Police: Ann Arbor Biggby robber suspected in similar crime Tuesday
Police believe this man robbed the Biggby Coffee on Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor Thursday. The man also is believed to have robbed the GameStop on Washtenaw Avenue Tuesday.
Courtesy of AAPD
Ann Arbor police believe the Thursday afternoon robbery at Biggby Coffee on Stadium Boulevard is related to a robbery at a business on Washtenaw Avenue earlier this week.
Ann Arbor police Det. Bill Stanford said the Biggby robbery was very similar to the incident Tuesday at GameStop, 3225 Washtenaw Ave. Stanford said a man walked into Biggby, showed a knife to a cashier and demanded cash.
Stanford said there were between seven and 10 people in the shop during the robbery Thursday. The fact that the man doesn’t appear deterred by other people being in the store leads police to believe the man is a threat.
“He’s pretty desperate and dangerous,” Stanford said. “We need to get him off the streets.”
Stanford said the man walked into the store, 2550 W. Stadium Blvd., and skipped the line, walking directly to the counter. He produced a knife and went around the counter demanding cash from the register. He was given an unknown amount of cash and then walked out, Stanford said. The robbery was reported at 3:51 p.m.
On Tuesday, a man walked into GameStop and up to the counter. Police said the man pulled out a knife and demanded cash before walking away from the business. That incident also was in the afternoon, reported at 5:23 p.m. Tuesday.
A kitchen-type knife has been used in both incidents, Stanford said. No one has been injured and no other weapon has been reported.
The man is described as black, 6-feet tall, between 160 and 180 pounds, wearing a black or gray hooded sweatshirt and black or gray pants. He’s approximately 25 years old.
Stanford released an image of the man, caught on Biggby security cameras. The man is seen taking money from the cash register at the store.
The man was last seen by witnesses in the area of Jackson Avenue and Stadium Boulevard, near the Biggby. Anyone who sees the man is encouraged to be cautious around him.
Anyone with information about either of these two incidents is encouraged to call Stanford at 734-323-2628 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP (773-2587).
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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
Ron Torrella
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 4:05 p.m.
Pretty sure there are more security cameras in that coffee shop. The time stamp on the photo says "PM 04:51:1..." Odd. Glad nobody was hurt.
Zhuk
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 3:44 p.m.
I wonder if he is traveling by bus line? It makes no sense to rob two little businesses on the same road unless the suspect is limited in his choice of targets. If he were using a car, then why not hit some place with more money and not on the same road?
D. Schafer
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 2:56 p.m.
We more camera's to catch the crooks!
Fred
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 2:35 p.m.
Not a good idea to tackle a guy with a knife unless it is a question of protecting the life of yourself or others.
pegret
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 2:26 p.m.
I'm surprised that no one got a picture on their cell phone.
Linda Peck
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 1:19 p.m.
It is still possible to look for someone who is wearing this odd hood, it is not connected to his hoodie. :) At least so it appears. It is possible that he is on foot and would like to try this again.
Hugh Giariola
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 11:59 a.m.
I see the suspect is wearing the uniform, according to the description.
Will
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 11:22 a.m.
I understand that the picture is very poor quality. Is that the back of his neck and his hand showing in the pic? If so, he appears to have a very light complexion; however, again, this could be due to the quality of the picture.
thinker
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 11:16 a.m.
Why has no one produced a gun and held him for police? Gun, kitchen knife. Duh!
hockeymom
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 5:04 p.m.
I meant are NOT allowed to carry while working
hockeymom
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 4:46 p.m.
CCW permit holders know you should only point a gun at someone who is putting your life in danger. I am sure Biggby employees are allowed to carry while on the job and technically that's the only person he "threatened". Duh! Please, go to a class.
Jeffersonian
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 11:15 a.m.
Great photo, you can almost make out the tip of his nose.
Alan Goldsmith
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 10:40 a.m.
Is Ann Arbor's Mayor still 'comfortable' with police staffing cuts? I don't think he's end been in this west side neighborhood or business district in years unless it was to sip wine at Zingerman's Roadhouse across the street.
dading dont delete me bro
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 2:31 a.m.
who in the world robs that biggby? or any store in that 2/3 store strip? that place is heck to get out of even with NO traffic.
JRW
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 12:25 a.m.
Really need more than one camera in these places.
Linda Peck
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 12:19 a.m.
Thank you for posting this. I hope it will help the AAPD find him. I will keep my eyes open.
JS
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 3:52 a.m.
Wow people thumbs down on this one, seriously? We have some Uber cynical folk round here.
AfterDark
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 12:16 a.m.
Seven to ten people in the place and the guy just walks out? That and this incredibly stupid photo release (seriously, are we supposed to recognize him from the back of his hoodie?) show how low Ann Arbor has fallen.
Fred
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 2:28 p.m.
Go right ahead and tackle the guy with the knife. I'll be cheering you on. Seriously, heroics are best reserved for protecting lives.
vivian
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 12:22 p.m.
Yeah--somebody should have stuck out a foot and tripped him on the way to the door. The rest of the people could then have sat on him till the police came. I'm not advocating high-risk heroics, but it sure would be nice if more petty thugs like this one came up against some opposition.
lefty48197
Thu, May 2, 2013 : 11:55 p.m.
If he runs a stop sign, the AAPD will nail him for sure!
justwondering
Thu, May 2, 2013 : 11:33 p.m.
I don't get it. Why do security cameras have such poor resolution? This one is so bad it's ridiculous - I couldn't recognize this fellow if he were standing next to me. With resolution like this you might as well skip the camera altogether.
JS
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 3:48 a.m.
It's not just wingsuits, daredevils, or skateboarders! GoPro cameras are the next revolution in crime stopping! Hook up a motion sensor and you're good to go!
Big B
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 12:34 a.m.
I think many time cameras with an angle on the drawer like this are designed to catch employees stealing money, so the identity of the person isn't in question. But the resolution is usually low because their lenses usually have to cover a wide area in a variety of light so the quality gets degraded. And they run 24/7 which creates storage problems if you're shooting in HD the whole time.
Peter
Fri, May 3, 2013 : 12:30 a.m.
Lighting mostly. Stores aren't lit like a soundstage.