Crime Report: Man Found Living in Woods, Arrested for Marijuana Possession; Wedding Rings Stolen

Man found in woods, arrested for marijuana possession

After receiving an anonymous tip that there was a person with marijuana living in the woods behind Big Boy on Novi Road, the Novi Police Department sent two officers to check the area on July 24 around 7 p.m., according to a police report. The officers found a man in a tent near the old Expo Center, the report said. Police said they found a bag of marijuana under his pillow. According to the police report, the man also had a previous criminal bench warrant out for his arrest for possession of marijuana in Novi with a bond listed at $3,000. He has prior arrests for assault and drug offenses, the report said. The man was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana and on the warrant for his arrest.

Wedding rings stolen

A woman reported that a 14-carat yellow gold diamond ring valued at $2,000 and a 14-carat yellow gold wedding band valued at $500 were stolen from her house on Groveland sometime during the past two to three weeks, according to a police report. The woman kept the rings in a small jewelry box in the master bedroom and noticed they were missing on July 26, the report said. Her house is listed as a rental property, and the woman estimated that 10-12 showings occurred during this time, the report said. According to the police report, the woman’s listing agent would provide other agents the lockbox code for the residence. The woman’s moving company also started her moving process the day before and workers were unattended in the residence, the report said. The woman said anyone could have stolen the rings, according to the police report.

Belongings stolen out of gym locker

A man reported that his gym bag, wallet, shoes, keys, credit cards and combination lock were stolen from his locker at on July 26, according to a police report. The man locked his locker with a Masterlock combination lock with a red dial face at approximately 6:30 p.m., the report said. When he returned to his locker around 8 p.m., he opened it to find someone else’s property inside, the report said. The man returned with the gym manager, and then another patron came in and asked what they were doing in his locker, the report said. The other patron said he arrived at 7 p.m. and found the locker empty, so he put his property inside and locked the locker with his combination lock, which was also a red-faced Masterlock, the report said.

The other patron then showed he was able to open the lock with a combination different from the original patron's, who again demonstrated he could open the lock, the police report said. The report said that apparently the man’s property was stolen sometime between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., at which time the other patron simply utilized an empty locker. “How both combinations are effective in opening the lock is unknown at this time,” the report said.

Property stolen

• A woman reported that 12 CDs, a fishing hat, plastic silverware and makeup were stolen from her car while it was parked in a housing complex on South Lake Drive between 2 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 30, according to a police report.
• A Trenton woman reported that her catalytic converter was stolen from her 2003 Chevrolet Venture while she was at work at a business on 12 Mile Road near Meadowbrook Road on July 28, according to a police report. 
• A TomTom GPS and a radar detector were reported stolen from an unlocked car parked in the driveway of a residence on the south end of English Way on July 26, according to a police report.
• A woman from Commerce Township reported that her wallet containing $200, her license and her bank card were stolen from her purse while she was at a party on July 24 on Glenda Street, according to a police report. The woman left her purse on the living room couch when she went to use the bathroom, the report said.

Damage to property

• An officer taking a property damage report from a few residences away observed damage to a vehicle parked in front of a residence on Jamestowne Road, according to a police report. Someone threw a landscaping brick at the left rear window and chipped it on the night of July 25, the report said. The officer also found a damaged vehicle parked in the street in front of a nearby residence on Yorkshire Drive, according to the police report. A landscaping brick was thrown through the back window of that vehicle, but no property was stolen, the report said.
• The frame of a portable canopy tent was reported bent and destroyed sometime between 8 p.m. July 27 and 6 a.m. July 28 at , according to a police report. Several tents were set up near the fields for a softball tournament, but no others were damaged, the report said. The temporary plastic fencing in the fields, one set of bleachers and a portable toilet were also found pushed over.
• A man reported damage to his pickup truck while it was parked in his driveway on Albert Street on July 27. Red-orange spray paint was sprayed over a passenger’s-side wheel, the report said. The man later called to report the stop sign at Albert Street and 12 Mile Road had a curse word spray painted with the same color paint, the report said.

Operating while intoxicated

A man was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated near Grand River Avenue and Meadowbrook Road at 12:48 a.m. July 28, according to a police report. The man had a blood-alcohol level of 0.15, according to his Breathalyzer test in the report, which is over Michigan’s legal driving limit of 0.08.

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