Detroit police investigating after 3 armed robberies on city's east side

Crimes may be connected

DETROIT – Detroit police are investigating three armed robberies on the city's east side early Saturday that may be connected.

The three armed robberies happened within the span of an hour.

Police believe the same group was targeting men, stealing cash, a cellphone, a coat, a Bridge Card and a gun.

"If we don't pull ourselves together, what are we going to do?" said a resident who lives in the area.

At 12:20 a.m., a 36-year-old man was approached by a black Jeep Wrangler when he got off a bus at Holcomb and Gratiot avenues, police said.

The victim told police that two black men wearing black hooded sweatshirts and masks exited the Jeep and started assaulting him. One of the men was armed with a handgun, police said. Two other men stayed in the vehicle.

Police said the men took money, the victim's Bridge Card and a speaker microphone. The men fled in the Jeep east on Gratiot Avenue. The victim told police he wasn't injured.

At 1:05 a.m., a 29-year-old man was approached by three black men wearing dark clothing and black masks while he was walking west on Chapin Street near Cooper Street, police said.

Police said the men took a handgun, cellphone and black jacket from the victim before fleeing east on Chapin in a dark green or black Jeep Liberty.

At 1:25 a.m., two men were in a parked dark-colored Jeep Liberty at Nottingham Road and Wade Street. They got out of the vehicle and robbed a 31-year-old at gunpoint, police said.

They took an undisclosed amount of cash from the victim. The victim was uninjured, police said.

One of the men is described as black with a medium build. He is about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a black ski mask and was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun.

The other man was described as black with a medium complexion. He was wearing a colorful jacket.

"So let's pull together and get off the streets. All these robberies, and carjackings we're doing, and killing and shooting, we need to pull this together," the resident said.


About the Authors:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism