Suspected furnace thief has court date after virus-related delay
A Detroit man suspected of stealing hot water heaters and furnaces from three Ferndale houses starting seven months ago faces a court hearing today to determine whether he will stand trial on multiple felony charges.
Quardell Williams, 22, did the burglaries all in February and March at vacant houses for sale or undergoing renovations, police said. He has been free after posting 10 percent of a $250,000 bond following his arraignment in Ferndale
43rd District Court in late March.
A preliminary examination hearing on the evidence against Williams has been delayed because he demanded his legal right to an inperson hearing. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed in-person hearings in most courts statewide until recently.
Williams is charged with three burglaries and was suspected in two other similar burglaries in Ferndale, police said.
He would steal furnaces and hot water heaters and possibly had buyers lined up before taking the items from houses, said Ferndale Community Engagement Officer Jill Mahlmeister.
“He would sell and go install the furnaces (for buyers) the next day,” she said.
All of the burglaries happened in the southwest section of the city. Three of them happened on Feb. 10, though Williams is charged with only one of those.
Police said Williams stole a contractor’s handgun and some tools during one of the burglaries, as well as some tools fromanother house he is accused of burglarizing.
Police investigators identified Williams as a suspect after they canvassed pawn shops and found he had pawned some smaller items and tools stolen in at least two burglaries, police said.
“Investigators set up a surveillance on Williams on March 30,” Mahlmeister said. “They saw him enter a house in Ferndale and exit the house with a furnace and hot water heater.”
The house is in the 1300 block of West Marshall. Williams was in the house for only several minutes, but managed to take the water heater and furnace out of the house and load them into a Dodge Magnum station wagon driven by an unidentified woman, Ferndale police said earlier.
Police followed the suspect to a house in Detroit where they arrested him.
They recovered the stolen furnace and hot water heater, and found a handgun in William’s station wagon, police said.
The furnaces stolen were valued from $1,500 to $4,000, police said.
Williams was arraigned the same day he was arrested.
“He admitted to pawning the tools he got from breaking into houses in Ferndale on Feb. 10 and Feb. 24,” Mahlmeister said.
Police said they arrested Williams before he was able to sell any of the items they saw him steal March 30.
Williams is charged with three counts of breaking and entering, each charge is a 10-year felony.
He is also charged with a firearm offense, a five-year felony.
Police said that Williams has no prior criminal history. He is scheduled for a hearing in Ferndale District Court at 10 a.m. Monday before Judge Joseph Longo.