A Clarkston man has opted out of trial on felony charges in connection with an offer to pay a teen girl for sex.

At a hearing Aug. 20 before Oakland County Circuit Judge Michael Warren, Thomas Mellick Hensler, 38, pleaded no contest to accosting/enticing a minor for immoral purposes, using a computer to commit a crime, and possession of methamphetamine. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. It can also offer some liability protection in civil cases.

Hensler reportedly left an explicit note with a sex offer on a 17-year-old girl’s car parked outside the Target store in Auburn Hills on March 18. The girl reported the incident to police, who then texted the number on the note and reportedly tracked it to Hensler — parked nearby in a car.

Methamphetamine and sex toys were found in Hensler’s car, officials said.

Hensler, a habitual offender with multiple convictions for possession of illegal drugs, made a plea deal with prosecutors that has him serving time in prison. He will be listed on the state’s Sex Offender Registry for life.

A man who reportedly attacked staff at a Planet Fitness in West Bloomfield on Wednesday morning, attempted to run over a police officer who responded to the scene, crashed into several patrol cars and then led police on a high-speed chase was eventually taken into custody, officials said.

The police officer and suspect appeared to have suffered minor injuries during the incident and were transported to an area hospital, officials said.

According to the West Bloomfield Township Police Department, detectives continue to investigate the alleged rampage which reportedly unfolded at around 9:30 a.m. when a 911 call reported a man was punching staff at the fitness facility, located at 6433 Orchard Lake Rd. While officers were enroute, they learned the man was charging at staff with a metal object, then exited the facility and got into a vehicle in the parking lot, where he was met by officers including one on foot who the man allegedly tried to run over.

The man then drove away — striking several police vehicles — leading officers on a high-speed pursuit which continued on a main roadway and into a residential subdivision, police said. After crashing into more patrol cars, the man’s vehicle was forced to a stop by officers and he was arrested, police said.

The Oakland Press reached out to the West Bloomfield Police Department for information on the suspect’s age and hometown, but neither are being released yet.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has more information on it is asked to contact Detective Michael Kozemchak of the West Bloomfield Police Department at 248-975-8999.

A Royal Oak man accused of fatally shooting a maintenance worker at the Devon Park apartment complex will be evaluated for competency, a judge has ruled.

Nathaniel Rockwell, 32, was referred for the psychiatric evaluation during a recent court hearing before 44th District Judge Derek Meinecke. Rockwell is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of felony firearm in connection with the July 31 death of Gregory Hill of Southfield.

According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, prior to the shooting, Rockwell — a tenant at the complex — had received an eviction notice due to multiple incidents with firearms. He allegedly confronted building management and another tenant who had reported him, got into an argument and then retrieved a gun from his vehicle and began firing at Hill. Hill was shot approximately 11 times at close range, the prosecutor’s office said.

Hill was working at the time of the shooting, the prosecutor’s office said.

Rockwell is held in the Oakland County Jail, denied bond. The judge set an Oct. 17 hearing to review results of the competency evaluation.

The case against a Detroiter accused of fatally stabbing a man who was reportedly his friend has been bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court for possible trial.

At the conclusion of a preliminary exam Tuesday in 46th District Court, Judge Cynthia Arvant ruled there was probable cause to advance the case against Gregory Clark, 66.

Clark is charged with second-degree homicide for the death of 64-year-old Eddie Fisher Clora, who was stabbed in the chest on April 12 in Southfield. Clark had been charged with manslaughter, but the prosecution subsequently amended the charge.

Clora was fatally stabbed during a fight with Clark outside a BP gas station at Eight Mile and Lahser roads, police said. He died at Henry Ford Providence Southfield Hospital.Clora’s family identified Clark as the assailant based on video evidence, according to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office — and described the two men as friends. Clark turned himself in four days after the stabbing, the prosecutor’s office said.

Clark is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 6 before Oakland County Circuit Judge Nanci Grant. If convicted, he could face life in prison. For now, he’s in the Oakland County Jail with bond set at $500,000, requiring him to post 10% to be released.

