Fill out our readership sw Break the energy gridlock with iLove iPhone Thumbs up fiom oui own .creative opportTO^- OUR VIEWS, AIO gadget fan-'ML-*». i 75 cents STATE AND NATIONAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE www.hometownlife.com One of HHHH .Rosebud's "*"""' ySjj favorite • estation places to hide-and helps her to nap - is - inside a J her Rosebud ^ cat tunnel. *." BY SUE MASON BY DARRELL CLEM incident STAFF WRITER STAFF.WSITER to police. The man is Rose Mary Collins has two, Westland police are seeking help described made observations of her in finding a child predator accused as a white feline companion, aptly named of molesting a 9-year-old girl in male, 45 to Rosebud. First, she loves every­ Venoy-Dorsey Park, on Venoy north of 50 years old, body, and second, she has Collins Michigan Avenue. 6 feet tall "trained." Police released a composite sketch *\* with a stocky "She adopted me, she picked of the suspect, known to the child only build and -", me out," said Collins. "She's only as Richard, on Tuesday afternoon. a pot belly, v lived here, a short time, but she The girl was molested by a man who At times he rules the house." befriended her during park outings wore a dark blue ball cap, It's obvious. A cat tunnel and with her two siblings and their baby Westland police need help possibly with toys can be found around the liv­ sitter, police Sgt. Debra Mathews said. identifying this suspected the "D" logo ing room of Collins' seventh-floor The baby sitter kept the children child predator. Anyone who for Detroit, apartment at Garden Tower in while their father was at work, knows him is urged to call and at other Garden City. In the bedroom, a Mathews said. police at (734) 721-6311 or times he pink covered litter box sits next "He had befriended the caretaker (734) 722-9600. wore a tan, to night stand and the bed where in the park, and he bought candy for camouflage cap, Mathews said. The Rosebud likes to take her cat them," the detective said. composite sketch also shows a scar on naps. On the afternoon of July 3, the man his forehead. Collins met Rosebud June 29 at asked the 9~y ear-old girl to go into a the Michigan Humane Society's wooded area where he said he wanted "He rides a red bike with white let­ Berman Center for Animal Care to show her a fort, Mathews said. tering on the handlebars," she said. in Westland. She had been to The man made the girl fondle him "He has a black pouch attached to the the center several times looking and watch him touch himself, and back of the bike." for the right cat and returned then he sexually fondled her, Mathews Anyone who has information is after her daughter saw Rosebud's urged to call the Westland Police photo on the MHS Web site. "The little girl told the caretaker, Department at ¢734) 721-6311 or (734) As she walked through the and the next morning she also told her 722-9600. center's cat condo, she wasn't dad," the detective said. sure which one was the cat In turn, the father reported the [email protected] j (734) 953-2110 she was looking for, but then Rosebud stuck her paw out of her enclosure and meowed. When Collins walked out into the lobby, Rosebud was in her window, looking at her. "I said, this has to be love at first sight," said Collins. On a limited income, Collins had saved up each month in order to adopt a cat. Much to her surprise, her decision to adopt BY DARRELL CLEM the stolen Rosebud came just a day after STAFF WRITER car in the the MHS announced its Cat area of Independence Days, aimed at Westland police are asking for Inkster and finding homes for hundreds of PHOTOS BV TOM HOFFMEYER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER help in finding a suspect who took Van Born cats housed at its three centers. a 78-year-old woman's car at knife­ roads and Rose Mary Collins says it was love at first sight between her and her four-year-old cat which point while she was working in chased it Please see ROSEBUD, A3 she adopted through a special program offered by the Michigan Humane Society. a garden on Henry Ruff south of to 1-94 and Michigan Avenue. Telegraph, The carjacking occurred about where the 6:55 p.m. Friday on farm land that A \ pursuit was Wayne County uses for a garden halted. program. The sus­ The victim had noticed a suspi­ pect was BY DARRELL CLEM cious-looking man who was watch­ Westland police are described STAFF WRSTER tive." "It was not a drug deal or anything ing her. seeking information about as a white Witnesses told police