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Livonia Man Arrested After Hazmat-Suit Break-In Attempts

Prosecutors have brought felony charges after police matched security footage to a recovered white suit and took the suspect into custody.

Overview

  • Security cameras captured a man in a white hazmat- or painter-style suit peering into houses and carrying a backpack and screwdriver during a May 13 incident in the Newburgh area of Livonia.
  • A homeowner, Victoria Williams, told police the man grabbed her by the neck while she was on the phone with 911 during the May 13 encounter.
  • Neighbors said the suspect reappeared the next day, discarded the white suit in a trash can where police later recovered it as evidence.
  • Police arrested Manuel Sarkis Bardakjian over the weekend and he was arraigned on felony counts that include attempted home invasion, assault with a dangerous weapon, felony firearm and drug-possession charges with bond set at $250,000.
  • Residents report increased patrols and heightened fear near a local middle school and many have taken precautions such as buying pepper spray as prosecutors prepare for a probable cause hearing on June 18.