A suspect in the November 27, 2012, armed robbery at the Cloverville EZ Mart (3576 Heights Ravenna Road) in Fruitport Township has been arrested.
The robbery took place shortly after 4 a.m. on Tuesday, 11/27/2012. An employee of the business called police to report the robbery. A man wearing a hooded sweatshirt, a ski mask, and gloves reportedly robbed the business at gunpoint. The offender was given cash he demanded from the cash registers and then left the scene without further incident. No one was injured during the robbery.
Multiple area police agencies, including a K-9 unit, assisted in trying to locate the suspect, however the suspect was not immediately located.
Investigators discovered a male subject, identified by police as being in close proximity to the scene near the time of the incident, had purchased the mask and gloves used in the robbery the day before the incident. Police also gathered video evidence suggesting the offender may have been casing at least one other gas station in the area.
Police executed a search warrant at the suspect’s apartment in Muskegon and found clues suggesting the suspect had left the area to go to Florida.
Investigators from Fruitport Township Police Department worked closely with the U.S. Marshals Service and local police agencies in Florida to locate the suspect. The suspect was discovered in a residence near Orlando, Florida. He was taken into custody without incident at the residence Thursday (12/06/2012) afternoon.
The suspect and a female companion, also from Michigan, were interviewed by Fruitport Township Police detectives at the scene of the arrest. Police are continuing to investigate whether the female subject had any knowledge or cursory involvement in the robbery. She was not present during the robbery event – the male offender entered the business and committed the act by himself.
Evidence relevant to the investigation was collected from the residence in Florida.
The suspect, a 22-year-old male from the Muskegon County area, was lodged at the Orange County Jail in Florida while awaiting extradition back to Michigan.
No further information regarding this incident, the investigation, evidence, or the identity of the suspect is being released by Fruitport Township Police Department at this time.
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