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A 70-year-old man accused of sexually abusing two children in his family has opted out of trial with a plea in Oakland County Circuit Court.

At a pretrial hearing July 28, Southfield resident Lawrence Edward Miles pleaded no contest three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly assaulting a boy and girl — both under 10 years old. According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, the charges stem from a series of assaults that occurred in 2024 and 2025.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. It can also offer some liability protection in civil cases.

Miles is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 16 by Judge Daniel O’Brien. He faces up to life in prison for first-degree CSC, with a mandatory minimum of 25 years behind bars. Second-degree criminal sexual conduct carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Both convictions require lifetime electronic monitoring upon parole and AIDS/STD testing.

Miles is in the Oakland County Jail, denied bond.

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A third person has been charged in connection with a string of purse-snatchings in Oakland County which also allegedly involves sibling co-defendants.

Snyomee Stanley, 21, of Taylor is facing felony charges of unarmed robbery and stealing/retaining a financial transaction device, along with third-degree retail fraud — a misdemeanor — for a crime reported outside the Marshall’s store in White Lake Township on July 9. An Oakland County special operations unit and Taylor police arrested her on July 24 and she was subsequently arraigned in 52-2 District Court in Clarkston.

Bond was set at $10,000 cash with a 10% provision, which allowed her to be released from jail after posting $1,000. She did that on July 28.

An ongoing investigation into multiple purse-snatching incidents in Oakland County tied Stanley to the White Lake crime. A brother-sister duo from Pontiac, Phylasia Rufus, 21, and Cartier Rufus, 20, are facing charges for similar incidents in retail parking lots in Auburn Hills and Commerce Township, and Cartier Rufus is facing charges for the White Lake Township incident along with Stanley. Stanley’s arrest information has been shared with law enforcement in Auburn Hills and Commerce townships, according to officials.

According to police, force was used to steal purses from female victims in at least two of the crimes, causing minor injuries.

Cartier Rufus was on parole for a similar offense at the time of his arrest, police said.

The Rufuses remain in custody at the Oakland County Jail.

Phylasia Rufus’ cases were recently advanced to Oakland County Circuit Court after she waived her right to preliminary exams in district court. Cartier Rufus’ next court appearance is scheduled for July 31. Stanley’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 7.

A Rochester Hills woman and her boyfriend are jailed on first-degree child abuse charges after the woman’s young daughter had her arm and leg broken, officials said.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Kimberly Ann McGarry, 26, was arraigned Thursday following her arrest this past Tuesday near Grand Rapids, by U.S. Marshals. Bond was set at $150,000 with a 10% provision, meaning she can be released from the Oakland County Jail if she posts $15,000. Her boyfriend, Cleyde Murillo, 29, was arrested July 11 in Muskegon County where he had gone for a supervised visit with his daughter, the sheriff’s office said. At his July 14 arraignment, bond was set at $750,000 with a 10% provision, requiring him to post $75,000 to get out of jail.

The case against the couple emerged last December when staff from Children’s Protective Services notified detectives about the child’s injuries. The girl, age 4, had been taken to the hospital where doctors determined her left leg and right arm had been broken and were in different stages of healing, the sheriff’s office said.

As stated in a news release: “McGarry said her daughter had fallen down the steps two weeks earlier. Doctors later notified child protective services as the injuries were not consistent with the mother’s statement. McGarry later gave conflicting versions to detectives about how the injuries happened. McGarry confirmed during the interview that the injury took place on Nov. 15 and neither she nor Murillo provided any medical attention for the child, potentially causing permanent injury to her.”

McGarry told doctors the child was injured at the home she shared with Murillo, on Dequindre in Rochester Hills, the sheriff’s office said.

The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office issued charges against the couple on July 10.

“There can be no excuse and no tolerance for anyone that abuses a child,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard stated in the news release. “It is one of the more heinous crimes we encounter, and I am anxious for these suspects to be held accountable.”

McGarry also has a 6-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son who are now living with their biological father, the sheriff’s office said.

