Birmingham

Two arrested in Birmingham home invasion

By Tiffany Esshaki
C & G Staff Writer

Two Detroit men are in custody for allegedly breaking into a home and several garages in Birmingham Dec. 19.

According to reports, at about 5:45 a.m. that day Birmingham Police were dispatched to the 1600 block of Webster in response to a house alarm that was activated when one of the suspects climbed through a kitchen window and, once inside, unlocked a door for the other suspect. The suspects fled the home before officers arrived.

With the assistance of officers from the Beverly Hills and Troy Police Departments, the area surrounding the house was secured and searched with Troy’s K-9 unit. As a precaution, Our Shepherd Lutheran School was placed on lockdown from 8-9 a.m. At around 8:15 a.m., one of the suspects was taken into custody in the 1800 block of E. Lincoln, about one block from the reported home invasion.

Officers discovered a vehicle that had been stolen out of Madison Heights parked near the scene. According to Cmdr. Terry Kiernan of Birmingham Police, several items were found in the car that had been stolen from two garages in the area of Webster and Torry.

“One was a computer printer, a monitor — three pieces of computer equipment,” said Kiernan. “They also took a refrigerator from one of the garages.”

In addition, a resident in the 1500 block of Birmingham Blvd. reported a car stolen during the night. Officers, assuming the incidents were related, used OnStar Vehicle Locator services to track the car to a street in Detroit. Officers responded to the location, and apprehended the second suspect.

The men, ages 19 and 20 years old, are expected to be charged with a number of crimes including home invasion, stolen auto, and breaking and entering. Though the crime spree appears to be extensive, Kiernan says little skill appears to have been involved in the break-ins.

“It’s possible the kitchen window was not secured completely, and the garage doors were unlocked,” said Kiernan, reminding residents to be sure their residences are securely locked at all times. “These were just, to some degrees, crimes of opportunity where they found open doors and windows.”

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Tiffany Esshaki at tesshaki@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1095.