Ann Arbor woman sent to hospital after man breaks in, assaults her
An Ann Arbor woman returned to her home on Burbank Drive Tuesday morning and was physically assaulted by a man who broke in, sending her to the hospital, police said.
Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush said it’s the third home invasion in the area in the last two weeks. Bush said the woman left her home between 8:20 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. in the 3000 block of Burbank Drive Tuesday and discovered the man in her home when she came back.
Bush said the woman confronted the man, and he physically assaulted her before leaving the home in an unknown direction. The woman called police and was taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital to be treated for her injuries. Bush said she has been released.
Bush said she could not release the nature of the assault and the woman’s injuries.
The other home invasions in the area occurred on April 8 and April 13, Bush said.
In the April 8 incident, a different home in the 3000 block of Burbank Drive was broken into sometime between 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., Bush said. On April 13, a home in the 3000 block of Bolgos Circle was broken into sometime between 9:45 a.m. and 3 p.m., she said.
It’s unknown if the same person is responsible for all three home invasions and detectives are investigating the three incidents. The man in Tuesday’s break-in was about 5-feet-5 inches tall, but no further suspect description was immediately available Wednesday, Bush said.
Ann Arbor police sent out a neighborhood watch alert concerning the incidents and are encouraging residents to take precautions.
Anyone with information on the break-ins is encouraged to call the Ann Arbor police anonymous tip line at 734-794-6939.
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
Mike
Sun, Apr 29, 2012 : 3:48 p.m.
It should be safe to conclude that the suspect was black. This is because if he was white, this newspaper would have published the race.
salinemama
Fri, Apr 27, 2012 : 12:16 p.m.
If our country were harder on criminals our crime rates wouldn't be as high as they are. They get a smack on the ass, do a little time and get out, to start all over again. I have had to go through a situation with a family memeber, she is still going through it after two years. All through the court proceeding she felt like the criminal not the victim. The acual criminal and his attorney tried to turn everything around to make her look like the criminal. She swore she wouldn't go through this again, but she is. The court system is failing us as is the correction system. We should look at other countries with low crime and follow their lead. I feel that if you can get to someone the first time they are in the system you have a chance at reforming them, slight chance. After the first time there is no reforming they are career criminals. We make it to easy on them.
lilypooch
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 6:02 p.m.
Come on now, there has to be more information available regarding the incident. At least the FP learned what kind of injuries the lady sustained: hit on the head by a frying pan. How about age, clothing, skin color, etc of the perp? You people are so PC conscious it is hardly useful to read what you print.
mbill
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 3:01 p.m.
She 'confronted' him. In the class for the concealed pistol permit your taught not to confront someone and the time it takes you to draw your gun a intruder is already attacking you. Just as Zimmerman was told not to follow and where is he now? If you have another out take it. These criminals maybe off their meds, on drugs, psychotic and desperate. Hopefully this women is able to recover with out a permanent injury and we get a full description of the attacker and more details.
CPLtownie
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.
ok, if i'm walking into MY house, and there's a BG there, obviously there will be a Confrontation, because should I turn tail to run, I risk being grabbed, stabbed or shot. And that, folks, is why a CPL and weekly training is a smart thing. It is also a good idea to brush up on your observation skills - and listen to your intuition. And, having a plan isn't such a bad idea either, proactive isn't paranoid & reactive is trouble.
Local Lady
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 12:45 p.m.
The police are there to investigate crimes after they happen. The only way they can prevent crimes is by locking up the bad guys. As responsible adults, it is our job to protect ourselves and those we love. Think about what might have happened here. A whole lot worse than being hit with a frying pan. My dogs are there to make the bad guy chose another home. My 38 is to protect me and it is always with me. Frying pan versus 38 - I know who wins this one. I am 5'2". 5'5" is bigger than I am. Hence the 38. Get a gun. Learn to use it well. Get the license to carry it. Be prepared to use it and pray you never have to do so.
DNB
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 11:42 a.m.
Local 4 News: "The woman said she left her home for about 10 minutes to walk her children to school. When she returned, she said a man was in her kitchen. When she confronted him, she said he hit her in the head with a frying pan. He ran out and she needed hospital treatment." http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Home-invader-beats-up-Ann-Arbor-woman/-/1719418/11866332/-/trkgm0z/-/index.html
Cathy
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 12:52 a.m.
Yes, police are important, but our correctional system has become a revolving door, with violent career criminals doing their minimum and being released to reoffend. People talk about how expense prisons are, but crime hurts the business climate and ultimately costs us jobs. Smart people will go elsewhere if Michigan doesn't keep the thugs locked up.
CPLtownie
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 3:58 p.m.
It's hurt Ann Arbor ... the downtown area is overrun and seedy, and no amount of ART will cure that.
cibachrome
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 12:18 a.m.
