The brazen daylight heist took place on Oct. 18, triggering a massive investigation that has since revealed the suspects used power tools to bust through the second-floor window of the Apollo Gallery around 9 a.m. The entire operation took under seven minutes, and none of the robbers were at anytime captured by the lone security camera outside the gallery.
During testimony before a French Senate committee last month, Laurence des Cars, the president and director of the Louvre, said the camera had been facing west and did not cover the window the thieves used to gain access to Paris’ most popular museum.
“The security system, as installed in the Apollo Gallery, worked perfectly,” he said, per ABC News. “The question that arises is how to adapt this system to a new type of attack and modus operandi that we could not have foreseen.”
A private security guard patrols in the courtyard of the Louvre pyramid designed by Chinese-US architect Ieoh Ming Pei, in Paris, on November 3, 2025. (JULIE SEBADELHA/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite touting its functionality, France’s National Cybersecurity Agency was able to access a server managing the museum’s video surveillance by cracking its ridiculously simple password: “LOUVRE,” according to confidential documents obtained by Libération. The eponymous password was initially uncovered by the agency during an audit in 2014. Additional audits revealed “serious shortcomings” in the museum’s security systems, including the use of 20-year-old software.
So far, seven people have been arrested in connection with the heist, two of whom have partially admitted their involvement.
An investigation into the matter is ongoing, and the stolen jewels remain missing weeks later.
An exterior view of the windows after a robbery at the Louvre in Paris, France, October 30, 2025. The Louvre was the target of a robbery on October 19 by several criminals who smashed windows to steal eight precious royal jewels. (Photo by Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas via AFP) (Photo by MAGALI COHEN/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
Fire broke out Monday at the Corewell Health Care Center on Rochester Road in Rochester Hills requiring evacuation of the building.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, no injuries were reported and the fire was out before 2 p.m. It’s believed the roof caught on fire while contractors were working on the HVAC unit on the roof.
As of 1:45 p.m. Monday, firefighters were still on scene. No other information was immediately available.
The Oakland Press will update this story as details become available.
Two Dearborn men and a group of alleged co-conspirators hatched a plan to commit a terrorist attack in support of the Islamic State, according to a federal criminal case filed Monday that described reconnaissance, firearms and fears the group was targeting an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Ferndale.
The case against Dearborn residents Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud was filed three days after high-profile raids by members of an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Dearborn and Inkster and comments from FBI Director Kash Patel that investigators had thwarted a violent plot tied to international terrorism that was planned over the Halloween weekend.
A view of west Nine Mile Road in downtown Ferndale earlier this year. (CLARENCE TABB, Jr. — The Detroit News)
The criminal complaint describes a group of five co-conspirators, including a juvenile, training with and stockpiling weapons and scouting potential attack locations in downtown Ferndale. The popular downtown is filled with restaurants, bars, clubs and shops and is known as a haven for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Based on my investigation in this case, this information is consistent with (the juvenile), Ali and Mahmoud scouting possible LGBTQ+-friendly attack locations in Ferndale,” FBI Special Agent Nicholas Czech wrote in the complaint.
The men, whose ages were not immediately available, were charged with receiving and transferring, and attempting and conspiring to transfer firearms and ammunition while knowing or having reasonable cause to believe the weapons would be used to commit an act of terrorism. The felony carries a maximum 15-year federal prison sentence.
Investigators say Mohmed Ali was spotted handling firearms at at Downriver Guns on Sept. 24, 2025. (U.S. Attorney’s Office)
The charge was filed three days after FBI agents raided two homes in Dearborn and an Inkster storage facility and arrested five people ages 16-20.
Mahmoud’s lawyer Bill Swor declined to comment until he had a chance to read the criminal complaint.
Attorney Amir Makled, who represents a 20-year-old Dearborn man, has denied the men were involved in terrorism.
“One thing is for sure, they didn’t have a plan to attack and are not part of a terror cell,” Makled told The News.
Ali, Mahmoud and others are accused of using online encrypted communications and social media apps to share extremist and ISIS-related material that encouraged terror attacks.
Based on the chats, an attack appeared scheduled for Halloween, according to the government, and Ali and the juvenile “sought guidance from the father of a local Islamic extremist ideologue…on this question,” the FBI agent wrote.
The ideologue is not identified by name but “has publicly proclaimed his support for the Islamic extremist ideology espoused by ISIS,” the agent wrote.
