FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – A 79-year-old Farmington Hills woman was tied up Thursday at her home when a man who claimed to be searching for a lost dog robbed her of jewelry, police said.
Farmington Hills police said the woman heard a knock on the front door around 1:45 p.m. Thursday at her home near 12 Mile and Middlebelt roads.
When she answered the door, a man asked her if she had seen his lost dog. She turned around to get a piece of paper to write down his phone number, and he hit her in the head with an unknown object, police said.
"Our victim went to the door and the subject said that he was looking for a lost dog and he was going to leave his phone number with her," Farmington Hills police Chief Charles Nebus said. "So our victim turned around to get a piece of paper and a pen to write down the phone number. She didn't allow him into the house or know he was in, but suddenly, all of a sudden, he was in the house."
The man tied her up in the living room, removed her jewelry, took a few things from her purse and left the home.
The woman freed herself and called 911. Medical officials treated her at the home and took her to a local hospital.
"There's a chance that, we believe, and again we're early in this case, but we believe that she may have been targeted for her jewelry," Nebus said. "I'm not prepared to release specifics why that may be the case right now, but she may have been targeted."
The man is described as white, balding, 30 to 40 years old, 6 feet tall and around 200 pounds. He might have driven away in a white car.
Police said they are looking for a silver 2005-2008 Grand Am or Grand Prix that was seen driving around the area.
An image of a car that might belong to the man was released Thursday evening. You can click on the picture above and to the right to get a zoomed in view of the car.
Anyone with information is asked to call Farmington Hills police at 248-871-2610.
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