Alleged Armed Robbery at Michigan Outlet Mall Results in Two Arrests

by The Schwartz Law Group

Earlier this month an armed robbery was allegedly committed at a popular Michigan City outlet mall. According to a report by NWITimes.com, a man alleged approached a 70-year-old man and his 67-year old wife in their car and demanded the woman’s purse. This is the third time this year that this specific outlet mall has seen an armed robbery.

Upon receiving the demand from the alleged robber, the man got out of the car and engaged in a physical altercation. At some point during the altercation, the victim was stabbed multiple times by the would-be robber.

Several hours later, the man was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated battery. Another woman was also arrested several hours after the robbery because she was found to have some of the victim’s belongings. She was charged with receipt of stolen property.

Robbery Charges in Michigan State Courts While the above crime occurred in Michigan City, Indiana, the outlet mall where the crime occurred is only moments from the Michigan border and these types of crimes occur just as often in Michigan. In Michigan specifically, there are several different types of robbery offenses, depending on the specific facts of the case. For example, in Michigan, each of the following charges may apply:

Armed Robbery;
Unarmed Robbery;
Assault with Intent to Rob while Armed;
Assault with Intent to Rob while Unarmed;
Carjacking;
Bank, Safe, and Vault Robbery; and
Home Invasion

Each of these robbery offenses is considered a felony in the State of Michigan and can be punished by both prison sentences as well as substantial fines. To find out the specifics on each of the robbery offenses, speak to an experienced Michigan criminal defense attorney.

Armed Robbery Offenses in Michigan The most likely scenario facing the defendant in the case above is that he will be charged with armed robbery. Armed robbery has several elements in Michigan courts. Those elements are:

The defendant used force against the victim, or threatened the victim with force;
The defendant used such force while committing a larceny (attempting to permanently take another’s goods without permission and without the intent on ever returning the goods);
The victim was present
The defendant had a deadly weapon, had a weapon that could have been used to inflict serious harm, or threatened to have a weapon.

As you can see, the threat of having a weapon is enough to satisfy the elements of armed robbery. Therefore, even if a defendant is unarmed, he or she may still be charged with armed robbery under Michigan Law.

Have You Been Charged With a Criminal Offense in Michigan? If you have recently been charged with any kind of robbery in the State of Michigan, you should seek the counsel of an experienced Michigan criminal defense attorney immediately. With the assistance of an attorney, you may be able to convince the prosecutor to charge a lower level crime, decreasing your overall exposure to lengthy prison sentences. Click here, or call (248) 266-8720 to schedule an initial consultation with an attorney today.

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