Police: Man slips into Ann Arbor home through unlocked window, offers to fix it when confronted by resident
An unidentified man crawled through an unlocked window into a 19-year-old Ann Arbor man’s home, asked for someone who didn’t live there and then left while apologizing and offering to fix the window, police said.
Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush said the resident thought he heard someone knocking on the door when he left his home in the 900 block of Mary Street earlier on in the night. He returned home and saw a man crawling through an unlocked window in the rear of the residence.
The intruder asked the resident if a specific person lived there and the resident said no, Bush said. The intruder then apologized for going through the window and offered to help the resident fix it, Bush said.
The intruder was last seen unlocking the deadbolt to the back door of the home and leaving without taking anything.
The resident reported the incident at 12:57 a.m. Friday.
The man is described as white, 6-feet-1 inch tall, 180 pounds, thin with short brown hair, tan complexion and a well-trimmed beard. He was wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans, Bush said.
Anyone with information on the incident 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
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 6:11 p.m.
"The intruder was last seen unlocking the deadbolt to the back door of the home and leaving without taking anything." --- Asking: unlocking the deadbolt lock WITH WHAT?? Does this mean the intruder had TWO chances to access that residence?? If this incident was that prolonged, one can only wonder why the resident didn't FIRST call 911? Calling in, "I need police assistance at (address) - there's someone breaking in here." is the best first action when possible. This covers your (behind) and gets the police on their way - and may intimidate the intruder who then realizes his time is running short and he should get out of there. Every home invasion is potentially deadly - and a good $50 cell phone can be obtained at the local AT&T Store and other places. Lets please take these incidents more seriously - PLEASE.
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 7:14 p.m.
@Kyle Feldscher: Thanks for that clarification. Obviously, I was nudged to the conclusion that the intruder had first used the window opening to get in and then was "last seen" unlocking the dead-bolted back door - but left without taking anything. The connection, for some reason, wasn't clear at the first reading. Whatever, if I had been the resident, the first thing I'd have done was to reach for one of the (three) mobile phones I have to call police on the scene. Specifying: having a good mobile phone AND having a self defense handgun as backup * always within reach * is the formula from expert sources which I've followed since those devices have become available.
Kyle Feldscher
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 6:24 p.m.
Tru2Blu76- Hopefully this clarifies things: The man was inside the house and unlocked the deadbolt on the inside of the door to leave the home. He wasn't attempting to break in again, as far as I know, he was unlocking the deadbolt to leave the home.
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 5:25 p.m.
Just ask police or judges and lawyers: there's a distinction between property crimes and physical assault crimes. When an intruder is present, the best and safest way to avoid prosecution of oneself is to call 911 and give as much observed information as you can - rather than committing a crime by assaulting the intruder or thinking you can do physical harm to stop a property crime. The intruder or home invader must show signs of aggression before a case can be made for self defense. You must have reasonable cause to believe you may be under attack before you can use deadly force. The intruder in this case evidently cooperated when told to leave - that makes it a crime if the home defender uses force (i.e., initiates the use of force). OTH: displaying a weapon to reinforce your demands is not using force - just make sure it's the most effective weapon available and not something that might be turned against you (e.g., a pistol or shotgun vs a kitchen knife or crowbar). No one wants to see homeowners, residents or guests facing prosecution for "doing what they thought was right."
Madeleine Borthwick
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 2:20 p.m.
@cinnabar7071, too right!! that's why there's a crowbar near the door where we can easily get to it. we will, however wait until said lowlife is physically In the apt. where he/she can be presented with 2 choices: leave NOW, or get Mr. Crowbar upside the head...
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 5:55 p.m.
Just to mention: reviewing the entire contents of the NRA Home Defense Handbook, I can find no mention of crowbars or other hand-to-hand weapons as being the proper implements with which to defend home, property or one's life. Real life cases show that even "low lifes" can wipe out entire families if they weren't properly (and expertly) prepared. Impromptu solutions lead to impromptu results.
TinyArtist
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 3:06 p.m.
Why don't you and Cinnabar post your home addresses? Sounds like you're eager for something beyond target practice.
Ricebrnr
Mon, Aug 13, 2012 : 11:07 p.m.
To think a simple stick and 2 minutes with a saw could have prevented this..
Ricebrnr
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 12:06 p.m.
No that would require closing to hand to hand distances. I was suggesting cutting a stick to an appropriate length and they laying it in the door window track to prevent further opening.
smokeblwr
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 11:06 a.m.
Are you proposing some kind of eye poke and limb removal for the intruder?
smokeblwr
Mon, Aug 13, 2012 : 6:47 p.m.
Plaid shirt and jeans? What is this, 1993?
clownfish
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 : 1:14 p.m.
Could have been Senator Lamar Alexander.
Billy
Mon, Aug 13, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.
So we know he's in his 30s then....
nickcarraweigh
Mon, Aug 13, 2012 : 6:21 p.m.
There's no mug shot with the story, but in my copy of Webster's his thumbnail illustrates the world "aplomb".
antikvetch
Mon, Aug 13, 2012 : 6:18 p.m.
If the city would keep the art work fully lit at night, less crime would occur.
cinnabar7071
Mon, Aug 13, 2012 : 5:19 p.m.
He is so lucky he didn't pick my home!
RJA
Mon, Aug 13, 2012 : 5:13 p.m.
I don't care what color he is, how tall he is, what he weighs, hair color. short or long. He is a wanna-be thief. Asking if so & so lives here is getting old.
Mick52
Mon, Aug 13, 2012 : 5:36 p.m.
He is not a wanna be, he has committed a crime, at least unlawful entry and maybe malicious destruction of property since the window needs fixing. What he said is a typical thing that thieves do when confronted. You should care about what he looks like because they are trying to find him and this is what the public needs to know, what he looks like and here I think we get better detail than usual, enough for people to think they might know this guy.
Jonathan Blutarsky
Mon, Aug 13, 2012 : 4:56 p.m.
Again - I ask - why is this story not cite this as a home invasion?