Pair Arrested for Stealing Coins from Birmingham Parking Meters

Birmingham Police caught two Jackson residents traveling with a grandchild suspected of stealing roughly $1,000 from the city's parking meters during an early morning surveillance operation.

According to the , Tracey O'Neill, 41, and Corey Slattery, 33 — both from Jackson, MI — were arrested around 5:30 a.m. Monday and charged with larceny from a coin-operated device, a three-year felony.

During the last three months, police determined city parking meters were being accessed and coins taken, according to a police department press release. Losses were estimated to be close to $1,000.

Police used covert surveillance cameras to identify a suspect or suspects and figure out when the thefts were occuring.

According to reports, the couple was caught while under surveillance by plainclothes and uniformed officers around 5:30 a.m. Monday. Around that time, an officer observed a car drop off a woman near Purdy and Daines streets. The vehicle then slowly circled the area before parking on South Old Woodward near Daines.

The officer said he watched the woman approach a parking meter, empty the meter of its coins and proceed to South Old Woodawrd. Officers intercepted her as she approached the waiting vehicle.

According to reports, the woman had with her a homemade device used to catch coins as they came out of the parking meter, along with $3.20 in change. A fabricated key used to access the meter was also found on the ground next to the woman. O'Neill was arrested and taken into custody.

Meanwhile, officers also arrested Slattery, who was driving the vehicle. With him in the car was O'Neill's 19-month-old grandchild.

An investigation report was sent to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office for review. O'Neill and Slattery were arraigned Tuesday at the on the larceny charge. The child was turned over to his father.