ANN ARBOR CRIME

Officials with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office are warning residents to be extra vigilant of scam calls this holiday season.

Police are actively investigating the incidents, which happed around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 on the 200 block of Riverview Drive in Ann Arbor Township.

Stephen Shipps has pleaded guilty to one count of transporting a minor across state lines for sex.

Two men charged in connection with the slaying of a former Eastern Michigan University wrestler have pleaded guilty to armed robbery and other charges in the fatal 2018 robbery.

A man has been charged with murder of his infant daughter who was last seen in 1982.

The incident occurred at around 1:30 p.m. on the 1800 block of Shirley Ln.

One local family recovered their stolen bike thanks to an observant neighbor.

University of Michigan campus police will increase the number of security patrols following the shooting threat.

Police are asking those with information about the incident to come forward.

On Friday, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media that it has received calls involving law enforcement impersonation scams.

Sexual assault victims said they were denied an opportunity to address the U-M Board of Regents at a July meeting.

A 35-year-old man is facing charges after police said he assaulted women in downtown Ann Arbor.

An Ann Arbor man is facing charges, accused of luring young girls on social media and coercing them into performing sexual acts when they met.

A woman was attacked in broad daylight on July 22 in downtown Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor police say the public should remain vigilant after a string of attacks on women this past weekend.

The Ann Arbor Police Department is searching for a person of interest after a third assault was reported over the weekend.

Police are looking for a man two women in downtown Ann Arbor were assaulted on Friday night and Saturday morning.

A Detroit man was shot and killed inside an apartment on State Street in Ann Arbor, police said.

U-M DPSS has tips on how to secure your residence.

Woman who was violently assaulted with a chair in 2019 at an Ann Arbor coffee shop says something good has come from the experience.

A family member of the victim called police after finding the home ransacked, police said. High-end jewelry and the victim’s vehicle were also missing.

Bo’s statue stood silent in the hot sun Friday. No one came to admire or protest it. The same goes for Schembechler Hall, despite his own son relaying his traumatic story Thursday.

Here's everything you need to know about what Bo Schembechler’s son and two former University of Michigan football players said about Dr. Robert Anderson's abuse and the legendary coach's handling of the situation.

A resident discovered a man in his bedroom early Tuesday morning.

Bo Schembechler, who led the team from 1969-89, was vividly told by at least four people that Robert Anderson had molested them during routine physicals or other exams, according to the report commissioned by the university.

“We didn’t know if we were going to have to leave or how long we were going to have to stay in place,” Bowlby said. “It was just, it was very nerve racking. We didn’t know what was going on.”

Gunshots were fired on Friday at Briarwood Mall on Ann Arbor's southside, authorities say.

A 27-year-old woman has succumbed to her injuries after she was stabbed multiple times on April 4.

The incident happened around 3 p.m. on Thursday in the area of Michigan Avenue and Congress Street, police said.

A 31-year-old man from Mississippi was rushed to University of Michigan Hospital after being shot in the head Friday morning.

Madron Aldonihah Austin was arrested on Sunday evening in connection with a triple stabbing in Ann Arbor.

Lights atop a police cruiser flash at the scene of a crime in this undated file image. PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Shots were fired on Saturday night after 10 p.m. at the Lynden Parke Apartments in Pittsfield Township. Pittsfield Police Officers and Washtenaw County Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to the complex at 2224 Golfside Road after receiving reports of shots fired and a report of a shooting directed at a subject. According to reports, an unknown person fired multiple rounds from a vehicle parked at Lynden Parke Apartments on the victim’s vehicle, and struck it several times. The gunfire also struck another vehicle and one of the apartment buildings.

ANN ARBOR – Ken Kenyatta Wilson was charged on Friday with a slew of felonies by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office. Wilson fled police officers on Tuesday afternoon after robbing the Chase Bank at 4101 E. Ellsworth Road in Pittsfield Township, leading to a chase when the suspect crashed his vehicle in the area of US-23 and Washtenaw Ave. Wilson was transported to St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor hospital with serious injuries, but was reported to be in stable condition. (Pittsfield Charter Township Department of Public Safety)Officers recovered stolen money, several firearms and ammunition from inside his vehicle and the scene of the crash. Investigations at both the bank and the crash site were conducted by detectives, Pittsfield officers and evidence technicians.