that as like that," Heater said. "It was a fist "She was approached by a white this suspect, wanted for a ' &&&,'•&' A shootout involving two groups of many as 20-30 young men became fight that got worse." male who chased her with a big carjacking that happened foot 8,140 young men shattered the afternoon involved before gunfire erupted in The problem started around 2 knife and took her car keys," police Friday evening near pounds, 25 quiet of a south-end neighborhood the residential intersection of Julius p.m. when a group of Romulus Sgt. Steve Borisch said. Henry Ruff and Michigan to 35 years last Friday, frightening residents who and Dancy, in the historic Annapolis youths, in their late teens and early The woman wasn't injured. The Avenue. Anyone who has old. He wore couldn't remember such an incident Park subdivision. 20s, came to the neighborhood and suspect fled the scene in the sto­ information is urged to call a gray, long- in the 50 years they've lived there. "We had two warring factions clashed with local youths who didn't len car, described by Borisch as Westland police at (734) sleeve shirt, Authorities called it amazing that here," police Sgt. David Heater said. want them there, Heater said. A fist a maroon, four-door, 2001 Buick 721-6311 or (734) 722- bluejeans no one was injured, and Police Chief "They got into a big fight, and this fight ensued in the area of Lacy and Century. 9600. ahd a black James Ridener said stray bullets fight deteriorated into a gun battle. Marshall streets, but the Romulus The farm land is located on prop­ cap with a - struck one house. No arrests had When police got there, everyone had crew fled on foot and left behind cell erty that was part of the old Eloise red insignia. been made this week as the investi­ fled. The real victims here were the phones and shirts they had taken off site, a sprawling hospital complex Anyone who has information gation continued. folks in the neighborhood." for battle, he said. that included a poorhouse, gardens, about the suspect is urged to call "It's unfortunate this happened," Police found one bullet-riddled The Romulus group rounded up an infirmary and many other ame­ the Westland Police Department at Ridener said. "We're still investigat­ vehicle, a red GMC Jimmy, in the more friends and returned in the nities. (734) 721-6311 or (734) 722-9600. ing it, but the victims who were being Julius-Dancy intersection. It had After the carjacking occurred, shot at are being less than coopera­ been abandoned amid gunfire. Please see GUNFIRE, A3 Dearborn Heights police spotted [email protected] I (734) 953-2110 * • -: ir. c*s&ft/fc - .^-- ^¾ © J.he Observer & Eccentric INDEX For Home Newspapers APARTMENTS B7 loans. J Delivery call: AUTOMOTIVE C2 Volume 43 CLASSIFIED B7-C4 (866) 887-2737 Number 17 CROSSWORD PUZZLE B8 HOMETOWNLIFE Dl JOBS B10 * *A- * MOVIE GUIDE E14 OBITUARIES A14 OPINION A10 PINK D4 REAL, ESTATE B7 SPORTS B1 Observer S Eccentric | Thursday, July 26,2007 (W) www.hometownllfe.com Michael Kehrer, 53, is an r— wide programs. areas look good to prospective hold up video store excavating site inspector who * Work on new businesses and home buyers. EG I tor's note- is an independent contractor programs to Contrary to popular belief, These are sev­ for Infra-Structure Systems. A help curb future businesses have not left because eral in a series BY DARRELL CLEM male employee when he arrived Westland City Council incum­ expenses on. of a lack of tax incentives like of candle STAFF WRITER for work. The suspects forced bent, he is married and has health care and some citizens think happened profiles and • both victims to sit on the floor three children and two grand­ sanitation costs. with Sam's Club. Tax incentives answers to Two masked gunmen and then locked them inside an children. Applying are only allowed by state law and 1 an Observer tied up two employees and office area, Borisch said. Kehrer graduated from John pressure to under certain circumstances. , questionnaire by the"-} council robbed them early Sunday at After the gunmen left, one Glenn High School and attended Kehrer our state At this time, they can only be candidates in the Aug 7 primary., Hollywood Video, near the employee managed to break Eastern Michigan University, government to given to manufacturing type . The top e'ght vote-getters will northeast corner of Michigan free and untied the other. where he studied political sci­ receive our fair share of the state businesses. advance to the Nov.