Suspect in Home Invasion, Police Chase Charged

Highlights of West Bloomfield Township Police Department reports from June 21-28:

'Car hopper' chased down

A Hazel Park man is charged with home invasion, fleeing and various other offenses related to a June 23 incident and police chase in West Bloomfield.

Officers reported to MacNichol Trail around 4:40 a.m. Thursday after a resident confronted another man who had gotten into his garage, according to West Bloomfield Police Lt. Tim Diamond. The suspect, 22-year-old Alan Parker Gould of Hazel Park, had allegedly broken into the man's car on the 3600 block of MacNichol and fled the scene upon being found. Reporting officers driving to the scene noticed a maroon 2000 Chrysler 300 driving in the opposite direction, which they thought to be unusual for that time of morning, and pursued the vehicle.

The officers realized they may have found their suspect when the sedan began to speed up and led officers on a high-speed chase through the subdivision, over lawns and causing an unknown amount of property damage before crashing into some landscaping, Diamond said. Gould escaped his vehicle and ran into a nearby swamp, where he was apprehended and arrested.

"Nice job by the midnight shift," Diamond said. "They did everything they were supposed to do. As a result there were no injuries to anyone at the scene."

Diamond said Gould had been active in the area earlier that night "car hopping" — looking around for unlocked vehicles, quickly breaking in and taking whatever valuable items can be found in a short period of time. "We get a lot more of these in the summer," Diamond said. "We just advise everyone to lock their car doors and stow away valuable items."

Gould was arraigned that day on seven counts, including first-degree home invasion, to which he pled not guilty. He was also charged with two counts of larceny from a motor vehicle, reckless driving and fleeing. Gould was being held in Oakland County Jail on $500,000 bond and has a preliminary exam scheduled July 11 at 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills.

Girl walking dog reports suspicious men

Police were called around 6:30 p.m. Monday to the 5600 block of Loyalty, where a mother had reported that her 10-year-old daughter was walking the family dog when she noticed a silver sport utility vehicle pass her three times, Diamond said. The vehicle was occupied by three men, possibly in their 30s. The case was been assigned to the detective bureau.

Mailbox blown up

Police were called around 6:34 p.m. Wednesday to the 4800 block of Trailview, where a resident had reported the mailbox had been blown up by explosives, possibly fireworks. The resident reported seeing a black minivan approach the street-side mailbox, then someone inside the minivan tossed an explosive inside and fled. The mailbox, with a value of $200, was destroyed, but no one was hurt.