Fresh from a trip to Italy, Macomb County restaurateur Joe Vicari is set to open his latest project, the new Andiamo Pasta & Chops, which promises to become one of the most visible tenants at the Mall at Partridge Creek.

Scheduled to open Thursday, the 7,670-square-foot restaurant takes the place of the former Brio Italian Grille space at the front of the open-air shopping center on Hall Road (M-59) east of Garfield Road. Brio closed in January .

At a media event earlier this week, Vicari said the menu will include a mix of Italian cuisine that the Andiamo restaurants are known for along with additional steakhouse options. Diners may choose from meats from a regular menu or all-prime selections, which cost a little more.

“The best thing about this location is there are no true steakhouses in the area,” Vicari said. “We’ll have several grades of quality steaks available at price points we brought down a little bit. We were able to talk to our vendors and they were able to reduce some of their pricing.”

The menu also features Italian breads, free-range chicken, veal, house-made pasta and seafood choices. Entrees will start at at $23 and top out at $155 for 30-day dry-aged tomahawk steak for two. All come with a choice of house salad, soup or a side of angel hair pasta.

The pastas are overseen by Certified Master Chef Daniel Scannell, one of only 72 in the country with that designation, who helps curate menu options that provide fresh, and modern Italian food.

Appetizers include fried calamari, baked clams and char-grilled artichokes and among the side dishes are steakhouse staples such as broccolini, whipped potatoes and steak fries. Steak sauces offered include classic zip sauce, peppercorn cream, pizzaiola, shrimp scampi and blue cheese brulee.

On the drinks side, Andiamo offers 12 signature craft cocktails, with wine-by-the-glass options in the $11-$25 range, and dozens of wine bottles to choose from.

Joe’s wife, Rosealie Vicari, worked with Bloomfield Hills-based designer and architect David Savage to come with a style that brightens the rooms and capitalizes on the tall windows near the mall’s water fountain. She said the eatery becomes a cornerstone of Partridge Creek Mall.

Much of the exterior and interior have been bathed in white with blue trimming. The interior has moved the lounge/bar area to the center of the building, and serves as a focal point, surrounded by two two dining rooms, two banquet spaces for private dining and an outdoor patio.

“I love bars that are at the center of restaurants,” said Rosalie Vicari. “We moved it from the side of the building to the center and now it’s like the pulse of the restaurant. And by moving the bar, we opened access to these windows looking out to the fountain. It’s like having dinner in Italy. This is exactly my vision of the way I wanted it to look.”

The opening comes as the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group celebrates its 35th anniversary. It is the 22nd largest restaurant group in the United States.

The new restaurant also brings another dining option to Partridge Creek, which is in the midst of a revival. Other new tenants expected to open in the next year include a Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. House of Sport that is planned for a portion of the vacant Nordstrom building and an $11 million Powerhouse gym that will occupy much of the former Carson’s that closed in 2018.

Carmen Spinoso, CEO of Spinoso Real Estate Group, which leases and manages the mall, said in a news release he “cannot wait to break bread” at the family-owned eatery.

“After seeing the build out for this incredible concept, we are eagerly looking forward to the grand opening this week,” Spinoso said in the release.

Andiamo Pasta & Chops is located at the mall at Partridge Creek at 17430 Hall Road. Starting Thursday, it will be open 3-10 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 3-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 3-9 p.m. Sunday.

Beginning on Monday, Sept. 23, they will be open for lunch at 11:30 a.m., and offer brunch every Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with dinner service starting at 4 p.m.

For reservations and more information, visit andiamopastachops.com.

Ex-Warren police officer Matthew Rodriguez was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court to serve one year and one day in prison for using excessive force against an inmate while fingerprinting and photographing him at the police department.

District Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey allowed Rodriguez to remain free as he awaits to be assigned to a federal prison. The former cop also faced a $250,000 fine but the judge instead issued a standard $100 special assessment fee.

