Unfazed by Taser, Retail Fraud Suspect Plows Through Frigid Utica Pond, Police Say

Shoplifting incident gets suspect soaked

A 21-year-old Clinton Township man's pursuit of a $300 headphone set from Best Buy landed him in hot water after jumping in a cold pond, according to Utica police.

Around 8:30 p.m. Jan. 31, store employees notified Utica police of an alleged shoplifter who fled without paying for a pair of Dr. Dre Beats Headphones. When officers tried to stop him, he ran through the parking lot toward the rear of the store. A police officer deployed his Taser, hitting him with one probe but he continued on, the police report states.

The suspect then ran into the retention pond behind the complex, pushing through water and ice. When he made it out of the pond, the pursuing officer, who followed him from land, found him on Utica Park Boulevard, the report states.

He was struck by one Taser probe again, losing his balance and hitting a street sign. He was then placed under arrest for suspicion of retail fraud and resisting and obstructing police. His mother brought him dry clothes, police said.

Mystery truck hauls off stolen goods

Homeowners reported that several of their valuables were missing Jan. 30 from their house and garage at the 8000 block of Canal, Utica police said.

In the evening, the property owners discovered their laptop missing from their dining room table as well as tools and equipment from their garage. There was no known forced entry, but the officer suspected someone gained entry from the side garage door, the report states.

A neighbor told police that he saw a woman, between 30 to 40 years old, in an orange Dodge Ram around 9:15 a.m. that day pull into the victims' driveway, but did not witness the actual theft. The truck had a decal on the back windshield for a landscaping company, police said.

Car windows smashed in driveway

Someone knocked out the windows on two vehicles parked in a driveway at the 56000 block of Summit Drive the morning of Jan. 30, according to Shelby Township police.

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