(WWJ Photo/Kasey Stoddart, File)
DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit police are looking for a group of people behind nearly a dozen gas station robberies in the city over the past two weeks.
Investigators say the group is wanted for ten armed robberies and one attempted robbery of local gas stations. Between three and five young men were involved in each case.
Police say during the robberies, the suspects will cover their faces, walk into a gas station armed with assault weapons and announce a hold-up.
According to police, three suspects attempted to rob a gas station in the 6500 block of VanDyke on Oct. 10 at 4:55 a.m. by crashing a vehicle into the front of the building. Failing to gain entry, the suspects fled from the location. Police say the three armed suspects continued their crime spree by robbing a station in the 800 block of W. McNichols at 6:45 a.m.
Investigators believe the three suspects are also responsible for several robberies that happened the very next day. Those incidents happened on Oct. 11 at gas stations in the 10000 block of Gratiot at 12:45 a.m.; in the 9700 block of Van Dyke at 12:57 a.m.; and in the 1900 block of E. McNichols at 1:05 a.m.
The suspects took a break for a few days before allegedly robbing a gas station in the 1600 block of E. McNichols on Oct. 17 at 6:30 a.m. The next three robberies happened two days later, on Oct. 19, at gas stations in the 9300 block of VanDyke at 5:10 a.m.; in the 1100 block of Clay at 5:30 a.m.; and in the 3700 block of Joy at 6:00 a.m.
Police say the last two incidents occurred on Oct.23, when four or five armed male suspects robebd a gas station in the 800 block of W. McNichols at 5:15 a.m., and in the 12800 block of W. McNichols at 5:40 a.m.
No one was hurt in any of the robberies. It wasn’t immediately clear how much money the suspects were able to get away with.
The suspects are described as a black males in their 20’s, wearing dark clothing and black masks that cover the lower half of their faces. Police say they hope to issue still photographs of the suspects sometime Wednesday.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents, is asked to contact the DPD’s Criminal Investigation Bureau at 313-596-1340 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. You can also submit a tip online at www.1800speakup.org, or text “CSM” and your tip to CRIMES (274637).