First-degree child abuse is punishable by up to life in prison.

Multiple criminal charges are filed against a 33-year-old Texas man accused of human trafficking, other sex crimes and more, following his recent arrest in Southfield.

According to Southfield police, the case against Randolph Lewis unfolded on July 21 when officers responded to the Quality Inn at 26111 Telegraph Road for a malicious destruction of property complaint. The female victim reported that a man she described as her boyfriend had broken her car windshield, police said. An investigation revealed the woman may be a victim of human trafficking; she reportedly told police she had met Lewis in Louisiana and he had introduced her to sex dates — listing her online for commercial sex services and collecting her earnings after the encounters, police said.

The woman also told officers that Lewis had sexually assaulted, police said.

Lewis, who had fled from the Quality Inn before police arrived, was located in a nearby hotel and arrested. Another possible human trafficking victim was with Lewis, but she refused assistance from officers, police said.

The investigation also revealed that Lewis has operated in several cities, police said.

The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office has charged Lewis with human trafficking enterprise resulting in injury/commercial sexual activity, prostitution, using computers to commit a crime, and two counts of criminal sexual conduct – assault with intent to commit sexual penetration.

Lewis is in the Oakland County Jail with bond set at $300,000. If he posts bond, he’ll be required to wear a GPS tether while the case is adjudicated.

Lewis, of Arlington, Texas, also has charges pending in Lousiana, police said.

Lewis’ next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 4 for a probable cause conference before 48th District Judge Debra Nance.

A Pontiac man accused of shooting two men last year, killing one of them, has a new trial date.

Jury selection is set to begin Oct. 21 in Oakland County Circuit Court for the case against Jermaine Lee Jackson, 27, charged in the homicide of Json Markell Hunt, 27, of Clinton Township. Jackson faces charges of open murder, assault with intent to murder and felon in possession of a firearm, and three counts of felony firearm.

The shooting happened at a business in the 400 block of West Huron Street in Pontiac on Jan. 14, 2024, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

The other man who was shot was reportedly Hunt’s cousin.

Jackson had been scheduled for trial earlier this year, but that was subsequently adjourned.

Jackson is held in the Oakland County Jail, denied bond.

Another man connected to the case, Ja-Vontay Boykin, is charged with two counts of accessory after the fact. He had also been charged with lying to police, but that was dismissed. His trial is scheduled for Oct. 28.

Judge Daniel O’Brien is presiding over both cases.

A 40-year-old man who reportedly hit the median on I-75 in Troy and continued along the roadway with a flat tire — with his child in the car — is facing several criminal charges including operating while intoxicated-third offense, officials said.

Troy police said officers were contacted about a possible drunk driver shortly before 10 p.m. on July 13, with witnesses reporting the vehicle had hit the freeway’s wall, had a flat tire and was still being driven. Police found the vehicle, a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban, on the shoulder of the off-ramp to Crooks Road, and reportedly saw the driver and his 12-year-old daughter walking away.

Officers spoke with the driver and suspected he was intoxicated due to his speech, inability to stand up straight and bloodshot eyes, police said. They also determined he had a felony warrant for his arrest and didn’t have a valid driver’s license.

The man refused to perform field sobriety tests and — after being arrested and transported to the Troy police lock-up facility — refused a blood draw, police said. A search warrant was obtained for the blood draw.

Along with OWI-third offense, the man is charged with driving while license is suspended/revoked/denied, failure to stop at the scene of a property damaged accident, and reckless driving.

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A 78-year-old Troy man was recently scammed out of nearly $50,000 — and the fraudster then attempted to get another $42,000 from him, police said.

According to the Troy Police Department, the man reported he received an email from someone he thought was Norton — an anti-virus/identity protection service — telling him he owed a $400 renewal payment. The man gave remote access to his computer and cell phone, then was told $40,000 had been deposited into his account instead of $400, and he had to repay $49,500 in cash. A courier came to his home and the man turned the cash over to him, police said.

