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John Morin stories
John Morin is a former Lansing resident who now lives in Holt.
Destruction of the house on Mifflin
It was early July, 2018. It was nice outside. After years of working to better the house we lived in, we would sometimes cross the street to look at it from different angles: curb appeal. I already knew we were doing right. Many passerby stopped, telling us how our house for years was the neighborhood eyesore, and they were amazed at the transformation. As I told them, I live on the inside. Much of the work I had done myself, at times re-mortgaging to buy materials.
Our enjoyment was interrupted by a loud speaker: "Come out with your hands up", from Mifflin Avenue, a block over. Curious, we walked over to the corner of Mifflin and Prospect. Police were forming up around a house further toward Michigan Ave. An officer was stopping people from going down there from where we were at. Asking questions, we heard that a neighbor was assaulted by the man that lived at that house. We heard that it was a non- serious injury to the hand requiring no medical treatment. A young man on a bike, maybe 14, rode up and approached the officer, explaining to the officer that he was by that house just prior to the police arriving and that he observed the man leave through his back yard to Charles Street. The officer looked at the young man, telling him that he did not know what he was talking about, that it was getting dark and he needed to go home, that the police have it handled.
Sheri looked at me saying, "Where are you going?" I looked at the officer and said, "Didn't you hear that young man say no one was there? I'm not going to stand here all night looking stupid when nobody is there." Dozens of officers spent the night, slowly destroying the house. There were dogs, a robot, armored vehicle - no resource was forgotten in their quest to catch no one. In the morning they were still there, over a dozen state trooper vehicles clogged American Asphalt's parking lot.
I heard the next day that the home owner on Charles Street had also early on informed the police that no one was home, that the man had left, going through his back yard to get away. Remembering this encounter, brings back memories of my own.
It was Fall of 1999, winter wasn't far away. I lived in an apartment that I had spent weeks fixing up. I worked at the apartment complex and agreed to take one of the worst apartments and fix it up with the intent to move into it. It was the nicest apartment on the complex when I finished. Part of my responsibilities was to do after-hour emergencies, being on call. To make it easier, I kept tools in my truck. Because locks freeze up, the doors were not locked. Everybody knew me and I wasn't stressed about the tools. My mistake. Someone stole the tools from my truck. The response by the management was impressive. They went out and purchased all new tools to replace my loss, which was a few hundred dollars. Myself, I set up a camera at my slider and left a wallet and another tool box in my truck. I was able to determine within two days an apartment whose occupants most likely stole my tools, but were also involved in thefts from multiple counties, often hitting rural areas where there were easier targets. I started asking questions and getting answers, with my first response going to a location on MLK, a multi-dwelling where I had been informed that my tools may be in the back of a truck there. When I walked up to the property, there was a large gathering of people having a party. As I walked up, I looked into the back of the pick-up truck, spotting a tool box, similar to mine, but not mine. I was spotted and soon surrounded. When asked what I was doing, I said, "Just taking a look" as I walked through the group and left. Later on, I was told that I had been recognized and that the guy who had stolen my tools said that he still had them. But I also did one other thing. My concern as an employee at Woodbridge Manor was to protect the tenants' interests. The LPD had taken over one of the vacant apartments, using it for investigations along Edgewood Blvd and for a place to take a break or write reports. Having the LPD presence allowed me the opportunity to give them the information I had on that apartment and what they were involved in. For whatever their reason, the LPD officers never investigated what I had told them. It was ironic that the LPD substation and the bad guys shared the same apartment building. It was like they were right under their nose. Early January, 2000, after earlier arrests and investigations, police from outside of Lansing finished a sweep with a total of 9 suspects arrested. Some were later released. Some went to prison. Made front page news here in Lansing. And yes, some were connected to the apartment I had informed the police about. The only thing to do was contact LPD about seeing if my property was recovered. They took my name and promised to call when the property could be viewed and released. Still waiting on that phone call.
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