Dearborn Police: Man Broke Into Businesses, Stole Donation Boxes

DEARBORN, MI — A 33-year-old man has been accused of several business break-ins and donation box thefts from around Dearborn, the city police department announced Thursday.

Police said Jose Cartalla has been charged with four counts of breaking and entering a business, five counts of larceny from a building, two misdemeanor counts of entering without permission, two misdemeanor counts of malicious destruction of property and two misdemeanor counts of violating the governor's stay-home order.

“Our generous businesses and community consistently contribute to those who our less fortunate," Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad said. "Breaking into businesses during the early morning hours to steal this money is shameful. We will hold the suspect accountable.”

Since December of 2019, multiple Dearborn business owners experienced a rash of break-ins and theft of donation boxes, police said. Cartalla is accused in seven of the incidents, beginning in December 2019 and ending in April 2020, police said.

Police said they worked tirelessly to identify and arrest the accused after the latest break-in, which took place during the early morning hours of April 24.

Cartalla was arraigned Monday in front of 19th District Court Judge Gene Hunt, police said. He is currently being held at the Wayne County Jail on a $100,000 bond, according to police.