steering column. The owner reported that an unknown amount of loose change was stolen. 

About half an hour later, officers spotted a man wandering through the lot looking for his Jeep Liberty. The man flagged the officers down and reported that his SUV was no longer parked where he left it. 

Then shortly after 11 p.m. the same day, a hospital employee leaving work passed an incoming co-worker who said three men were in the parking lot snooping around the vehicles. When the employee got out to her car a few minutes later, she found the lock damaged and discovered heavy damage to the steering column.

Security officers from the hospital were planning to review video surveillance to see if any of the crime was caught on camera, according to a report. 

Burglar Steals More than $12,000 in Jewelry, Electronics, More

Grosse Pointe Woods police are investigating the burglary of a home in the 1700 block of Brys Drive in which thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, two televisions, two game stations, several games, a mink coat and more were stolen. Officers were called to the house about 5:30 p.m. Jan. 12 after the homeowner arrived home and discovered that it had been ransacked. The burglar left muddy footprints behind. The woman told police her son had left the house between 12 and 12:30 p.m. that day and she returned home about 7:30 p.m., which is when she discovered the crime. She told police she did not know who had done it but mentioned that she does have a personal protection order against her ex-husband. The contents of her bedroom were scattered, including dresser drawers that were on the floor. A door had been forced open, she told police, but it was closed by the burglar upon exiting the house. The value of the items totals more than $12,000 and includes a $4,000 mink coat and several pieces of jewelry that are valued at more than $1,000. Several neighbors were interviewed but none noticed anything out of place. Meanwhile, a neighbor had called police because the woman's dog, which is a puppy, normally barks anytime no one is home but the dog had not been barking all day, something the neighbor thought was strange. Detective Sgt. Raymond Yonkowski said they have reason to believe this crime was not random.

Laptop Stolen from Mack Avenue Store

Grosse Pointe Woods police are investigating the theft of a laptop computer from a Mack Avenue business in which a man walked inside, grabbed it and walked out. The computer's owner called police about 12:20 p.m. Thursday after discovering the man who had entered the store was gone and so was his laptop, according to a report.

Man Alleges Assault But No Details, Signs of Such 

police are investigating a reported assault of a 46-year-old resident. Officers were called to the man's home on Stratton Place Jan. 10, where they found him bleeding heavily from a cut to the back of his head. He was in the garage. He told officers he had been assaulted but did not provide any more information. He was contacted again after he arrived at the hospital and received treatment and he insisted he was assaulted but did not provide any details. Officers found some blood in the garage and in the entryway of the house but no signs of a struggle. The man's wife and their children were asleep upstairs and did not hear anything, according to a report. 

Drunken Driver Arrested

Grosse Pointe Shores police arrested a 29-year-old Dearborn Heights man Jan. 8 for drunken driving after a Border Patrol officer saw him driving the wrong way on Lake Shore Road. The Border Patrol officer contacted Shores police and met them on Lake Shore near Hampton Road. The man could not successfully complete field sobriety tests. He smelled of alcohol and admitted drinking alcohol before driving. He refused to take a portable breath test so officers obtained a warrant to get his blood drawn, according to a report. 

Thefts Under Investigation

police are investigating the theft of 20 bottles of wine from the basement of a home in the 900 block of Beaconsfield. The theft happened between Jan. 1 to 14 and the bottles are "high end." Police believe the thief was an ex-girlfriend of the owner, according to a report.

In an unrelated theft, Grosse Pointe Park police are investigating the theft of a snowblower, lawnmower, an air compressor and a gardening tool from a garage in the 500 block of Barrington. There were signs of forced entry to the garage. The break-in and theft happened overnight Jan. 15, according to a report.

Motorists Warned to be More Courteous 

Grosse Pointe Shores police intervened in a road rage dispute on Vernier Road near Michaux Lane Jan. 8. The drivers each explained to the officer that they had a problem on Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe Woods related to merging in lanes. The one man said he feared the other driver was going to ram his vehicle as he drove on the roadway. The other man told police he believed the first man to be intoxicated and wanted to get his license plate to call police. Neither of the drivers were intoxicated. Both men completed written statements and were advised to be more polite with other motorists on the roadways, according to a report. 

For questions on the police blotter, email sara.martin@patch.com.