Grosse Pointe Farms Carjacker Sentenced to Prison

Wayne Circuit Court Judge Richard M. Skutt sentenced a 21-year-old man to eight to 15 years in prison Friday in a variety of carjackings, including one he committed in the driveway of a Grosse Pointe Farms home. 

Edward Callens, who was following two carjackings that morning in Detroit, pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, one count each of financial transaction stealing and financial transaction illegal sale or use. 

A plea agreement called for the dismissal of two other lesser offenses and Skutt noted the leniency of the prison term during the sentencing. 

"This is a very good plea agreement given the number of counts both being dismissed and being dealt with," Skutt said.

. Detectives believed originally the carjacking was an isolated incident in which Callens was desperate for cash for a drug problem. 

Callens and his girlfriend however, were arrested Jan. 7 hours after he stole two more cars in a similar manner–one outside Denby High School. Police recovered the stolen vehicles, including the one belonging to Fleury. The vehicle had $7,600 worth of damage and was missing its tires, Fleury said. It was resting on blocks inside a building where Callens was staying with his girlfriend, according to police. 

Callens declined to comment Friday before being sentenced and his attorney simply asked the judge to follow the plea agreement. 

Skutt ordered Callens to serve eight to 15 years in prison on each of the carjacking and armed robbery charges and one to four years in prison on the financial transaction charges. All of the sentences are to be served concurrently. 

Callens must also pay a variety of fees, including $476 in charge fees, a $130 crime victim assessment fee, $600 in court costs, $400 in attorney fees and restitution. The restitution amount is yet to be determined. One of the victims requested $216 and another $50 for reimbursement of an insurance deductible. 

Callens was given 91 days of time served credit. 

"I thought he would do a little more time than that," Fleury said, noting how happy she is that the police acted promptly. "I'm glad that justice was served."

Fleury described the entire situation as a "learning experience," as she's never dealt with the criminal justice system before. She commends both the Grosse Pointe Farms police as well as the ACTION task force (Arrest Car Thieves In Our Neighborhood). ACTION responded to Detroit's Denby High School carjacking because the description of the robber was the same as that of the Farms carjacker and team members helped Detroit police with the arrest hours later. 

Fleury was the victim of a purse snatching a few years ago and had already been cautious of her surroundings, she said. As a result of the first crime, Fleury wasn't carrying much in her purse the night she was carjacked, she said. 

She had one debit card stolen, which she canceled immediately, she said. The fact that the carjacking was essentially in her backyard as her driveway extends past her home was difficult to deal with but Fleury said she is doing better.