Wearing a short-sleeved plaid button-down shirt and khaki pants, Rodriguez ignored reporters’ requests for comment as he left the federal courthouse in Detroit. He also remained silent during the sentencing hearing.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Dawn N. Ison said after the sentencing police officers have a duty to protect the civil rights of everyone, including individuals in their custody.

“Physical abuse of detainees is completely unacceptable and undermines public confidence in the integrity of law enforcement,” she said in a statement. “My office is committed to accountability for all public servants who abuse the public trust, and today’s sentence is a powerful reflection of that commitment.”

Rodriguez, 49, pleaded guilty in March to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law after an inhouse surveillance system showed he punched Jaquwan Smith in the face and slammed his head to the ground in June 2013 while fingerprinting and photographing him at the police station.

Court officials said the video has been seen by more than more than 2.8 million viewers online.

According to court records, on June 13, 2023, then-officer Rodriguez was fingerprinting and photographing the 19-year-old suspect, who had recently been brought to the Warren Police Department’s jail for processing after he was arrested for carjacking.

During fingerprinting, Rodriguez and Smith got into a verbal argument and began trading insults. In retaliation for one of Smith’s remarks, Rodriguez struck Smith multiple times and slammed his head against the fingerprint room floor.

In connection with his plea, Rodriguez admitted to writing a report in which he made false statements about the incident and omitted material information in an attempt to cover up his crime.

Since being fired from the Warren Police Department, Rodriguez has been working as a truck driver.

Defense attorneys for Rodriguez acknowledge he “lost his temper” in the incident.

Steve Fishman, representing Rodriguez, asked the judge to spare his client from imprisonment. He argued Smith did not suffer serious injuries and noted Rodriguez, who spent more than 30 years working in law enforcement, including as a Detroit police officer, has already been punished significantly in losing his job and being convicted of a federal crime.

This wasn’t the first time the former officer had violent encounters with detainees.

According to the memorandum filed in U.S. District Court, he was disciplined in 2012 for what prosecutors called “a shockingly similar incident” that involved assaulting with a “roundhouse kick” a detainee he was fingerprinting and lying about it in a report later filed.

In another instance, Rodriguez used excessive force in 2017 when he served as a school resource officer at a high school in Warren. He grabbed and lifted a student by his neck and pulled him to the ground, causing the teen to hit his head on a locker. He was removed from the school following the incident.

Kristen Clarke, an assistant attorney for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said Rodriguez violated his oath to protect and serve his community. Instead, she said, he abused his power by violently assaulting an arrestee.

“This sentence should serve as a reminder to all law enforcement that a badge is not a license to answer verbal insults with physical violence and excessive force,” Clarke said.

The FBI Detroit Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Warren Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit.

Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office said the sentencing should serve as a “stark reminder” that the use of excessive force and deliberate false statements are not only criminal acts but also tarnishes the hard work and dedication of law enforcement officers who serve with integrity every day.

Smith filed a $50 million federal lawsuit against the city, Rodriguez, two other individuals and a “John Doe” about two weeks after the incident. The case is pending in front of U.S. District Judge Jonathan Grey, with a trial scheduled for January.

Police in Warren arrested a group of five young men who were attempting to steal $500,000 worth of high-end automobiles from a car distribution center by crashing the vehicles through a security gate.

The suspects taken into custody after a foot chase included two 16-year-old and two 17-year-old males, all from Detroit, along with a 24-year-old Detroit resident. One suspect was able to escape, police said.

The incident started about 6:30 a.m. when officers were dispatched to Ground Effects Automotive on Concept Drive, in the 10 Mile and Dequindre Road side of the city, regarding several suspicious individuals. The caller said the group was in a rear parking lot where several new Dodge Stellantis products were parked.

“The investigation has shown that the suspects targeted and attempted to steal six new Dodge Durangos, five of which were Dodge Durango SRT models,” police said in a news release. “The suspects attempted to intentionally ram the security gate so they could exit the parking lot in the freshly stolen vehicles.”

According to the release, officers arrived on the scene and found a new Dodge Durango attempting to intentionally ram the security gate at the business and flee. A second new Dodge Durango also attempted to ram through the gate.

