Ann Arbor teens to stand trial in robbery of delivery driver, attempted robbery of another

Hugan and Howell are accused of robbing a 38-year-old Ypsilanti man who was delivering a pizza at 1 a.m. April 12 in the 1000 block of Bluestem Lane in Ann Arbor. They’re both accused of attempting to rob Soon Gin, a delivery driver from Happy Wok, five days later at 9:15 p.m. in the 2000 block of Liberty Heights.

Gin testified Thursday he went to the address on Liberty Heights and found no lights on at the home, a “For Sale” sign in the yard and no one at the residence. Sensing something wasn’t right, he went back to his car as a young man approached the area talking on his cell phone. Gin said he asked the man repeatedly if he had ordered food, but the man brushed him off.

“Something seemed funny,” he said.

Gin wasn’t able to identify Hugan in court Thursday, saying he never got a clear look at the man near his car or a second man who appeared to be hiding down some steps in a passageway of the condominiums. Gin eventually avoided confrontation and drove away from the area, before calling police to report the incident.

Court records show Hugan and Howell are both facing four criminal charges related to the two incidents. Both are charged with armed robbery, two counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and attempted armed robbery. They’re both lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail on a bond of 10 percent of $15,000. Howell was in court Thursday for a pretrial hearing in front of Washtenaw County Trail Court Judge David Swartz. He’ll return to Swartz’s court room for another pretrial hearing at 1:30 p.m. June 7, according to court records.

Hugan is scheduled to be in front of Swartz for a pretrial hearing at 1:30 p.m. June 14, records show.

Hugan and Howell are also suspected of robbing the Ypsilanti man, a Bell’s Pizza employee, of money and food on April 12.

In that case, the delivery driver went to Bluestem Lane and saw two men sitting on the steps of a condo. They waved him over and one of them appeared to be reaching into his pocket for money, but instead he produced a gun. Police said the second man held the driver’s hands behind his back and searched his pockets, taking the money from the man before fleeing the area.

Hugan and Howell were arrested April 23 in the 2700 block of Adrienne Drive. They’ve been lodged at the jail since then.