Police: Gas station carjacker stole car there months earlier
A Detroit teen already charged with armed robbery and carjacking a man’s pickup truck at a Ferndale gas station is now charged with stealing an SUV that was left running at the same location back in April.
“His first M. O. was he approached vehicles unattended and running,” said Ferndale police Community Engagement Officer Jill Mahlmeister. “Four months later he decided to use a gun.”
Jacarie Vance, 17, is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation in connection with the carjacking. Police said he pointed a gun at a 62-year- old Macomb Township man Aug. 6 and carjacked his GMC pickup at the Shell gas station at Eight Mile Road and Livernois.
The suspect is still being held on $100,000 cash bond.
On Thursday afternoon Vance was ordered to stand trial on a five-year felony auto theft charge after waiving his right to a preliminary examination before Ferndale 43rd District Judge Joseph Longo.
Police said Vance drove off with a Detroit senior citizen’s Ford Explorer after the owner left it running unattended brief ly April 3 at the Shell station.
“I don’t believe we ever recovered that car,” Mahlmeister said.
In both the carjacking and the auto theft, police said the suspect apparently watched the gas station fromthe south side of Eight Mile Road in Detroit before crossing the road to steal the vehicles.
Ferndale police said they tied Vance to the crimes after viewing surveillance video from the gas station.
Southfield police spotted Vance in the carjacked GMC five hours after police said he pointed a handgun at the owner and demanded his keys and wallet.
Vance also faces felony charges of fleeing and eluding Southfield police, who said the suspect fled from them at speeds of up 70 mph.
Southfield police managed to force Vance to stop and had to break a window on the GMC to pull him out of the vehicle, police said.
Vance was also considered a suspect in the theft of an unoccupied idling vehicle at Eight Mile Road and Pinecrest back in March, police said.
He is set to be arraigned for trial on the April auto theft charge before Oakland County Circuit Judge Shalina Kumar at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 13.
The most serious charges against the teen remain the carjacking and armed robbery of the GMC owner. Each of the charges is punishable by up to life in prison.
Longo granted a request from Vance’s attorney in August for the suspect to undergo a psychiatric examination to determine whether the teen is competent to stand trial.
That examination continues and doctors have yet to submit a report to the court on their findings.