Both Durangos became disabled after crashing and several suspects got out and fled on food in various directions, police said in the release.

After a short foot pursuit and area search, police located and arrested the five suspects.

All of the attempted stolen vehicles were recovered at Ground Effects Automotive, police said.

So far, investigators believe the value of the attempted theft and damaged property is around $500,000. Investigators are continuing to follow up on several leads to see if this theft is connected to other thefts which have occurred in the last few months.

In July, a group of suspected juveniles used a Dodge Ram pickup truck to crash through a fence at the Warren Stamping Plant and stole 10 Grand Wagoneers about 3 a.m. The Wagoneers are valued at $93,000 each.

In the latest incident, investigators will be presenting the case to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office who will make a determination on criminal charges. The Warren Police Department and the Macomb Auto Theft taskforce are both involved in the investigation.

If anybody has any additional information, they are asked to contact Detective William Bechill at 586-574-4713 or wbechill@warrenpd.org.

Michigan State Police are investigating after a wrong-way driver caused a fiery early-morning fatal crash that killed four people Sunday on southbound Interstate 75 in Royal Oak.

State police said the crash took place about 2:50 a.m. on I-75 near 11 Mile Road.

The Detroit Regional Communication Center (DRCC) started receiving calls of a wrong way driver in a black Volkswagen driving north in the southbound lanes of I-75. Dispatchers then received calls indicating the driver had crashed into a Dodge Caravan near 11 Mile.

“Royal Oak police officers arrived on scene and confirmed the crash and began ramping vehicles off the freeway to secure the scene,” police said in a news release. “Royal Oak police advised the Volkswagen was on fire and there were numerous victims.”

Police said the on-scene investigation determined the Volkswagen driver was traveling the wrong way on the freeway when they struck the Caravan. The at-fault driver was pronounced dead on scene.

According to the release, the Caravan was occupied by four people. Three of the four occupants were pronounced dead on the scene. One of the occupants was transported to a local hospital and was in critical condition.

Metro North state troopers are continuing to process evidence, identify victims and notify family.

The freeway was closed for six hours for the investigation and clean up. It has since reopened.

Authorities are investigating after a 21-year-old Detroit man drowned while swimming Saturday evening in Kensington Lake, marking the fourth drowning in three weeks in an Oakland County lake.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said the incident took place about 6 p.m. at the lake’s Martindale Beach in Kensington Metropark in Milford Township.

“A source of great fun and joy can become a location of tragedy as we have seen far too often in our lakes this summer,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a news release.

The other July drownings were:

• On July 6, a 62-year-old Detroit man fell off a boat and into the water on White Lake and did not resurface.• A 21-year-old Highland Township swimmer drowned July 16 in Townsend Lake in Independence Township• On July 20, a 20-year-old Detroit man drowned while swimming with a friend in Taylor Lake in Rose Township.

The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team (SSRT) was initially dispatched on reports that a child may have gone into the water.

When deputies arrived, they learned the Detroit man had been swimming with a friend when he began to struggle and went under water in the marked swimming area. Investigators said the victim may have attempted to grab a nearby buoy but could not hold on.

A friend of the man did not speak English, creating a language barrier that made it difficult to convey to others on shore that the man was in danger, deputies said.

Another swimmer in the water at the time saw the victim go underwater and was able to alert authorities.

SSRT, assisted by Southeast Michigan Dive Group strike teams from Livingston and Wayne counties, eventually found the man in approximately 6-8 feet of water 50 yards from shore. He was unresponsive when he was taken to the shore.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital by Milford Township Fire Department paramedics where he was later pronounced deceased. The death was the 10th in an Oakland County lake so far this year, according to the sheriff’s office.

“I encourage people to have emergency capabilities nearby including flotation devices and watch each other while in the water,” Bouchard said. “If you are not a strong swimmer, it’s a good idea to wear a flotation device.”

The sheriff’s office said the latest incident remains under investigation.

Wrong-way driver, three others killed in early-morning crash on I-75 in Royal Oak