Four suspects identified after burglary at Coopersville smoke shop
COOPERSVILLE — Four suspects are in custody after breaking into a Coopersville smoke shop and stealing items early Monday morning, according to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded at 2:19 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, to a burglary at the Funky Monkey Smoke Shop, 1136 W. Randall St. in Coopersville, according to a news release.
When deputies arrived, they saw a black SUV fleeing the scene. Deputies attempted to make a traffic stop before it fled onto eastbound I-96 from Coopersville.
Deputies pursued the vehicle, which attempted to exit at the 16th Avenue exit ramp in Marne and lost control, crashing from the exit ramp curve, OCSO said.
Four suspects fled on foot from the crash site and were pursued by deputies on foot. They ran east toward a nearby Methodist church. Deputies set up a perimeter with assistance from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police and the Walker Police Department.
A K-9 unit found the suspects hiding in an outbuilding on the church's property. They were taken into custody without further incident. Police discovered the vehicle was stolen, and a large number of stolen items were recovered, the release said.
Deputies learned the suspects forced entry into the smoke shop and stole items — including cash, smoking devices and inventory. The full list of stolen items is estimated to be greater than $5,000.
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Items recovered from the vehicle include cash, stolen property, an unregistered pistol and other evidence.
The three adult suspects were arraigned via video in the 58th District Court in Grand Haven by Judge Craig Bunce on Tuesday.
Malik Vander and Benjamin Orlando Clark III, both 19, and Saivon Mitchell, 18, all of Grand Rapids, were charged with breaking and entering and resisting and obstructing a police officer. They remain in the Ottawa County Jail on $80,000 cash/surety bonds.
The fourth suspect is a 16-year-old juvenile from Grand Rapids. He was referred to the Juvenile Court on charges of breaking and entering and was lodged at the Ottawa County Juvenile Detention Center. He has not been identified.
OCSO detectives are aware of similar burglaries and stolen vehicles occurring in surrounding counties over the past few weeks. Detectives believe the suspects may be involved in crimes in neighboring jurisdictions, and are working with other agencies to investigate.
Anyone with information is asked to contact OCSO or Silent Observer at 877-88-SILENT (745368) or mosotips.com.
— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@sentinel-standard.com. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Four suspects identified after burglary at Coopersville smoke shop
