Police have arrested a man they suspect was involved in two home invasions that occurred at Grand Valley State University’s Laker Village Apartments earlier this year.

Leondius Derrick Kirksey was arrested on Oct. 31 and charged with two counts of first degree home invasion. Kirksey, a 26-year-old resident of Detroit, is a habitual offender and is being charged with his fourth offense.

“These are unusual crimes, and it’s unsettling specifically because homes were entered,” said Capt. Brandon DeHaan, assistant director of the Department of Public Safety at GVSU. “That’s very unusual to happen on campus.”

Kirksey was arraigned in the 58th District Court of Hudsonville on Nov. 1. Bail was set at $50,000 for each count.

Detective Bill Dewitt, of the Grand Valley Police Department, said police believe there was more than one person who entered the Laker Village Apartments on the morning of Sept. 13. The apartments were not neighboring units, which suggests the suspects walked through Laker Village trying multiple doors before finding two that were unlocked, DeWitt said.

Both apartments were entered through the back sliding doors as the residents slept upstairs, but no one was harmed. Personal belongings, valued between $1,000 and $2,000, were taken from each unit, including laptops, purses, TVs, cash and credit cards.

“Because the residents were home, it went from being a break-in to a home invasion,” DeHaan said.

If he is convicted of the crime, which is a felony, Kirksey could face a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count.

Following the home invasions, the suspects used the stolen credit cards to purchase gasoline at several stations between Allendale and Detroit. The suspects were recorded by a video camera at one of the stations, and their vehicles were identified as a black Ford 500, driven by Kirksey, and a blue Jeep Cherokee, whose driver is unknown.

“We believe Kirksey knew the people in the Jeep,” DeHaan said. “These vehicles share a connection.”

DeHaan said that Kirksey is not a student at GVSU, and police aren’t yet sure of how he may be linked to the university.

“Police have been diligently working and attempting to identify an accomplice and to find the tie as to why they were here at the university,” he said. “People normally do not come onto Grand Valley’s campus unless they know someone. It is likely that a student here knows the suspects. We’re looking for that tie, that connection.”

GVPD has listed Daniel Lewis McNeely, 26, as a person of interest. McNeely is a resident of Redford Township.

“This is a serious offense,” DeHaan said. “We are asking our community to assist us by taking responsibility and calling our department if they have any information on the second suspect or vehicle.”

Detective Dewitt asked anyone in the campus community with additional information on the case, or the vehicles in question, to call him at 616-331-2691, or Ottawa County Silent Observer at 877-887-4536.

If individuals wish to remain anonymous they can send a text, “OCMTIP plus your message,” to 27463 (CRIMES).
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