A 54-year-old man who broke into the Brandon Township home that he last lived in 15 years ago has been arraigned on charges.
According to police reports, Perry Richard Neelands, a Clawson resident, lived in the home in the 600 block of S. Hadley Road from 1991-1995, but the home has changed owners twice since. The current resident arrived home at about 12:10 p.m. April 10 and found a strange car in her driveway, with all four doors and the trunk open. A set of golf clubs was next to the trunk and the woman’s large dog, which had been crated when she left the house at about 8:30 a.m., was roaming the front yard. She parked her vehicle behind the suspect vehicle and found a man, later determined to be Neelands, walking around from the backyard. When she asked who he was and what he was doing, Neelands responded that he lived there and walked back in the house. The homeowner called 9-1-1.
When a Brandon deputy arrived, the storm cellar door next to the back door was wide open, as well as the rear door, with the screen door shut. The deputy opened the door and announced himself. Neelands answered and the deputy told him to come out, to which the man replied, ‘No.?
The deputy entered and Neelands appeared around a wall into sight. He raised his hands, yelled, turned and ran into the house. The deputy heard an inner door slam shut. A second deputy arrived and while continuously trying to communicate verbally, determined the suspect was in the master bedroom. Neelands told them to get out.
The homeowner informed the deputies a hunting rifle is kept in the bedroom, and she wasn’t sure if it was loaded. Additional deputies were called in. Neelands refused to come out, but opened the door and threw out two cards and cigarettes, then opened the door again and threw out his black wallet. He opened the door a third time, slowly, and was ordered to turn around and drop to his knees. He complied and the deputies entered the room and handcuffeed Neelands without incident. He told police he used to live at the residence and his girlfriend lives there.
A neighbor said she left for the store at 9 a.m. and saw the suspect’s vehicle in the driveway at that time. When she returned at 11 a.m., she heard loud music coming from the car.
No property was discovered missing, but Neelands had taken food out of the refrigerator and appeared to have pelted the homeowner’s two dogs (who had both been crated), with eggs. He also drank two small bottles of wine.
The front door was damaged, with the door frame shattered and a large rock and shovel were found by the front door. The suspect also appeared to have taken a shower at the home.
Neelands was uncooperative during the booking process and was acting extremely erratic. His mother told police he suffers from manic depression and hypoglycemia. He stopped taking his medications one month ago and had been drinking heavily since. She said he has never been violent but has been hearing voices lately telling him to kill their dog.
Neelands was arraigned on one count of unlawful entry and one count of malicious destruction of a building on April 12 in front of 52-2 District Court Magistrate Thomas Raguso. Both are misdemeanor charges. Neelands may be a candidate for a jail diversion program for mental health patients. His bond was set at $10,000, no 10 percent. He remains in custody at the Oakland County Jail. A pre-trial is set for April 25 in front of 52-2 District Court Judge Kelley Kostin.