Would-Be Pizza Burglar Foiled in Try for Slice

Brandon Township fire officials work to extract a man from a pizza oven vent pipe, where he had been stuck for 11 hours. (Photos submitted)

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An alleged burglary attempt went bad for a 32-year-old Michigan parolee after he got stuck in a vent pipe for a pizza oven at a Brandon Township business for 11 hours Sunday, police said.

An employee of the Cracker Barrel Party and Pizza Store, located in the 5500 block of Oakhill Road, heard the hapless would-be burglar’s muffled screams or help when he reported for work, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Police said the suspect, who hasn’t been named, removed the vent cap and entered the pipe from the roof.

The suspect’s criminal history includes a 2005 conviction for home invasion, for which he received a sentence of three to 22 years; and two convictions in 2012 for breaking and entering and possession of a controlled substance, for which he was sentenced to 14 months to 15 years in prison.

He is currently on parole from the Michigan Department of Corrections for the 2012 convictions.

The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office is currently reviewing the incident, and the suspect is currently being held in the Oakland County Jail.