Driver Fails to Yield to School Bus, Gives Bus Driver the Finger; Marijuana Plants Found in Home

The following is a recap of recent crime news from the Troy Police Department. For questions about this blotter, please email Troy Patch editor Jen Anesi at jen.anesi@patch.com.

Marijuana plants found in home

Troy Police officers discovered 10 marijuana plants late Thursday evening on the 6000 block of Coolidge after receiving reports of a suspicious vehicle in the driveway of a home that was thought to be unoccupied, according to a Troy Police report.

The owner of the home, who said he had a medical marijuana license, could not produce the license, though he did have his application for the card and doctor's authorization. The owner and another guest at the home were released pending further investigation, according to the report.

Teens cited for possession of marijuana at Oakland Mall

Troy officers responded Wednesday afternoon to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of Oakland Mall. Upon arriving, officers observed the front seat passenger, a 17-year-old Madison Heights resident, rolling a marijuana cigarette with marijuana on his lap, according to a report from the Troy Police Department.

The passenger told police he and the driver, an 18-year-old also from Madison Heights, owned the marijuana; a third passenger in the back seat of the vehicle, who was a juvenile, did not possess any drugs or paraphernalia, according to the report.

Troy police cited both the driver and the front seat passenger with possession of marijuana.

Homeowner's children discover break-in

Some time overnight on Tuesday, thieves forced open the rear door to a home on the 800 block of Eckford, ransacking the home and stealing electronics and jewelry, according to Troy Police. The children of the homeowner, who was away at the time, discovered the break-in.

Mailbox, vehicle vandalized

A homeowner on the 2000 block of Vermont reported her mailbox damaged overnight on Tuesday. Officers found plastic car-like parts near the mailbox, suggesting it was hit by a car, according to a police report.

On the 2000 block of Prescott, a resident reported someone had used a rock to break the passenger side window of the vehicle overnight on Wednesday. Nothing was stolen from the car, according to a police report.

Man attempts to steal binoculars from hardware store

A store employee at Trevarrow Hardware reported seeing a man shove packaging for a pair of binoculars valued at $33 onto a shelving unit in the store Wednesday afternoon. According to a police report, the suspect realized he was being watched and discarded the merchandise before driving away in a rust-colored Pontiac Vibe. Police are working to prosecute the individual, per the store's request.

Woman steals $3,345 worth of Gucci handbags

Store employees at Gucci reported assisting a female customer Thursday morning. After the customer left, employees noticed two handbags were missing from the display shelf, according to a police report. Security tapes show the woman stuffing the handbags into a larger bag, then leaving without paying for the bags.

Driver fails to yield to school bus, gives bus driver the finger

A school bus driver reported Wednesday morning that the driver of a car failed to yield to the bus in the parking lot of Woodland School, according to a police report. The driver of the vehicle eventually "made a finger gesture" to the bus driver and exited the parking lot.

The other driver then remained stopped at a green light at South Boulevard and Livernois while talking on a cell phone. Troy Police contacted the driver, who was advised of the proper traffic laws.

Driver arrested for having loaded .40-caliber pistol under seat

Troy Police officers investigating reports of narcotics trafficking at a nearby hotel stopped a vehicle near Rochester and Rankin Thursday afternoon. The driver had no driver's license, according to a Troy Police report, and police discovered a loaded .40-caliber Glock pistol under the driver's seat.

One of the four passengers in the vehicle pointed out the driver, a 24-year-old Detroit man, as the owner of the gun. He was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle and driving without a valid license, according to the report. The driver is also a convicted felon who faces the additional charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Parents leave kids, 11 and 2, alone in car

Troy officers responded Wednesday evening to a report of children left alone in a vehicle in the parking lot of DSW Shoe Warehouse. Officers discovered an 11-year-old and a 2-year-old child in the vehicle, according to a police report.

The parents arrived a minute later and said they suffered a "lapse in judgment" by leaving the children in the car for roughly 10 minutes, according to the report. The parents were not cited.