Brandon Twp.- A 41-year-old township man was missing his wallet and phone, but was grateful for his life on Thanksgiving, the day after he was robbed at gunpoint.
‘It gave a whole new meaning to Thanksgiving,? said Mike, who asked that his real name not be used.
Now, police are asking anyone who may have seen two men loitering outside the Eagle Pointe Plaza at M-15 and Glass Road the evening of Nov. 26 to come forward.
‘We need help from the public,? said Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Detective Chris Pacholski. ‘Anyone who may have seen these individuals in the strip mall parking lot or their vehicle can contact us.?
Mike, 41, said it was right around 6 p.m. when he arrived at China Fare Restaurant, 1764 Ortonville Road, to pick up a carry-out order. He noticed two young-looking black males in the parking lot, but didn’t think much of it. He returned to his vehicle, a Chevrolet HHR, and got in while speaking to his daughter on his cell phone. As he was closing the door, he noticed one of the two individuals he’d seen approaching.
‘I had (the door) on the way to being shut and he opened it and shoved the gun in my face,? recalled Mike. ‘Out of reaction I grabbed the gun? I was in such surprise that this would happen here… He pulled away and I let go. The biggest emotion I had was shock. I couldn’t even believe it was happening in Ortonville.?
The suspect demanded money, calling Mike ‘n?’r,? multiple times.
Mike, an avid outdoorsman, couldn’t take his eyes off the gun, which he believes was a .32 caliber handgun. In fear for his life, he gave the man his wallet, which contained $100 in cash, and also his cell phone.
The suspect fled on foot and Mike ran into the restaurant to call 9-1-1.
‘I was feeling pretty fortunate,? he said. ‘I didn’t care a bit about the phone or wallet. Within five minutes, there was an Oakland County Sheriff in the parking lot and then the detective came. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with how they mobilized and handled everything. You would have thought it was a murder. There was a helicopter overhead within 10 minutes, K-9 within 15 minutes, eight squad cars and two unmarked cars. It gave me a good feeling to see how they reacted to the situation.?
According to police reports, a responding deputy saw one of the suspects, later identified as Corey Deandre Shaw, a 19-year-old Pontiac Northern High School student, running eastbound across M-15, south of Glass Road. As the deputy approached him and ordered him to the ground, Shaw began making unsolicited statements, saying he didn’t have a gun and ‘didn’t rob that guy.?
Shaw had the victim’s wallet, but told deputies the other suspect had dropped it and he planned to return it to the victim.
Shaw was arraigned on a count of armed robbery on Nov. 28 by Oakland County Circuit Court Magistrate Judith Holtz. He remains in Oakland County Jail on a $250,000 bond, no 10 percent. A preliminary exam for Shaw is scheduled for 8:35 a.m., Dec. 12, in front of 52-2 District Court Judge Kelley Kostin. Shaw is currently on probation following a felony drug conviction in March and his probation officer has been notified.
Pacholski says the investigation is active on the second suspect and he will be charged sooner with help from the public.
‘It is disturbing to us that this has happened in our community,? Pacholski said. ‘We’re very thankful our victim was not hurt. Anybody who thinks they may have seen something, please call us. The suspects were loitering for some time prior.? Call the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Brandon substation at 248-627-4911.