Since the raids, provocative statements from FBI Director Kash Patel and other Trump administration officials, a lack of criminal charges or details about alleged wrongdoing, or names of the accused, led criminal defense lawyers in Metro Detroit to question the legitimacy of the investigation and deny there was a terrorist plot.
The court filing describes talk of a terror attack, firearms and training.
The investigation dates to July, when investigators discovered encrypted chats in which Ali and a juvenile were said to be planning a terrorist attack in the U.S. on behalf of the Islamic State, according to the 73-page criminal complaint.
FBI agents alleged Mahmoud and others conspired to commit the attack.
Amid those chats, Ali purchased an AR-15-style rifle and accessories in August and September, according to the government.
“Then in October 2025, Mahmoud purchased over 1,600 rounds of ammunition that could be used in the AR-15 style rifles he and Ali had purchased,” the complaint reads.
Investigators allege Ali, Mahmoud, the juvenile and two others practiced shooting firearms at gun ranges, a stop investigators believe was to develop the skills to aid in the attack.
The investigation is the latest in Metro Detroit, a region where several residents in recent years have been accused of providing or trying to provide support to the Islamic State or launching failed attempts to kill people.
“Through swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a potential act of terror was stopped before it could unfold,” Patel said in a social media post. “The vigilance of this FBI prevented what could have been a tragic attack — and thanks to their dedication, Michigan will have a safe and happy Halloween.”
In the wake of the raid, Makled faulted Patel for making “premature” comments about the investigation. The five people arrested by the FBI ― all U.S. citizens ― were not planning an attack, he said.
“There was never any planned mass-casualty event or terrorism plot of any kind that I’m aware of,” Makled said. “They might have been on some websites or online chat groups that they shouldn’t have been, but nothing that is illegal.”
Authorities are pictured outside of a home on Horger Street on Oct. 31. (CLARENCE TABB, Jr. — The Detroit News)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Multiple people who had been allegedly plotting a violent attack over the Halloween weekend were arrested Friday morning in Michigan, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.
Patel didn’t release further information about the arrests, but said more information would be coming.
Dearborn Police said in a social media post that the department was made aware that the FBI conducted operations in the city on Friday and assured residents that there is no threat to the community.
FBI director Kash Patel speaks during a roundtable on criminal cartels with President Donald Trump in the State Dining Room of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
General Motors says it’s laying off more than a thousand workers at its Detroit-Hamtramck electric vehicle plant due to weak demand.
The Detroit News reports GM is cutting production at Factory Zero to a single shift. It’s also cutting hundreds of jobs at EV battery plants in Ohio and Tennessee.
The layoffs follow the expiration of federal tax credits for EV buyers and pressure from the Trump administration to build more gasoline-powered cars and trucks.
Additional headlines from Thursday, October 30, 2025
Detroit settles lawsuit over pedestrian death
The city of Detroit has agreed to pay nearly $6 million to settle a lawsuit over the death of a pedestrian who was struck by a bus. It was the second fatality involving the same driver since 2015.
A Wayne County judge signed off on the deal last week. Janice Bauer, 67, was hit by a city bus while walking in a downtown crosswalk in 2023. The driver, Geraldine Johnson, was sentenced to six months in jail a year ago after pleading no contest to a moving violation causing death.
DTE Energy is reporting net profits of $419 million in the third quarter of this year. The earnings, not including non-recurring costs, hit $2.25 per share. That beat Wall Street analysts’ expectations. The company says it has invested $3 billion this year to improve electric and natural gas infrastructure.
Short-term rental tax
A state House bill would let local governments ask voters to approve taxes on short-term rentals.
Republican Representative Mark Tisdel is one of the sponsors. He says communities are incurring costs that exceed existing tax revenue from rentals.
“If you’re renting that out to different short-term renters all summer long, that’s their week on the beach to howl. And it creates a problem for the houses on either side, which creates a problem for the police. Those expenses have to be covered.”
The Michigan Association of Realtors says it wants lawmakers to include limits on local regulations meant to shut out short term rentals.
Honorary street signs
Detroit City Council approved several honorary street signs for local leaders and influencers, including Imam Abdullah El-Amin. El-Amin was a prominent faith leader in Detroit and co-founder of the Muslim Center of Detroit.
