Man arrested following thefts, home invasions in Oakland County
(CBS DETROIT) - A 34-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection to breaking into homes and vehicles and stealing property.
Waterford police say they arrested Shawn Michael Degen on Thursday, Sept. 29, in cooperation with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and the Michigan Department of Corrections.
According to police, they discovered Degen was linked to these crimes after he used a stolen gift card.
In August, the Waterford Police Department received a report that several items were stolen from an unlocked vehicle, including credit and gift cards.
Police say that one of the gift cards was used shortly after it was stolen, and when they received video surveillance of the transaction, they were able to identify Degen as the suspect.
He was also linked to multiple other thefts and home invasions in Oakland County.
Degen was arrested, and when detectives executed a search warrant at his home, they recovered a large amount of stolen property, including laptops, tablets, backpacks, tools, and IDs belonging to the victims of the thefts.
He was charged with two counts of first-degree home invasion, one count of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, one count of larceny from auto, one count of felon in possession of ammunition, one count of malicious destruction of police property, and one count of possession of a financial transaction device.
Degen was arraigned in the 52-2 District Court and was given a $50,000 cash/surety/10% bond.
His probable cause conference has been scheduled for Oct. 11.