Brandon Twp.- Be a good neighbor.
This advice from Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Detective Chris Pacholski may be key in reducing home invasions in the township, particularly recent ones that have occurred during the day.
‘It will help a lot if neighbors look out for each other and notify us when there are strangers in the neighborhood during the day,? Pacholski said. ‘Let the police come and check to see if they are legit.?
According to police reports, the most recent home invasion occurred on Feb. 4 in the 4800 block of Ramsey Road. The homeowner said someone forced his front door in between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and stole a large quantity of jewelry from the master bedroom. The gold and silver jewelry had an estimated value of $50,000.
One neighbor reported seeing a younger looking white male walk down the driveway, but did not see a vehicle. Another neighbor that was interviewed said at about 11 a.m. the same day, a man about 6 feet tall with light brown hair and estimated to be about 40-years-old showed up at her home and appeared surprised when she came to the front door. He asked the woman if she needed her roof worked on, but had no paperwork. He drove a 4-door American made car, that had a woman passenger in the back and another man in the front.
Pacholski said when burglars encounter someone at a home they intended to rob, they often pose as cable workers or contractors or claim they are looking for a person at the address. The latter scenario was one used by Matthew Neubeck, who was arraigned last month on four counts of home invasion.
An alert Hadley Road resident contacted police after observing from his window a man, later identified as Neubeck, pull into his driveway. Neubeck stopped when he saw the homeowner in the window, exited his vehicle, and asked him if a ‘Cheryl? lived there. The homeowner replied no one was there by that name and Neubeck named another address he was looking for and left. The homeowner took down Neubeck’s license plate number, then checked and learned the address he’d asked for didn’t exist. The man gave the police the plate number, which led to surveillance of Neubeck and his subsequent arrest.
‘It’s important the neighbors stick together and call the police, they may help us solve a burglary,? Pacholski said.
Township homes are susceptible to daytime thieves due to the rural nature of the area, with few neighbors and long driveways and numerous trees to shield criminal activity. Besides being wary of strangers in the neighborhood, residents can also protect themselves by installing alarm systems. Large dogs in the home can also work as a deterrent to criminals.
Pacholski said heroin addiction is often the motivation for thieves in home invasions, and the items most often taken are jewelry, guns, coins, laptop computers, and video game systems. He recommends that homeowners lock firearms in a gun safe and place expensive jewelry and other small valuables in a safety deposit box. If the jewelry is frequently worn, he urges adequate insurance.
Anyone witnessing suspicious or unusual activity can call the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at 248-858-4950.