KENT COUNTY, Mich. — The Kent County Sheriff’s office arrested three people after a series of break-ins overnight Thursday who police say were involved in at least three crimes and may be connected to many more.
Dean Degroot, assistant regional manager for Right Way Automotive, is fed up after someone broke into their spot off Alpine overnight.
“For whatever reason, they broke the monitors,” he said. “Don’t know why. It just seems kinda mean to me.”
And it’s not the first time, or the only location that’s gotten hit. He says his 28th Street store was also hit.
“Three weeks ago, they, or somebody else, broke in through here,” Degrott said about the Alpine location. “Actually threw that brick through that window and then came in. But those people didn’t ransack the place. They were just looking for keys.”
About two months ago, people broke into the 28th Street location and stole keys, then came back the next day during business hours and took several of the cars.
Degroot knows he’s not the only one.
“Seems everybody has gotten robbed at least once,” he said.
The sheriff’s office says they think they were able to get most of the people who broke into Right Way because they were caught just down Alpine at a smoke shop – stealing.
“Upon further investigations the officers found that the same suspects were likely involved in two additional break-ins on Alpine Avenue within a mile,” the Kent County Sheriff’s Office said. “They’re very similar to many other cases we’ve been dealing with areawide. All agencies areawide, over the course of the summer. I don’t know that these particular individuals are involved in these instances, but we are investigating that.”
Police do know that some of the people involved in many of these incidents know each other.
“Even if they’re not acting together, they appear to be sharing information and collaborating on the incidents,” the Kent County Sheriff’s Office said.
Degroot says enough is enough.
“So frustrating,” he said. “I mean, this is hard enough already.”
Anyone with information about these incidents may contact the Kent County Sheriff or Silent Observer.
