It may not be a crime wave, but several break-ins at small businesses in the Clarkston area was cause for concern for at least two store owners.
Heidi Graunstadt, owner of the LA Caf? at 5815 Dixie Highway, was driven to action following a Sept. 2 break-in at her location. The perpetrator(s) used cement slabs, likely left from the renovation of a nearby business, to break the door in, she said.
She had heard of other break-ins at small restaurants in her area, including a Jimmy John’s location in the Waterfall Plaza, and felt compelled to alert other area businesses.
‘I need other people to know what’s going on,? Graunstadt said.
‘No one was telling each other, no one was saying anything.?
Graunstadt said she cannot remember the last time her business was broken into. She has heard from others the crimes had similar features, using existing landscaping rocks or, in her case, hardened cement, to commit the crimes.
‘They (criminals) want quick cash’and we need cash to run our businesses,? Graunstadt said.
‘They just don’t care about surveillance and other equipment because they are so brazen.?
Just two days prior, Mel’s Grill at 7080 Gateway Park Drive, at the corner of Andersonville and White Lake roads, was broken into.
According to police reports, the break-in looked as if it had been facilitated by an accompanying landscaping rock, thrown through a window.
Mel’s owner Jim Mellema said he could not understand how the robbers got into the building because the damage done to the affected window was remarkably small.
The robbery was caught on surveillance video at 10:15 p.m. The cameras captured the suspect using a flashlight to find their way through the restaurant.
Burglars stole change and emptied cash registers during the break-in. An employee opening the restaurant he next morning reported the break in.
Mellema said he suspects younger criminals because of both the time and the point of entry. He noted that at his former location on Pelton Road in Independence Township, he never encountered a crime like this.
‘I’ve never dealt with it on either side of Clarkston, but times are tough,? he said.
Mel’s employee Cathy Tuohy said, ‘our customers were so shocked.?
‘I was very surprised because it’s Clarkston.?
Hometown Pizza, on the other side of the complex from Mel’s, was the target of two break-ins in one month. The first, on Aug. 9, happened when the perpetrator broke through a front window. The second occurrence on Aug. 30, when the side window was the point of entry.
‘It’s not only me, it’s everybody,? said Hometown Pizza owner Clyde Bardhoshi.
‘It (the crime) is surprising, because this is supposed to be a quiet area.
‘Sooner or later they will get caught,? he added.
Also, only days prior to the second Hometown Pizza robbery, on Aug. 26, both Jan’s Finishing Touch at 9474 Dixie Highway and Frosty Boy at 9263 Dixie Highway were broken into during robberies that likely had a connection.
At Jan’s, the suspects entered after breaking a screen on a window and stole money from a candy box, and apparently fixed themselves a bowl of soup prior to leaving. The suspect also took candy and a bag of Doritos, which was found at Frosty Boy on an outside ledge.
Frosty Boy owner Michael Troschinetz said the burglar entered in the drive-thru window after attempting to gain entry through a front window, and knocked a register down. Troschinetz said it also looked as though the person was not inside the store for a long time because items in the rear of the building went untouched.
Another register recorded the time it was opened, 5:15 a.m., by the suspect. The suspect stole approximately $400.
Troschinetz was thankful the incident happened while the ice cream shop was closed and no one was harmed.
Having owned the store since 1990, he said he recalls only one other crime.
‘I never really had trouble before’no vandalism, no nothing,? he said.
‘The biggest problem is making sure they (teenagers) don’t skateboard and get hurt.?
Oakland County Sheriff’s Department officials in Springfield Township said the investigation into the Jan’s and Frosty Boy robberies are ongoing, and the department is following up on leads in the cases.
Detective Steve Armstrong, OCSD Independence Township, agreed with Troschinetz’s observations regarding the time needed for a robbery.
‘It’s absolutely amazing how fast these people can get in and out,? Armstrong said. The average time is less than one minute.
The investigations into Mel’s and Hometown Pizza are both ongoing, he said.
The best way to keep the criminal element away is to keep lights on both in the parking lot and within the building, Armstrong said.
The robberies at Mel’s and Hometown Pizza could possibly be linked due to the proximity of the locations, but that is not definite, Armstrong said.
He said he has little knowledge of problems within the Gateway Park plaza prior to these incidents.
‘It was shocking to me to see someone get hit two times in the same manner,? he said.
Armstrong suggested residents inform police of people hanging around businesses late at night.
‘We do rely on these calls, they do turn out positive results. It’s a more proactive approach to get suspects initially instead of trying to trace a suspect,? Armstrong said.
The Independence OCSD station can be reached at 248-620-4968. The Springfield OCSD station can be reached at 248-625-8531, and the central dispatch for OCSD can be reached at 248-858-4950.