Man accused in Ypsilanti purse snatching held on $25,000 bond
This story has been updated with a photo and Kenneth Sutton's criminal history.
The man accused of stealing an 85-year-old Milan woman’s purse in Ypsilanti on Thursday is being held in the Washtenaw County Jail on a $25,000 bond, according to jail records.
Kenneth Sutton
Courtesy of the state of Michigan
Kenneth Sutton, 55, has been charged with unarmed robbery and two counts of stealing a financial transaction device, according to court records. Sutton was arrested Friday in Ann Arbor for the Thursday afternoon robbery.
Ypsilanti police Detective Sgt. Troy Fulton said on Friday that Sutton approached the Milan woman after she got into her car in a parking lot of a building at about 1:45 p.m. Thursday in the 100 block of North Huron Street. Sutton asked the woman for money and, after she gave him a dollar, he reached across her and grabbed her purse from the passenger seat of the vehicle, Fulton said.
Sutton wrestled the purse away from the woman and fled the area, managing to elude a police search that followed the report, Fulton said. The woman escaped uninjured.
The woman was interviewed and shown pictures of possible suspects. She was able to identify a picture of Sutton and he was found at about 1 p.m. Friday near State and Washington streets in Ann Arbor, according to Fulton.
Sutton has a long criminal history, including active sentences for unarmed robbery and unlawfully driving away an automobile in 2007, burning other real property in 1998, breaking and entering a building with intent to commit a crime in 1989, escaping from prison in 1988 and attempted larceny in a building in 1988, according to state records.
He’s also been convicted of larceny in a building in 1988 and breaking and entering a building with intent to commit a crime in 1975.
Sutton, of Ypsilanti Township, will be back in court for a preliminary exam at 8:30 a.m. April 24, according to jail records.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
djm12652
Tue, Apr 17, 2012 : 8:49 p.m.
why was my remark removed? I said that if the suspect was Kenneth Darrell Sutton, he had a record going back to 1975...but when the story is updated with a picture, the suspect info is contains the same info I had posted. How did I violate guidelines but the "author" doesn't?
Mark Hergott
Tue, Apr 17, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.
We are dealing with the problems of a justice system that is more focused on holding people than it is on reforming them. What does Kenneth Sutton get out of this? He gets a clean bed, health care, and food out of it. When he gets out, the first thing he will do is re-offend. Maybe not purse snatching, but maybe breaking and entering, or perhaps simple vandalism. A couple of years ago, a desperate soul grabbed a rock, and half heartedly smacked it into the locked glass doors of the new Walgreen's at Prospect and Michigan. Once the alarm went off, he sat down and waited for the police to arrive. That's the new kind of crime. Intentional misbehavior for the purposes of housing, food, and health care. Maybe we should think about doing something about it.
Jimmy McNulty
Tue, Apr 17, 2012 : 11:35 a.m.
This is exactly why I never give money to panhandlers. I'm glad the 85 year-old woman is ok.
RJA
Tue, Apr 17, 2012 : 4:32 a.m.
Don't really know who arrested this guy, but damn good arrest!
Pickforddick
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 10:54 p.m.
Do you think it would be possible to find a judge that will keep this known criminal off the streets before someone gets killed? Or is that what it will take?
Deb Anderson
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 8:16 p.m.
Blessings and prayers are there for the elderly woman who was traumatized by this man.
shutthefrtdoor
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 7:12 p.m.
This type of behavior really ticks me off...
Dcam
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 6:58 p.m.
His resume seems to indicate he's well versed in court proceedings.
DNB
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 5:31 p.m.
These type of criminals who prey upon women, especially elderly women, are the lowest of the low.
Lovaduck
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 5:10 p.m.
I was told in San Francisco, which has a LOT of homeless, not to give money, not because of the usual "they'll spend it on drugs and/or alcohol" argument; but rather because they sense you have money and will grab your purse or endeavor to rob you. Not to blame the poor woman for her act of generosity, but just to warn others to be careful.
Kitty O'Brien
Tue, Apr 17, 2012 : 5:09 a.m.
That happened to me outside Babs' a few years ago. Got out my wallet to give a guy a few bucks and he grabbed my wallet.
pseudo
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 4:55 p.m.
and does he match this guy in OTIS that is on Parole?! http://mdocweb.state.mi.us/OTIS2/otis2profile.aspx?mdocNumber=140461
pseudo
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 7 p.m.
great - thanks for the update. seems to be this mug shot is easily recognizable on the street.
Kyle Feldscher
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 6:29 p.m.
It is the same man, and I've updated the story with his criminal history and photo from OTIS. Thanks for pointing it out.
djm12652
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 4:59 p.m.
well if it is, the Kenneth Darnell Sutton in the link has been busy since the earliest listed conviction in 1975...
pseudo
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 4:51 p.m.
clearly, we'd love to see a picture of the lovely gentleman.