Pontiac man accused of armed robbery at Birmingham Kroger
A Pontiac man has been arraigned on charges in connection with last Saturday’s reported armed robbery at a Kroger store in Birmingham.
Joel Stalker, 35, is charged with armed robbery, assaulting/resisting/ obstructing a police officer and felony firearm in connection with the incident, at the store located near Maple Road and Woodward Avenue.
As reported earlier by The Oakland Press, the case unfolded at around 9:45 p.m. Feb. 24 when a man — subsequently identified as Stalker — allegedly stole a prepaid cell phone from the store. When employees confronted him, he reportedly pulled a pistol from his waistband and threatened to harm them.
On Tuesday, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said Stalker allegedly threatened to shoot an employee and shoot police if they came to the store. He then fled.
According to Birmingham police, officers found him hiding in bushes along a brick wall near the Flagstar Bank parking lot, north of the store. Stalker allegedly resisted and tried to harm the officers prior to his arrest, police said. An airsoft pistol and the stolen cell phone were recovered from the bushes near where Stalker was found.
At his arraignment on Feb. 26, bond was set at $100,000 with no 10 percent provision. Stalker is held in the Oakland County Jail.
His next court appearance is scheduled for March 11 for a probable cause conference before 48th District Judge Kimberly Small. A preliminary exam is scheduled for a week later.
“An armed robbery is terrifying for the victims, and it erodes a sense of safety in the entire community,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald stated in a news release. “It also endangers the lives of the victims and responding officers. Public safety is the number one priority in my office, and we will hold those who commit these violent crimes accountable.”
If convicted of armed robbery, Stalker could be sentenced to up to life in prison. Felony firearm carries a mandatory sentence of two years mandatory imprisonment, and assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer is punishable by up to two years in prison and/or a $2,000 fine.