Three men were arrested following a pre-dawn robbery at a Michigan marijuana dispensary, with a fourth suspect still on the run, Van Buren County authorities report. The botched heist took place at the True Leaf Dispensary on Crandell Parkway in Lawrence, where the perpetrators were purportedly caught on camera loading stolen goods into a stolen car.
According to the WZZM13, the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene around 3:30 a.m. this Sunday after the dispensary owner witnessed the break-in via surveillance equipment. Deputies arrived to find suspects retreating back into the dispensary, dropping what was originally intended for theft. After a brief pursuit, three of the culprits, all men ranging from 18 to 23 years old, were apprehended and are currently detained at the Van Buren County Jail on a slew of charges.
The suspects' charges, as stated by WOODTV, include burglary, forced entry, larceny in a building, possession of burglary tools and resisting and obstructing the police. The apprehension played out with suspects caught inside the business, while fleeing into nearby woods, and along corridors of I-94.
The fourth suspect's whereabouts remain unknown, and local authorities are encouraging anyone with information to come forward to aid in the investigation. The vehicle used during the robbery was later identified as stolen from Battle Creek, adding to the gravity of the situation, according to FOX17. Several agencies assisted the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office in response to the illicit predawn dappling, hinting at the comprehensive manhunt for the remaining fugitive.
While the details of the heist and subsequent chase might sound like a scripted narrative, the consequences facing these young men from Battle Creek, are all too real. As the community and law enforcement work to stitch together the unraveling threads of this case, one suspect remains at large, a silent specter haunting the quiet streets of Lawrence with the echo of his uncaught footsteps.