3rd arrest made in burglaries

Brownstown Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff’s Department are continuing their investigation into several burglaries that have occurred at businesses in the Brownstown, Freetown and Vallonia areas in the past two weeks.

Brownstown officers Tom Wright and John Long, sheriff’s detectives Rick Blaker Jr., Bob Lucas and Rob Henley and deputies Ben Rudolph and Rick Meyer have been working since Dec. 9 to solve five different break-ins that have occurred.

According to a press release, Wright and Brownstown Officer Tom Hanner recovered items stolen from the Freetown Grocery, where a burglary was reported to Rudolph on Dec. 13. Wright assisted Rudolph by downloading security video using the Brownstown Police Department’s VideoDetective video enhancing system. The items were recovered from a residence in Brownstown, police said.

Police say some of the stolen items from the Brownstown Elementary School burglary, which occurred Dec. 9, were returned to Wright on Tuesday.

This led Wright and Henley to a second interview of Kyle David Probizanski, 18, Freetown, who is currently incarcerated in the Jackson County Jail on charges of burglary, theft and criminal mischief for the burglaries of Gifts Galore on Dec. 9 and Vallonia Gas and Grocery, and Dr. Gordon Newlin’s dentist office in Brownstown on Dec 16.

That interview led to the interview of another adult, who provided more information on the school burglary and the recovery of additional stolen property, police said.

Phillip A. Ihle, 18, Brownstown, was arrested by Wright for his alleged involvement in the school burglary and criminal mischief to several cars in the Brownstown area.

He is currently confined at the Jackson County Jail on charges of burglary, Class C felony, theft, Class D felony, criminal mischief, Class C felony, and criminal mischief, Class A misdemeanor, and is under a $10,005 bond.

Wright said he plans to file additional paperwork charging Probizanski with burglary, theft and criminal mischief for the school burglary and an additional charge of criminal mischief, Class A misdemeanor, against a 17-year-old juvenile currently in the Jackson County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of burglary, theft and criminal mischief for the break-ins at Brownstown Elementary and Gifts Galore on Dec. 9 and Newlin’s dentist office in Brownstown on Dec. 16.

County officers are expected to file charges in the burglary of Vallonia Gas and Grocery and Freetown Grocery against Probizanski and the 17-year-old.

Wright was assisted by detectives Lucas and Henley in the gathering of evidence at Brownstown Elementary, Gifts Galore and Newlin’s office.

Lucas and Henley gathered the evidence at Vallonia and Freetown.

The cases are still open and under investigation and officers hope to locate more of the stolen items from all the burglaries, the press release stated. Brownstown Elementary School reported more than $9,000 in loss and damages, Gifts Galore $1,000 and Newlin’s office more than $6,000.

No damage figures were available for Vallonia or Freetown.

Probizanski is still being held at the Jackson County Jail on $10,000 bond and the juvenile remains in the Jackson County Juvenile Detention Center.

“If it was not for the assistance of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and all the officers working together, I don’t believe any one person could have solved all of these break-ins as quickly as we did,” Wright was quoted as saying in the press release.

“This was definitely a team effort and I would like to thank all of the officers involved for their hard work and persistence.”

Anyone who may have further information on any of the break-ins that have occurred recently is asked to call the Brownstown Police Department at 358-2345 or the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at 358-2141.