Saline Police Call Community Garden Break-In 'Juvenile Vandalism'

Saline Police are calling a break-in of a Saline community garden simple vandalism.

Unidentified suspects vandalized the garden next Woodland Elementary and tore out some vegetables and inscribed a swastika on small watermelon, according to a police report. Police are calling it an isolated incident.

The incident was discovered Monday and police also learned some equipment at nearby baseball diamond was strewn about as well.

Damage to the garden was limited to four tomatoes, three onions and the affected watermelon, Officer Mike Snook said Tuesday. He said the swastika was likely the result of a stick pin. He said the watermelon was the size of softball.

“This is juvenile vandalism,” Det. Don Lupi said.

The issue has become a hot item for regional media including the Detroit Free Press, which inquired about the story. Lupi attributes the interest to the swastika.

Lupi and Snook say they are not aware of any neo-Nazi organization in the area and believe the perpertrators were just trying to draw attention to their actions.

“It’s a matter of reality versus perception,” Snook said. “It all hinges on the swastika; it’s a delicate issue.”

He described the garden as having 20 planters with hundreds of tomatoes each. To have only four plucked out shows how insignificant the case is, he said.

“It’s an isolated incident,” Snook said.

Woman gives birth to baby in car

A 25-year-old woman gave birth to a baby boy on the way to the hospital Aug. 10.

A Saline officer got a report of man taking his pregnant wife to Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ypsilanti around 10 a.m. The officer found the car on Michigan Street turning onto Mills.

The officer found the woman with the crying baby on her chest. 

He led the vehicle to the emergency room where he advised the man to go inside and alert the staff.  The man told the officer the woman had had the baby in the car.

The woman and child were taken into the emergency room. All of the family are reported in good condition.

Drunk driving arrest

A 22-year-old Ann Arbor man was arrested for operating while intoxicated Sunday morning, according to a police report.

Police spotted a vehicle on Michigan Street heading east and changing lanes without a signal. The car turned north on N. Ann Arbor Street and then onto Bennett where the car hit the curb. The officer stopped the driver.

The driver later admitted he had consumed alcohol and failed several sobriety tests.  Police administered a preliminary breath test and took him into custody. Blood tests were taken later.

He was charged with operating while intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 0.17 or higher, according to the report.

The case remains open pending the results of the blood alcohol tests.

Questions about this report should be emailed to jamespruitt7@gmail.com.