The man accused of breaking into a Clarkston home and stealing guns, jewelry and hundreds of dollars in loose change was arrested and jailed after police apprehended him in a nearby yard last week.
Kurt Alan Thayer, 43, was charged in the 52-2 District Court and held on $500,000 bond, no 10 percent cash surety.
The burglary took place on Robertson Court while the homeowners were out of town earlier this month, and neighbors told police they suspected Thayer.
According to Clarkston Police Chief Dale LaCroix, the man once resided in a home off Clarkston Road, which backs to Robertson Court, and was familiar with the neighborhood, as well as its residents.
When a second homeowner saw a man she identified as the suspect walk out of her home Oct. 18, she called police, LaCroix said, and Officer Bob Hagberg responded, cornered the suspect in a backyard and called for backup from Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies in Independence Township.
‘I want to thank the county,? said LaCroix at a Clarkston City Council meeting Monday.
‘They sent about 10 cars out and the guy was captured in short order.?
?(Officer Roy Johnson) does all our detective work,? said LaCroix, noting a number of stolen items were recovered in a Waterford pawn shop. ‘He’s still digging around and working to gather all the information.?
Although Thayer listed a Pontiac address as his residence, police say he is homeless, rumored to be a drug user and has walked into homes on Robertson Court a number of times. He also has warrants out of Waterford, and possibly other communities, as well, said LaCroix.
Further investigation revealed Thayer was a suspect in earlier break-ins on Robertson Court, LaCroix said, although he could not specify dates or other details in those incidents.
LaCroix said the department is instituting a house check program, and resident planning to be out of town can contact the city offices, the police station, fill out an information form and police will check on the house.
During Monday’s city council meeting, Robertson Court resident Tom Stone thanked police for their work apprehending the suspect.
‘The police department and particularly the chief did a wonderful job,? Stone said. ‘And’Bob Hagberg, along with excellent cooperation by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, did a really good job corralling the suspect.?
Stone indicated he and other neighbors had been concerned about the matter for some time.
‘I think it was a wonderful job,? he said. ‘And we all feel more secure because of that.?