FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Nearly five weeks after a 65-year-old man was found dead on a trail, Farmington Hills police have arrested and charged a 23-year-old man with second-degree murder.
Police say Gabriel Bercea is accused of using blunt force trauma and strangulation to kill Richard Alan Harris of Farmington Hills at Woodland Hills Park.
Bercea appeared in court via Zoom on Tuesday (June 9), where an attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Farmington Hills police said Harris was discovered around 4 p.m. on a trail in the park. Investigators believe Bercea used a log found in the park to hit Harris.
“It’s a little bit harrowing to know that I go past this place where this guy was killed just about every day,” said Garrett Robinson, who frequently walks in Woodland Hills Park. He remembers seeing the area blocked off by two police cars the day Harris was killed, preventing him from entering on his break.
Farmington Hills police Chief John Piggott credited community members with helping identify a suspect.
“Had it not been for the community’s assistance, this crime may not have been solved,” Piggott said.
According to police, residents turned over Ring camera footage and other information that helped eventually lead to Bercea’s arrest.
In response to the killing, police say they have stepped up patrols at Woodland Hills Park, sometimes stationing an officer across the street.
The city’s communications manager also confirmed to Local 4 that security cameras were installed around the park after the incident.
“Absolutely makes me feel secure that they are attentive to the situation,” Robinson said.
Bercea is scheduled to return to court on June 24 at 1:30 p.m.