Deputy busts Burnett's thief in bathroom

A man believed to possibly be living in the bathroom of a Rochester Hills Meijer store for several days was arrested on Wednesday, October 3, in connection with theft and criminal trespassing.

An employee at the store, 3175 S. Rochester Road, contacted the sheriff's office about 3:43 p.m. to check on the welfare of a man in the bathroom who they believed may have been sleeping there for the past three days.

The employee said the man was observed earlier in the day going through the self-checkout lane holding his shirt from the bottom, as if he was concealing something. The man then went to the bathroom and came out a short time later. He was later noticed in the employee area designated for smoking, at which point he was instructed to leave the premises. An employee later discovered the man in the bathroom with a package of potato chips and a partially-consumed bottle of Burnett's vodka.

A deputy responding to the store's request arrived to find the man locked in a bathroom stall. The man told the deputy he was going through substance withdrawal. Upon exiting the bathroom stall, the deputy said the man appeared to have urinated on himself, was unable to walk in a stable manner and had a strong smell of intoxicants.

Loss prevention employees at the store were able to provide video of the man stealing the bottle of vodka that was discovered in the bathroom.

The man was arrested in connection with retail fraud and trespassing. He was transported to Troy Beaumont Hospital for detoxification.