Thieves taking cash, guns from cars, Kent County neighbors say

Amber Krycka
·2 min read

GRATTAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A neighborhood in Grattan Township is making changes after some recent break-ins.

Deputies said crooks are hitting up several neighborhoods in one night taking things like cash, credit cards, purses and guns.

“Extremely ticked off,” said neighbor Gerard Laponsi.

“Violated. That’s the word. Violated,” said another neighbor.

“I’ve been having some trouble sleeping because I’ve been waking up and checking the Ring camera making sure it’s not going to happen again,” Taylor Rieth said.

It’s a feeling many neighbors in Grattan Township around Murray Lake aren’t used to.

“It’s pretty spooky when you are trying to get a good night’s sleep, and you have people prowling around your neighborhood,” a neighbor said.

Security video shows two people on Causeway Drive with hoods on, casually walking up to cars, opening the doors and looking for valuables.

Kent County deputies said the suspects are going to neighborhoods all over. The top three areas targeted in the last couple of weeks have been Grattan, Cannon and Vergennes Townships, where eight cases have been reported since Monday.

Neighbors say the crooks are breaking into homes, garages and cars and taking off with cash, credit cards, purses and guns.

One night, Kyle and Taylor Rieth said they forgot to lock their car door.

“Sunday morning, I had a text from Lake Michigan Credit Union for fraud prevention saying there’s a potential fraudulent charge and I was unsure what was going on,” said Kyle Rieth.

And just hours after taking off with their cards and ID, the thieves went on a little shopping spree.

“They went to Meijer on 28th Street at 4 a.m., and they charged about $500 to the card,” he said.

But for neighbors it’s not just about losing a few valuables, it’s about losing peace of mind.

“It hit home,” a neighbor said.

And it’s changing how some live.

“Since then, I have put up motion lights and my wife has ordered cameras to put up. We’re watching now. We’ve got cameras, now we’re vigilant, now we are locking up everything,” said Laponsi.

A spokesperson with the sheriff’s office said no arrest have been made.

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