Men could face burglary charges in Livonia

Two cousins face felony home-invasion charges in connection with Sept. 8 burglaries of houses in Plymouth and Canton townships and could face charges for a similar crime in Livonia.

Michael Rhodes of Northville Township and Richard Rhodes of Canton were arrested Friday in Farmington Hills by officers from a multi-agency task force that had been tracking their movements, according to a press release from the Plymouth Township Police Department.

Task force officers conducting surveillance had watched the pair as they carried items, including a large television set, out of a Farmington Hills house and put them in a pickup truck and police determined a burglary had occurred at the house, Plymouth Township Lt. Bob Antal said in the release. Joined by Farmington Hills police, officers stopped the pair at a nearby gas station and arrested them without incident, Antal said.

The two men could also face charges in Livonia. Lt. Tom Goralski of the Livonia Police Department said his agency believes the men are involved with at least one home invasion on the city’s south side.

Goralski said a warrant request was going to be sent on Friday afternoon.

Earlier, the men had been followed to several Oakland County pawn shops, where they tried to sell items believed to have been stolen in area home invasions, police said.

Michael Rhodes, 24, and Richard Rhodes, 19, were arraigned Monday in 35th District Court on two charges each of felony home invasion. Not-guilty pleas were entered for them and Judge Mike Gerou set bond at $100,000 each. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Friday, Sept. 26.

The cousins had already been charged in 47th District Court in the Farmington Hills case. They were being held Wednesday in the Oakland County Jail.

The Plymouth Township burglary occurred the morning of Sept. 8 at a house on Governor Bradford, just west of Sheldon. The house had been entered through an unlocked window and ransacked. Jewelry and two television sets were reported stolen, police said. A similar burglary occurred the same day in Canton.

The western Wayne County Community Response Team that had been tracking the suspects is made up of officers from the Michigan State Police, Livonia, and Plymouth, Canton and Northville townships.

mjachman@hometownlife.com | 734-678-8432