Eastpointe, St. Clair Shores

Police seek suspect in Eastpointe, Shores robberies

By Sara Kandel
C & G Staff Writer

Police believe the same suspect robbed a woman in Eastpointe before committing a similar crime in neighboring St. Clair Shores.

Around 2:40 p.m. June 13, a woman was robbed by an armed suspect in the parking lot of Office Depot on Nine Mile Road in Eastpointe.

When officers arrived on scene they spoke with the victim, who told them she was approached by the suspect as she was exiting her vehicle parked on the east side of the building. When she tried to walk around him, he stepped in front of her and placed his hand on the front waistband area of his pants, where he had a silver handgun.

Police say the suspect said, “Give me your wallet and your phone or I will shoot you,” then reportedly asked the victim if she had just gone to the ATM — to which she replied “no” and he said, “Yes you did. I watched you.”

The victim had just used the Bank of America ATM across the street at Beaconsfield and Nine Mile Road. After taking the woman’s phone and wallet, the suspect fled southbound on foot toward the Dollar Tree.

A man who witnessed the incident drove over to the victim and offered to call police. Both described the suspect as a black man wearing a black T-shirt, black ball cap and blue jeans.

Arriving officers searched the nearby area and spoke with the manager of the Dollar Tree but were unable to locate the suspect. They took statements from both the victim and the witness but other than a clothing description no other discernable characteristics were obtained.

Shortly after the incident took place, St. Clair Shores police responded to a robbery at Nine Mile Road and Mack Avenue. The suspect in that robbery was also described as a black man wearing a black T-shirt, black ball cap and blue jeans.

Police believe the same man committed both robberies.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Sara Kandel at skandel@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1030.