OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A Detroit man is facing multiple charges after allegedly trying to break into a Hazel Park home while children were inside. Police said he later admitted to breaking into other homes in the area.
Earl Chambers, 61, was charged with first-degree home invasion, second-degree home invasion, larceny of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm while committing a crime and first-degree attempted home invasion.
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Chambers is accused of trying to break into a Hazel Park home on June 19, but ran off when a 15-year-old living in the home saw him.
The 15-year-old, who was watching his siblings and cousin while his mother was away at work, told police he saw a man, later identified as Chambers, in the front doorway of the home several weeks before the alleged home invasion happened, saying he heard Chambers talking to his 5-year-old sibling. The teen called out for another sibling and went to grab a knife from the kitchen, just as Chambers ran off. The teen reported what happened to his mother at the time, but not to police.
On June 19, just before 3 p.m., the 15-year-old told police he went outside to take in a trash can from the curb when he saw Chambers standing at the corner looking at him. The teen ran inside, locked all the doors and grabbed a knife for protection. He told the other children to hide in a bedroom and keep quiet.
The teen told police he then heard Chambers trying to force his way into the home through the back door. The 15-year-old called his mother, who told him to call police. Chambers then allegedly ripped open a window screen to get inside. Chambers then ran off after seeing the teen in the home.
Chambers was later arrested two blocks away.
Police said Chambers, in an interview with detectives, admitted he commits home invasions to support his drug addiction. He allegedly admitted to two other home invasions in Hazel Park and one in Ferndale.
According to police, Chambers is suspected of having been involved in at least seven other home invasions between Hazel Park and Ferndale.
He was arraigned on June 23, and his bond was set at $500,000.
According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, Chambers was previously convicted of multiple home invasions in 2011, 2010 and 2019. He was also convicted of unarmed and armed robbery in the 1980s.