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Surveillance photo of the Hesperia Wesco robbery.
Serial robber caught, deputy with local ties apprehends gunman.
#OceanaCountyCrime
By Allison Scarbrough. Editor.
RAVENNA — Two suspects are in custody in connection with a series of armed robberies that occurred recently in a three-county area, according to Muskegon County Sheriff Michael Poulin.
A Muskegon County sheriff’s deputy from Oceana County, Christian Herremans, apprehended the armed gunman early this morning during an armed robbery at the Speedway gas station in Ravenna, Poulin said.
A 19-year-old man and an 18-year-old man, both from Muskegon County, were arrested and are lodged in the Muskegon County Jail, the sheriff said.
Surveillance photo of the New Era Wesco robbery.
One of the suspects has confessed to that robbery as well as three other robberies at the New Era Wesco, the Hesperia Wesco, J&H Family Store in Twin Lake, and an attempted robbery Wednesday night in Muskegon County.
Herremans, who was on patrol by himself, witnessed the suspect leaving the Speedway gas station shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, July 29. The deputy was on patrol in his district, the sheriff said. “(Herremans) saw him leaving the store and went after him,” Poulin said. “The suspect pointed the gun at the deputy.” Herremans gave the suspect verbal commands, and he complied. The bag of money that he robbed from the store was seized. Herremans went into action before the robbery was even dispatched, the sheriff said.
The gunman was armed with some type of pellet or air soft gun that was painted black, he said. “It was altered,” he said.
The gunman’s accomplice, who was the getaway driver, was picked up later this morning on a warrant, Poulin said.
The unique-looking black and white hoodie was not used in the Ravenna robbery, he said. It was ditched somewhere in the area of the Hesperia Wesco Robbery, Poulin said, and an investigation team was heading to the Hesperia area today to locate the sweatshirt.
The attempted robbery that occurred Wednesday evening involved the suspect trying to open the front door of another gas station in Muskegon County, but the door was locked, Poulin said. An employee was in the parking lot and began honking the horn of their vehicle to scare the suspect off. A task force went out Thursday night to search for the suspect at area gas stations, the sheriff said.
The investigation continues, and more information will be released when it is available.
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