Police Blotter: Man Flees Accident Scene; Woman Hits Tree; Wallet Taken

Following are highlights from reports from the Public Safety Departments in Berkley and Huntington Woods since Jan. 19:

Man flees scene of Berkley accident

A 911 caller reported to the at 12:24 a.m. Jan. 21 that a driver hit a vehicle parked in front of their home in the 3750 block of Kenmore and fled the scene. The vehicle that was hit was legally parked and a relative of the owner was able to follow the suspect long enough to obtain a license plate number, according to a public safety report. A neighbor reported the fleeing driver speeding west on Webster near Greenfield, but officers were not able to locate him, according to the report.

At approximately 4:48 a.m., the reporting officer was dispatched to the 3730 block of Oakshire on reports of a suspicious person knocking on doors looking for a lost dog. The reporting officer made contact with the man and a dispatcher confirmed he was the same person who was involved in the hit-and-run accident earlier that morning. The man had dried blood around his mouth and nose and on his clothing and smelled of intoxicants, the officer reported.

The officer went to the man's residence in the 4130 block of Greenfield Road and observed a vehicle in the driveway with "heavy front end damage and air bag deployment." There also was blood in the car's interior, the officer noted. The man told the officer he had been in an accident on his way home from work in Plymouth, got scared and left the scene. He said he went home, had a few drinks and fell asleep. The man also stated he was on parole for larceny from an automobile. When his girlfriend came home from work, she told him their dog had gotten out, which is why he was looking for the animal in the neighborhood, the man said.

The man's girlfriend, who lives with him on Greenfield, said she was working when she received several calls from him around midnight stating that he'd been in an accident and wanted her to come home. She was not able to leave work, but when she did get home, around 4 a.m., she found the man sleeping and the dog missing, according to the report.

The man was arrested, his vehicle impounded and a preliminary blood test given, which resulted in a .11 reading; the legal limit in Michigan is .08.

The man was released later that day on a $500 personal injury receipt for medical reasons after complaining of severe pain from an injury to his tongue sustained during the accident. He was transported to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.

The man was issued a violation for failing to stop and identify after a property damage accident and given a court date.

Intoxicated woman hits tree in Huntington Woods

A officer reported at 3:18 a.m. Jan. 20 having observed a vehicle parked in the middle of the road on Morton, just north of Wales, with heavy front-end damage. The officer pulled alongside the vehicle and observed a woman sitting in the driver's seat. Tree branches and sticks were noted on the hood and roof of the car and a tree limb was wedged underneath the vehicle, according to the officer's report.

The officer said the vehicle was not running but engaged in low gear and that the driver appeared to be highly intoxicated. The driver told the officer she was uninjured and had had "a couple drinks" earlier in the evening; she also said she had hit a tree, but did not know where, according to the report.

An assisting officer was called to the scene and sobriety tests were issued, none of which the woman was able to perform, according to the report.

The woman was transported to the Berkley Public Safety Department, where she underwent a breath test with a result of .24 at 4:01 a.m. and .26 at 4:04 a.m.

Meanwhile, the assisting officer followed a debris/fluid/tire mark trail from the scene of the arrest to a tree near Parkwood and East Roycourt. While en route to the public safety station, the reporting officer also drove past the island formed by the intersecting roads and observed a tree with downed limbs, damage to the trunk and white paint and car debris embedded in its bark, the report said. The officer reported that the driver said she was confused by the split in the road.

The woman was arrested on a charge of operating while intoxicated.

Wallet taken from Crispelli's

A man reported Jan. 19 that his brother, who was not present during the report, had his wallet taken Jan. 14 from the worksite at .

The victim's brother stated that a man went into the restaurant at 28939 Woodward Ave. that day and asked to drop off fliers for a fundraiser and to speak with someone who could make a donation. Workers told him to wait while they went to go get someone.

Video surveillance footage shows the suspect walking over to a table with a briefcase on it, reaching in, removing a wallet and putting it in his pocket before walking over to another employee, giving him the fliers and leaving, according to the report.

The victim originally thought he had lost his wallet, until the restaurant's video surveillance company came to the store and played the video, his brother said.

A call to the company listed on the flier revealed it has received other calls about the same thing happening elsewhere, according to the report.

The suspect is approximately 5'10" with balding, brown hair, the report states. The Berkley detective bureau is investigating.

Residents or business owners who have information to report or who notice something unusual in their neighborhood can call the at 248-658-3380 or the at 248-541-1180. Public Safety officials encourage residents and business owners to keep their doors and windows secured at all times.