West Bloomfield Mailboxes Destroyed by Pumpkin Hurlers

West Bloomfield Township Police Department reports from Nov. 21-26 included 60 alarms, 23 crashes and four arrests. Among the highlights: 

Pumpkin vandalism, pumpkin theft on the rise

Police are investigating two separate incidents of mailboxes destruction by pumpkin, in addition to the theft of a pumpkin from a resident's porch Nov. 21.

Lt. Tim Diamond said that at about 9:30 p.m. that night, West Bloomfield residents on the 5400 block of Fox Ridge heard a loud "bang" noise and went outside to find their mailbox damaged, with no one to be found there. A similar incident was reported to have taken place at about 11:30 p.m. on the 5200 block of West Bloomfield Lake.

The same night, Diamond said, a surveillance system at a home on the 4600 block of Patrick captured footage of a woman swiping a pumpkin from the porch of the residents at 11 p.m. The large, decorated pumpkin had been sitting on a bench there before the residents came home to find the pumpkin missing, Diamond added. 

Man uses frozen foods to distract theft victim

A Whole Foods Market shopper told police that on Nov. 21, a man with an unknown accent standing about 5'7" took the wallet she kept in a shopping cart. 

Diamond said that the reporting person's bank had contacted them Nov. 24 to say that suspicious purchases had been made at an unknown Michael's arts and crafts store location, as well as an Apple computers retailer in Troy. The reporting person told police that the suspicious man had distracted her while she shopped in the frozen food section of the West Bloomfield grocery store location by asking them about the difference between two particular products, according to Diamond.

Police have no suspects.

Shoplifting suspect arrested at Kohl's

A 75-year-old Farmington Hills man is believed to have tried to steal from Kohl's Department Store Nov. 21, according to Diamond.

Police arrested the man after surveillance footage showed him removing tags from $257 worth of merchandise and placing them in a bag before attempting to leave the store, Diamond said. The man was confronted by security in the parking lot and arrested by police, before being released.

The man is currently awaiting arraignment, Diamond added.

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.