St. Clair Shores

Man caught with stolen lawnmower after high-speed chase

By Kristyne E. Demske
C & G Staff Writer

A 42-year-old St. Clair Shores man is behind bars after police discovered stolen property in the back of his pickup truck.

Detective Gordie Carrier said police were investigating garage thefts in an area bordered by Eight Mile and Nine Mile roads and Jefferson and Harper June 22. Officer Jeremy Moskwa, on the lookout for suspects, noticed a red and grey Ford F-150 pickup truck with a lawnmower in the bed of the truck around 4:20 a.m.

The officer was suspicious of the equipment being moved so early in the morning and discovered that the license plate was incorrect for the truck, as well.

Moskwa tried to make a traffic stop around Nine Mile Road and I-94 but the truck driver didn’t stop until near Kelly Road, then took off again when the officer approached the truck.

Police were led on a high-speed chase throughout the cities of Eastpointe and Detroit until “the truck had some mechanical problems and was on rims instead of tires.”

On Eight Mile Road in Detroit, Moskwa“took him into custody after a brief struggle, and then they found a lawnmower in the bed of the truck (and) a wallet that came back to people that lived on Liberty,” Carrier said.

Police contacted the wallet’s owner, who discovered the garage door open. A wallet and Oakley glasses were missing from a car in the garage, as was the lawnmower and a motorcycle.

“The motorcycle was found two houses away, parked on a sidewalk (and the) motorcycle key was in the bed of the suspect’s pickup,” Carrier said. “He knew he couldn’t drive the motorcycle and truck at the same time. Obviously, his intent was to go back and get the bike.”

Carrier said 42-year-old Lee Gerald Sisman was arraigned on charges of fleeing and eluding, home invasion, driving with a suspended license and motorcycle theft. Bond was set at $50,000 cash/surety and Sisman is still in custody. Police suspect him in multiple garage thefts and are still investigating.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Kristyne E. Demske at kdemske@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1041.