Watch CBS News

Trail Of Money Leads Police To Screwdriver-Wielding Robbery Suspect

TROY (WWJ) - Authorities say a literal trail of money helped officers apprehend a man who was armed with a screwdriver when he robbed a gas station and fled from police in Troy.

The robbery happened around 8 p.m. Sunday at the Clark Gas Station on Rochester Road at South Boulevard.

According to police, 38-year-old Shaun Edward Benns entered the gas station and threatened the clerk with a screwdriver, demanding money from the cash register. After getting what he came for, police say Benns ordered the clerk to the ground and fled the scene.

Investigators responded to the gas station and transmitted a description of Benns' vehicle to neighboring police departments. A short time later, deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and officers of the Auburn Hills Police Department attempted to stop Benns' vehicle on University Drive near Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., in Auburn Hills. A short police chase ensued, followed by a foot pursuit.

Benns was eventually apprehended by sheriff's deputies after leaving a trail of money along his path, according to police.

On Tuesday, Benns was arraigned on a charge of armed robbery and ordered held without bond.

Police say Benns, a Pontiac resident, is also being investigated as a suspect in several other armed robberies that occurred in the area.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.