A masked gunman who allegedly held up a Holyoke Dunkin' at gunpoint on Monday night was later located. After officers responded to the 8:45 p.m. report of an armed robbery in progress at the Dunkin' on Pleasant Street, they deployed a police drone and state police K-9 in the search. The K-9 later located the suspect, still wearing his mask.
Police say 43-year-old Mujaahid Smith of Amherst used a firearm to demand cash from victims inside the Dunkin' Donuts at 473 Pleasant Street in Holyoke, according to Western Mass News. Officers responding to the robbery-in-progress call deployed an aerial drone from the Easthampton Police Department alongside a Massachusetts State Police K-9 unit to establish a search perimeter, as reported by Newport Dispatch.
Drone and K-9 Corner Suspect on Linden Street
The state police K-9 located Smith on the 300 block of Linden Street in Holyoke, where he was apprehended while still wearing his mask.
The Easthampton Police Department supplied a drone for the Holyoke search.
Charges Carry a Mandatory Minimum Sentence
Smith was charged with armed and masked robbery, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, larceny under $1,200, and possession of a Class A drug, Western Mass News reported. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 17, committing an armed robbery while masked carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in state prison for a first offense, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The Class A drug charge adds further legal exposure. In Massachusetts, Class A covers controlled substances including heroin, fentanyl, morphine, and GHB, and simple possession carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to two years in jail and a $2,000 fine for a first offense, according to AdCare. Drug-related offenses rank as the fourth most common crime category statewide, with possession and concealing making up more than 70% of all drug arrests in Massachusetts, the same source notes.
Case Heads to Holyoke District Court
Charges stemming from the arrest will be prosecuted by the Hampden District Attorney's Office, which handles initial proceedings such as arraignment at Holyoke District Court before any potential transfer to Hampden County Superior Court, per the Hampden District Attorney's Office. The exact court date and bail outcome had not been detailed as of the arrest announcement.
The robbed Dunkin' location is operated by franchisee Salema Management Network, which has been actively recruiting local crew members at hourly wages between $15 and $16 this month, according to the company's own job postings. Salema Management runs multiple Dunkin' franchises across Western Massachusetts.
The arrest comes during an active stretch for Holyoke police, who were also investigating a separate shooting near Nick Cosmos Way earlier in October that sent a man to the hospital, as Hoodline previously reported. Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan now oversees a department juggling both investigations.
