Burglars Strike in Grosse Pointe Woods, Investigation On-going

Grosse Pointe Woods police are investigating the Feb. 22 burglary of a home in which tire and footprints found at the scene match those found outside of several other nearby homes.

Officers were called to the house in the 900 block of Briarcliff Drive about 8:15 p.m. Feb. 22 by a neighbor who spotted an open garage door. The neighbor knew the residents were on vacation.

Responding officers found that a door to the house was also standing open and the house had been ransacked.

The neighbor reported that when he was outside shoveling at 5 p.m. that night, the garage door had been closed, leading police to believe the crime was committed between 5 to 8 p.m., Woods Public Safety Director Andrew Pazuchowski said.

In addition to small items being stolen from inside the home, a car was stolen from the garage. The 10-year-old car still has not been recovered, Pazuchowski said.

During the investigation at the scene, an officer found boot and tire prints outside several other homes in the area that matched the evidence gathered at the home actually broken into, according to a report.

Pazuchowski said there is not any evidence or signs that connect this burglary to any others in the area, including the most recent on Moorland Drive or any of the burglaries in Grosse Pointe Shores earlier this year.

There were many valuables left behind in the house, such as a flat screen tv and a computer, Pazuchowski said, indicating the burglars may have committed the crime to feed a drug addiction.

When the stolen car is located, it may be telling about the crime, Pazuchowski said. A detective processed the house for possible fingerprints and other evidence, all of which is being reviewed.

Pazuchowski said there were no witnesses to the crime despie it happening in the early evening. The homes where officers found evidence of similar footprints were not broken into, according to the reports.

While it is unclear whether this crime is related to the other recent burglaries, Pazuchowski said at this time the method behind the crime seems different.