Home invasion suspect arrested

A man suspected in numerous home invasions in Troy had slipped away from police officers who had been tracking him, but his attempts to escape ultimately failed.

D’Mario Thornton’s brazen attempt to get away was thwarted by the net police had put around the area where he had been lurking, officials said.

Already a suspect, Troy police officers had been watching Thornton, the department reported.

During the weekend on Saturday night, officers working surveillance saw him enter two homes in the area of Big Beaver and Wattles roads.

Confronted by officers as he made his way back to his vehicle, the suspected burglar fled into the darkness, evading officers.

He then broke into another home, police said, and used the home’s landline to phone a friend to pick him up.

“While using the phone, Thornton also seized the opportunity to steal cash from the residence which was recovered on his person,” police said in their report.

Officers had been using a tracking dog as well as thermal imaging technology in their search.

Eventually at 1 a.m. Sunday in the area of Wattles Road and I-75, officers saw a man walk down a driveway and enter a vehicle they had already spotted and associated with Thornton.

“A traffic stop was conducted and Thornton was arrested without further incident,” police said.

Police said Thornton has been charged with three counts of home invasion, held on a $45,000 bond after being arraigned at the 52nd-4th District Court in Troy.

The investigation had started after a March 13 home invasion near Coolidge Highway and Big Beaver Road, where high-value jewelry and coins were stolen. Surveillance footage from security cameras in the area helped police identify their suspect, police said.

During the Saturday night incidents, cash and jewelry were stolen from each home.

“In the days following investigators attempted to retrace the suspects movements in an effort to recover additional stolen property,” police said.