First they robbed a man in Auburn Hills.
Then, as a 40-year-old Orion Township man was returning from work Friday, the masked teenagers’brandishing a fully-loaded assault rifle’walked out of the early morning darkness and demanded his wallet, cell phone and car keys.
That’s the word from police, who said Joey Steven Vang, 17, and brothers Jerry Herr, 18, and Rocky Herr, 17, all of Pontiac, confessed to the Jan. 29 crime, which allegedly occurred just after 4 a.m. in front of the man’s home in the 3500 block of Gregory.
‘It was very well calculated,? said Sgt. Michael Suarez of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Orion Township substation, noting the young men posed a very real threat. ‘They were out looking for someone to rob and they weren’t messing around.?
The trio was nabbed by Pontiac Police after a be-on-the-lookout (BOL) alert was issued by police in both Orion and Auburn Hills.
Suarez said the men first robbed an Auburn Hills resident at an apartment complex near Squirrel Road and Patrick Henry, brandishing what appeared to be the same weapon, demanding the same items: wallet, car keys, cell phone.
The victim reported he told the men he had no money, but turned over the items and was then struck in the face by one of the teens, who was allegedly wearing a pair of brass knuckles.
The victim told police the trio drove off in a white pickup with a red stripe across the top.
About 20 minutes later, another call came in.
According to reports, the Orion Township victim, who only saw two of the assailants, told deputies one demanded his cell phone, wallet, and car keys and the other cocked what appeared to be an AK-47, chambering a round.
The victim said he threw the items on the ground and ran into his garage to call 911. Upstairs, the man’s sister was awakened by the noise and saw the suspects running off on foot when she looked outside.
When police arrived, the man came outside and found keys still on the ground where he’d tossed them, but noted his cell phone and wallet, containing about $100, were gone.
Police said the origin of the gun’later identified as a Mac-90, which closely resembles an AK-47’had yet to be determined.
?(The suspects) said they found it on the street in Pontiac,? Suarez said, confirming the gun was fully loaded when confiscated.
When the BOL went out, he said, an officer in Pontiac saw the truck shoot by.
‘He said ‘there they are,? did a quick turn around and turned on his lights,? Suarez said. ‘And they stopped.?
Inside the vehicle, police located the Halloween masks allegedly worn during both incidents and described by the victims, as well as the gun.
All three were interviewed by Auburn Hills police and arrested on charges of armed robbery. Vang was also charged with a weapons offense for the brass knuckles used in the Auburn Hills incident, and Rocky Herr was additionally charged with possession of firearm in the commission of a felony.
All three were denied bond at arraignment and remain at Oakland County Jail.
Suarez said evidence and statements given by the men indicate they’ve been immersed in a criminal lifestyle for sometime, although none of the three had previously been charged as an adult.
The three will face preliminary exam in 52-3 District Court, unless they opt to waive that right. An exam date has not yet been set.