Among other recipients are Reverend JoAnn Watson, Mudgie’s Deli founder Gregory Mudge, and Viola Liuzzo.
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The widow of a man killed in 2010 in Farmington Hills and her attorney say the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office is neglecting its duties in the retrial of the man convicted of killing her husband.
Genniver Jameel, the widow of Saif Jameel, said she is frustrated about what she sees as corruption in the prosecutor’s office and courtroom maneuvers strip away the justice her family got in 2011 when Hayes Bacall was sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of her husband. Bacall is in the process of being retried for Saif Jameel’s murder after the Court of Appeals vacated his conviction in April.
“We are living through hell every single day — grieving Saif while fighting a system that seems determined to silence us,” Jameel told The Detroit News in a statement. “Instead of finding support and accountability through the court system, we have faced betrayal and corruption that has only deepened our suffering.”
Hayes Bacall was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2011 for the July 2010 murder of his nephew Saif Jameel. Prosecutors say Bacall walked into the gas station Jameel owned and shot him 12 times, then later told police he killed Jameel because Jameel owed him $400,000.
The Oakland County Conviction Integrity Unit reviewed the case in 2022 and determined that prosecutorial misconduct related to lies the prosecutor told during closing arguments, as well as witnesses recanting their testimony, resulted in a weak conviction.
Prosecutors and Bacall’s attorneys agreed to move forward with a second-degree murder charge instead of the original first-degree murder charge in 2023, but new evidence has again come up, pausing justice for Saif Jameel again.
Prosecutors obtained recordings in May and July of two phone calls that one of the recanting witnesses, Samir Bacall, Saif’s younger brother, had with his aunt. In the calls, Samir implies he lied during his recantation and was truthful in his original testimony. He expresses a desire for revenge on Genniver Jameel because she allegedly owes him money.
Though prosecutors transcribed translations of the calls in time to include them in their response to Hayes Bacall’s motion to dismiss the first-degree murder charge, prosecutors did not mention them in public court filings until days after Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Mary Ellen Brennan granted Hayes Bacall’s motion Oct. 15 and dismissed the first-degree murder charge. Assistant Prosecutor David Williams said Brennan knew about the filings from off-the-record conversations, but they were not introduced to influence her decision on the first-degree murder charge.
The first mention of Samir’s statements came in a motion for reconsideration of Brennan’s decision filed after 5 p.m. Oct. 20, the day before Bacall was set to plead guilty to second-degree murder. The recordings call into question the validity of Samir’s recantation and his motives for his original trial testimony, Assistant Prosecutor Shelbee Sanborn wrote in the motion for reconsideration.
Brennan said the late filing was “stunning” and said “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Sanborn during a hearing Oct. 21 told Brennan she had to work “very quickly” to get this motion filed and did it as soon as she could, but did not say why the information was not included in her response to Bacall’s motion to dismiss the first-degree murder charge. Prosecutors filed the motion after The News inquired Oct. 16 about the recordings and why they weren’t brought up.
Sanborn wrote in her motion that she did not have a chance to tell Brennan about the new evidence, including the recordings and another witness who could testify to premeditation, on Oct. 15 when Brennan ruled on the motion. Sanborn is asking Brennan to reconsider her ruling dismissing the first-degree murder charge for Bacall.
“The existence of the phone calls was never a secret. They were disclosed to the defense and we made the court aware of their existence,” said Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams. “We didn’t believe that the phone calls were relevant to the motion to dismiss, which is why we didn’t attach them to our response.”
Genniver Jameel’s attorney, Pam Szydlak, said the prosecutor’s office’s conduct is “nothing short of alarming.”
Jameel and Szydlak said Sanborn told them she would be fighting for the first-degree charge to remain in place, and would be mentioning the recordings in her response and at the hearing on Bacall’s motion to dismiss the first-degree murder charge. Sanborn did not mention it, however, and argued only that prosecutors were not barred from proceeding with the first-degree case in her written response.
“The People were given a full and fair opportunity to defend against this motion, yet they failed to do so in any meaningful or competent way — all the while pretending they were fighting it,” Szydlak said. “Rather than engage with real legal issues and the transcripts of Samir Bacall saying he lied in his recantation, they instead offered vague assertions, unsupported rhetoric, and outright neglect of its duty to the court and the interests of justice.”
Williams said no one has denied Hayes Bacall shot and killed Saif Jameel, and the prosecutor’s office has continued to fight to hold him accountable for his actions. Prosecutors are now seeking to have Bacall tried again for first-degree murder.
“Those recordings are attached to our motion for reconsideration, and the Judge has agreed to consider them,” Williams said in a statement. “The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office has fully pursued a transparent and thorough review of the case against Hayes Bacall for the death of Saif Jameel.”
Samir Bacall, Saif’s younger brother, originally testified that Hayes Bacall had called him multiple times in the months before the shooting, saying he was going to kill Saif because of the money he owed him. Samir and Jameel’s close friend Slieman Bashi said in 2022 that they lied during the trial about these statements, which was part of why prosecutors decided to reopen the case and seek to overturn Bacall’s conviction.
In the recorded conversation, Samir told his aunt “she harmed me,” speaking of Genniver.
“Yes, but you don’t go to seek your revenge on her by going and changing your testimony,” the aunt said, according to a translated transcript of the phone call.
Samir talks mostly about seeking revenge on Genniver, because he says she sought revenge on him and took his money, but also said “I did not testify falsely, no, I didn’t lie … Geniver Geniver (sic) is the one who testified falsely, not I.”
Bacall’s attorney, Mark Krieger, said during a hearing Oct. 21 that he didn’t think the recording changes anything and that Brennan should not change her ruling about the first-degree murder charge. He said Bacall was prepared that day to plead guilty to second-degree murder. Krieger did not respond for comment.
Brennan will issue a written ruling on Sanborn’s motion for reconsideration. Bacall’s next court date is Dec. 4.
Hayes Bacall sits during a hearing in front of Oakland County Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Brennan in Pontiac on May 24, 2023. On Monday, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that he may deserve a new trial. (David Guralnick/MediaNews Group)
One of the biggest issues Detroiters face has to do with their homes. There are a fair number of homes in the city, but over 20,000 of them are in dire need of repairs. That includes leaky roofs, electricity issues, and asbestos in the walls.
The problem is large, but one retired firefighter, Gary Ringer, is trying to chip away at it. The Detroiter, who mostly helps people on the West Side, has been spending a lot of his time going to peoples’ homes, and assisting them with repairs.
What inspires Gary’s volunteerism? What are the repairs people need? And, with the mayoral election next week, what kinds of investments does he think the next mayor should make to facilitate more home repairs?
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
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While Royal Oak police haven’t yet provided an update for the slaying of an 83-year-old man on Oct. 24, his identity has been confirmed as David Ong of Bloomfield Hills.
A volunteer at St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic Church’s parish office told The Oakland Press on Monday that Ong, who died last Friday at a home in Royal Oak, was a member of St. Hugo’s.
The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Ong on Monday and ruled the death a homicide. The cause of death was “multiple sharp force injuries to the head and hands, and complications thereof.”
Royal Oak police arrested the suspected killer, a 35-year-old woman — described as an acquaintance of the family — on Friday evening after responding to a report of a man calling for help in the 4300 block of Sheridan Drive in Royal Oak. The suspect had blood on her hands, police said, and was taken into custody following a brief foot chase.
Ong was found unresponsive in the home’s basement with multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The suspect’s name has not yet been released. Arraignment is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, police said.
According to Ong’s obituary, he was “the most loving husband to Jacqueline” — his wife of more than 60 years — devoted father of four, and “Grandpa Dave” to 11.
The obituary further states, in part: “David’s life was defined by faith, humility and a gentle spirit. He was deeply caring, a true friend and a steady source of encouragement and support. He took joy in understanding everything about his children and grandchildren. He loved sports and rarely missed a chance to cheer for his Wolverines, Lions and Tigers. He enjoyed rides in his convertible, loved music and served as a mentor to his family and to many colleagues and employees.”
Ong founded the commercial real estate consulting and development firm, Acquest Realty Advisors, which he led for 45 years, the obituary states.
Visitation is planned for Oct. 31 at Desmond Funeral Home, 2600 Crooks Road in Troy from 1 to 5 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic Church, 2215 Opdyke Road in Bloomfield Hills on Nov. 1, with visitation at 9:30 a.m. and Mass at 10 a.m.
Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office (file photo by Aileen Wingblad/MediaNews Group)
Bloomfield Township police are investigating several incidents of malicious destruction of property where similar graffiti was spray painted on school facilities and two homes under construction.
