Police: Ex-colleague tried breaking into Royal Oak woman’s home, had backpack with weapons
The Oakland County prosecutor had praise for “the quick thinking of the victim” after a Royal Oak woman’s fast call to police over the weekend foiled an attempted home invasion by a suspect laden with scary gear.
Police discovered that the man knew the woman and that he was carrying not only weapons but also items he could've used to restrain an adult. He's a lawyer and the two had once worked together, investigators said.
According to police, it was 1:30 a.m. on Saturday when the woman was awakened by noises, viewed her Ring doorbell camera, and realized that someone was trying to force open her side door. So she called 911.
She also activated a panic alarm. "The man attempted to walk away but was immediately confronted by two Royal Oak patrol officers," a police summary said.
Officers quickly found and arrested a man wearing latex gloves — apparently to avoid leaving fingerprints — and lugging a backpack jammed with a loaded handgun, a large knife, handcuffs, duct tape, some rope, masks, a hammer, and a crowbar. It was the woman’s quick thinking, despite being startled from sleep, that prevented a possible tragedy, Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a news release. The suspect is attorney Levi Trahern Smith, 34, of Dearborn Heights.
“The investigation revealed the suspect was a former co-worker of the victim, and he had exhibited a romantic interest in her in the past and targeted her in this incident,” Royal Oak Police Chief Michael Moore said. The woman’s call to 911 “prevented a much worse outcome,” Moore said in a statement.
Smith was charged with one count of attempted first-degree home invasion, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison; and one count of using a firearm while committing a felony, which carries a mandatory prison sentence of two years. He was arraigned at 44th District Court in Royal Oak on Tuesday. His bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety (no 10% allowed) by Magistrate William Urich.
Levi Trahern Smith has an unblemished past as a lawyer with no history of any complaints, according to online records of the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission. Smith could not be reached for comment after his arraignment. The suspect should not be confused with attorney Levi Frank Smith, a Southfield-based commercial real estate broker. Levi Frank Smith of Southfield said he'd never heard of the suspect.
Contact Bill Laytner: blaitner@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lawyer charged in Royal Oak attempted home invasion had weapons
