Crime

Theft Victim Learns 'A Lesson About Living in Detroit -- The Good Way'

July 29, 2014, 1:30 PM by  Alan Stamm

Michele Oberholtzer lost her laptop in a curbside theft, but found a reinforced sense of community.

The University of Michigan engineering grad from Chelsea, who moved to Detroit 10 months ago, tells the tale Tuesday in a blog post with a catchy headline: "You Robbed the Right Girl."

Last Wednesday, I learned a lesson about living in Detroit the hard way. During an ultra-quick run to the pharmacy, my car was broken into and my computer was stolen. . . . I had lost my writing, my photos, and my entire means of income. . . .

I thought of all the little things that could have changed the outcome. What if I had parked in a different spot? What if I hadn’t browsed that extra aisle? What if I went for a run instead of going to the store? What if I had insurance? What if I backed up my work more recently? When it came down to it though, it was my fault. I knew better, I took a stupid risk, I got burned. . . . 

I’ve spent a few days trying to figure out what to do next. I’ve had “phantom limb” syndrome, reaching for my laptop at various times. I’m trying to get over my fantasy of staking out that parking lot and catching the bad guys. 


Michele Oberholtzer: " I took a stupid risk, I got burned." (Facebook photo)

This week the self-described "engineer, environmentalist, entrepreneur and writer" got a sweeter taste of life in Detroit. 

At our Monday night dinner, my [Roosevelt Park] soccer team presented me with a gift: a brand-new MacBook Air. I kid you not. I am typing on it right now.

I don’t like getting gifts and I absolutely don’t think I deserve this one. My bad decisions and bad luck shouldn’t be a burden on other people. But to be offered something with such love and support, I have no choice. . . .

It can be hard living in Detroit. . . .  Sure, there are a lot of ways that the city is dysfunctional. But in my personal experience, the people are wonderful. . . .

They robbed the right girl. I have community safety net that went above and beyond any reasonable expectation for support. . . . I learned a lesson about living in Detroit the good way.

In addition to fellow players, Oberholtzer notes, she met other "people who were good to me:"

  • Two witnesses "stuck around to file a police report."
  • One of them "drove around on a wild-goose chase after a van of thieves."
  • A police officer "consoled me by telling me about his cop car getting broken into."

Oberholtzer, who earned a UM mechanical engineering degree in 2007, is a senior account manager for Bright Power, a New York-based energy efficiency firm.

She's a member of Bamboo Detroit, a downtown collaborative space for entrepreneurs , and is working to build a Cares online network that helps volunteers find service opportunities.

Follow-up post, July 31: Oberholtzer adds a sequel at her blog.


Read more:  OberDoIt.com


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