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Xavier Gardner
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A 31-year-old man from Florida was convicted of all charges for his role in violently abducting a man outside a Shelby Township gym in 2023.
On Oct. 31, a Macomb County Circuit Court jury found Xavier Gardner guilty of one count each of carjacking, conspiracy to commit carjacking, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, torture, unlawful imprisonment, conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment, first-degree home invasion and conspiracy to commit first-degree home invasion, as well as three counts of felony firearm. He will be sentenced Dec. 17.
According to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, Gardener and five others carjacked a man at gunpoint, restrained him in his own vehicle and drove away. The suspects, according to reports, tortured the man, drove to his house and entered the residence.
Sterling Heights police responded to Lifetime Fitness, where the carjacking occurred, before heading to the victim’s house.
Authorities say Gardner fled from police and was located months later and extradited from Florida to Michigan.
The day before the trial, the first of the six defendants — Romeo Jaquez Osorio, 25 — pleaded guilty to all eight of his charges: carjacking and armed robbery, and conspiracy to those two charges; as well as torture and conspiracy to commit first-degree home invasion, and unlawful imprisonment and conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment, according to court documents. Under an agreement, his prison term will be capped at 10 years when he is sentenced Jan. 7.
Three other suspects — Angel Andujar-Ruiz, Angel Pantoja, Renado Coleman — are scheduled for pretrial conferences. Pantoja has a pretrial conference Nov. 26, Andujar-Ruiz will appear in court Dec. 8 and Coleman is scheduled for Dec. 15.
Prosecutors said a sixth suspect is in Florida facing federal charges.
In a prepared statement Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said the Prosecutor’s Office will continue to pursue and prosecute each individual alleged to have been involved in this case “to the fullest extent of the law.”
“We will work tirelessly to ensure that those who break the law are held accountable,” Lucido said in a prepared statement.
Gardner’s attorney, Daniel N. Garon, declined to comment. Osorio’s attorney, Joshua Van Laan, could not be reached for comment at press time.
