Southfield Police Chief Elvin V. Barren announced the arrest of a suspect accused of secretly recording a 9-year-old girl inside the restroom at the Michaels store on Telegraph and 12 Mile.
The incident happened on October 22, 2025, around 7:40 p.m., when the girl and her mother were in separate stalls. Police say a man walked into the women’s restroom, held a phone over the stall, and took images of the child. The girl immediately yelled, “Mommy, camera,” as the man ran out of the restroom and then out of the store. Her mother alerted staff and called 911.
Detectives began the case with limited information but relied on detailed interviews with the mother and the child—who Chief Barren referred to as a “nine-year-old princess.” Surveillance video from Michaels was shared with local media, and facial recognition helped identify a person of interest. Investigators later matched the suspect’s vehicle to the store and secured a search warrant.
On November 4, officers searched the suspect’s Detroit home, recovering nine phones and two computers. The U.S. Secret Service assisted with forensic analysis, and phone data confirmed the suspect’s device was at Michaels during the incident.
On November 24, Southfield’s Tactical Crime Suppression Unit located the suspect—Dale Frye, 45—at a home in Detroit. Body-camera video showed officers pretending to return property taken during the search, leading Frye to believe he was getting his phone back. Moments later, he was arrested without incident.
Frye is charged with Capturing/Distributing an Image of an Unclothed Person and Using a Computer to Commit a Crime. His bond was set at $30,000 cash.
At the press conference, Chief Barren honored both the mother and her daughter. He said the child had recently asked her mother if police had any updates, showing how closely she followed the case. The chief presented her with a Chief’s Award, praising her courage and resilience, and gave her mother a Chief’s Award as well for her quick actions and strength.
