Gold chain stolen from jewelry store

An Auburn Hills man distracted a sales clerk at Fredrick Jewelers in Bloomfield Township, and stole a gold chain valued at $2,000 on Tuesday, January 23.

Bloomfield Township police reported that between 3:38 and 3:50 p.m., a retail fraud occurred at the jewelers, located at 889 W. Long Lake Road at Telegraph. Stephen Homburger, 62, from Auburn Hills, came into the store and spoke with a sales clerk about a gold chain. While the clerk was distracted, he stole the chain, which was valued at $2,000. Fredrick Jewelers reported that Homburger was able to leave the store without them knowing he had stolen it.

Bloomfield Township police said that their investigation revealed Homburger as the suspect, and also showed that he had stolen a second chain on an earlier occasion.

These incidents were presented to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, and they issued a two count warrant for retail fraud first degree.

On Wednesday, January 31, Homburger was located by a surveillance unit and arrested in Auburn Hills. He was transported to the Bloomfield Hills police department, and then arraigned at 48th District Court before Magistrate Julie Nelson-Klein on Thursday, February 1.

Homburger was assigned a bond of $100,000. He will next appear in court at 48th District Court on Monday, February 12, at 9 a.m. before Judge Kimberly Small.