Artist who let Crumbleys in Detroit building meets with detectives
Detectives in the Oakland County Sheriff's Office interviewed a 65-year-old artist Monday afternoon who had allowed the parents of the teen charged in the Oxford High School shooting into a Detroit warehouse where they were found and arrested over the weekend.
Andrzej Sikora met with detectives at 3 p.m. and spent two hours answering questions, said his attorney, Clarence Dass. Shortly after, law enforcement authorities searched Sikora's home in suburban Troy, specifically for his phones and computers, Dass said.
“Mr. Sikora did not assist the Crumbleys in evading law enforcement, did not know there was a warrant for their arrest, and did not know they were at his art studio at the time of their arrest,” Dass said in a statement. “He has not been charged with any crime, and will continue to assist members of law enforcement in their pursuit of justice.”
Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe said the interview wrapped up just after 5 p.m.
“He cooperated with our detectives,” McCabe said.
The Sheriff's Office did not release details of its investigation and issued a news release late Monday that said information from the investigation will be presented to prosecutors to determine whether any charges are warranted.
"The issue for detectives is what did Sikora know and when did he know it," the release said.
His attorney said Sikora didn’t know all the circumstances surrounding what was going on with James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents, on Friday.
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Police arrested the couple early Saturday morning in the building on Detroit’s east side after a citizen saw the Crumbleys’ vehicle late Friday and called police.
James Crumbley, 45, and Jennifer Crumbley, 43, were both charged Friday afternoon. Later that afternoon, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office issued a news release saying deputies were trying to locate the couple. That night, the U.S. Marshals Service offered a reward for information leading to their arrests.
They each face four counts of involuntary manslaughter connected to the shooting.
Dass said the Crumbleys went to the building, which houses a number of ventures, including a studio of Sikora's, Friday morning before charges were announced. He let them stay there to get away from the media and threats that were occurring, Dass said.
Sikora left at 5 p.m. and went home thinking they were also going to leave at some point, his lawyer told the Free Press. Sikora didn’t know they were in the studio as late as they were.
The building is located in the 1100 block of Bellevue near Belle Isle in Detroit.
Dass has said his client contacted the Detroit Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office to provide information after learning of the Crumbleys’ arrests.
Sikora is a social acquaintance of the Crumbleys, Dass said. His client and Jennifer Crumbley were on the ski patrol team at Pine Knob. They also shared an interest in horseback riding.
Sikora was born in Zielona Gora, Poland, and moved to the U.S. in 1990, according to his website. He is known for his mural work in several private residences and businesses around metro Detroit.
The couple’s son, Ethan Crumbley, is charged in the killings of four students and charged with injuring seven others, including a teacher, during the school shooting last week in a suburb about 45 minutes away from downtown Detroit.
All three are all housed in the Oakland County Jail, but won’t be allowed to interact with each other, officials said.
Contact Elisha Anderson: eanderson@freepress.com or 313-222-5144
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Artist who let Crumbleys in Detroit building meets with detectives