The word “LOV3” was spray painted in red at the Booth Center and Wing Lake Developmental Center on Wing Lake Road — on the exterior walls, shed and a dumpster — and the words “LOV3” and “LOV3 Liv3” were spray painted in black and white at homes under construction in the 7000 block of Franklin Road, police said.
Graffiti found at a home under construction in Bloomfield Township (Bloomfield Township Police Dept.)
The MDOPs were reported on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23.
Graffiti found at the Wing Lake Developmental Center (Bloomfield Township Police Dept.)Graffiti at a home under construction in Bloomfield Township (Bloomfield Township Police Dept.)
A can of red spray paint was collected from the school facilities, police said, and is being processed for evidence.
Anyone with further information on the incidents is asked to call the Bloomfield Township Police Department at 248-433-7755.
A Detroit woman is facing criminal charges in Troy for allegedly stealing $1,800 in merchandise from a Kohl’s store as well as possessing fentanyl and a theft detection disabler — which she’s been caught with before, officials said.
The woman, 34, is charged with first-degree retail fraud, possession of a controlled substance and possession of theft detection device-second offense for allegedly having a magnet in her purse which can be used to disable theft detection devices. She was arrested shortly before 3 p.m. on Oct. 15 outside the store, located at 500 John R Road.
According to the Troy Police Department, officers dispatched to the store for a retail fraud in progress watched as she concealed large amounts of merchandise and then left the store with it, despite loss prevention staff’s attempts to stop her. She continued to her vehicle which was backed into a parking spot near the store’s west doors, where she was taken into custody and transported to the Troy lockup facility, police said.
Officers located a small bag in her purse that contained a substance that tested positive for fentanyl, police said, as well as the magnet.
The Oakland Press has reached out to the Troy Police Department for further information, including the woman’s name and booking photo.
Even though violent crime has been falling fast in Detroit over the last decade, the city still has a crime rate that’s one of the highest in the nation.
Every year, police recover about 6,000 illegal guns in Detroit. Yet legal gun ownership is also common in the city, a reflection of how deeply concerns about safety and self-protection run through daily life.
To try to prevent crime before it happens, Detroit police stop people for nonviolent offenses. A Detroit Free Press investigation found that 20 percent of DPD shootings over the past decade started with those kinds of stops.
Those findings stress the question: what is the police’s obligation to stop crime before it happens in a place where many don’t feel safe and guns are plentiful?
To explore this, Detroit Free Press investigative reporter Violet Ikonomova spoke with Robyn Vincent about her recent reporting on police shootings that began with stops for nonviolent offenses.
Correction: A former version of this web post stated that 20 percent of police stops for small infractions ended in police shootings.
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A Pontiac teen recently acquitted of homicide is headed to prison for related convictions of armed robbery and using a firearm to commit the crime.
Sentenced Oct. 13 by Oakland County Circuit Judge Daniel O’Brien, Christian Harris, 19, will spend 13-50 years behind bars for the 2023 armed robbery of Armani Terrell Baker, 22, of Waterford.
Harris got an additional two years behind bars for felony firearm in connection with the armed robbery.
Christian Harris booking photo
Harris was 17 years old at the time of the incident and charged as an adult. His first trial ended in a mistrial last year after the jury deliberated for three days and failed to reach a unanimous verdict. The retrial concluded this past Sept. 8.
The Oakland Press has reached out to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office with questions about any further legal activity or investigation regarding Baker’s homicide but hasn’t heard back yet.
The other man charged for related offenses, Jeremiah Rodriguez — age 18 at the time of the incident — made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty in September to an added count of accessory after the fact. Charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony were dismissed. Last month, O’Brien sentenced Rodriguez to 14 days in jail with credit for 14 days served, and three years probation.
An 82-year-old Pontiac man died Oct. 10 from injuries he sustained four days earlier when he was hit by a truck while crossing the street, officials said.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as Larry Gene Howard, and said he was struck by a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck near the intersection of Walton Boulevard and Baldwin Avenue in Pontiac, shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 6.
A 68-year-old Pontiac man was driving the truck southbound on Baldwin Avenue and turning right onto Walton Boulevard when Howard was hit, the sheriff’s office said.
Howard was transported to an area hospital where he died Friday. The incident remains under investigation by the Crash Reconstruction Unit, the sheriff’s office said.
