Dearborn Police Capt. Issa Shahin gives updates on major crimes and arrests in Dearborn during a press conference May 16 at the Emergency Operations Center of the Dearborn Administrative Center.
By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — Police Capt. Issa Shahin provided updates on crimes and arrests ranging from ATM skimming, auto larceny and homicide during a press conference at the Emergency Operations Center of the Dearborn Administrative Center, 16901 Michigan Ave.
Shahin said crime in the city is down 13.9 percent for the year.
He shared an update on a homicide case from February 2018 when Dearborn resident Ismaeel Abdulla was found lying in the street after he had been shot and killed.
Following an investigation, Robert Gonzalez was determined to be the suspect and had been in jail awaiting a jury trail scheduled to start last month. Prior to the trial, Gonzalez pleaded no contest to second degree murder and was sentenced to 17 to 50 years in prison by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Qiana Denise Lillard May 7.
One of the first crime arrests was of two men allegedly involved in an ATM skimming scheme from approximately March 2018 through April 2019. The suspects targeted a credit union bank on Chase Road in Dearborn.
“It is alleged the two individuals fraudulently obtained personal identifying information, including debit and credit card numbers and corresponding PINs from countless victims by installing ‘skimming’ devices onto ATM machines in the region,” according to a police media packet. “These subjects used the captured data to then manufacture fraudulent cards, in conjunction with the victims’ PINs to steal money from bank accounts through ATM machines.”
Shahin said suspects put a skimming device on an ATM machine or gas station pump, customers enter their cards and PINs allowing suspects to capture the account information.
Suspects then take the information and fabricate the fraudulent cards — anything that has a barcode including a gift card or hotel key card to encode the pin and account information.
He said suspects enter the card into an ATM where they can access the account and withdraw $100,000 in over 20 minutes.
On April 13, police took the two suspects into custody as they attempted to steal cash from the credit union ATM. Police recovered over $40,000 in cash and 300 cards encoded with stolen credit or debit card information.
The two suspects — who were not identified — were turned over to the FBI and indicted on multiple felony counts relating to the crimes.
On April 3, police were informed about a theft of a new Ford F-150 from an outside storage lot near Hubbard Drive and Southfield. Officers set up a surveillance in the lot and checked the area when a short time later, the suspects returned and attempted to steal addition trucks.
Javonte Finley, Diamond McCray and Kelvon Cunningham — people local to the region — were arrested and each charged by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office with unlawfully driving away an automobile.
Finley and Cunningham appeared in 19th District Court in front of Judge Mark Somers for arraignment and a $10,000 bond was set.
Just 10 days before the auto theft arrests, police stopped a vehicle for an insurance issue presented to the Secretary of State. The two suspects, Edward Pryor and Deshawn Rambus had a vehicle with mutable stun guns, a handgun and multiple rounds of ammunition.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office charged Pryor and Rambus with multiple felonies. Both men were arraigned by 19th District Court Judge Sam Salamey, with bond of $100,000 cash plus a GPS tether set for Pryor and a $10,000, 10 percent bond set for Rambus.
Police arrested Omari Reedus, 21, in connection to multiple reports of break-ins at the University of Michigan-Dearborn student housing at The Union on Evergreen Road.
Following an investigation, police were able to develop Reedus as the suspect and arrested him, recovering stolen several game consoles, money and other valuables.
According to police, Reedus does not live at The Union, but was visiting a resident at the time.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office charged Reedus with first and second degree home invasion. He was arraigned in front of 19th District Court Judge Gene Hunt and placed under a $100,000 bond with a GPS tether. Reedus is not allowed to return to The Union.
Early on April 18, Dearborn Heights police stopped a Chevy Camaro near Dartmouth due to reckless driving, and when the driver fled the traffic stop officers began a pursuit.
The vehicle traveled into Dearborn on Outer Drive, and the driver ran a red light at Michigan Avenue at high rate of speed, striking another vehicle.
According to police, the other driver sustained severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The driver of the Camaro fled the scene on foot and was not located.
Dearborn accident investigators processed the scene and developed a suspect.
Later that same day, the suspect turned himself in at the the Dearborn police station with his attorney present.
Corey Reed was arrested and charged with multiple felonies related to both cities. He was arraigned in 34th District Court and turned over to the Dearborn Heights Police Department which also had felony charges pending for Reed.
On April 19, Dearborn police officers responded to a robbery report at a bank near Warren Avenue and Wyoming where a man had assaulted a bank customer and took money that the customer withdrew from his account.
Police were provided with a good description, developed a suspect and were able to locate the suspect still driving the getaway vehicle. A traffic stop was conducted and Gary Waters was arrested.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office charged Waters with multiple felonies relating to the robbery and he was arraigned in the front of Salamey. Bond was set at $20,000 cash with a GPS tether.
At the end of the press conference, Shahin reminded residents to “lock it or lose it,” saying that during overnight hours multiple vehicles were opened and property was stolen.
“On April 25, a homeowner left an unsecured handgun in an unlocked vehicle overnight,” the police media packet said. “An unknown subject entered the vehicle and took the gun. On April 12 unknown subjects cut the catalytic converter off of a resident’s vehicle as it was parked near Hubbard and Evergreen.”
The Police Department encourages residents to always keep valuables out of sight or in the trunk, never leave valuables in unattended vehicles, always lock their vehicles and notify police of any suspicious activity at 313-943-3030.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])