Choucair

DEARBORN — An Arab American woman and her male accomplice were arrested on July 14 after Dearborn Police responded to a breaking and entering 911 call.

Alicia Choucair, 21, and Derrick Fletcher are believed to be linked to a string of home and car invasions in both Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. Choucair, a Dearborn resident, graduated from Fordson High School in 2011. 

Police arrested the couple on the 5000 block of Ternes, after observing Fletcher entering a home. As he was attempting to enter a second home nearby, police captured both him and Choucair, who was also at the scene. 

Further investigation revealed that the suspects committed two home invasions and one attempted home invasion on three separate homes located on the 5000 block of  Ternes. 

Stolen property recovered from a vehicle linked both suspects to several crimes in Dearborn Heights as well.

Dearborn resident Nadine Alawie, 17, told The Arab American News that she was a victim of a larceny linked to Choucair.  Alawie was shopping at the Kroger on Ford Road in Dearborn Heights recently and accidently left her 2015 Chrysler 200 unlocked at the time. When she arrived home, she discovered that personal items— including two purses, a watch and a bracelet— were missing.

Fletcher

The following morning, she filed a police report with the Dearborn Heights Police Department. However, police were unable to track down any suspects due to  a lack of surveillance footage in the Kroger parking lot.

Following the arrests of Choucair and Fletcher, authorities contacted Alawie and informed her that debit cards belonging to herself and her mother, as well as the missing purses, were found in the vehicle the suspects were driving. 

In addition, Choucair was found to be wearing Alawie’s watch when she was arrested. 

Alawie said that the day after her car was robbed, she found her driver’s license on her front door. 

“It was really scary and I never thought something like this would happen in a community like ours,” Alawie said. “You think you could go to Kroger and leave the car unlocked without anyone going through the door and taking everything. But this has made me more aware of my surroundings.”

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office authorized charges of one count of home invasion first degree and two counts of home invasion second degree against Fletcher and Choucair.

Both suspects were arraigned before Magistrate Al Hindman.

Bond for each was set at $20,000. Hindman also required Fletcher to wear a GPS tether. A probable cause conference is scheduled for July 31, while a preliminary exam is scheduled for Aug. 7.

Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad attributed the capturing of the suspects to citizens’ assistance. 

“Citizens are the first line of defense against any threat to our community and it is imperative that they report suspicious activity to the police,” Haddad said. “As a result of the citizen’s vigilance and ability to quickly contact the Dearborn Police, Special Operations officers and Tactical Unit officers were able to locate and apprehend these subjects.”

Dearborn and Dearborn Heights Police will be collaborating during the course of the investigation.