Two Groveland residents are in the Oakland County Jail after the robbery and stabbing of a 36-year-old man who lived in the same mobile home park.
Eugene Joseph Minton, 23, was arraigned on a charge of robbery, $150,000 bond, no 10 percent, and Robert Dean Villalobos, 21, was arraigned on a charge of armed robbery, $250,000 bond, no 10 percent, on March 10 at Oakland County Circuit Court.
Oakland County Sheriff Office Sgt. Mark Gardner of the Springfield Township substation said the incident began March 9. The victim was at Bottoms Up Food and Spirits, 14007 Dixie Highway, when he met the suspects, strangers to him. They had a small conversation. The victim was walking to his home in Groveland Manor Manufactured Home Community, 13318 S. Dixie Highway, when the suspects stopped next to him in their vehicle and asked him if we would like to go to another establishment. The victim got into the backseat and as they traveled southbound on Dixie Highway, was asked if he had money for where they were going. The victim pulled out money and as he did so, saw a shiny object, put up an arm to block it and was stabbed in the rear upper thigh by Villalobos. Minton, the driver, slowed the vehicle down to punch the victim, who opened the door and jumped out. The victim hobbled to the Kroger store located at Dixie Highway and Davisburg Road in Springfield Township for assistance.
Springfield deputies responded and the victim supplied information on the car and suspects. Michigan State Police Troopers from the Groveland team went to the Groveland Manor address given by the victim and waited until seeing four subjects leave the address. The troopers followed the vehicle on to Dixie Highway and made a traffic stop just outside Groveland Manor. Springfield deputies took all four into custody and transported them to the Independence Township substation for interviews, after which Minton and Villalobos were arrested.
The victim was treated at Genesys Regional Medical Center for a stab wound to his right rear upper thigh and released.
Gardner said it was good teamwork among all the law enforcement involved and says the moral to the story is: ‘Never get into a car with people you don’t know, especially when you’re in the backseat.?
A preliminary examination is set for 1:30 p.m., March 21, in front of 52-2 District Court Judge Kelley Kostin.