Man arrested for breaking into Ann Arbor home told resident he wanted to buy weed
A 57-year-old man is being held on home invasion charges after he walked into an Ann Arbor home and told a resident he was trying to buy marijuana.
Bernard Hardwick
Courtesy of the state of Michigan
Ann Arbor police Detective Chris Fitzpatrick said Bernard Hardwick was arrested Tuesday after he broke into a home on Catherine Street. Fitzpatrick said a neighbor saw Hardwick standing on the porch of the home in the 300 block of Catherine Street before he entered through the unlocked front door.
Hardwick went through a couple of rooms in the home before being confronted by one of the residents. Hardwick told the man he was trying to buy some weed and then fled the area on foot, Fitzpatrick said.
The resident and the neighbor who saw Hardwick enter the home both called police and officers responded at 1:10 p.m. Tuesday to the area. Fitzpatrick said road patrol flooded the area and eventually stopped Hardwick near the intersection of State and Huron streets.
Fitzpatrick said Hardwick had a pocket full of change from one of the rooms in the Catherine Street house. He was placed under arrest for breaking in.
“He’s a suspect in other things we’ve had in the last month or two,” Fitzpatrick said.
Hardwick was arraigned Wednesday at the Washtenaw County Jail on a single count of first-degree home invasion. He received a 10 percent of $5,000 bond and will return to court for a preliminary exam at 8:30 a.m. July 9, Fitzpatrick said.
Jail records show Hardwick was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail Wednesday afternoon.
State records show Hardwick has an extensive criminal history. He served two and a half years in prison for two larceny in a building convictions from 1976; served more than three years for assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted larceny in a building and more than 12 years for breaking and entering a building with intent to commit a crime and assault with a dangerous weapon for a 1991 conviction.
He was convicted of larceny in a building in 2001 and then, while on parole, was convicted of assault with intent to rob and steal while unarmed in 2004. His prison stint from those two crimes lasted until June 22, 2012, according to state records.
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
nickcarraweigh
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 9:02 p.m.
Was he allowed to apply that pocket change to the bail money?
stevek
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 1:57 p.m.
I thought pot was harmless.
mady
Fri, Jun 28, 2013 : 2:07 p.m.
stevek, for the most part it is. Several of my friends are responsible ,contributing members of society who happen to enjoy lighting up after working all day. Unfortunately, it's the few people like this guy who give pot smokers a bad name, and the tendency to lump all pot smokers into the same category(stupid, lazy, unmotivated, etc.)persists.
squidlover
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 1:57 a.m.
I am so sick and tired of career criminals like this being treated with baby gloves. First, there is no excuse for home invasion (and I am very frustrated with the way it keeps being treated like it's jaywalking). Then this guy with a 30 year criminal history and a parole violation on top of that gets to walk for now with a $500 bond....pathetic.
fanny
Fri, Jun 28, 2013 : 12:10 p.m.
I agree with Squidlover. He has had a lifetime history of crime and was even arrested while on parole for another larceny. It Oops like the only way he is going to stop stealing from people is if he is locked up!
An Arborigine
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 1:48 a.m.
With that resume, he should have plenty of opportunity on Monster.com
nowayjose
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 1:22 a.m.
Put him in prison and throw away the key
Michigan Man
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 1:11 a.m.
Quality of life, public safety and general culture going south really fast these days in A2.
squidlover
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 2 a.m.
Absolutely right, Michigan Man. Everybody has an excuse as to why it's not their fault. Politicians and judicial system don't have the backbone to deal with it severely, so it makes it easy for criminals to work the system.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Jun 26, 2013 : 11:19 p.m.
Luckily it didn't turn out for him like it did for this NJ mother... http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57590873-504083/new-jersey-home-invasion-mother-beaten-in-front-of-child-attack-captured-on-nanny-cam-report-says/
Youwhine
Wed, Jun 26, 2013 : 10:28 p.m.
Wow. First degree home invasion, an extensive criminal history and he is suspected in other open cases. That gets you $500 bond. Only in Washtenaw County.
Dirty Mouth
Mon, Jul 1, 2013 : 2:53 p.m.
If he had been white, it would have been set to 5 dollars.
anti-thug
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 4:05 a.m.
and crime so high sometimes
djacks24
Wed, Jun 26, 2013 : 9:21 p.m.
At least he was willing to pay for it and not steal it. That should be air tight in court.
sttc
Wed, Jun 26, 2013 : 9 p.m.
hey, mistakes happen, cut the guy some slack... i remember once when i was a freshman, i think, just walking the student ghetto and surrounding areas looking for house parties... i happened upon one plate that seemed to be a bit hoppin, i heard some music and the door was unlocked... i walked up in and there were like maybe six or eight 50-year olds staring at me like, what?? i meekly stammered, "sorry, thought it was an open house!!" and got out of there as soon as i could. i don't think that made me a burglar or home invader. i understand the guy has an extensive criminal history, but does what he did exactly in this case really need to go to court?
Robert Granville
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 1:49 p.m.
I think because of his criminal history his behavior suggests something other than a freshman year mistake.... lol. He's done this before and the end result has been theft... not "sorry wrong house"
Youwhine
Wed, Jun 26, 2013 : 10:28 p.m.
I think that the fact that this subject went through several rooms of the home, taking things along the way, shows his intent was a little different than yours. You were being dumb and rude. He was being a criminal.
sttc
Wed, Jun 26, 2013 : 9:02 p.m.
whoops, place, not plate... i get to used to sites that actually have editing functions, i get a little bit lazy about proofreading. sorry.
Arieswoman
Wed, Jun 26, 2013 : 8:55 p.m.
Why oh why don't folks lock their doors? Even if you are home keep it locked.
Hugh Giariola
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 11:44 a.m.
So now it's the resident's fault (who was home by the way) for not locking the door???? How about sliding a little of the blame over to Bernie Hardwick the (alleged) perpetrator?
anti-thug
Thu, Jun 27, 2013 : 4:02 a.m.
its Ann Arbor people have false seance of security ..