The next day, the victim was again contacted and told an additional $42,300 had been placed in his account in error, and he had to send back $42,000. At that point, police said, the man realized he’d been scammed and contacted authorities.

Police have repeatedly warned residents to be aware of scams and to check with their financial institutions when unconfirmed sources ask them to transfer funds. As previously reported, police say it’s unlikely such scammers will be caught and prosecuted.

The case against a DoorDash driver accused of pulling a gun on a group of women advanced to Oakland County Circuit Court following a preliminary exam this week on an amended charge.

Andrew Boyer, 36, had initially been charged with a misdemeanor — brandishing a firearm in public — in connection with the alleged incident on Feb. 28 in Bloomfield Township. Soon after his arrest, police said a verbal disagreement between Boyer and the women outside a home on Woodland Pass reportedly escalated after he dropped off an order, prompting him to pull out his gun, chamber a round and yell at the women to get away from him. The group reportedly had followed Boyer to his car while yelling at him, police said.

The prosecution subsequently amended the charge to felonious assault, and a district court judge determined there was probable cause established at the July 8 preliminary exam to bind over the case to the higher court for possible trial.

Jeff Wattrick, spokesperson for the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, told The Oakland Press that the new charge was based on “evidence available.” Now, rather than a maximum 90 days in jail and/or a $100 fine, Boyer is now facing up to four years in prison and/or a fine of up to $2,000 if convicted.

The prosecution amended the charge a few weeks ago.

Boyer is scheduled for arraignment in Oakland County Circuit Court on July 21 before Judge David Cohen. For now, he’s out of jail after posting a $3,000 bond.

Rochester Hills man dead 3 days after crashing vehicle into tree

Teen dead, another hospitalized in Pontiac shooting

A 46-year-old Rochester Hills man died Tuesday, three days after losing control of the vehicle he was driving and hitting a tree, officials said.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Pranit Birje suffered a medical emergency while driving a 2020 Nissan Rogue on West Tienken Road in Rochester Hills. The vehicle crossed the centerline, left the roadway and struck a tree near Bridgestone Drive. It happened shortly after 1 p.m. last Saturday.

Witnesses said the car had crossed the centerline multiple times before the crash, the sheriff’s office said.

Birge was wearing a seatbelt, the sheriff’s office said. Paramedics from the Rochester Hills Fire Department transported him to an area hospital for treatment where he subsequently died, the sheriff’s office said.

The incident was investigated by the crash reconstruction unit of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Teen dead, another hospitalized in Pontiac shooting

The case against a Detroit felon accused of fatally shooting two men over a dice game in Pontiac last fall has advanced to Oakland County Circuit Court for possible trial.

At the conclusion of a preliminary exam Monday in 50th District Court, the judge ruled there was probable cause for the charges against Davonte Demetri Franklin to proceed to the higher court.

Franklin, 33, is held without bond in the Oakland County Jail, charged with two counts of first-degree homicide for the deaths of Sidney Ward III, 20, of Highland Park, and Tyrone Davis Glenn Jr., 24, of Pontiac.

The fatal shootings happened Oct. 8, 2024 in an apartment on North Sanford Street near Fiddis Avenue, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Evidence from the scene indicated Franklin used a potato in an attempt to muffle the sounds of the gunshots, but witnesses reported hearing the shootings, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators allege Franklin shot the two because he was angry from losing $80 in a dice game.

Franklin is also charged with felon in possession of a firearm and three counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Arraignment is scheduled for June 30 before Judge Kwame Rowe.

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A 37-year-old Birmingham man accused of trying to break into a home by stabbing and kicking its front door is facing a charge of attempted home invasion.

According to the Bloomfield Township Police Department, officers arrested Peter Chan-Woong Chung on the porch of the home near Quarton and Lahser roads shortly before 2 a.m on June 21. A resident had called 911 to report a man dressed all in black was trying to break into the front door and was stabbing the door with a knife and trying to kick it in, police said.

Chung was under the influence of alcohol at the time, police said, and it doesn’t appear that he knows the residents.

