Home invader looked for Eminem before
Ten months before allegedly breaking into Eminem’s Clinton Township home in 2020, a homeless man illegally entered a Rochester Hills home’s property looking for the rap superstar.
Matthew Hughes was convicted of misdemeanor breaking and entering, illegal entry, for entering the home June 1, 2019, according to records from the 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills.
He pleaded guilty in June 2019 and was sentenced by Judge Julie Nicholson to 90 days in jail in July 2019, with 40 days of credit.
At 4 a.m. April 5, 2020, Hughes, 27, allegedly broke into Eminem’s home in Manchester Estates at Heydenreich Road and Cass Avenue in Clinton Township and threatened to kill him. He faces charges of first-degree home invasion and malicious destruction of property between $1,000 and $20,000.
In Oakland County, about 3 a.m. June 1, 2019, Hughes went to a Rochester Hills home and asked for Eminem. When told Eminem did not live there, he went to a guest or pool house on the property and was later found under a bed, according to police.
Assistant Macomb Prosecutor John Gemellaro has filed a legal motion to include the Rochester Hills incident in a trial that has been set for May 21, if a plea deal is not reached, in Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens.
At a remote hearing in the case Wednesday shown on youtube.com, Hughes’ attorney, Richard Glanda, objected to the inclusion, arguing that the Oakland County incident is “really irrelevant. That certainly isn’t an element of the crime, home invasion.”
Gemellaro responded:
“While I don’t have to prove motive, it certainly goes to his intent and his state of mind that he attempted to break into another home looking for the same individual …. It makes those facts relevant to the fact that he found the right home and he was determined to break into this home for the purpose of the assault, which is his intent.”
Judge Edward Servitto agreed with the assistant prosecutor.
“I do think it is relevant under these circumstances,” he said.
In the Clinton Township incident, Eminem was awakened by the noise of Hughes breaking a kitchen door window with a brick paver.
Hughes allegedly said he told the rapper he was there to “kill” him, according to court testimony.
Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, was able get Hughes to leave the house, where he was met by security guards who held him until police arrived.
Also Wednesday, Servitto rescheduled Hughes trial date next week for May 21, although Glanda said he and Gemellaro could still work out a plea deal.
Hughes also is accused of assaulting an employee at the Macomb County Jail last Sept. 11, two days after he was bound over from 41B District Court in Clinton Township to circuit court on the home invasion and malicious destruction of property charges.
Hughes is being held in the jail in lieu of two bonds valued at $60,000. He also owes $1,390 to the Rochester Hills court, records say.
The first-degree home invasion charge is a 20year felony, while the malicious destruction of property charge between $1,000-$20,000 is a fiveyear felony. The assault charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.