Westland Man Arraigned in Hartland Restaurant Break-in Case

A Westland man was arraigned Tuesday on a felony charge of breaking and entering in 53rd District Court.

Dewayne Austin Haag, 41, is accused of breaking into the in Harland at about 4 a.m. Aug. 23 and stealing an undisclosed amount of money.

Haag, who as of this afternoon remains in jail on a $25,000 10-percent bond, is now scheduled next in court Sept. 16 before Judge Carol Sue Reader for a pre-trial conference that precedes a preliminary exam.

Authorities found video surveillance of a man with tattoos matching Haag's description at before the break-in and subsequent investigation showed he is a suspect in similar crimes in Wayne, Oakland, Iosco and Grand Traverse counties.

Police have said they are now putting together cases for charges on the other cases. The break-ins are felonies, police said, and the Haag could face 10- to 15-year prison terms for each if convicted.

The spree of overnight break-ins in the fall of 2010 along Hartland's commericial district began Oct. 31 and included Red Olive, , , , and .

A $1,000 reward was offered, video images were released to the media and police spoke with business owners about ways to beef up their security. But no one was arrested until last month's crime when police tracked Haag to Traverse City, where he was arrested last week.