Pickup Rip-off Latest of 21 Reported Larcenies from Vehicles

Highlights of incidents reported to West Bloomfield police from April 26-Tuesday.

GPS/entertainment system ripped from pickup

In what police suspect is one in a string of 21 larcenies from cars reported in the past week, an in-dash entertainment system was reported stolen from a 2004 Dodge Ram pickup parked in a driveway on the 2400 block of Archdale, said.

The driver returned to his truck to find the dashboard had been torn apart sometime between 4 p.m. April 26 and 7 p.m. April 27. The owner reported that a Pioneer GPS/XM Radio/DVD player combination system valued at $1,200 was missing from the truck. Police are checking a flashlight found at the scene for fingerprints.

“When the weather gets warmer, people are out more and later and larcenies from autos pick up,” West Bloomfield Police Officer Lt. Tim Diamond said. “Some people, especially in an affluent community like ours, have a false sense of security. They don’t lock their car door or their home doors.”

Diamond recommended residents check and double-check that car doors and windows are locked and that items including GPS systems, laptop computers and sunglasses are kept out of sight. He recommended drivers who park outside their homes turn on their exterior home lights.

“Occasionally, you do get groups who will break your windows, but more often than not it’s the unlocked car they’re looking for,” Diamond said. “They call it car hopping. They walk down the street and look into windows, and if they see something they like, they check the doors and reach in and grab it.”

Resident reports fraud

A West Bloomfield resident reported possible identity theft April 29. The resident told police that two Comcast accounts due $326 and $818 had been started in the resident's name between March-September 2010 after the reporting person had received a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to represent AT&T. Police traced the Comcast accounts to an address in Detroit, but have no suspects.

Police need your help

West Bloomfield Police are seeking help to solve a larceny case reported Feb. 12. Someone broke into the locker of a man exercising at the and took $700, several credit cards and his CCW license, according to the report. An investigation found that one of the credit cards was being used at a Valero gas station at Telegraph and McNichols in Detroit. A purple Chrysler PT Cruiser seen at the gas station may be connected. A similar vehicle has been seen in the lot of the JCC. Detective Nick Maodus at 248-975-8920 is seeking additional information. 

If you have any information on any of these cases, call the at 248-975-9200.