Highland Teen Steals Money to Pay MIP Fines

An 18-year-old Highland Teen was charged with two counts of embezzlement after taking money from a cash register at the Hartland Target where he worked, according to a police report.

Police responded to a call from Target loss prevention officers on Dec. 14, who already had the teen's signed confession of taking a total of $140 from the register on two separate occasions, once on Nov. 28 and again on Dec. 10, the report said.

Target loss prevention officers told police they were tipped off by the Brighton Meijer store about an employee working for them that was fired for unethical behavior. Afterwards, they pulled reports to see which days the teen had been short cash on his drawer. On Nov. 28, he was short $40 and on Dec. 10, he was short $100, according to the report.

The teen told police that he took the money to pay costs and fines to Oakland County for the Minor in Possession (MIP) probation he was on.

Copper wire stolen from church construction site

Copper wire was stolen from the 242 Community Church construction site on Grand River Avenue sometime between Dec. 14 and Dec. 15, according to a police report.

An employee of Electrical Services Inc. in Livonia told police that he found the main leads to the breaker box had been cut and taken, the report said. The man said that everything had been hooked up with a temporary service until late the day before, when the temporary service was unhooked and the other service pulled through the block wall and ready to be hooked up that day.

The man told police that he believes that someone with knowledge of this would have known that there was not power running and that they would not be hurt when cutting the wiring, the report said.

Brighton, Howell women steal video games, clothing

A 26-year-old Brighton woman and a 22-year-old Howell woman were charged with retail fraud on Dec. 14 at the Genoa Township Walmart.

A Walmart loss prevention employee told police that the two women were seen selected multiple video games and socks from the intimates department, then enter the hardware department where one of the women concealed items in her purse while the other acted as a lookout, the report said.

The women passed all cash registers before being stopped, the report said. The stolen items included five Nintendo Wii games and clothing totaling more than $280.

Fowlerville man takes water heater

A 35-year-old Fowlerville man was charged with larceny and driving with a suspended license on Dec. 14 after taking a water heater from the front of an Oceola Township home.

The homeowner on the 300 block of N. Latson Road, said she had just moved in and had to replace the water heater, which her boyfriend left in front of the garage, which sits about 60 feet off of the road way, the report said.

The homeowner told police that a blue Chevy single cab pick up truck backed into her driveway and took the water heater and that she came out of the house and yelled at the man, who got back into his truck and left, the report said.

Police said they went to Regal's Recycling and discovered the man had sold the water heater to them for $16. Police were able to get the man's address from the shop, the report said.

The man told police that it was a big misunderstanding, and that he was told to pick up the water heater, but he could not give police a name or phone number of who told him to do it, according to the report.