'Dastardly' Mother-Son Duo Arrested In Corner Store Lotto Ticket Thefts
ROSEVILLE (WWJ) - A 33-year-old Roseville woman and her 14-year-old son are in police custody after allegedly robbing a corner party store.
Latisha Monique Embry was arraigned Friday in 39th District Court on charges of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Her son, who was not identified, is being be held in the Macomb County Youth home pending a juvenile status hearing Monday.
The charges stem from a robbery Thursday afternoon at the Stop & Go Party Store at 13 Mile and Callahan Streets.
A store clerk told police around 12:30 p.m., she observed the mother and son duo "nervously" walking back and forth in front of the store. When all of the customers had left the store, the clerk went to the front door and asked if everything was all right. Then, "without warning," Embry allegedly grabbed the clerk's face and head and physically forced her back into the store.
The clerk told police Embry forced her into a small office area and held her against a wall so that she was unable to call for help. As this was happening, Embry's son raced behind the store counter and grabbed a large quantity of Michigan Lottery tickets from a dispenser and loaded them into a backpack he was carrying, police said.
Once the lottery tickets were in the back pack, Embry apparently released the clerk and both mom and son ran away from the store.
After receiving a slew of tips, police were able to obtain both arrest and search warrants for Embry, who they described as "the mother half of this dastardly duo."
Friday afternoon, detectives executed the warrants at Embry's home in the 15000 block of Loreto Street, where she and her teenaged son were taken into custody without incident. A search of the home found what is believed to be at least some of the stolen lottery tickets.
Police Chief James Berlin said he's never see a crime like this before. "Not this blatant," he said. "We've seen things with shoplifters before, but nothing where they've used their children as a co-conspirator like this."
Embry is being held in the Macomb County Jail on a $100,000 cash surety bond until a preliminary examination on Nov. 25.
