Police Briefs: Two Arrested in Car Chase; Hartland Walmart Greeter Challenges Shoplifter

Two men were arrested Sunday on outstanding warrants in southern Livingston County after a chase in which at one point the driver in the suspect vehicle rammed a patrol car and drove around a police barrier designed to deflate tires, according to a state police news release.

The driver, a 29-year-old Whitmore Lake man, and the passenger, 51-year-old man of the Whitmore Lake area, fled after a state trooper attempted to stop the vehicle for a defective exhaust on Eight Mile Road near U.S. 23 in Green Oak Township at about 8 a.m., the news release said.

The chase ended after a second set of "stop sticks" disabled the pickup truck, although the passenger had exited the vehicle during the chase. He was later found at his workplace, the release said. No one was hurt during the incident that involved multiple police agencies.

The driver, who has several misdemeanor warrants pending against him, was taken to the Livingston County Jail, and the passenger, who faces a felony narcotics warrant, was turned over to the Northfield Township Police, the release said.

Additional charges are being sought, police said.

Sheriff: Mom in rollover accident involving kids was drunk

Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte said a 29-year-old woman's blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit of .08, following a recent rollover crash on U.S. 23 near Center Road in Tyrone Township, according to an article in the Livingston Daily Press & Argus.

The woman, who Bezotte said appeared intoxicated after the crash and whose preliminary breath test was 0.234, denied that she was driving the vehicle that was found at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday Dec. 4, according to the article.  The woman and her children, ages 1 and 5, were taken to Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc Township. The children were not seriously hurt, the article said.

A couple driving by on the highway stopped, finding the children crying in the back seat and the mother belted in the driver's seat. They pulled the children out before emergency personnel arrived, the article said.

Walmart greeter in Hartland helps prevent shoplifting

A Walmart greeter at the helped thwart a 29-year-old Fowlerville woman from stealing a 32-inch television, according to the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.

The woman attempted to exit with the TV without paying but was stopped by a greeter near a main entrance and then in the garden center by another individual at about 8 p.m. Nov. 27, a police report said. She eventually left the TV in the clothing section and exited the store. The unit is worth about $500.

Police say she's also a suspect in other shoplifting incidents at the Hartland and other area Walmarts.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Brighton area car fire suspected as arson

An unoccupied 2008 Ford Focus belonging to a 47-year-old Brighton area woman was found burned in what police suspect is an arson, according to the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.

A deputy discovered the vehicle's right rear quarter panel and gas fill door covered in soot and melted, a police report said. In addition, a cloth rag that appeared to be soaked with a petroleum-based product was found stuffed in the gas tank fill tube.

The incident occurred at about 1 a.m. Nov. 27 following a fight at the woman's home in the 1600 block of Wood Hill Road in Genoa Township that involved her boyfriend, his son and two other men, a police report said.

The investigation remains open, the report said.

Brighton area woman says nearly $1,000 fraudulently charged on her debit card

A 34-year-old Brighton area woman told police nearly $1,000 was charged to her debit card at Meijer store in Walled Lake on Thanksgiving without her knowledge, according to the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.

The woman, who lives in Genoa Township, and her husband still had their debit cards, so she believes someone stole her number to make the transaction, the report said. She has since put a hold on the account.

IPod Nano among items stolen from unlocked vehicle, Brighton Township man says

A 35-year-old Brighton Township man told police several items including an iPod nano and a GPS unit were stolen from his unlocked vehicle outside his home in the 4600 block of Canyon Trail, according to the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.

The items were worth than $500 in total and were taken sometime between 6 a.m. Nov. 27 and 6 a.m. Nov. 28, a report said.

GPS reported swiped from Tyrone Township driveway

A GPS unit worth $140 was recently reported stolen from a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home in the 9400 block of Apple Court in Tyrone Township, according to the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.

A 36-year-old Tyrone Township man told police he thought he left his vehicle locked and the item was taken sometime between 10 p.m. Nov. 25 and 9:30 a.m. Nov. 26, a police report said.

For questions about these briefs, email chris.machniak@patch.com.