DETROIT – Police from Warren and Detroit say they’ve made an enormous arrest after a barricaded situation ended with the takedown of what they call a serial robbery ring.
Officials say the group was responsible for 30 to 40 break-ins and thefts all across Metro Detroit. And it all ended Wednesday (Feb. 8) after an hours-long standoff at an apartment complex on Detroit’s east side.
For several weeks, police have been closely watching the group. Overnight, investigators moved in and arrested multiple suspects. Hopefully, putting an end to what the Warren police Commissioner called a tri-county crime wave.
“These were serial breaking and entering commercial rings,” said Warren police Commissioner Bill Dwyer. “They were striking cities such as Madison Heights, Harper Woods, Troy, Clawson, Warren, and Detroit.”
It’s a tri-county crime wave that has had businesses on edge.
The trouble started last month when Dwyer said businesses began getting hit.
“It wasn’t unusual for this ring to hit anywhere from two to five locations in one night,” Dwyer said.
The multi-agency investigation closed in Tuesday night when Warren’s Special Operations Unit witnessed the group break into a Family Dollar near Mack Avenue and Alter Road in Detroit and then attempt another break-in at a nearby tobacco shop.
That’s when Detroit police stepped in, chasing the vehicle involved until the suspects hopped out and barricaded themselves in an apartment complex.
“Detroit’s Special Response Team was activated, and they were able to safely talk the six individuals out Wednesday morning, and they were placed under arrest,” Dwyer said.
Read: 5 people linked to 25 break-ins around Metro Detroit arrested after police standoff
The investigation is ongoing, and more people may be arrested. But already, Dwyer called this a big step in putting this crime ring to an end.
“We really believe that they’re responsible for, as I said, maybe more than 60 commercial burglaries, so it’s very significant,” Dwyer said.
Again, that’s six people arrested so far. But the police commissioner says they expect as many as 10 to 12 people to be charged in total.
