William Porter Harrison

By Sarah Cormier
C & G Staff Writer

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — Some people just don’t learn.

A local man was recently arrested by the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly breaking into an apartment complex he was convicted of stealing from just a few months ago.

Harrison Township resident William Porter Harrison, 27, has been charged with home invasion in the second degree — a five-year felony — after he was caught at 5 p.m. on June 2 breaking into an apartment in the Clinton Manor Apartments complex, located on Katherine Court off of Union Lake Road.

Capt. John Roberts with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said that two people noticed that Harrison had shimmied up a balcony post and was trying to break into an apartment.

“The manager and maintenance person chased him off initially and called us and told us that they had seen him climbing,” he said. 

Police apprehended Harrison and he was arraigned on the home invasion charge at 41-B District Court in Clinton Township shortly after the incident. He was issued a bond of $10,000 cash surety.

Roberts said that the two workers recognized Harrison from a previous incident. In fact, on Feb. 17, 2009, Harrison was convicted of attempted home invasion from an incident that occurred in the same apartment complex. He was sentenced to three years of probation.

“He actually broke in there earlier this year as well,” said Roberts.

Moreover, additional charges may be added to Harrison’s list because there have been at least three other home invasions at the same complex recently. In those break-ins, valuables such as money and jewelry have been stolen. In one case, a key to the complex was also taken.

“We’ve had other break-ins and we believe he’s the one responsible for those,” said Roberts, adding, “We are trying to get more charges on the other ones that he’s involved in.”

Roberts said that a relative of Harrison’s lives in the complex and added that Harrison uses the address as his own.