City of Whitehall Police Department and Facebook Page
April 16
Middle school staff located a vape device on a 13-year-old student after receiving a tip from another student. When the offender was called to the office and confronted the girl removed it from under her clothing and surrendered it, claiming she had found it along side the road. The SRO was contacted at 12:57 p.m. and cited the student for MIP of a Vape Device.
A resident came to the Whitehall Police offices at 1:13 p.m. to report he was the victim of a “doxing”. Someone had posted a photo of him and his wife, listed his home address and phone number and accused him of soliciting a minor for sex. Shortly after he began receiving threating texts and messages and was suspended by his employer. Investigators were able to quickly identify the person posting was a relative of the victim. Officers had the post removed and later contacted the employer to help him get reinstated to his job. The investigation is ongoing while attempts are made to contact the suspect.
Two cars were damaged in a crash at the intersection of Benston Rd and Warner St. According to the police report of the 12:50 a.m. crash a 39-year-old Whitehall man was turning left from southbound Warner onto eastbound Benston Rd. He was nearly complete from his turn when an 84-year-old Whitehall Township woman, who was stopped but headed north, entered the intersection and struck the first vehicle. There were no citations issued.
April 17
A resident of Fruitland Township came to the Whitehall Police Department for assistance in recovering a phone he had loaned to a now ex-girlfriend. The 15-year-old reported that it was a wi-fi only phone that he had loaned her so they could communicate outside of school. After the relationship ended he asked for the phone but learned the father of his “ex” had taken the phone and would not return it saying the caller needed to prove it was his phone. The officer went to the residence after the 5:00 p.m. call to attempt to retrieve the phone but the father now denied knowing anything about the phone.
April 19
A two-car crash was reported in the 100 block of S Covell St at 12:27 p.m. The police report noted that a 45-year-old Whitehall man was traveling north on Covell when a Montague man was backing out of a driveway on the east side of the roadway. The 76-year-old had failed to see the first car and backed into it. No one was injured in the crash.
April 20
A video game may have been responsible for a “shots fired” call in the 200 block of W Lewis St. The caller noted that it sounded to have come from the upstairs apartment. When the officer arrived to the 1:21 p.m. call he contacted the residents and said there were no shooting but that they had been playing video games. Everyone was accounted for and no further action was taken.
A resident of the 200 block of E Lewis called at 9:48 p.m. to report a harassment. The investigating officer learned that the resident was a student at Whitehall and was part of a game called “Senior Assassin”. The game has students vying to get other seniors with squirt guns and record it on their phone. The resident said that a student came to her door twice to try and get her and then later drove past the house while speeding. The officer was unable to locate the suspect in the area.
April 21
A 23-year-old Illinois woman was injured and later transported to the hospital from a 2:55 p.m. crash at the corner of Zellar Rd and White Lake Dr. The Mount Prospect resident was heading west on WLD and had stopped for the sign. The driver said that she had looked for traffic but did not see the southbound vehicle approaching. The second vehicle was driven by a 65-year-old Fruitland Township woman and her vehicle ran into the passenger side of the first. Muskegon County Sheriff deputies, White Lake Fire Authority, and Trinity EMS all assisted at the scene.
April 22
Whitehall Police were called to take a harassment report after two neighbors had an exchange over a parking spot. The officer responding to the 5:59 p.m. call learned that the caller had been called out for using a neighbor’s parking space. The boyfriend of the neighbor was “verbal” but made not threats. The caller wanted a report made in case of future incidents.
After noticing a green tab on a license plate, an officer on patrol began to follow the vehicle, believing the plate to be expired. The officer noted that the vehicle then made several turns and finally pulling into a driveway, the officer initiated a stop. The driver admitted that he did not live there and did not know who did live there but denied trying to avoid the officer. A computer check during the 8:47 p.m. stop showed that the 20 year old was wanted on a warrant for OWI. The man was taken into custody and during the arrest he was found to have a vape device in his possession. The suspect was later lodged at the Muskegon County jail and cited for the expired plate and MIP of a Vape.
April 23
The on-duty officer stopped in to check-in at the local 24-hour store and learned that a shoplifting had occurred just a few minutes prior. The clerk had become suspicious of a couple who entered and left without purchasing anything at about 1:30 a.m. and recorded the license plate. had just finished reviewing video that showed the theft of food and drink. The officer also reviewed the video and using computer records found the vehicle owner and then a name associated with the owner and called their listed numbers. The suspect returned to the store and said that he did not have money to pay for the stolen items. The officer cited the 20-year-old and his 19-year-old girlfriend, both Egelston Township residents, for Retail Fraud 3rd Degree and they were released.
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