Police Blotter: Daytime Burglary Attempts, Foul Odor in Beverly Hills

Two schools in Beverly Hills were locked down for a short time Monday afternoon as police searched for a suspect in a attempted burglary, police reports said.

Greenfield Elementary School and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs were placed on exterior lockdown by authorities as a K-9 unit from the Southfield Police Department assisted in the search after 2 p.m. The suspect was not caught, but school dismissal occurred at the regular time.

Officers responded to the area of Amherst Road near Sheridan Drive after a resident on nearby Lauderdale Avenue reported hearing loud banging and breaking glass shortly after 2 p.m., reports said.

While officers were en route, an alarm company notified dispatchers of an ongoing security alarm at a home on Amherst just west of Sheridan. No one was at the scene, but officers said there were signs of attempted forced entry to a rear door of the home. Entry was not gained, in part because of the sounding security alarm, a report said.

The K-9 led officers to Sheridan Road, where investigators said they believe the suspect likely entered a vehicle and drove off. No suspect information was available and no suspicious vehicle was reported by any neighbors. 

Police said it was the second daytime breaking and entering attempt in the same square mile within the past week. In the earlier incident, the perpetrator also broke the window of a rear door to the home, but no property was reported missing. Further details were unavailable.

Authorities encouraged residents in Beverly Hills and nearby communities to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities or people during daylight hours by calling 248-540-3400 or their respective department.

Anyone with information about either of the attempted burglaries is encouraged to call the detective bureau at 248-540-3403.

Noxious smell wafts into Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills police received several calls about the "somewhat noxious" odor that spread across multiple communities Friday night, reports said. The odor, described by some as sulfur-like, or natural gas, seemed to be strongest along the sewer openings in a portion of the village just east of Southfield Road. Officers that responded to the scene reported the slight presence of a sulfur smell in the neighborhoods, but it dissipated by 11 p.m.

It turns out the odor was coming from  located near Nine Mile Road and Woodward Avenue in Ferndale.

and plant management said there are no health concerns for the public. The exact cause for the odor is still being determined.

Consumers Energy reported more than 400 complaints from residents from several communities along the Woodward corridor, police reports said. There were no injuries and no safety hazard posed to village residents, officials said.

By the numbers

There were 42 total calls for service, including:

• four medical calls for service
• one non-injury traffic crash
• one fire call for the odor investigation.

Officers made the following arrests, according to reports (further details were unavailable):

• one man wanted by Lathrup Village police
• one person for operating a vehicle while intoxicated
• two people for driving with a suspended license

If you have any questions about this report, email Art.Aisner@Patch.com.