WARREN, Mich. – A man who has been seen by multiple people carrying a ladder and peering through windows has been linked to at least eight such incidents across Macomb and Oakland counties, officials said.
‘Peeping Tom’ reports
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Since the start of 2023, Warren police said they have received two reports of a man peering through windows in the neighborhoods near Toepfer Road and Mac Arthur Boulevard and Toepfer and Schoenherr roads.
Both callers told police that they had seen a man carrying a ladder and peering through windows in the late evening and early morning hours.
One woman told police that a window screen from a window had been removed. She said the man tried to look into her daughter’s bedroom.
Another caller captured security camera images of the man in his yard.
“We know the importance of quickly identifying and arresting the suspect before he escalates his behavior into more violent crime,” Warren police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said.
6 incidents reported in Eastpointe
Warren police contacted surrounding departments about the window peeper and learned that Eastpointe authorities had received calls about six similar incidents.
Eastpointe police said the callers reported a man with the same description peering into windows while carrying a ladder.
Officials from both departments worked to identify and arrest the man.
Oak Park arrest
Warren officials identified the person responsible for the “peeping Tom” incidents and began monitoring him in the late evening hours of Thursday (Feb. 16).
He led them to Oak Park, where police saw him walk to and from the backyard of an occupied home several times, according to authorities.
The man approached the home, stood by a window, and peered inside while hiding behind a bush, officials said. There were several children under the age of 16 inside the home.
He ultimately fled in a vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident.
“Warren Special Operations Unit members were able to locate this suspect in Oak Park and arrest him without incident before he was able to gain entry into a residence occupied by several juveniles,” Dwyer said. “Thankfully, this suspect is off the streets and will no longer be frightening residents in the Tri-County area.”
Charges
Officials identified the man as a 41-year-old resident of Detroit.
His criminal history includes felony convictions for home invasion, drugs, and weapons offenses.
Investigators are preparing to present the case to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for a charging decision.
Warren police believe additional charges will be filed against the man in Eastpointe and Oak Park.
