Pair Accused Of Carjacking Uber Driver In Detroit Arrested After Purse-Snatching, Police Chase In Mid-Michigan
DETROIT (WWJ) - Two men accused of kidnapping and carjacking an Uber driver in Detroit have been taken into custody following a robbery at a casino and hour-long police chase through mid-Michigan.
The carjacking took place around 4:30 a.m. Sunday after the driver was hailed to Schaefer and Schoolcraft, near 7 Mile and Greenfield roads on the city's west side.
"It appears that they ... used a handgun and stole the Uber driver's car and then fled Detroit and eventually ended up here in northern Michigan, State Police Lt. David Kaiser told WWJ's Charlie Langton.
Around 3 p.m. Tuesday, Kaiser said the suspects were involved in a strong-arm robbery at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, where they stole a woman's purse at gunpoint.
"Officers there gave chase to the suspect vehicle and upon running that plate, they discovered that the vehicle was actually stolen, carjacked from the Uber driver three days prior," said Kaiser.
Officers chased the suspects through Isabella County, Midland County and Bay County, where state police troopers joined the pursuit. The hour-long chase eventually ended in Saginaw County when troopers used a PIT (precision immobilization technique) maneuver to stop the suspects' vehicle.
"Both suspects fled on foot," said Kaiser. "Troopers gave chase to one suspect and the second suspect was chased by a trooper as well as his K-9 partner. The K-9 actually brought the second suspect down. They were both taken into custody with no injuries to any of the officers involved."
During a search of the vehicle, detectives recovered evidence that appears to link the suspects to both crimes.
"They found the identification of the purse that was stolen out of Mount Pleasant, they found a handgun in the vehicle, and they also found Uber paperwork inside that vehicle," said Kaiser. "So as far as if they actually stole the vehicle in Detroit, evidence leads us to believe that but that part of the investigation is still ongoing."
The suspects, described as Detroit men in their early 20s, are now facing several charges in multiple jurisdictions.
"They're going to face charges here in Saginaw County, and I imagine after that the Soaring Eagle Casino is going to want to hold them accountable for the crime they committed there," said Kaiser. "And eventually they'll end up down in Detroit, where they allegedly committed the carjacking and displayed a weapon."
The suspects are currently being lodged at the Saginaw County Jail, and are expected to face arraignment later Wednesday or Thursday.