Mourners who gathered in Fenton on Saturday to remember the life of Thelma Armstrong, 54, a victim of the September attack on a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, remembered her as a warm, loving person who had a deep devotion to her family and her faith.
Armstrong’s friends and family, who knew her as “Yia Yia,” said she lit up a room with her sunny personality, loved the colors pink and red and had a strong work ethic. She raised two children, Charne’ Lichtenberg and Damon Du Bruyn, on her own and had three grandchildren.
Her son, Damon, said during the memorial service the “world has lost a little bit of joy and a little bit of fire” with his mother’s passing.
“I think the thing that will stay with me forever is just my mom’s kindness. And she never knew how to hold a grudge,” he said.
Armstrong was worshiping at the Grand Blanc Township Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28 when Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of Burton rammed his pickup truck into the side of the church, shot at congregants and set the building on fire, authorities said.
Two people died from the gunfire, eight were wounded and two bodies were discovered in the rubble of the church, The victims’ ages ranged from 6 to 78 years old. Police shot and killed Sanford at the scene.
Mourners, some dressed in red, filled a chapel in the Sharp Funeral Home in Fenton on Saturday. Pink, red and white flowers surrounded two photos of Armstrong.
Armstrong was born on May 8, 1971, in Klerksdorp, South Africa, according to her online obituary. She immigrated to the U.S. in 2019 to be near her grandchildren, her son-in-law said in remarks at her service.
Thelma Rina Armstrong. (Family pohto)
“She had endured so many trials in her life, and she knew what it was to struggle,” said her son-in-law, Shane Lichtenberg. “And yet none of us knew that, because she shouldered it so well and she had a smile on her face no matter what happened in her life.”
She converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2011, but Armstrong had always been religious, her obituary said. Her daughter said she felt immediately connected to missionaries who came to her door because of their name tags reading “Jesus Christ.” The bonds she built with them earned her the nickname “Missionary Mother.” She taught a class for 5-year-olds at the Grand Blanc Township church.
In South Africa, Armstrong managed a local grocery store in Klerksdorp called Food Zone. After she moved to the U.S., she worked as a quality technician at American Axle.
Mourners leave after funeral services for Thelma Armstrong at the Sharp Funeral Home, in Fenton, Oct. 11, 2025. Armstrong was killed during a shooting and fire at the Grand Blanc Township Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sept. 28. (David Guralnick/MediaNews Group)
Speakers said she was always proud of her children, and loved when her daughter picked out her clothes and helped her do her hair. But she considered everyone family, according to her obituary.
Armstrong’s daughter, Charne’ Lichtenberg, shared one of her favorite stories about her mother. On her seventh birthday, her mother told her she had a surprise. Excited about the possibility of a Barbie doll, Lichtenberg was disappointed to see a figure of Jesus in her hand instead − not knowing she would come to appreciate the gift later.
“But what I know now as an adult that − of course I didn’t know at the time as a 7-year-old girl − is that she had placed the biggest gift in my hand that day, and that was the gift of knowing my savior, Jesus Christ,” Lictenberg said.
Mourners leave after the funeral for Thelma Armstrong at the Sharp Funeral Home, in Fenton, Oct. 11, 2025. Armstrong was killed during a shooting and fire at the Grand Blanc Township Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, September 28. (David Guralnick/MediaNews Group)
Ferndale City Council will soon decide whether to renew a contract with public safety surveillance company Flock Safety for a subscription to their Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) product. A vote is expected in the coming weeks.
The city’s first year of using the service, which it calls a pilot study, is coming to a close. In a September 29 city council meeting, Ferndale officials presented results of the pilot study and heard community concerns over civil liberties and data privacy.
Some of the concerns raised at that meeting appear to have been addressed since then.
In a statement to The Metro, City Manager Colleen O’Toole cited a few notable changes to the city’s policy on data sharing with other law enforcement entities and facial recognition software.
“The City has elected to remove itself from inclusion in the National Database Search feature that allows outside departments to access data for criminal investigations without our consent. This ensures that Ferndale’s data is only used with the express permission of our local police department.”
She added that Ferndale’s ALPR system does not use facial recognition technology.
Regional cooperation
Flock’s product takes pictures of vehicles and license plates from stationary cameras mounted in public right-of-ways. In the city council presentation, officials said coordination with other Flock Safety ALPR subscribers in metro Detroit has led law enforcement to find and arrest wanted individuals.
