Items stolen from cars at daycares

A purse bandit is on the loose targeting patrons at various daycare facilities in Waterford Township.

According to township police, two separate incidents occurred at daycares in close proximity to one another on April 9 and may be related to an earlier incident that transpired in January.

According to police reports, on Jan. 11 around 5:30 p.m., a 36-year-old Waterford woman was picking up her child up from a daycare facility in the 2700 block of Dixie Highway and left her purse in her unlocked vehicle. When she returned, she noticed that her purse containing her cell phone, credit/debit cards and check book was missing.

Waterford Investigators had obtained photos showing an unknown black female suspect in her mid- to late-20s using the victim’s credit card at a party store near Sashabaw and Maybee Road in Independence Township. The suspect was driving a dark colored Pontiac Grand Prix at the time.

Then on April 9, around 8:15 a.m., a 33-year-old Waterford woman reported she dropped her child off at a daycare in the 2700 block of Dixie Highway and left her purse in her unlocked vehicle. When she returned, her purse and cell phone were missing.

A few minutes later around 8:30 a.m., officers responded to the 3100 block of Walton Boulevard, where a 31-year-old West Bloomfield Township woman was victimized in a similar larceny. The woman told police that she dropped her child off at a daycare facility and left her purse in her unlocked vehicle. When she returned, she noticed that her purse, iPad, laptop computer, GPS unit, and two cell phones were missing.

Prior to the theft, a suspicious dark colored vehicle with tinted windows was seen parked in the lot and reported to the daycare staff.

As Officers spoke with the victim, other Waterford Officers were speaking with a gas station employee in the 4200 block of Walton who observed a suspicious black female driving a dark colored vehicle pull into the lot, throw something in the garbage can and attempt to get gas with a credit card. The suspect was unable to get gas and left.

Officers at the gas station recovered property belonging to the victim from the Police Department lobby.

Waterford Investigators have obtained photos showing the same unknown black female suspect in her mid to late 20s attempting to cash a check from the Walton Boulevard victim’s check book at a TCF Bank near Sashabaw and Maybee Roads in Independence Township. The suspect was driving a dark green Pontiac Grand Prix with tinted windows.

The incidents remain under investigation. If you have any information about these incidents, please call Waterford Police Detective Lawrence Novak at 248-618-7515.