A recent burglary at a Royal Oak dispensary led to the arrest of a 15-year-old boy accused of stealing over $100,000 worth of marijuana and related products. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, August 3, has caused significant disruption to the business which had only been operational for two months. According to a statement from the Royal Oak Police Department, police responded to a burglary alarm at Gatsby Cannabis Co. to find a smashed windows and signs of a ransacked store, as per Audacy.
The teen was apprehended on Monday following a collaborative effort between Royal Oak detectives and the Troy Police Special Investigations Unit, which resulted in a search warrant at an suspect's home. FOX 2 Detroit reported that Brent Hermiz, head of operations at Gatsby Cannabis Co., was disheartened by the damage, saying, "It's demoralizing a little bit because of all the work we put in on a regular basis to try and keep the place beautiful for the community and all that." Authorities recovered the stolen goods from the juvenile's residence and took him into custody.
Prior to the dispensary burglary, the youth is also suspected of involvement in a home invasion on July 26 on McClean Avenue. The charges against the teen include breaking and entering a business, which carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, along with third-degree fleeing and eluding police, punishable by up to five years. The Detroit News notes that he is currently being held at Oakland County Children’s Village.
Hermiz also expressed mixed feelings about the suspect, stating in an interview with FOX 2, "I’m sad for him, but I don’t feel bad for him." The recovery of the stolen items represented a significant victory for local law enforcement agencies, albeit they now serve as evidence in a criminal case, casting a pall over the freshly established Gatsby Cannabis Co. as they deal with the aftermath of the break-in and theft. The juvenile's identity has not been released owing to his age and the continuing investigation.
