Parolee freed after 11 hours stuck in pizza oven vent

Brandon Township — A 32-year-old parolee is expected to face burglary charges after he was trapped in a vent of a pizza restaurant for about 11 hours.

The suspect was discovered Sunday when employees at the Cracker Barrel Party and Pizza Store on Sashabaw arrived for work and heard his muffled screams for help, according to a news release.

The suspect, who was suffering from dehydration, is believed to have been trying to break in to the closed store by wiggling down the exhaust air duct when he apparently became wedged, unable to move.

Township firefighters removed the man, who lives in a nearby mobile home park. He was held in the Oakland County Jail pending possible charges.

The subject’s criminal history includes a conviction in 2005 for home invasion and he was sentenced from three years to 22 years for that conviction. He also had two convictions in 2012 for breaking and entering and possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 14 months to 15 years in prison.

The subject is on parole from the Michigan Department of Corrections for the 2012 convictions.

mmartindale@detroitnews.com

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