A person suspected of breaking into Quality Fasteners during the early morning hours of Sept. 20 and stealing cash and power tools has been apprehended.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Department officials have been questioning the 19-year-old suspect, who has not been identified, regarding his alleged breaking and entering and theft of items from the business.
According to Detective Kevin McNally, the suspect was actually arrested in Auburn Hills on an unrelated charge. He was pulled over and arrested for drunken driving and underage drinking later in the morning Sept. 20.
A routine examination up the vehicle’s impounding located the stolen items from Quality Fasteners in the trunk.
McNally said that the suspect has denied any involvement in the crime, refused to answer questions regarding the items found in his trunk and said he didn’t know how the stolen items wound up there. Meanwhile, the detective is seeking a warrant for the suspect’s arrest.
Authorities were able to apprehend the suspect due to a witness who saw a vehicle leave the business. An employee at Stow Away Storage, according to the police report, was at his business and heard a vehicle with a loud exhaust system traveling southbound on Adventure Lane. He then saw a light-colored four-door vehicle travel past his business, turn right onto Oakwood at the stop sign and then head southbound onto North Lapeer Road at a high speed.
Vaughan called police and told them of the vehicle’s brake lights, which extended across the vehicle’s entire rear end.
The theft was discovered when a Quality Fastener employee came to work and noticed that a north-side pedestrian door was unlocked and that the main office door had been forced open. He alerted authorities.
Further inspection, according to the report, revealed the suspect had gained entry through the unlocked sliding window in the manager’s office, had crawled through and then had forced his way into the rest of the business by getting through the main office door.
A footprint was found on the desk where the suspect stepped down into the office.
Police collected as evidence a partial latent fingerprint from outside the office window, a broken bottle of liquor and a door handle from the office of owner Stephen ‘Mickey? Hiatt.
Hiatt told police that his business sells industrial supplies to commercial businesses and that not much cash is kept on hand after hours. He estimated the damages at about $2,500 and said about $3,000 in merchandise was stolen.
Hiatt, who said he has gotten back most of his merchandise, added that the suspect also took half a bottle of vodka and a 12-pack of beer.
He believes that the suspect consumed the alcohol as he was driving away from the business and onto M-24.
Among the items stolen and later recovered were about $100 in petty cash, air-powered tools, a camcorder and digital camera. Thousands of dollars in other merchandise were left untouched.
Because the suspect knew where to find the petty cash, Hiatt told authorities that he thought the suspect was someone who was familiar with the business.
McNally said that the suspect had an acquaintance that worked at the business.
Video surveillance cameras showed that the footage from the time of the break-in and theft was inexplicably paused, suggesting the suspect may have paused the recording prior to the crime.
The available footage showed nothing that could identify the suspect.