LIVONIA, Mich. – A Farmington Hills man said he feels like the victim of a public stoning after he helped himself to some rocks that were on a Livonia street.
Paul Nightingale faces sentencing next week on a a larceny charge for what he said was an honest mistake. He said the incident started when he tried to do something to help others.
While driving down Newburgh Road, Nightingale and other drivers hit some rocks that had tumbled into the street from the median. Nightengale thought he'd try to prevent the rocks from causing any damage or accidents by picking them up, but before he put them back on the pile, he had an idea.
That's where the trouble started.
"I thought they'd look good in my garden," Nightengale said.
He needed a few stones to fill in some holes, so he took most from the street and a couple from the median.
"I never considered whether it was or wasn't OK," Nightengale said. "It just didn't occur to me."
Nightengale said he had no criminal intent, but a passing driver reported a theft in progress. Livonia police gathered evidence and, within minutes, four squad cars were outside Nightengale's home.
"I've talked to 10 or 11 attorneys, and they all agree, they should have just told me to put them back," he said.
Livonia police said they were following up on a criminal complaint and that the stones did not belong to Nightengale.
"The Livonia Police Department routinely investigates larceny complaints which result in the arrest and prosecution of the suspect regardless of his or her offer to simply return the stolen property in lieu of being formally charged," Livonia police said in a statement. "Therefore, we deem the actions taken by our officers in this matter to be appropriate."
Nightengale said he thinks it's all about raising money.
Bail was $400. The cost of getting his car out of impound was $140. He pleaded no contest to larceny and faces a likely fine of $500.
Sign up for ClickOnDetroit Email Newsletters (click here) for more stories like this.
The bushel of stone Nightengale took was valued at $140 by the city. A landscaper said a yard of similar stone -- around 2,430 pounds -- is under $45.
"If I had stopped to think about it, I wouldn't be in this position," Nightengale said. "But the lack of common sense all the way through with the legal system is just unforgivable."
Nightingale will be sentenced Tuesday, but that won't be the end of the case. He said he will hire an attorney to get his record cleared. That will cost thousands of dollars more, but he's a pharmacist and fears he can't have anything that could put his license in jeopardy.