I-75 Crash: Two Suspects Arrested After Meijer Electronics Heist

A 27-year-old man from West Virginia and a 17-year-old boy from Detroit were taken into custody on Thursday night after a vehicle crashed in an Interstate 75 construction zone. The crash ended a police pursuit that began with a break-in at a Meijer store in Frenchtown Township.

Monroe County Central Dispatch received a report at approximately 6 p.m. Thursday that two individuals had broken into the electronics display case at the Meijer on U.S. 24 and Telegraph Road. A deputy located the suspects' vehicle driving northbound on M-125 near Mall Road. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, the car accelerated and merged onto I-275 southbound before entering I-75 southbound.

The chase concluded when the vehicle left the highway and collided with barriers in the construction area near South Otter Creek Road. Both occupants exited the car and ran into a nearby field. Law enforcement used a drone to locate the driver and passenger hiding in the grass.

The driver, a man from Fairmont, West Virginia, was booked at the Monroe County Jail. An arraignment hearing is pending in Monroe County First District Court. The passenger, a Detroit teen, was lodged at the Monroe County Youth Center.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident and believes the suspects may be linked to retail thefts at other Meijer locations in the Downriver area. The Monroe Police Department, Luna Pier Police Department, and Michigan State Police assisted with the call. Deputies have asked for information and can be reached at 734-240-7758.