In metro Detroit, 12 other cities subscribe to Flock’s ALPR product: Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Royal Oak, Troy, Birmingham, Southfield, Oak Park, Warren, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township and Auburn Hills. The technology is also used by the Michigan State Police and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
Ferndale City Manager Colleen O’Toole told the Metro the city’s police department has seen “real-world contributions to homicide and child kidnapping investigations that were solved thanks to information gathered through the system.”
Contested corridor
In the meeting, officials proposed removing seven of 16 cameras currently in use, saying they don’t provide enough return on investment.
Many of the cameras they plan to remove are located on or near the Ferndale-Detroit border along Eight Mile. Ferndale Police’s activity along that stretch of road has been subject to scrutiny. In the past decade, both ACLU Michigan and Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) have accused the Ferndale Police Department of racial profiling targeting African American drivers in traffic stops.
Flock Safety‘s transparency dashboard for Ferndale indicates that any use for immigration enforcement and targeting of protected classes (race, gender, etc.) is prohibited.
While the city wants to keep using Flock license plate readers, there are concerned residents opposed to the technology.
Prasad Venugopal and Kathleen LaTosch are members of the Ferndale Inclusion Network. They joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss why they are urging the city council to vote no on the contract.
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The Grand Blanc community has set up an official fund to benefit the victims, families and first-responders affected by Sunday’s mass shooting and fire that destroyed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Grand Blanc Township.
The Victim Compassion Fund is hosted by the ELGA Credit Union Foundation for Impact in collaboration with Grand Blanc Township, the township’s police department and the Latter-day Saints Church, which many people know as the Mormon church.
The intent of the fund is to help victims of Sunday’s tragedy, their families, and the injured, as well as first-responders and others with needs, including paying medical bills, financial support, and counseling, organizers said.
“We are going to make sure that the people that actually receive this money are victims of the situation here in Grand Blanc Township,” Township Supervisor Scott Bennett said Friday.
“We had 37 different agencies respond to the fire, so we want to make sure that, whether it’s counseling services or if they need medical bills paid, what have you, we want to be here for them,” Bennett added.
“We have families where the parents can’t work right now because of injury or just being afraid to leave their homes. We want ot make sure we take care of them, as well.”
A committee comprising representatives from the LDS Church, the township and the police department will determine how to distribute the funds based on financial need and the available resources. Those who want to seek financial support from the fund should contact the church or the township at (810) 424-2692 or email assist@gbtgov.com.
“We said, let’s do this where people know it’s safe, and it’s trusted. ELGA Credit Union is a trusted source in Genesee County and beyond here, and people know that,” said Cheryl Sclater, president of the ELGA Credit Union Foundation for Impact.
“As the needs come in, we will fill them, and that’s how it’s going to work. There’s been a few side fundraisers that have been out there in our community, and those people are coming back and giving the money to this fund, so that it actually goes out to victims of this tragedy.”
The LDS church is pointing to the fund as the recommended place for the community to contribute to help victims of the disaster, both to help church members and others, said Greg Geiger, communications director for the LDS Church in Southeast Michigan.
“None of the money will go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One-hundred percent of the proceeds will go to victims of this tragedy,” said Geiger, who noted there are no fees associated with the fund.
“We appreciate and acknowledge their effort in trying to help the community.”
Geiger added that the LDS Church is not seeking or accepting funds from any organization to rebuild the church in Grand Blanc Township.
The impetus for the coordinated fundraising effort was, in part, to dissuade scammers, fraudulent fundraisers, and GoFundMe efforts that began circulating in the wake of Sunday’s fire. Community leaders wanted to establish a fund that could be trusted to support the who truly need help, they said.
“This is going to go far beyond even the physical and the health part. It will go on for a while with people who need that support financially for any type of therapy that they might need,” Sclater said.
“There will be a short grant process to have people please explain your needs. … But we want to get this money out. The people in this community have a heart, and they have come together like you can’t even imagine, to gift. We have had people out of state gifting, and it’s pretty amazing.”
Sclater didn’t have an estimated total available as of Friday afternoon, but said people can donate online or visit any EGLA branch in person to donate. She is working with the Mott Foundation and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, which will accept some of the larger donations to the cause, she said.
She acknowledged that a number of victims’ families have set up GoFundMe accounts, and she stressed the Victim Compassion Fund is entirely separate.
