DETROIT – A man with a distinctive white tag on the back of his pants was arrested after carjacking a man at a Detroit gas station and driving another person to a different carjacking scene in that stolen car, officials said.
A criminal complaint was filed Aug. 1 that accuses William Jameschanning Brown, 32, of being involved in the pair of carjacking incidents.
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Man carjacked at gunpoint
Detroit police said they were called around 2:40 a.m. July 28 to a gas station at 14481 Livernois Avenue.
A customer said he had been filling his silver 2012 Ford Mustang with gas when a Chevrolet Traverse pulled up on the opposite side of the gas pump he was using, the criminal complaint says.
A gunman later identified as Brown got out of the Traverse, pointed a black pistol at the driver of the Mustang and said, “Run them pockets,” according to authorities.
The customer said Brown held him at gunpoint while reaching into his pockets to take his cash and spare car keys. Brown took the victim’s shoes and threw them into the Mustang before telling him to walk away, officials said.
When the customer started to walk toward the gas station entrance, Brown told him not to go in there, court records show. Brown pointed the gun at the victim until he had left the area, police said.
Brown filled the rest of the Mustang’s tank with gas, got inside, and drove away, according to authorities.
The customer told police that the carjacker wore all black clothing except for what looked like a white bandana hanging out of his right back pocket, the criminal complaint says.
Surveillance video from the gas station showed Brown wearing all black clothes, police said. He had a distinctive white tag sticking out of the back pocket of his pants, they said.
Second carjacking
At 4:07 a.m. July 28, Brown pulled the stolen Mustang into a gas station at 3347 Mack Avenue in Detroit, officials said.
A customer was pumping gas into his 2012 Dodge Charger, according to authorities.
Someone got out of the passenger seat of the Mustang, approached the customer, pointed a gun at him, got into the Charger, and drove off, court records show.
Brown arrested
Detroit police officers said they located the stolen Mustang around 4 p.m. July 28. Brown was taken into custody when he got out of the driver’s seat, according to authorities.
The key to the Mustang was in Brown’s pocket, officials said.
At the time of his arrest, Brown was wearing all black clothing and had a large white tag hanging out of his back pants pocket, court records show. He told police that he usually has the tag sticking out when he wears those pants, according to the criminal complaint.
Brown watched surveillance video from the carjacking at Livernois Avenue and admitted that he was the person with the gun, police said.
He said he didn’t have the gun at the time of his arrest because someone else had taken it after the original carjacking, according to officials.
Brown admitted to driving the stolen Mustang to the gas station where the Charger was taken at gunpoint, authorities said. He said he knew ahead of time that the Charger was going to be stolen at gunpoint, court records say.
Charges
The complaint argues there’s probable cause that Brown took a motor vehicle that had been transported, shipped, or received in interstate commerce from the person or presence of another by force and violence or by intimidation and with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm.
It also accuses him of brandished a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.