Suspect arrested in Tuesday night gas station robbery; Police still searching for National City’s robber

A 38-year-old Ypsilanti man has been arrested after police say he robbed an East Pickard Road gas station Tuesday night.

Shortly after 8 p.m., the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department responded to an armed robbery at a Shell gas station, 5612 E. Pickard Road, in Union Township, where the man demanded money from the station clerk and left with an undisclosed amount.

Police said deputies were told the suspect left in a blue Monte Carlo, which had been parked at a neighboring McDonald’s, and headed east on Pickard. He was later located inside the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd., with the aid of Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police.

“We used the tribal police’s surveillance system to track him down,” Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said. “Using the description, we were able to track him down to a hotel room.”

According to a news release, the gas station clerk told deputies she thought the suspect had a gun or a knife in his jacket pocket because of a gesturing motion he made.

The individual is expected to be arraigned sometime this afternoon.

National City robbery

Mount Pleasant police have no further information regarding the bank robbery that occurred late Tuesday morning.

A man held up National City bank, 409 N. Mission St., around 11:15 a.m. Tuesday with an unidentified weapon and got away with an unknown amount of cash. After the robbery, Dave Sabuda, public information officer for the MPPD, said the suspect fled the scene and ran westbound down Crosslanes Street.

The suspect in the bank robbery was described as a light-skinned male between 5 feet, 6 inches and 5 feet, 8 inches tall. He is of a smaller to medium build, was wearing a black or gray jacket with a hood and baggy jeans, and had his face covered with a white bandana.

Anyone with information regarding Tuesday morning’s robbery is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Bill Bluemer during business hours at 779-5100 and Isabella County Central Dispatch after business hours at 773-1000.