Police Blotter: Woman Punched in Parking Spot Dispute; Man Arrested in Rental Van Theft

Following are highlights from recent Troy Police Department reports:

Driver's complaint earns her a parking lot punch

A woman waiting to pass another vehicle in the parking lot Feb. 3 reported being punched in the face by another driver, according to a Troy Police report.

The victim was waiting behind another vehicle that was blocking the aisle. The victim honked at the vehicle, then got out of her vehicle and walked up to the driver of the vehicle blocking the aisle.

According to the report, the suspect got out of her car and punched the victim in the left eye before getting back into her vehicle and parking, according to the report. The victim, who received minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, took a cell phone picture of the suspect's vehicle and left, according to the report.

Man, 74, arrested in rental van theft

A Troy Police officer on patrol Tuesday afternoon stopped to check on a vehicle near Coolidge and Maple. When the officer checked the license plate record, he determined it was invalid. The officer contacted the driver, who said he was "waiting for a friend," according to a police report.

The officer noted the vehicle appeared to have once been a U-Haul van after noticing shadows where stickers and the vehicle unit number used to be. After investigating, the van was determined to be stolen in November when the man who rented the vehicle never returned it.

When officers called the phone number listed for the individual who had originally rented the van, the phone of the vehicle's current driver rang. Officers determined the man in possession of the van was the man who had stolen the vehicle in November using a different name, according to the police report.

The 74-year-old man was arrested on a charge of unlawful driving away of an auto.

Teens suspected of vandalizing neighborhoods

A resident on the 2000 block of Majestic reported Tuesday evening that someone had used a piece of wood, possibly from a discarded headboard, to smash the window of her minivan. A few minutes later, a homeowner near Eckford and Glenshire reported a large rock was used to smash out the window of his SUV.

Shortly before the two incidents, Troy Police officers were dispatched to the 3000 block of Fernleigh for reports of four male teens driving down the street smashing mailboxes. Officers discovered two damaged mailboxes on the street.

Troy Police believe the incidents are connected, according to a media release from the department.

Aggressive driver fails sobriety test

Just before midnight Thursday, a Troy Police officer observed a vehicle aggressively cutting in and out of traffic on Interstate 75 near Adams Road, according to a Troy Police report. The officer pulled over the driver, a 44-year-old Sterling Heights man.

The man said he "drank two beers," according to the report. He failed sobriety tests and had a .11 percent blood alcohol content on a preliminary breath test – .03 percent over the legal limit. He was arrested on a charge of operating while intoxicated.

Vandals damage vehicles

• A resident on the 3000 block of Kingspoint reported the driver's side rear view mirror and left front quarter panel was damaged Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, according to a police report.
• A woman reported Thursday night that someone had smashed the windshield of her vehicle while it was parked on the street. A brick was found nearby on the ground, according to the report.
• A woman on the 2000 block of Rainbow reported Thursday night that someone had smashed the rear window of her vehicle while it was parked on the street. A brick was found in the vehicle, according to the report.

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