Bank robbery suspect tells judge he’s homeless

Jacob Edwards faces more charges in two other jurisdictions

The Macomb Township teenager who allegedly robbed a Macomb County bank before becoming the target of a multi-state manhunt was arraigned on several criminal charges Monday in an Illinois courtroom.

Jacob Edwards via video entered a not guilty plea to possession of a stolen firearm and other crimes before Vermilion County Circuit Court Judge Charles Hall. He waived a formal reading of charges and possible penalties.

According to docket information, the judge issued an absentia warning, but it was unclear what the warning referred to.

In legal terms, the warning means a trial or conviction can proceed without the presence of the defendant. But Edwards is being held in the Vermilion County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

“(The) delay is attributable to the defendant,” a court clerk wrote on the docket sheet.

When Edwards was asked to update his address, he told the court he was homeless, according to docket information. Authorities say his former address was a two-story, 2,700-square-foot house near 21 Mile and Romeo Plank roads in Macomb Township that is assessed at $179,500, where he resided with his parents and three siblings.

In addition to possessing a stolen firearm, Edwards is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated assault of a peace officer, and aggravated fleeing police.

He also faces three charges in traffic court: reckless driving, speeding 35 mph over the posted speed limit, and disregarding a traffic signal. In those cases, he was ordered held without bond.

Edwards, 18, is still recuperating from a gunshot wound to his arm after he was shot while pointing a gun at police officers during his arrest.

His troubles with the law began at the Huntington Bank on Washington Street, between Main and Alfred streets, on Jan. 17 when he handed a teller a note demanding cash. In the note, Edwards claimed he had an armed accomplice waiting outside.

Edwards, a 2022 graduate of Chippewa Valley High School, was able to successfully elude law enforcement officers after leaving the bank.

Two days later, he allegedly carjacked a 27-yearold man in rural Indiana who had stopped to help him after his car had broken

down. The victim told police that a handgun was in his truck when it was stolen.

The following day, Jan. 20, sheriff’s deputies in Vermilion County spotted the stolen truck about 3 a.m. and attempted to stop it. Edwards allegedly led police on a pursuit through some farm fields before crashing in a field in Henning, Ill. and fled on foot.

That afternoon, he encountered a sheriff’s deputy. Edwards allegedly pointed the stolen gun at the deputy but was shot first and taken into custody.

Prosecutors say he will face charges in the other cases, including Macomb County, later this year.