The Van Buren Township Director of Public Safety Gregory Laurain sent the following news release:
At about 8:11 a.m. Saturday, Van Buren Township Police received information that a larceny of a utility trailer was in progress.
Employees from a storage lot at Haggerty and Van Born roads alerted police that a white male subject was in the process of stealing their work trailer and they were chasing the suspect in his vehicle as he was driving off in his red pickup truck with the trailer.
The employees followed the suspect’s vehicle and trailer in tow down Haggerty to Ecorse Road eastbound, at which time the suspect crashed into a guardrail disconnecting the trailer from the truck at
the entrance ramp onto southbound I-275.
The suspect’s vehicle continued southbound on I-275 at a high rate of speed and then onto eastbound I-94 where a Van Buren Police cruiser attempted to effect a traffic stop.
The suspect vehicle which was reported as stolen, was failing to stop for police and continued at a high rate of speed traveling eastbound on I-94.
In the area of I-94 and Merriman, the suspect vehicle left the eastbound lane of I-94, crossed the median and drove eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-94 in an attempt to elude police. The suspect then continued across all lanes of westbound I-94 and exited the vehicle while in motion, running on foot.
The suspect vehicle continued to roll several hundred feet before making impact with a cement freeway wall.
Officers observed the suspect running into a wooded area and there Van Buren Police apprehended him shortly thereafter.
The suspect, identified as Timothy Komendera, 50-year-old male from Detroit, has been arraigned by the presiding 34th District Court Judge on two counts of Larceny (over $20,000) and one count of 3rd-Degree Flee & Eluding. His bond is set at $50,000/10%. His probable cause hearing is set for Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. at 34th District Court and a preliminary exam is to be held on Jan. 25.
- Previous story Republicans move Trump swear-in party to Crystal Gardens
- Next story City OKs building new single-story buildings downtown