Thief shot breaking into Turtle Lake home

Jacob Vore

After a rash of break-ins in Bloomfield Township's Turtle Lake subdivision, a homeowner shot a suspected thief breaking into a basement window of his home on Tuesday, September 26, around 3 a.m.

According to Bloomfield Township police, this break-in is unrelated to the ones believed to be part of an international crime ring.

According to police, they were dispatched to Turtle Lake Drive for a home invasion in progress. The suspect, Jacob Vore, a 41-year-old man from Keego Harbor, was on foot when he used a pry bar to break into a residential basement window.

The homeowner was awakened by the home's security alarm and armed himself. As the homeowner approached the top of the stairs, police said, he could hear a commotion coming from the basement and yelled down the stairs. Vore responded that he was “being chased by spiders, vampires, and angels.” As Vore moved up the spiral stairs, the homeowner yelled at him to not come upstairs and that if he did, he would shoot him.

Police said Vore responded by yelling at the homeowner to shoot him. The homeowner fired one shot down the basement stairs but did not hit Vore, and he retreated back down the stairs, according to police.

Officers arrived on scene and observed the suspect inside the basement. As officers approached the rear of the home, Vore exited the residence and was ordered to the ground. He was immediately taken into custody and transported to the Bloomfield Township Police Department for processing.

Detectives from the Bloomfield Township Police Department Investigations Unit were immediately called in to complete the investigation. A review of the home’s interior video surveillance showed Vore holding a carving knife from the knife block in the basement kitchen, and he was holding the knife as he walked toward the stairs.

Vorre was later interviewed about the incident, and he stated, “I broke into the house.” Vore ended the interview by saying, “I wasn’t there to hurt anybody.”

Detectives from the Bloomfield Township Police Department submitted the case to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, which issued a one count felony warrant for home invasion in the first degree. Vore was arraigned at the 48th District Court on Thursday, September 28, and given a $100,000 cash bond. He is currently lodged at Oakland County Jail.

According to Bloomfield Township Officer Nick Soley, a search warrant was executed at the suspect's home but no stolen property was recovered.