BRAZEN BURGLARY AT CITY POT STORE
SUV rammed into shop to gain entry
Hazel Park police are seeking tips as they try to identify about a half-dozen people involved in a marijuana retail store burglary.
Hazel Park Police Chief Brian Buchholz said the burglars used a stolen SUV to smash through the rear of the Jars Cannabis store at 20731 Dequindre Road near Eight Mile Road.
“We got a call at 4:27 a.m. Friday from a witness who heard a loud bang,” and contacted police, Buchholz said.
The witness owns a business in the area, police said.
The burglars used a stolen, gold-colored Chevrolet Suburban to smash into the building, creating a large opening near the rear of the recreational weed shop, police said.
Investigators were able to get surveillance video that showed much of what happened, Buchholz said.
“The business has to do an audit of their inventory,” he said Monday, “and they don’t know yet how much product was stolen or what its value is at this time.”
At this point, police said they don’t believe any cash was taken in the smashand-grab heist. Buchholz said someone driving the stolen Suburban backed it into a wall where there was a steel door that opened into a rear room.
“When we looked at the (surveillance video) we saw six Black males all wearing dark clothing,” he said.
One of the six males served as a lookout and the others were seen carrying large garbage bags out of the shop.
After completing the burglary all six of the people got into a dark blue Chrysler 300 that was waiting for them, Buchholz said.
The Chevrolet Suburban was left outside the building after the heist, and police soon learned the SUV had been stolen in Eastpointe in Macomb County.
Identifying the suspects is expected to be a challenge, Buchholz said.
“You would think they had done this type of crime before,” he said. “We’re reaching out to neighboring cities and hopefully will develop some suspects.”
Hazel Park police are also asking anyone with information about the burglary or possible suspects to contact them at 248542-6161.
Jars Cannabis has 17 locations throughout Michigan, and 18 others in Arizona and Colorado, according to its website.
The company’s store in Hazel Park opened fairly recently, Buchholz said. Hazel Park has 10 marijuana businesses in its city, more than any other community in Oakland County.
Neighboring Ferndale has six cannabis licensed businesses.
Hazel Park City Manager Ed Klobucher recently told The Oakland Press the city is not looking to add any more cannabis businesses, which historically have had no greater impact on crime than bars or restaurants.
“The business has to do an audit of their inventory and they don’t know yet how much product was stolen or what its value is at this time.” — Hazel Park Police Chief Brian Buchholz