Police Blotter: Fleeing, Home Invasions and More

A 24-year-old Springfield man fled from police on Tuesday and wasn't caught.

Chief Edward Harris said the incident happened at 11:30 a.m. on White Lake Road near McKeachie.

"Our officer made a traffic stop, and the passenger in the vehicle got out of the car and fled from police on foot," Harris said.

Police have identified the man and believe a warrant for failure to appear in court might have been the reason why he fled.

"We suspect he thought the warrant had gone into effect," Harris said. The warrant, at the time of the stop, was not activated but would be shortly.

Home invasions

There were two home invasions over the weekend.

In the first, on Crown Ridge, someone entered an attached garage and took a number of tools. It's not yet know when the theft actually occurred, Harris said, but the report was filed on Tuesday.

The second home invasion occurred on Friday between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Bentwood Circle.

"Here, someone entered an unlocked rear door and stole a number of items, including a large sum of cash."

There are no suspects in either case, and both remain under investigation.

Man caught in the act

An employee with a lawn care service was cutting the lawn of a home on Ridge Road when he noticed a car backed up near his trailer in the street on Friday at 9 a.m., Harris said.

The man then reportedly watched a 17-year-old carry out a backpack blower from the trailer and head for the vehicle.

"He stopped the teen," Harris said. "The teen then apologized and handed back the blower. The lawn care employee called police and detained the teen until we arrived."

When police arrived they allegedly found numerous other items in the teen's vehicle that had been reported stolen from across Oakland County, and many items that had not yet been reported as missing.

Because he was cooperative with police, Harris said the teen was released from police custody pending the issuance of a warrant.

Suspicious circumstances reported

On Saturday at 1 a.m. two residents on Cumberland called police after three individuals were scared away from their houses.

The first resident called after someone pounded on the door then ran and could reportedly be seen hiding near a neighbor's home.

The neighbors also woke up, Harris said, after their dogs were barking at something in the front yard.

"When the homeowner looked out the window, she saw a person standing there so she set off her car alarm," Harris said.

The car alarm startled the person in the front yard and two others near her car. All three took off running while one of the homeowners chased them on foot.

There was no damage reported, and a police K-9 called to the scene lost the track of those who ran at Grass Lake Road. A small baseball cap was recovered near the homes.

The incident remains under investigation.