“We are simply that vehicle to give our community a safe place to give back, because they don’t know what else they can do, and they want to give,” Sclater said. “We are that safe haven where they know their dollars are going to go out and be deployed.”
Kelly Pietrzak of Flint Township brought a bouquet of flowers to leave at the scene of the Grand Blanc Township Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Michigan. (David Guralnick/The Detroit News)
The civil rights group argues that these undocumented immigrants — many of whom have lived here for over a decade or were brought here as children — are no threat to the public.
33-year-old Jose Daniel Contreras-Cervantes is a Mexican national and has been in custody since a Macomb County traffic stop back in August. He has leukemia that requires daily medication.
Lupita Contreras is an American citizen and Jose’s wife. Their three children are also citizens. She says he’s not getting the care he needs.
“For 22 days, Jose did not receive his medication, which he is to take daily for his leukemia,” Contreras said. “Lapses in his medication and medical treatment can cause severe symptoms, including damage to his vision, infections and the loss of his life.”
The ACLU wants a judge to release the eight detainees while their immigration cases go through the court.
The Trump Administration ended a bond program for people awaiting their hearing. The Department of Justice and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are opting to jail undocumented immigrants, oftentimes seeking to deport them without due process.
ACLU of Michigan Senior Staff Attorney Miriam Aukerman says judges should have the final say over how these people are detained.
“In this country, due process is fundamental,”Aukerman said. “We don’t just lock people up and throw away the key. Rather, judges decide who should be behind bars. That is true for citizens and non-citizens.”
Another man, Fredy De Los Angeles-Flores, has lived in the U.S. for 15 years, but not legally. However, he is the sole caregiver of his 13-year-old U.S. citizen son.
The ACLU of Michigan has already successfully petitioned to get one man, Juan Manuel Lopez-Campos, released on bond after being detained at the Monroe County Jail.
For the Macomb County Sheriff’s office, Commander Jason Abro told WDET that it is common practice for deputies to inform Customs and Border Patrol when an undocumented immigrant is taken into custody. In Contreras-Cervantes’ case, he was pulled over for speeding, but arrested for not having a valid driver’s license.
Commander Abro says the Macomb County Sheriff’s office is not actively aiding ICE investigations and are not a part of the federal Section 287(g) immigration enforcement program.
Aukerman says the change in policy is meant to punish people who are seeking a better life in the U.S.
“This directive is specifically designed to force people to give up their claims for immigration relief and leave their families behind,” Aukerman said.
“The cruelty of this new directive is not an accident. Cruelty is the point.”
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An Afghan refugee accused of stabbing a caseworker in Orion Township early this year has a trial date in Oakland County Circuit Court.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Feb. 2, 2026 for the case against Gul Nabi Rahmati, 34, of Dearborn Heights, charged with assault with intent to murder — punishable by up to life in prison — and assault with a dangerous weapon — a four-year felony. Rahmati allegedly stabbed Zubair Mansuori at Mansuori’s home on Jan. 22.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Rahmati came to Mansuori’s home where he was met by Mansuori, a caseworker for the social services non-profit Samaritas. Rahmati, who was one of Mansuori’s clients, allegedly stabbed Mansuori multiple times then tried to attack another man who came to Mansuori’s aid.
Gul Rahmati booking photo
Rahmati fled the scene but turned himself in at the Dearborn Heights Police Department later that day, the prosecutor’s office said.
The prosecutor’s office said Rahmati and Mansuori are Afghan nationals and are in the United States legally.
Earlier this year, Rahmati underwent a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation and was found to be competent for trial.
As previously reported, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said a possible motive related to religion was being considered.
Rahmati is in the Oakland County Jail with bond set at $350,000. Court records state Judge Jacob Cunningham will preside over the trial, which is expected to take three to four days.
Detroit is known for its cars, but it’s also known for creating a lot of space for those cars.
Wide roads with many lanes cross the city and its suburbs.
But there’s a real push from Detroit planners to change that — to make our streets more compatible and safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and to slow down motorists.
Three years ago, Detroit published a “Streets for People” report about how to improve its streets.
And earlier this week, a city official told The Metro that Detroit plans to make a series of truck route restrictions in Southwest. That regulation is meant to prevent big trucks from navigating neighborhood blocks.
Producer Sam Corey spoke with Wayne State Urban Planner Eric Bettis about why Detroit has wide roads, and whether the city is trying to durably change that.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
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