Police: 'Car-Hoppers' Hit Woods of West Bloomfield Subdivision

West Bloomfield Township Police Department reports from Sept. 26-Oct. 1 included 67 alarms, 14 crashes and five arrests. Among the highlights:

'Car-hoppers' hit Woods of West Bloomfield subdivision

Owners of five homes on Cherry Blossom, Alder, and Midchester in the Woods of West Bloomfield subdivision reported items stolen from vehicles parked outside overnight Sept. 30.

Some cars were unlocked while others showed signs of forced entry including broken windows, said Lt. Tim Diamond, adding that thousands of dollars worth of electronics, and personal items such as purses and wallets were stolen. Police have no suspects.

"I call it 'car-hopping': jumping from car to car in a given area and taking whatever you see that you like," Diamond said. "It's a kind of 'Catch-22' for people because if you leave your car locked, your windows could be broken. Bottom line, you shouldn't leave items in plain sight which aren't attached to the car."

Armed robbery at Chimney Hill apartments

Police responded to a report of armed robbery about 3 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 30 after a woman reported being held at gunpoint while thieves ransacked her apartment.

Diamond said that the woman, a 24-year old resident of the apartment on the 6900 block of Chimney Hill Drive, told police she was alone and came straight from a birthday party in Dearborn. She parked in a lot and walked to her door before being ambushed by two men holding her at gunpoint and ordering her to sit at her table, Diamond continued.

Once there, the woman continued to be held at gunpoint while a thief took a safe from her closet, the television off of her wall, and an Apple iPad, among other items stolen totaling several thousand dollars in value, she told police.

Diamond said that while the case is being investigated, police have no suspects.  

Animal cruelty reported after get-together

Police are investigating a report of animal cruelty reported on the morning of Sept. 30 after a dog was found by its owner with a broken leg and internal injuries in her home.

Diamond said that the owner living on the 7000 block of Barrington Court told police she held a get-together at her home involving alcohol and noted one guest, a 25-year-old White Lake man, seeming particularly irritated. He was offered to sleep on her living room couch, the woman said, after he woke her up from sleep when the party was over.

The man decided to leave instead, the woman told police, when she found her dog, a nine-year old miniature pinscher, injured in its kennel, and her carpet damaged with blood and excrement. The woman told police that she went to a veterinarian which confirmed the dog's injuries that morning.

Golf cart reported stolen and found

A man living on the 2300 block of Walnut Lake Road reported his golf cart stolen from his backyard around 11 p.m. on Sept. 29 before it was found in the front yard of a home on Sutters Lane in Bloomfield Township.

The keys were in the vehicle and there were no signs of forced entry, Diamond said, adding that the cart returned to its owner. Police have no suspects.

"That might have been kids out having a joy ride," Diamond said.

If you have any information about these incidents, you can call West Bloomfield Police at (248) 975-9200. For questions about this report, email tim.rath@patch.com.