You are viewing this article in the AnnArbor.com archives. For the latest breaking news and updates in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, see MLive.com/ann-arbor
Posted on Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 10:20 a.m.

2 more break-ins reported Thursday in Ann Arbor; one thwarted by locked window

By Kyle Feldscher

Thieves stole multiple laptops and cash in two home invasions Thursday, Ann Arbor police said, while a locked window foiled another break-in attempt, police said.

Police believe an unlocked door allowed access in one home invasion Tuesday and an open window was the entry point in another.

Ann Arbor police have reported an increased number of break-ins during the late summer months. The number of home invasions increased rapidly during the initial months of the year before a spring slowdown, but July, August and the initial weeks of September have seen reports rise.

The break-in attempt occurred between 7:50 and 7:55 a.m. Thursday in the 100 block of Packard Street. Bush said a 24-year-old Ann Arbor woman was in her 31-year-old boyfriend’s kitchen when she looked out the window and saw a man attempting to open it.

The woman made eye contact with the man, causing him to stop what he was doing and flee the area on foot. The man ran south toward South Fourth Avenue, Bush said.

The man is described as black, in his mid-20s, with a short black afro and thin build. He is about 6-feet tall and weighs about 180 pounds, police said.

The first home invasion reported Thursday occurred between 1 and 5 p.m. in the 100 block of North State Street, Bush said. An unknown person entered the home through an unlocked door.

A 20-year-old Ann Arbor woman's laptop was stolen. A second 20-year-old Ann Arbor woman also lives at the residence.

The second home invasion occurred between 6:45 and 7:10 p.m. in the 600 block of Waymarket. A 26-year-old Ann Arbor man reported clothing, an external hard drive, laptop, cash and bag were stolen from the home.

A kitchen window was reported to be unlocked and open and police believe it was the point of entry. There was no suspect information available.

Anyone with information on these incidents is encouraged to call the Ann Arbor police anonymous tip line at 734-794-6939 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-SPEAK UP (773-2587).

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Comments

FormerMichRes

Sat, Sep 15, 2012 : 12:25 p.m.

Once again, I see hollow complaints about the Mayor. Let's face it Ann Arborites, you'll re-elect him in a landslide. You never learn. I suggest bars on your windows and doors. This is not going to get better until Ann Arborites elect people in City government and the judiciary with a more law and order mindset. Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County are just examples of revolving door justice system. Many of these perps are out on bail or parole. The same people you are giving money to during the day ... are breaking into your houses at night. Wake up!

Alex Swary

Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 7:25 p.m.

Whenever there's one of these break-in robbery stories, there's always the "if he woulda broke into my place I woulda shot him" posts. I'm honestly curious, at what point does it become legal under Michigan law? The girl in this story just saw a guy trying to open the window. At what point would she have the right to open fire? I'm not really pro or anti-gun. I'm just curious as to when it becomes legal to use "2nd ammendment remedies" in a situation like this.

Billy Bob Schwartz

Sat, Sep 15, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.

Alex...I'm wodering the same thing. I have heard (through no specific source) that they must be inside your home. I think it's important to get a clear answer to this question before shooting people. Some guy outside the house looking in through a window? I doubt it. Some guy kicking down the door, fershure. Maybe aa.com can do a story on this question. Please. BTW, a double-barreled twelve gauge shotgun can kill just by fear.

HB11

Sat, Sep 15, 2012 : 1:24 p.m.

The castle doctrine provides a great deal of latitude for homeowners fending off an attacker. In answer to your question, at what point do you feel threatened that the person attempting to break in your home will harm you? There is no clear answer, except thieves and burglars beware.

Alan Goldsmith

Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 6:02 p.m.

Don't worry--our Mayor is hard at work dealing with the crime issue. You know, the crime of riding a bicycle on a downtown sidewalk. Robbery, and assault--not so much.

Tru2Blu76

Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 5:23 p.m.

Two years after moving into my single-person, 5th floor apartment, I was sitting comfortably at my computer one night when I heard the sound of a key in MY front door lock. As I sat transfixed by surprise and fear, the door opened and I found myself sitting in direct line of sight of a large man. Seldom have I ever felt so helpless. I took the cue from the man's startled expression and stood up, advancing with boldness I did not actually feel. I asked what he thought he was doing. Lucky for me he didn't expect to find anyone home and left, saying he'd mistakenly opened my door. Only later did I find out he'd been fired from the maintenance staff and had stolen master keys to the apartments in my building. That's all it took for me to realize (1) that having a locked door is no protection from prepared home invaders and (2) that I'd better have a home invasion stopper handy at all times. Google "Petit Family Murders" to find the Wiki story which tells of the murders of Mrs. Petit and her 2 young daughters and the beating of Mr. Petit - by two men who had prepared well to overcome all four victims & murder 3 helpless victims. The most disturbing thing is that prepared home invaders are far more dangerous than the off-hand or impulse driven ones. And we have no way of determining which kind may invade our homes at any hour of the day. My first experience with a home invader came when I was only 7 and living with my recently divorced mother - When someone tried to break through our front door one night. Other than calling (pre cell phone era) the police who were miles away, we had no defense whatever. Lucky for us that the would-be intruder got frustrated by our solid front door and left (but he went to another single-parent home and made another attempt). There's no one solution: it's only reasonable to prepare rationally for all contingencies. You never want to have such experiences.

Milton Shift

Sat, Sep 15, 2012 : 6:10 a.m.

Thanks for sharing.

chuck jones

Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 4:59 p.m.

I think AADB better get blondie on the case!

Billy Bob Schwartz

Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:15 p.m.

Lock your doors and windows! We even lock up when we are home, ever since we walked into the living room and found a kid standing there asking us where the party was. Use your brains. Otherwise, why cart them around?

pbehjatnia

Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:09 p.m.

I'm comfortable. Bikes on sidewalks are definitely more important than a home being broken into. I suggest we allocate some AAPD funding to better bike lanes and bike safety courses. One less AAPD officer won't hurt.

a2roots

Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:19 p.m.

What in the world would make you think that 1 or 20 more officers would have stopped these crimes from happening. With students in town and their open door policy it is virtually impossible to stop this kind of crime.

A2brooksie

Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.

Perhaps more people should install these "hi tech" things called "locks". Who would think that simply by locking your doors and windows you can substanially reduce the risk of having your stuff stolen.

George K

Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 3:02 p.m.

It's called a honey-pot. Rather than scaring the thief away, grab your camera and/or call the police so he is there when the police arrive. Of course, it helps to have a .38 special in case he's not just interested in stealing laptops.