The man accused of snatching purses from unsuspecting Kroger shoppers’including a 92-year-old woman’told police he needed the money after he was fired from his fast-food job.
Independence Township resident Damian Jonas Buitkus, 24, was arraigned May 7 in 52-2 District Court on three counts of larceny from a person.
Buitkus allegedly confessed to the deeds when he was picked up by police May 6.
A 38-year-old Waterford woman was the first to report a purse-snatching incident.
After shopping at the Kroger near Dixie Highway and Maybee Road, the woman called 911 around 11:45 a.m. May 5 to report that a man pulled up behind her in a silver car while she was unloading two full carts of groceries into her vehicle.
The woman told deputies who responded to the scene the man jumped from his car, grabbed her purse, then jumped back into his car and sped off.
The woman said she had no cash in her bag, but was carrying a cell phone and personal documents.
About 45 minutes later, a 92-year-old woman was loading groceries into her trunk when the purse-pilfering bandit struck again.
The second victim told police the man drove up close to her car and grabbed her bag from the shopping cart without even getting out of his vehicle.
A 20-year-old witness said he saw the car, which he described as a Honda Civic or other compact model, make a U-turn and pull up by the doors of the Kroger as if he were waiting for someone.
The witness told deputies he heard someone yell ‘my purse!? as he bent over to get cans from his trunk, and looked up to see the same car speeding off.
The case was assigned to Oakland County Independence Township substation Detective John MacDonald, who spotted a car and driver matching the suspect’s description shortly after setting up surveillance at the Kroger the following day.
According to police reports, MacDonald attempted to follow the suspect vehicle when it began to move through the parking lot.
Seconds later, he saw a group of people gathered around a third purse-snatching victim.
MacDonald notified dispatch of the car and driver, including damage to the front driver’s side door sustained when the victim bumped into the 92-year-old woman’s cart with his vehicle the previous day.
Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies near Dixie Highway and Telegraph Road heard the broadcast and spotted the car within minutes.
The third victim’s purse was located under the front seat of the car.
Buitkus and his younger brother, who was also in the car when deputies stopped the vehicle, were brought to the substation for interview.
The younger brother was quickly cleared, but Buitkus allegedly admitted to the crime and told MacDonald he needed the money ‘because he got fired from Arby’s.?
He also said he ‘smokes a little weed and drinks a little, but doesn’t have a major drug habit.?
According to statements, Buitkus told police he threw the first purse in his neighbor’s garbage after finding no money inside.
He did find about $50 in the second purse, but threw that bag in the trash as well, and went to play Frisbee Golf in Holly with his brother.
After finding about $250 in the purse of his third victim, a 76-year-old Independence Township woman, Buitkus said, he again picked up his brother, this time heading to Pontiac to ‘buy some dope.?
The third bag and all its contents were returned to the owner, MacDonald said. The first two bags, however, were not.
‘He threw them in the neighbor’s trash,? said MacDonald. ‘It was garbage day.?
Buitkus was held in Oakland County Jail on $25,000 cash surety per count.
He was also charged with larceny in a building and two counts of possession of a financial transaction device, and held on $25,000 cash surety per count after he was connected to the theft of credit cards from the home of his girlfriend’s mother.
According to MacDonald, a relative posted bond and Buitkus was released pending trail.