Court Watching: Willow Run Airport ‘carjacker’ bound over on 2 charges, 2 dropped

34th District Court Chief Judge Brian Oakley threw out two charges against a suspected “Willow Run Airport carjacker” after his live preliminary exam on Oct. 6 but bound him over to circuit court on a charge of fleeing and eluding police and assault on a police officer. His arraignment on the information at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice was scheduled for Oct. 20.
The charges of carjacking and receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle were dismissed, but Judge Oakley said they could be refiled if the prosecutor can bring witnesses showing the driver didn’t have permission to take the vehicle.
Christopher Lee Krusac, 31, of Taylor was present for his exam on the Van Buren Township charges stemming from an incident starting at Willow Run Airport
on July 23.
First witness brought by Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Alexander Kurrie was Wayne County Airport Police Cpl. Eric Johannsen, who said he responded to a dispatch report on someone breaking into a vehicle and subsequent theft.
He responded on I-94 from the fire station at Detroit Metro and tried to get there as soon as possible, he testified. He said he saw the vehicle that was described, a yellow Dodge Ram. He said the vehicle turned in front of two semi’s and went into the Menards/Walmart parking lot on Belleville Road.
He said the vehicle drove into Verizon and then drove through Hardee’s. The driver was attempting to exit the vehicle in the parking lot. Cpl. Johannsen said he left his vehicle and called out, “Police. Stop” and the driver got back inside, put the vehicle in reverse and hit him, bruising his arm and straining a back muscle.
“I was right behind the vehicle and he put it in reverse,” he testified. “I drew my gun and we were face to face.” He said the driver did a “J” turn and drove off. He said he put out on the radio that he was struck by the vehicle and “I was terminated.” Under cross-examination he testified that the Hardee’s parking lot was full in front of the driver, but empty behind. [Editor’s Note: He may have been referring to Tim Horton’s parking lot.] Second witness was Van Buren Township police officer Seth Evans, who said he has been with the department for two years. He said on July 23 he was in a patrol car on Denton Road and dispatch said there was a potential vehicle theft in process at Willow Run Airport. He said he was a mile away and had been traveling east on Tyler, east of Beck.
He said there was a 25-minute pursuit of the Dodge Ram Rumblebee which was yellow with a black stripe. He said the pursuit initially terminated on I-94 near Oakwood, but undercover units in Dearborn identified the vehicle at Outer Drive near Dix. He said he was with Officer McCarthy. They chased the vehicle for a quarter mile and then he did a low-speed ram of the vehicle to disable it. He said several other patrol units helped take the suspect into custody.
Under cross-examination, it was revealed VBT dispatch sent out the information that the owner of the vehicle actually was in Texas.
When Prosecutor Kurrie moved to bind Krusac over to circuit court on the charges, defense attorney Cheryl Quick objected, saying nobody was in the truck where it was parked at the airport so it couldn’t be a “carjacking” and there has been no evidence to show that Krusac didn’t have had permission from the owner to drive the vehicle. Judge Oakley agreed.
At the probable cause conference, Quick had asked Judge Tina Brooks Green to reduce his bond and just have him wear a tether. She said he has lived in Taylor for eight years and attended Belleville High School. He worked at a car lot in Westland prior to COVID, she said, adding he has some history, but he completed his probations.
Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Elisabeth Moore said the bond stated now that the tether will be used only if he could post $5,000 of the $50,000/10% bond set. She said because of the nature of the charges and his felony convictions she thought the bond was fair. He was charged with fleeing and eluding police in a stolen vehicle, she said. Judge Green referred the bond to pretrial services for an assessment.
On Aug. 18, Judge Lisa Martin had adjourned the probable cause conference until Sept. 1 for discovery. Defense attorney Quick said she still needed digital discovery and reports from the Dearborn Police Department. Judge Martin also denied Quick’s request for a change in the bond, noting he had a multiple-offender notice. She said she had arraigned Krusac and went below what the police department had asked for bond.
On Sept. 1, Judge Oakley set Krusac’s live preliminary exam for Oct. 6. Judge Oakley also reduced the bond to $50,000 personal with a tether and house arrest.
Quick had explained that her client has a hole in his heart and had heart surgery. With COVID it is dangerous for him to be in jail, she said.
After the bind over on Oct. 6, Krusac told Judge Oakley that he works with a handyman so the judge gave him tether work hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.