The sound of a skateboard falling down the stairs in the middle of the night led a Royal Oak homeowner straight to a thief leaving his house.
Twenty-two-year-old Emmanuel Adam Charles from Hamtramck was arrested Wednesday in connection with the crime.
Royal Oak police were called to the home in the 1300 block of N. Altadena at 3 a.m. after that homeowner called 911 saying he saw the suspect backing down his driveway in a mid-sized dark colored SUV.
Charles is accused of entering the house while the homeowner was sleeping, stealing several items.
Later Wednesday morning, a resident in the 400 block of N. Minerva called police to report that his Black 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee was stolen at 3:00 a.m. from his driveway.
The Oakland County Curtail Auto Theft (C.A.T.) team comprised of officers from Oakland and Wayne Counties, including Royal Oak, located Charles and the stolen vehicle in Detroit. The suspect was arrested. Items stolen from the home on N. Altadena were located inside the stolen car.
Charles is charged with one count of Home Invasion 1st degree which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and one count of Unlawfully Driving Away an Automobile which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
His bond was set at $100,000 cash/surety, no 10%. His next scheduled court date is Friday, October 21, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. in the 44th District Court.
Charles has prior felony convictions for Unlawfully Driving Away an Automobile, Fleeing & Eluding a Police Officer, Larceny from a Motor Vehicle, Receiving and Concealing Stolen Motor Vehicle, & Stealing/Retaining a Financial Transaction Device. He’s also wanted on an outstanding Felony warrant for Breaking & Entering.