Stop ALL women and men and children (a gender neutral approach of course) who are 5'5" tall and hold them for a lineup on Green road. Take pictures and finger prints and maybe a signed statement saying they did or did not perform the act(s) described. Isn't that the way a sophisticated liberal city ought to respond? You don't need more police, just more 'I am Innocent Forms'. That's the academic solution. Just implement it ! Problem solved. And now about the artwork funding for next year....
Tru2Blu76
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 9:20 p.m.
@Kyle Feldscher: Please follow up with per capita ratio of police to residents - both when there were the maximum no. of officers on duty and today. I'm pretty sure it's currently around 1:800 but think WE should know precisely. Since many seem to post comments arguing that there IS an "ideal ratio" to "eliminate crime." I believe that there is a "good ratio" but there's little difference between 1:1000 and 1:800 and only a much lower ratio of police to citizens opens the door to more criminal activity. I also "suspect" that a number of people choose this issue as a way to make themselves "feel" safer and ignore that, anywhere in the country, that's just taking your chances without actually doing anything to provide for their own safety. The police themselves regularly tell us: "Take precautions." They never say: "If we had enough officers, we'd protect you from criminals totally and forever."
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 5:14 a.m.
@say it plain: Congrats, you've succeeded in proving your point!! Seriously, had you taken the time to put these specifics (citations) in your previous posts, that would have removed the doubt that I and others expressed over your original unsupported assertions. Remember: I ASKED you and AnnArbor.com for this information. So again, please don't put stupid arguments in other people's mouths. Indeed, IF 220 officers per 100,000 population is the recommended ratio (1:455 residents), then Ann Arbor's ratio is way out of whack (1:2035!!) Wikipedia reports A2 pop. at 113,934 (2010 Census) - so obviously the city would need OVER 220 officers on the force to optimally deal with all duties including crime prevention and pursuit of criminals. The only caution about this assumption is that: other S.E. Michigan cities also fall well short of that (allowed until contradicted) figure of 1 cop per 455 residents. Just not so dramatically short (1:650 to 1:750 seems to be about average for most suburbs just north of Detroit. ) But ALL the elements of crime prevention and protective services must be considered. I won't insult you as you have me: just saying - it's unnecessary to play dumb and pretend they aren't relevant just to set up criticism of someone questioning your statements. While openly accepting your (now validated) claim, I still say that all you have to do is spend time watching what people do and you can see the great majority are acting as if there's no criminal activity or any kind of threat at all in this town. When there's only 1 cop per 2035 residents, it seems more logical to call for more self-protective "behaviors" from everyone. We need to go a LONG way on both fronts, eh?
say it plain
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 1:41 a.m.
You know also what's weird @Tru2Blu76? You quote these 1:1000 and 1:800 numbers as though they mean something... can you provide some sources? I see the old article in the AA.com indicates the AA police say they went from around 85 officers to 56 now...then more cuts had been proposed to reduce that even further... But to the degree that I've seen anything with quick google searching on "optimum size of police force", it was global numbers with an apparent recommendation of 220 per 100,000 people, and a wiki page showing international numbers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_size_of_police_forces But I'd love to hear more about your numbers and whence they come?! Just pulled out of the blue, or were they meaningful somehow?!
say it plain
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 1:11 a.m.
Wait, @tru2blu76, I offered a link to a study showing how increased police presence deters crime. Please offer some support for your claims about cities in MI and crime rates? I've been hearing about neighborhoods and downtowns hiring their own security to address the lack of police they feel would help with the crime they're experiencing--are they spending that money because they find it too burdensome to merely "take the proper precautions" against crime? How is it relevant what 'other factors' drive crime rates up? The only question is whether police presence *brings it back down*... How does it matter what it costs per head for extra police officers to the argument that perhaps we'd be better off as a community with more--did anyone claim that it would cost us *less* to have more officers?! Your points seem completely beside the point...except for the claim about comparable communities having comparable crime rates with fewer police per capita, so show us your cards then :) !
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 12:38 a.m.
@say it plain: please don't offer "obvious truths" to support an argument which has nothing to do with MY argument. Q. Do you take all the precautions as recommended by police? Q. If you do, what does this cost you overall? Q. Do you know the cost of having one officer on patrol - including things like insurance coverage and retirement funding as well as support staff? Q. Do YOU know what the police-to-resident ratio for Ann Arbor is? Q. Do you know that in cities much closer to Detroit, the police presence is no more than 55% of Ann Arbor's - yet the crime rates there are comparable to Ann Arbor's? Q. Do you know what other factors are proven to drive crime rates up?
say it plain
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 11:42 p.m.
No, they don't say "if we had enough officers, we'd protect you from criminals totally and forever". They just say, as they did on these 'pages' about a year ago, that the reductions in their numbers have become a concern for them, because they feel they do not have enough officers and patrol cars to respond properly or to provide that deterrent that *patrol* can mean for crime. You know, a little bit of a presence to make criminals think twice about crime. Instead of just taking the reports. Maybe they're telling us a little more these days to 'take precautions' because they don't feel as prepared to answer the calls or to deter with their presence as they used to? I like this little study I came across on the issue of beat cops and whether they seem to prevent crime by their presence: http://www.fsu.edu/news/2005/06/24/more.cops/ A 'natural experiment' that seems to indicate that it does!
porchbear
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 8:21 p.m.
