Woman's Car Tire Punctured After She Refuses Man's Advances and More in This Week's Crime Report

A woman reported that her car tire was punctured at on March 2 around 6 p.m., presumably by a man she refused to give her phone number to in the store, according to a police report.

The woman said that while she was walking into Kroger, a man was trying to get her attention, the report said. He approached her and asked if he knew her. She said no. He then asked her if she was sure. She told him to leave her alone, the report said. He later approached her near the deli counter and asked her where she got her boots. She did not answer at first, and when he asked again, she told him she didn’t remember. He told her he was going to ask her out and she said she was not interested. She did not see him again and was in the store for 30 minutes, the report said.

When she got back to car, she saw that her driver’s side front tire was nearly flat, the report said. She believes the man who hit on her intentionally damaged her tire because she declined his advances, the report said. She said the guy likely saw her exit the car in the lot, the report said.

According to the police report, the location and type of damage on the car makes it appear to be intentional.

The woman told police she recalled the same man approaching her at Kroger nearly a year ago. He asked her for her phone number and she gave him a fake number, the report said. She believes he immediately called the number as he followed her that day yelling that she gave him the wrong number, the report said. The woman said she does not know the man and believes he is likely a regular shopper and the two incidents are a coincidence, the report said.

Spare tires stolen

A resident reported that the spare tire was stolen from the back of his Jeep Wrangler while parked on Portside Drive sometime between midnight and 10 a.m. on Feb. 29, according to the police report. The tire was previously bolted to the back of the car, the report said.

Another man reported that the spare tire was stolen from the back of his Honda CRV while it was parked in a carport on Woodstone Lane sometime between 8 p.m. on Feb. 29 and 3:30 p.m. on March 1, according to a police report. The tire was mounted to the rear of the car, and the cover and three lugnuts were removed, the report said.

Man arrested on shoplifting charges

A 21-year-old man was arrested on charges of retail fraud of the second degree after he was seen leaving without paying for two purses on Feb. 28 around 4 p.m., according to a police report. A Macy’s employee first noticed the man when he was in the handbag department and cut the security wire off a handbag that was secured to the wall, the report said. Once the man noticed the purses were not actually secured to the wall, he lifted two from the display, the report said. A Macy’s loss prevention officer watched the man on video surveillance as he concealed the purses in a shopping bag he had and exited the store without paying for the items, the report said. The loss prevention officer then stopped the man and took his wire cutters from him; he was also found with stolen items from , and , the report said.

According to the report, the man told Novi Police that his friend asked him to go to the mall with her. He said he knew he could sell the purse he stole from Macy’s to pay his rent, the report said. He said that he only stole a few of the items from Forever 21, and his friend stole the other items found in his bag, the report said. He said he did not steal anything from Charlotte Russe, but he did from Bakers. 

If you have questions about this blotter, contact Editor Rebecca Jaskot at rebecca.jaskot@patch.com.