PONTIAC (WWJ) - Police say they’ve linked a man released on parole less than a week ago to a series of commercial burglaries in Pontiac.
Five businesses in Pontiac “appear to have been targeted by an individual with the same pattern of behavior” beginning on Dec. 26, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department said in a written statement.
Authorities say surveillance footage from each burglary showed the suspect using a tool to break a window, allowing them to go inside while the business was closed. The suspect would also allegedly attempt to open cash registers before leaving the location.
The pattern in the break-ins was similar to burglaries that were investigated last year, according to detectives. After comparing the series of burglaries, detectives learned that the person who was convicted of the crimes last year had recently been released from prison.
Visual evidence was used to compare the suspect in the recent burglaries, and authorities said they were allegedly able to identify the same suspect.
54-year-old Freddie Harrison III was identified as the suspect, and a “be on the lookout alert” was issued. Authorities said that within 90 minutes, a patrol unit was able to find Harrison and he was arrested without incident.
According to officials, Harrison was paroled by the Michigan Department of Correction on Dec. 22, 2023 for prior convictions, and he had “absconded from parole on Dec. 25.”
Investigators say the total amount of cash taken from the burglaries totaled less than $500, but the total damages to the businesses is estimated to be more than $15,000.
“Through great police work, this serial burglar was taken back into custody quickly,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a written statement, “What is incredibly frustrating is the short duration of his time behind bars. Clearly, the system did not rehabilitate nor deter his future criminality, and that must change. And on top of the fact that he had previously been to prison for not only multiple burglaries in the past, but second-degree murder. When our system does not hold people accountable, it creates a revolving door, leaving victims in its wake.”
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office received a warrant package on Dec. 28, with Harrison facing five counts of breaking and entering a building with intent. Each count is a felony that has a sentence up to 10 years in prison, authorities said.
Harrison was arraigned in 52-1 District Court on all charges on Friday afternoon. Bond was set at $5,000 with a GPS tether.