DETROIT (WWJ) -- Two men are in police custody after a string of robberies at multiple dollar stores and Auto Zone stores in Detroit that ended with an arrest at IHOP in Dearborn Heights, thanks to the help of an undercover officer.
Last week Detroit police received multiple calls on robberies at stores spanning the Second, Sixth and Eighth Precincts, all on the city’s west side.
Cpt. Michael DiCicco says there were 10 incidents between Oct. 28 and Nov. 2 in which the suspects’ descriptions all matched, which put the cases on their radar.
Their alleged crime spree came to an end on Tuesday, when police took them down outside of an IHOP restaurant in Dearborn Heights. Police on Friday released aerial video footage of that take-down.
DiCicco says police started paying particular attention to areas around these types of stores and on Tuesday, they received word of multiple robberies in a row at Auto Zones.
Following these robberies, police were able to track a license plate of a vehicle that was believed to be used in the robberies. Through coordination of multiple Detroit precincts and police in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, authorities determined the vehicle had been stolen out of Dearborn Heights a few days prior.
DiCicco says about 20 minutes later Dearborn Heights police found the suspect’s vehicle outside of an IHOP.
An undercover police officer entered the restaurant to make sure the suspects they were looking for were inside, and found the two men matching their clothing descriptions. Shortly after, the men came outside and were arrested.
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DiCicco says police believe the two men in custody were the only ones involved in the string of robberies. The suspects, whose names have not been released, pending charges from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, have admitted to several of the robberies, but not all of them, DiCicco said.
As for a motive and target in the robberies, DiCicco says it appears they were only looking for money.
“Unfortunately it’s fairly common, especially for dollar stores, to be victims of robberies,” DiCicco said during a press conference Friday afternoon. “Auto Zones, I don’t know why there would be any particular draw for the perpetrators to pick an Auto Zone particularly, but since there were multiple, they must have had some idea or system in place that was working for them, for at least a few days until we caught them.”
Police recovered evidence, including clothing worn during the robberies, surveillance video footage and a gun they believe was used in the crimes.
DiCicco said as of Friday afternoon one warrant had been signed at the prosecutor's office and they were awaiting signatures on at least three others.
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