A couple faces allegations they were involved in a rash of home invasions stretching from Birmingham to Adrian, with many occurring in Ann Arbor.
Wendy Neyhart
Courtesy of Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
Wendy Neyhart, 35 of Ypsilanti Township, has been charged in seven home invasions and was arraigned Thursday at the Washtenaw County Jail, according to Ann Arbor police Detective Lt. Robert Pfannes.
A 41-year-old Ypsilanti man will be arraigned on charges related to the case, but remains uncharged as of Friday afternoon. His name has not been released because arraignment is pending.
The couple is accused of being involved in at least nine home invasions in the city of Ann Arbor, Pfannes said.
The crucial tip that led to the identification of Neyhart and the other man came after a break-in on Sept. 19 in the 1900 block of Ivywood on Ann Arbor's west side. Pfannes said neighbors saw an older white Jeep Cherokee with two people inside at the time of the home invasion.
Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped a similar vehicle on Sept. 25.
“The two occupants were found to be in possession of jewelry that was later tied to an Ypsilanti Township home invasion,” Pfannes said in a statement. “Further investigation linked the suspects’ range north to Northfield Township, extending northeast to Birmingham and as far west as Adrian.”
Ann Arbor police apprehended Neyhart and the man on Oct. 9 as they attempted to sell golden rings to a buyer in the 3300 block of Washtenaw Avenue. Those rings had been stolen, according to initial police accounts.
The couple’s apartment in Ypsilanti Township was searched and more than $30,000 of stolen property was found, Pfannes said.
Among the home invasions the couple is accused of being involved in are incidents in the 1500 block of King George, the 1500 block of Normandy, the 2500 block of Oakhills, the 1500 block of Newport, the 2500 block of Page, the 1900 block of Ivywood, the 400 block of Sumark Way, the 1400 block of Bardstown and the 1500 block of Bardstown, Pfannes said.
Pfannes said investigators from the Northfield Township Police Department and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office played a major role in the investigation.
"Northfield Township police and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office were instrumental in solving this case," Pfannes said Friday.
The man was on parole and is lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail. Neyhart was arraigned and turned over to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office for a probation violation.
According to state records, Neyhart has two previous convictions for embezzlement by a trustee more than $1,000 but less than $20,000 from a 2005 case.
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Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.