Man Steals Donations Can; Suspicious Man Seen on Lakepark

The following is a roundup of recent Birmingham Police reports:

Man arrested after taking donations can from Arizona Saddlery

Police arrested a man Monday for taking the donations can at the on Woodward Avenue.

According to police reports, employees saw the man, a 24-year-old from Detroit, enter the store around 11 a.m. Monday and ask for the manager. When told the manager wasn't available, the man left the store and began walking southbound on Woodward. Police say it was then that employees realized the store's donation can was missing.

The manager tried to find the man, but found the empty donation can in the alley south of the business. Responding officers later located the man walking south on Woodward, south of 14 Mile Road. He admitted to taking the donation money of approximately $21.

The man was taken into custody and charged with misdemeanor larceny. The man also had a felony warrant out of Hamtramck for check fraud, so he was turned over the Hamtramck Police.

Driver, passenger arrested after marijuana discovered in their car

A 21-year-old man from Berkley was arrested last Friday on a charge of operating a vehicle while under the influence of narcotics.

According to police reports, officers working traffic enforcement in the area of Hanna and Southfield at around 2 a.m. saw a car heading westbound on Hanna stop at the Southfield stop sign, then accelerate backward at around 30 mph for the length of one block.

Police stopped the car and immediately officers said they could detect the smell of marijuana inside the car. Officers later discovered a small amount of suspected marijuana concealed by the passenger, also a 21-year-old from Berkley. Drug paraphernalia was also discovered in the car.

The driver was taken into custody on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of narcotics and the passenger was taken into custody on a charge of possession of marijuana. Both were later released with a court date.

Suspicious man takes off running after resident approaches him on Lakepark

Several residents reported a suspicious person near the 800 block of Lakepark early Saturday morning.

According to police reports, a resident saw a suspicious man — described as being between 30-40 years old, around 6 feet tall, medium build and wearing a dark hoodie, dark jeans and dark shoes — walking around a house on Lakepark at around 6 a.m. He then walked up to the vehicle in the driveway.

The resident approached the man and asked what he was doing. The man said he was trying to get into his car, but then took off running westbound, cutting through several backyards. Officers called to the scene were able to follow the suspect's footprints in the snow to the area of Oak and Puritan, where the snow had been cleared and the tracks were no longer visible. Nothing was reported stolen in the area that day.

Anyone with information may call the Birmingham Police Department at 248-530-1889. If you have any questions about this report, email Laura.Houser@Patch.com.