"Bush said the woman left her home between 8:20 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. in the 3000 block of Burbank Drive Tuesday and discovered the man in her home when she came back." How long was she out, i.e. what time did she return?
Ed Kimball
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 11:36 a.m.
ClickonDetroit.com says she was out of her home for about 10 minutes to walk her kids to school. Sounds to me like the man was watching for such a circumstance.
Wolf's Bane
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 8:04 p.m.
This is sickening. If this continues, it will end in death very shortly.
Wolf's Bane
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 11:59 a.m.
Read the article. Rod.
Rod Johnson
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 3:10 a.m.
What is? What will?
djm12652
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 7:18 p.m.
The suspect is 5'5"....now that is what I might call a fair fight...that being said, I might also end up in the hospital, but I would make sure I wasn't the only one.
cinnabar7071
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 9:42 p.m.
Why would anyone not want you to defend yourself?
northA2
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 6:32 p.m.
I find the information in this article to be unhelpful. In the Chapel Hill condos (where this occurred), EVERY home that is not on Bolgos Circle is in the "3000 block of Burbank Drive". This does not provide useful information - we're talking hundreds of units. With regards to the police presence, I have lived there for nearly a year and have never once seen a police car driving through.
cinnabar7071
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 6:18 p.m.
The Gov't can't protect you people every minute of the day, the people who feel the Gov't can protect them are what the rest of us call victims. The Gov't allows you to protect yourself if you choose, or will be willing to come out and take a report if you choose not too.
say it plain
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 11:49 p.m.
Who has a problem with defending themselves? I don't! But seriously...if this woman's home had a gun in it, it would merely have been one of the nice items the thief had a chance to steal from her house before she interupted him, no? We don't hear how the burglar entered; maybe she blew it! And I guess she could have been carrying in her purse and pulled it out if she had any suspicion that there was someone in the house, she blew that too it seems! She just 'chose not to protect' herself I guess @cinnabar7071 would say...
cinnabar7071
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 9:59 p.m.
Tru it blows my mind why anyone would have a problem with someone defending themselves, but thats Ann Arbor for you.
Tru2Blu76
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 9:03 p.m.
Do NOT understand why your completely rational comment got "-3" votes (until I added a "+1"). I've had (even) a couple family members come up with, "I'm safe, you're safe: don't try to be a cop." I guess these people never found out that, even in the best of times, there's only about 1 LEO for every 750-1000 residents.
say it plain
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 7:42 p.m.
that's right. and this city's government, since the current mayor's been in office, can offer you 1/3 less protection but lots more new underground parking and over-priced under-pretty water-themed art than we had before he got here! I think the quotes from the piece about a year ago appearing on AA.com about the police concerns about their new staff levels said something like "we've gone from a pro-active to a reactive stance". So, yes, now maybe have been reduced to a "come and take reports" kind of police force!
say it plain
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 3:54 p.m.
Oh, yeah, this area isn't experiencing worsening crime! This is scary, c'mon people... isn't it time to stop buying that we're doing okay with so many fewer police than we used to have? Our city 'leaders'-- who have allowed giant benefits and retirement packages for the blinking *administrators* over the years but who are all worried about our city's solvency due to the high costs of police and firefighters benefits-- should be telling us again how these stories are nothing to worry about any second now! They'll keep us safe from speeding and dispensaries, I guess, but we're on our own about the burglaries robberies and assaults, I'm starting to feel!
say it plain
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 4:15 p.m.
I'm sure you mean that facetiously @smokeblwr...blowin' smoke ;-) I'm sure you don't believe that the alternative to improved levels of patrolling is 'a cop in every house'. I'm sure you realize that since 2001, we've lost about 1/3 of our police force. I'm sure you're aware that less than a year ago, police were expressing concern that they cannot serve the city properly with so few officers. I'm sure that you had heard that our police chief, who tried valiantly to work with what he had, recently "retired", which actually meant "took a new job elsewhere" lol. Hmm.... yes, the only answer must be a "cop in every house" lol. Now, also, look at the facts here... It seems like the woman assaulted surprised the burglar. The headline made it sound like perhaps your strategy of "waiting at the door with a gun" might have worked for her here, but as I read it this would have required her instead to be carrying all the time instead of having her weapon at the ready behind the deadbolt. So, perhaps your solution is just armed and ready at all times. But I would like to consider that perhaps a couple more patrol officers might serve those who are uncomfortable with that?!
smokeblwr
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 4:07 p.m.
So, what do you propose? A cop in every house? That is called getting a gun and waiting at the door.