Suspect Arrested after Attempting to Steal to Support Herion Addiction

A 27-year-old man believed to have stolen several items from two local Walmart stores to support his heroin addiction was arrested on Jan. 9 after attempting to steal electronics from two different stores, according to a police report from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department. 

Police say that on Jan. 8, the suspect had stolen a 40’ Hinsense TV from the Hartland Walmart and then had returned again the next day. 

According to the report, police responded to call from the Hartland Walmart on Jan. 9, after an employee saw the suspect place the same model TV in his cart.

Police say the suspect had started to walk to the front of the store but appeared to become “nervous” and left the TV in the shopping cart and exited the store where he was seen getting into a maroon-colored Chevy van, similar to one seen the day before. 

While police were on scene at the Hartland Walmart, another call came in from the Howell Walmart reporting a retail fraud in progress, giving a matching description of the suspect. 

Police say that a store employee approached the suspect in the Howell Walmart, who then made an attempt to run and had to be physically restrained and returned to the store. The suspect was then arrested, according to the report and lodged at the Livingston County Jail. 

According to the report, the suspect admitted to stealing a TV from the Hartland Walmart on Jan. 8 to support an $80 a day heroin habit.

Police say the suspect sold the stolen TV to a “dope man” for $200 worth of dope and $150 in cash. The suspect was questioned about the driver of the maroon-colored van, but refused to identify the driver and told police the driver had only received $50 in cash.

Purse stolen from unlocked car

On Jan. 11, a 57-year-old woman reported that her purse had been stolen from her unlocked car that was parked in front of her parent’s home on 1800 block of Santa Fe Trail in Hartland, according to a report from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department.

Police say the woman arrived around 10 a.m. to visit her parent’s and left her car unlocked since she felt it was safe and she had only planned to stay inside for a short time.

According to the report, the car was parked directly in front of the house and when the woman returned to her car 45 minutes later, noticed her purse, containing $106, a personal check worth $60, drivers license and two bank cards, missing from the passenger side seat.

Suspicious message left by man claiming to be a DEA Agent

On Jan. 5, a Howell woman contacted police after receiving a suspicious phone message from a caller claiming to be a DEA agent, according to a police report.

Police say the woman was left a message to contact an Agent Waller regarding a warrant for purchasing drugs over the Internet.

After returning the call and leaving a message, police say the woman was again contacted by an Agent Waller who told her to contact a man named Robert Champion at a different number. 

According to the report, after speaking with Robert Champion, the woman was told she had a warrant in the amount of $700 and when she said she could not pay that amount, she was told she could pay $300. 

Police say the man then told the woman to go to a CVS store and purchase a green dot card and call him back in ten minutes. The woman told police she thought that was “strange” and did not call him back or go to the CVS store.