The knife Chung allegedly used was found on a window ledge near the front door, police said. Damage to the door exceeded $1,000, police said.

At Chung’s arraignment, bond was set at $25,000 with a 10% provision — which allowed him to be released from custody after posting $2,500. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 3.

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A 77-year-old Troy woman died Wednesday, three days after her vehicle was hit by another in Rochester Hills.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said Julianne McClure was driving a Chevrolet Trax southbound on Rochester Road near Hickory Lawn Street when a Toyota Highlander headed northbound crossed the centerline and hit her car head-on. A crew from the Rochester Hills Fire Department extricated McClure and transported her to a hospital where she subsequently died from her injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

McClure’s 15-year-old granddaughter, a Minnetonka, Minnesota resident, was a front seat passenger in the car and sustained a broken ankle. She was released from the hospital on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office said.

The driver of the Toyota Highlander, a 31-year-old Lincoln Park man wasn’t injured in the crash, but two backseat passengers in his car, ages 7 and 9, were taken to a hospital for treatment, the sheriff’s office said.

Neither alcohol nor drugs appear to have been factors in the incident, the sheriff’s office said. An investigation continues by the sheriff’s Crash Reconstruction Unit.

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A 34-year-old West Bloomfield mother is facing a criminal charge for allegedly leaving a loaded gun in her child’s backpack which was brought into a Royal Oak daycare center.

Karen Reid is charged with reckless use of a firearm — a misdemeanor — for the alleged May 14 incident.

According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Reid handed the daycare employee the backpack when she dropped off her 3-year-old at the childcare facility.

It was supposed to have the child’s snack in it, but when the employee opened the backpack the loaded handgun was found. It’s alleged Reid put the gun in the backpack to carry it to and from her car but failed to remove it before dropping off her child.

“I’m grateful this is a story about a misdemeanor charge instead of a tragedy,” Prosecutor Karen McDonald stated in a news release. “A loaded gun needs to be secured. Failing to do so around small children is absolutely reckless. The employee who found the gun should be commended for quickly securing it and contacting police.”

The charge is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine. It can also result in suspension of hunting privileges for up to three years.

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A preliminary exam is scheduled for two men accused of murdering a man last November in Waterford.

Scheduled for June 18, the exam will be held before 51st District Judge Todd Fox who will then determine if charges will advance against Mike Kruglik, 25, and Jesse Bradshaw, 27, for the slaying of Antonn Cecil Richard Thomas. Thomas was found shot in the chest outside the MJR Waterford Cinema on Nov. 7, 2024 and pronounced dead at an area hospital. He was 28 when killed.

Along with first-degree homicide, Kruglik and Bradshaw are charged with delivery/manufacture of cocaine, delivery/manufacture of psilocybin — commonly known as “magic mushrooms” — delivery/manufacture of marijuana and four counts of felony firearm.

Kruglik, of West Bloomfield, and Bradshaw, of New Boston, were arrested the day after the slaying. They’re both in the Oakland County Jail, denied bond.

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Three children narrowly escaped serious injury when a pickup truck slammed into the living room of their Pontiac home this past weekend, officials said.

It happened at around 12;20 a.m. last Saturday at an apartment on Firelite Lane near Cherry Hill Drive when a woman driving a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado apparently lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the front door and front window, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. She fled after the crash, the sheriff’s office said, then was arrested a short time later — suspected of being intoxicated while driving.

The sheriff’s office said the children, two 10-year-old boys and a 13-year-old girl, had gone to the apartment just minutes before to pick up personal belongings and were planning to return to their babysitter’s home across the street when the crash occurred. The kids broke out a window to get out of the apartment, and suffered minor scrapes from flying debris. They were treated at the scene.

The suspected driver, a 36-year-old Pontiac woman, was pointed out by a large crowd that gathered at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.  A security guard turned her over to deputies, the sheriff’s office said, and she denied being the driver. She was arrested on suspicion of operating while intoxicated and released from custody pending toxicology reports.

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