Rochester Hills Man Posed as Home Depot Employee in Attempted Home Invasion

Officers with the Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety arrested a Rochester Hills man who allegedly posed as a Home Depot employee to gain entry to a home on Lahser Road Monday.

Larry David Giffin, 43, of Rochester Hills, faces one count of fleeing and eluding police and further charges are pending review at the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, Chief Dave Hendrickson said. Authorities arraigned the Giffin on Tuesday at 48th District Court in Bloomfield Township, and he remains at the Oakland County Jail Wednesday on $150,000 bond, records show. 

Officers responded to the 4300 block of Lahser when a resident reported a suspicious man that represented himself as a Home Depot employee in order to enter a home shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, reports said. 

The man fled the area in a silver, full-size Ford van as officers arrived, and led police on a brief chase that started in the area of Long Lake and Woodward Avenue. An officer from the Auburn Hills Police Department and an Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy assisted with the chase and helped arrest Giffin in Pontiac.

Investigators determined that the 1993 van he was in was stolen from Chesterfield Township, and found several items that appeared to be stolen from communities outside Bloomfield Hills, reports said.

Staying vigilant

Giffin is listed as a parole absconder on the Michigan Department of Corrections website. His criminal history dates back to 1996 and includes eight convictions for crimes ranging from larceny to home invasion that occurred in Macomb and Oakland counties. He failed to report his whereabouts to parole officials in September, records show. 

Hendrickson said the resident who called was instrumental in the case and credited them for also reporting a suspicious person in the area earlier in the week. 

"That same homeowner took heed in our request to call us immediately if any 
suspicious person or situation is occurring," he said. "This allowed for our quick response and also time for us to alert the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department and Auburn Hills P.D, who were instrumental."

He said he believes the effort thwarted certain criminal activity in the city, and encouraged residents to stay vigilant. 

"There are many legitimate contractors working in our neighborhoods but the increased construction and landscaping projects can bring in potential criminals looking for crimes of opportunity," he said.