DNA leads to suspect at last

PLYMOUTH -- A retired state police trooper struck a blow for justice on Nov. 14, 2005, but it took until Friday for his punch to register a legal impact.

The alleged thief whose nose Steve Robinson bloodied while trying to halt the theft of his snowblower -- tracked down for more than a year through DNA -- was finally arraigned Friday in 35th District Court in Plymouth.

Timothy John Hynes, 41, of Northville Township, faces charges of first-degree home invasion, unarmed robbery and being a four-time habitual offender.

A DNA match of blood samples taken from Robinson's coat and the driveway at his Northville Township home languished as a low priority in the state police forensic science laboratory among requests for tests that could solve murders and rapes.

But eventual analysis on the FBI's computerized Combined DNA Index System registered a hit in December. It turned out Hynes was in prison, serving time for car theft.

The FBI has maintained a nationwide DNA registry since 1990. Since 1996, Michigan law has required DNA identification profiling of all adults and juveniles convicted of sex offenses, murder, assault and kidnapping. Samples are taken by swabbing the inside of offenders' cheeks.

"The state police lab has a ton of these requests coming in now. There's quite a backlog," said Northville Township Police Detective Sgt. Matthew Mayes. "When it came back, we all were pretty familiar with this guy anyway."

Hynes has prior convictions for larceny, breaking and entering and receiving stolen property.

Robinson, who earned a law degree before retiring as a trooper in 2001and took a job the same year as an assistant Wayne County prosecutor, did what many law enforcement authorities recommend against.

When he came home and found a white van in his driveway and a man and woman loading his Honda snow blower in the back, he confronted the culprits. Although Robinson managed to grab the suspect's car keys, he couldn't stop the getaway.

"Unfortunately, he had a second set of keys for the stolen van," Robinson said.

When police arrived, Robinson pointed out the blood. A warrant also has been issued for the arrest of the female suspect, who remains at large.

A preliminary examination of the evidence against Hynes is set for March 16.