Farmington Hills Police Calls: Store Owner Accuses Employee of Embezzlement

The owner of the told police that the station's day manager walked in at around 11:15 p.m. on Nov. 21 and walked out with moer than $25,000 in cash. The owner said the 41-year-old West Bloomfield Township man first ordered employees out of the store, then cleaned out the safe, which carried three days of receipts, an ATM and some change. The suspect failed to show up for work on Nov. 22 and calls to his phone went unanswered. The station owner finally made contact with the man's sister, who returned $20,000. It is  not clear whether the money was hers or from the cash taken. She told the owner that her brother was a Canadian citizen and had traveled there.

Thieves steal from Steinkopf Nursery

Sometime between 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 22 and 7:30 a.m. Nov. 23, thieves cut off the lock on the south gate at Steinkopf Nursery in Farmington Hills, and took lawn and garden equipment. Among the items missing were a leaf blower and a sod cutter. There are no suspects.

'Furtive gestures' lead to drug arrest

An officer who stopped a pickup truck for disregarding a "no turn on red" sign at Middlebelt and Shiawassee at 9 p.m. on Nov. 23 said "furtive gestures" led him to believe the 17-year-old driver was hiding something. The officer said the young man was nervous and visibly shaking. A search of the vehicle uncovered a number of knotted baggies of suspected marijuana, which was later confirmed. The suspect was charged with marijuana possession and ticketed for the illegal turn.  

Cruel treatment leaves dog with neck wounds

A resident in the 25000 block of Lynford Drive found a pit bull whose collar was so tight, it had bitten into the dog's neck. The brown and white dog had a chain around its neck, with two large locks and cable wire attached. Officers noticed the dog appeared to have trouble breathing. They took the dog to the Farmington Hills Police Department, where officers cut off the chain and discovered it had left wounds on the dog's neck.

Drug arrests on M-5/Grand River

Officers made two drug arrests on Nov. 28 at different times of the day. Both started with traffic stops.

A 19-year-old Commerce Township man stopped for a loud muffler at 5:12 p.m. in the area of Drake Road appeared to reach into the vehicle's console, as though trying to conceal something, according to the report. He told the officer he was on his way to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Ferndale, after visiting with a friend. A search of the car turned up seven syringes, a spoon with a white substance on it, a prescription bottle with suspected cocaine and three baggies of suspected heroin. The man was arrested without incident.

At 9:04 p.m., a driver in the M-5/Haggerty area was stopped for "floating" in the lane and having a broken tail light. The 28-year-old White Lake woman blamed her vehicle's steering, and a check of her records showed she was driving on a suspended license. She admitted to buying and taking vicodin while in Detroit earlier in the day. A search of the vehicle produced a used syringe in the driver's purse and a cigarette package and a folded lottery ticket with suspected heroin in them. The driver and her passenger, also a resident of White Lake, accused each other of using the drug. She was arrested; he was dropped off at the intersection of 12 Mile and Orchard Lake roads.

Citizen alerts police to thieves in a blue van

A resident in the 39000 block of Lilly Court called police after spotting a suspicious blue van in the neighborhood. The witness watched as two men on foot darted into a nearby home and left carrying a large television set. Officers arrived to find the front door had been forced open. The house had an alarm system, and the homeowner arrived after being notified by the company. In addition to the television set, two laptops were taken. The witness said the van drove off north on Haggerty, and described the suspects as male. One was 5-foot-8, medium build, wearing a dark baseball hat, dark coat, white shirt and dark pants. The other was around 20 years old, 5-8, 200 lbs. The witness did not see the van driver.