YSPILANTI, Mich. – The Humane Society of Huron Valley is investigating an extreme case of animal cruelty in which an Ypsilanti dog died after enduring significant trauma. Original Story: Humane Society of Huron Valley seeks tips on mutilated dog found in YpsilantiA neighbor found Tyson’s brutally beaten body Monday on Ecorse Road, less than three miles from where he lived. The lovable family dog was taken from his home, leaving his family heartbroken and desperate for answers. I want somebody to help.”The family has put up flyers around the neighborhood in hopes someone may have seen something. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Humane Society of Huron Valley at 734-661-3560.

YSPILANTI, Mich. – Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) animal cruelty investigators are asking community members for leads about a dead dog found on the side of Ecorse Road near Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti on Monday. “These weren’t stabs,” said HSHV Animal Cruelty and Rescue Supervisor Melinda Szabelski. AdThe family found the mutilated dog on the side of the road two-and-a-half miles away from their home after searching and posting online. They called HSHV animal cruelty investigators after seeing that the dog may have been intentionally harmed, said HSHV. Humane Society investigators didn’t find blood or any other typical signs that the dog may have been hit by a car, the organization said.

The trooper's damaged vehicle that was struck on March 17, 2021. ANN ARBOR – A Michigan State Police trooper’s vehicle was struck by a passing car on Wednesday when the officer was about to exit the patrol car. The officer was about to perform a traffic stop on E/B M-14 near Barton Drive at 9:45 p.m. when the incident occurred. During that traffic stop, it was revealed that the 31-year-old Ann Arbor man was intoxicated. He admitted to troopers that he was aware he struck a patrol car but decided to keep driving.

SCIO TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office is investigating recent home invasions in Scio Township. The suspect forced their way into residences and stole “high value” jewelry but fled once alarms were triggered, the Sheriff’s Office said in a release. Witnesses to the home invasions described a cream-colored sedan leaving the area. No further information was released at this time. Community members with information should contact the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office by calling 734-994-2911.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A University of Michigan employee was knocked unconscious in a parking structure over the weekend and woke up to find his car on fire, police said. The Michigan Medicine staff member said he was assaulted around 7:50 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 6) on the fifth floor of the P1 parking garage on West Medical Center Drive in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor firefighters arrived and put out the fire. AdU of M police and Ann Arbor firefighters are investigating the incident. Parts of the parking structure are closed for safety inspections, officials said.

ANN ARBOR – University of Michigan professor of computer science and engineering, Peter Chen, has been placed on administrative leave pending criminal charges for sexual misconduct. According to the Ann Arbor Police Department, Chen was the victim’s robotics coach. He completely denies the allegations and has cooperated fully with the Ann Arbor Police Department to assist them in their investigation. Mr. Chen is confident that the truth will prevail and that he will be fully exonerated. In February 2020, U-M’s computer science faculty called on Mars to take leave.

ANN ARBOR – The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office announced today a new policy aimed at combatting racial profiling. The policy directive is only applicable to “consent searches” after routine ordinance or traffic stops. “We are sending a message that we are not interested in pursuing contraband charges that stem from racial profiling. Our Policy Regarding Pretext Stops is another proactive step towards creating a criminal justice system that works for all of us. None of us are free, until we are all free.”To read the full policy directive, click here.

ANN ARBOR – Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit announced Monday that the Prosecutor’s Office will eliminate the use of cash bail in any case. Savit, who took office on Jan. 1, alerted staff Monday morning in a 20-page policy directive. The move has made Washtenaw County the first jurisdiction in the state to eliminate cash bail. Washington, D.C. and New Jersey have stopped seeking cash bail, as well as the city of San Francisco and counties in Vermont and Virginia. According to the directive, cash bail places poorer people at risk of losing their jobs, homes and can place serious harm on children of defendants.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Two Ann Arbor police officers were nearly run down by a man who was aiming at them with his car, police said. The dashcam video from police shows the night officers were called to a home on Stadium Boulevard. An officer pinned Laman’s car between his squad car and a steel gate. When officers tried to take Laman into custody, he fought kicking and screaming. READ: More Ann Arbor crime coverageWatch the video above for the full report.

ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan said it hired a consultant to guide changes after the school’s chief academic officer was ousted because of sexual misconduct. Guidepost Solutions will assist the university in following recommendations by a law firm that said it had uncovered sexual misconduct by Martin Philbert during his long career. The July report also said U-M needs to educate students and employees about reporting sexual misconduct. It also has addressed sexual misconduct or discrimination matters at other universities. The university is paying $9.25 million to eight women who reported emotional or sexual abuse by Philbert.

ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan Division of Public Safety & Security warned Tuesday afternoon of subletting scams in Facebook groups for off-campus housing. In a Facebook post on its page, DPSS said that scammers typically create fake ads, or hijack existing ones. “If you can’t meet in person, see the rental or sign a lease before you pay, keep looking,” reads the post. There have been reports of subletting scams in off-campus housing Facebook groups. For more information and to spot signs of a scam, DPSS recommends visiting the Federal Trade Commission’s Rental Listing Scam website.

ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan Police Department announced on Tuesday it has a person of interest in custody in an armed robbery that took place on North Campus on Saturday. When the victim approached the vehicle, the suspect pulled a gun and demanded he give him the property before fleeing in an unknown direction. U-M Police Department’s Safety and Security Tips:If selling or buying goods, meet in the Safe Exchange Zone or other neutral, populated and well-lit areas. If you are in need of a safe place for an in-person exchange of goods, DPSS has established a “Safe Exchange Zone.”Do not disclose unnecessary personal details and avoid meeting at your home. If you feel threatened, look for a blue light emergency phone or call 911 from any phone.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Spencer John Payne and Cedrick Michael Sims were arraigned Wednesday in connection to two violent home invasions. According to authorities, the two men are accused of breaking into two houses, tying up and threatening the occupants. Police said it happened between 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. Oct. 8 at two houses, one on Sharon Drive and one on Macomb Street. Police say in the home on Macomb Street, the family -- a single father with three children, ages 5, 13 and 17 -- were tied up with electrical cords and clothing around their hands and feet. Police said they then went back to the first house, apologized, untied the father and told him not to untie the children yet.

ANN ARBOR – A former music professor at the University of Michigan was indicted on charges that he transported a minor across state lines to engage in sexual conduct. Stephen Shipps, 67, was expected to be arraigned via video Thursday in federal court, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Detroit. The indictment alleges that on several occasions in 2002 a girl younger than 18 was transported across state lines for sexual activity. Shipps had “close interactions with many young girls who were gifted musicians,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said in a release. Shipps was placed on administrative leave on Dec. 7, 2018, shortly after the University of Michigan learned of the allegations involving the minor, the school told The Associated Press Thursday.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A 25-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 96-year-old Ann Arbor woman in her home last week. The assault happened before 4 a.m. on Aug. 4 after the suspect allegedly entered the woman’s home through a window. On Saturday, Aug. 8., Ann Arbor police said that Dejon Dejor Lynn, 25, had been charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree home invasion. Police said that the victim and the suspect live in the same residential complex in the Colonial Square Cooperative in the 3200 block of Williamsburg Road. AAPD officers took a search warrant to Lynn’s residence on Aug. 5, but he was not there.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A man charged in connection with the homicide of a man found dead inside a home in Ann Arbor has been bound over for trial. Christopher Cheatham, 25, was arrested on July 31, 2019 in the death of 71-year-old Richard Fortune. Police said the "suspicious death" happened around 5 p.m. Feb. 20 at a home on Lillian Road near Packard Road and U.S. 23. Cheatham is charged with homicide -- open murder -- statutory short form; three counts of stealing/retaining a financial transaction device without consent; illegal use/sale of a financial transaction device; and two counts of receiving and concealing stolen property worth less than $200. Christopher Cheatham (WDIV)READ: Neighbors shocked by death of Ann Arbor manOfficers had been monitoring the home that night when firefighters were called there for a medical emergency.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – An Ann Arbor man is facing multiple felony charges in a criminal sexual conduct investigation. Further investigation led to locating Mortensen at a residence in Ann Arbor. Mortensen has been charged with one count of criminal sexual conduct first degree, one count of child sexually abusive activity, one count of criminal sexual conduct third degree, and three counts of child sexually abusive material possession. Mortensen was arraigned on all counts on Oct. 5 and issued a cash or surety bond of $50,000. If convicted, Mortensen faces up to life in prison for criminal sexual conduct first degree charge, 20 years for child sexually abusive activity, 15 years for the criminal sexual conduct third degree charge, and four years in prison for the counts of possessing child sexually abusive material.