Crime & Safety

Woods Police May Have Robbery Suspect

Grosse Pointe Woods police believe the man who robbed a gas station last week continued his spree in other communities and may be hospitalized following a pursuit with Southfield Police in which he was shot.

police are working with several other police agencies in , Detective Sgt. Raymond Yonkowski said.

The man He brandished a handgun in both robberies and drove away on Mack Avenue.

There were not any additional robberies in the several hours that followed the Grosse Pointe Woods crime, Yonkowski but then there were addtional robberies within a day or so in Centerline, Roseville and Troy that were similar in nature. All of them happened within two days, he said, noting his detectives are still waiting for the specific information from the other departments on each robbery.

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During one of the robberies after Grosse Pointe Woods, the robber stole another clerk's vehicle, Yonkowski said. That car's information was entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network and Southfield Police found it parked on the street. They performed surveillance on the vehicle and eventually three men got in but refused to stop when Southfield Police tried to stop them, leading to a pursuit, Yonkowski said.

The pursuit ended in a crash and gunfire, he said. One of the three men was struck and taken to a hospital for treatment, where he remains, Yonkowski said. The other two men ran from the crashed car and got away, he said. 

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Troy Police were trying to organize a meeting with all of the departments investigating similar robberies to coordinate their efforts and try to determine if indeed all of the robberies are linked, Yonkowski said. They obviously know there are links between the crimes in which the same stolen vehicle was used but they are trying to determine if all of them involve the same suspect or group, Yonkowski said.

That meeting has been put on hold pending an interview by Southfield Police with the man who is hospitalized, Yonkowski said. It is not yet clear whether the hospitalized man fits the physical description of the man who robbed the Grosse Pointe Woods Mobil gas station.

The clerk's from Grosse Pointe Woods and Warren were not injured during the crimes but cash was stolen from both businesses.

Anyone with information is asked to call Grosse Pointe Woods police at 313-343-2412.


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