Police Investigate Vehicle Theft, Attempt

Clawson police are seeking the person or people responsible for a truck theft and an attempted van theft this weekend, which they believe are related.

A resident on Manitou Avenue said her car was stolen from her driveway, which faces 14 Mile Road, between Sunday night and early Monday morning. Police reports say the vehicle taken was a dark blue Ford pickup with a red snowplow attached to the front and a personalized Michigan license plate that reads "Sparkee."

Police found broken glass in the driveway and a door lock that had been punched out of the vehicle. An officer also observed footprints leading through the resident's backyard to the nearby intersection of 14 Mile and Gargantua.

In the other incident, police say someone attempted to steal a van parked in an alley near a home on Bowers Street and Rochester Road between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Clawson Police Chief Harry Anderson said the van's lock also was punched out, but apparently no one gained entry.

Anderson said he believes both incidents are related because the same method of break-in was used and the incidents occurred within 24 hours of each other.

"It was done by the same crew probably," said Anderson, adding that a lot of related crimes in Clawson are committed in spurts by the same individuals. In many car thefts, there is a second suspect who drops off the car thief, he said.

Anderson said residents should always be alert of suspicious behavior in their neighborhoods and notify police right away if they see anything.

"Keep an eye out for anything that looks suspicious," Anderson said. "We will come and check it out."

Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to contact Clawson Police at 248-435-5000.