‘Rehab Addict’ host Nicole Curtis robbed in Detroit

Detroit — The star of the cable television reality show “Rehab Addict” said in a Facebook post she wants to rehabilitate a criminal who robbed her when she was in town this week.

Nicole Curtis, whose show is focusing on the restoration of the historic Ransom Gillis mansion on John R in Brush Park, was robbed Sept. 7 in front of a downtown parking garage, police said. She was putting her 4-month-old child in the vehicle at the time, police said.

“She was parked in front of the garage at Larned and Griswold when a black Trailblazer pulled up in front of her,” Detroit Police Officer Nicole Kirkwood said. “The suspect got out ... reached in through her driver’s side door, and grabbed her purse.”

The man also took Curtis’ laptop and some paperwork in the 9:30 p.m. heist, Kirkwood said. “Then he jumped back in his vehicle and fled,” she said. Late Wednesday, Curtis posted on her Facebook page that a passenger from the SUV grabbed her keys and a large work bag, not a purse.

Earlier, Curtis ranted about the robbery on her Facebook page Wednesday.

“I was the ‘victim’ of an attempted carjacking and it made me question every single thing I have going on in my life,” she wrote. “I kept it together thru the police report and about halfway home ... I lost it.

“The truth is ... crime happens. I thought here I am the self-appointed ‘come live in the city -there's no such thing as bad neighborhoods just bad neighbors’ and I got F%*+# robbed ????”

Curtis blamed the robbery on getting too “comfortable.”

“And I want you all to read this and to share it. Don't be stupid, don't be naive. It's like I used to say ... leave your bike in the front yard ... it's gonna get stolen. I'm not excusing what happened to us or blaming myself -I'm simply saying ... I know better.

“They got my old house book and my laptop, but I had my keys in my satchel not in a purse -not accessible. Had I thrown a ‘purse’ in — had I started my car to get the AC going while loading everyone and everything up -might be a totally different horrible outcome.

“So, to the young man that robbed us — if you get caught I'm coming to meet you. First I seek to understand what makes you think this was a good idea. Cause the mom in me wonders ...was it the only choice you thought you had ? Second, I'm going to pray for you that your life takes you different directions.”

Police said Curtis was able to give investigators a partial plate number, which is possibly from a rental car company. The case remains under investigation.

ghunter@detroitnews.com

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