Woman Leaves Toddler Asleep in Car at Mall; Resident Chases Auto Theft Suspect

A concerned citizen flagged down officers Monday afternoon after noticing that a small child had been left alone in a parked car at The Somerset Collection, according to a report from Troy Police. Officers found a toddler asleep in a car seat in the vehicle.

The child's mother, a 29-year-old woman from Auburn Hills, returned 20 minutes later, according to the report. The child was unharmed, and the woman was cautioned that the child should never be left alone in a vehicle.

The woman was not cited at the time, and the matter has been turned over to Child Protective Services.

Resident chases auto theft suspect

A resident on the 2000 block of Maple called Troy Police after someone attempted to steal the resident's car from the driveway while the resident was home, according to a media release from the Troy Police Department.

The resident first noticed headlights in his driveway; he then realized they were his own vehicle's headlights and that someone was attempting to back his vehicle out of the driveway and onto Maple Road.

The resident ran outside to confront the suspect, who was unable to back out onto Maple because of traffic. The suspect ditched the vehicle and jumped into the passenger seat of a small black sedan parked in the next driveway, then fled the scene, according to the report.

The resident discovered that the suspect had pried open the window and hot wired the car. The suspect is a male in his mid-20s wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, according to the police report.

Caregiver admits to stealing from family

A homeowner on the 1000 block of Lamb filed a police report Tuesday after he said he caught an in-home caregiver stealing cash from the family, according to a police report. The homeowner had suspected the caregiver of stealing and purposely left the caregiver home with only the patient.

He returned home five minutes later and discovered the woman in his daughter's bedroom going through a cash box. The woman admitted to police that in the past three weeks, she has stolen cash and clothes from the family, according to the report.

Man suspected of dining, ditching at Shield's Pizza

A Shield's Pizza employee reported Friday that a man — whom the employee recognized following two previous incidents in which the man allegedly left without paying for his meal — again came to the restaurant and ordered food and drinks, according to a Troy Police report.

When the man left without paying again, the employee recorded the customer's llicense plate number. The matter is still under investigation.

For questions about this blotter, email editor Jen Anesi at jen.anesi@patch.com.