Police: Robbers pistol-whip mom, hold gun to toddler's head during home invasion
Two men broke into a mobile home in Pittsfield Township Wednesday morning, then pistol-whipped a woman who was at the home and held a gun to her toddler's head before fleeing with undisclosed property, police said.
Quality Homes photo
The robbers held a gun to the toddler's head as they ordered his mother to keep him quiet, Schick said.
They searched the home for cash and jewelry during the attack, police said.
The victims went to a neighbor’s home after the assault at the Arbor Meadows mobile home community, southeast of Michigan Avenue and Carpenter Road.
Pittsfield Township Police, a University of Michigan police officer with a tracking dog and Eastern Michigan University police all searched the area but could not find the suspect. Two people were briefly detained, but they were released when police determined they were not involved.
The woman was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
One suspect was described a white man about 25 years old. He has light-colored hair and was unshaven with a thin build. He was wearing a light green shirt, light blue jeans and white baseball cap.
The second suspect was described as a Hispanic man, about 25 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall with a stocky build. He was wearing a long-sleeve black shirt, dark blue jeans, and a mask.
The home invasion is not related to a bank robbery that occurred on Carpenter Road about an hour later, Schick said.
Comments
Cash
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 12:53 p.m.
Only one wore a mask? So only one needed a disguise....someone in that home or that area knows him. I'm guessing if there's cooperation, this will be solved.
Dave
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 12:45 p.m.
This just shows that the opinion story yesterday about how Ann Arbor is safe and Crime is down is a crock.
anti-thug
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 7:12 a.m.
LOL the location is extremly closer to Ann Arbor then ypsi lol but maybe Ann Arbor those want to belive it.i looked at the map!
Alex Nickodemus
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 2:55 a.m.
While that may be true, Pittsfield Township is NOT Ann Arbor. I'd consider this area to be closer to Ypsilanti than to Ann Arbor, although it's not technically either one. The Ann Arbor police budget cuts cover Ann Arbor, not Pittsfield Township.
braggslaw
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 11:31 a.m.
People should feel empathy for the two men. It is not their fault, it is a result of the Bush tax cuts. If we had spent millions of dollars counseling them, feeding them, making sure they were taken care of, this crime would never have happened. (after all it does take a village). These two men have no responsibility for their action.
Tom Smith
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 10:49 p.m.
I can only presume you're trying to make some political point, but I'll be darned if I can figure out for which side -- could be uber-left, could be sarcasm. I agree with the fact that the Bush tax cuts have made things a lot worse for lower-income citizens. If you think they should've had millions of dollars in counseling, how 'bout thousands of dollars in two jobs instead? Meantime, there are lots of folks hurting out there who DON'T break into a home, pistol-whip a woman, and hold a gun to a baby's head, all for money and jewelry. So, yeah, they have responsibility for their actions. If you're trying to mock "It Takes A Village" and the notion of society trying to care for its own, you're not doing a vary good job of it.
ArthGuinness
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 3:29 p.m.
Applause, Mr. Shackleford!
rusty shackelford
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 1:21 p.m.
Hey, I just noticed there's a straw man in my back yard. Care to come over and knock it over for me?
Paul Epstein
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 10:47 a.m.
I'm far from being a "tough on crime" type. But here are two guys who need to be banished to prison literally forever, and have zero chance of seeing the outside world again. These rare vile types are just who prison was ideally designed for.
John Roos
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 5:30 a.m.
pistol whipped, stabbed, punched down right taken advantage of: man I wished there was an outlet for my writing when I was a writer.
rusty shackelford
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 1:52 a.m.
Hmm. A 5'10 Hispanic man in Washtenaw county should not be too hard to track down. Sore thumb? But how was his race/ethnicity identifiable if he was wearing a mask?
Ricebrnr
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 2 a.m.
Maybe he has a theek accent?
Kafkaland
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 10:39 p.m.
Did anyone notice that the article mentions a UM police officer with a dog working the crime scene? That pretty much invalidates the argument that some made on the other thread about police presence that UM police shouldn't be counted because they never ventured off-campus or did anything to keep the community at large safe. And this is rather far away from campus...
jns131
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 11:23 p.m.
Actually crime dogs are used when they can't get any other dogs to the scene quick enough. Glad to hear UM has crime dogs but wondering why Pittsfield was not used since they are much closer to the area. Will keep an eye out for this perp. Sad state for all.
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 10:58 p.m.
one example does not make for a pattern. How often do they respond elsewhere? And a tracking dog is a bit of a unique situation.
MjC
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 10:17 p.m.
I truly hope the police catch these two cowards. My heart goes out to the victims.
Matt Cooper
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 9:51 p.m.
I read the comments here and am consistently amazed and shocked by some of them. The lack of common decency and compassion for our neighbors is incomprehensible. This poor woman and her child are likely traumatized for life by these events and some here just want to turn it into another political rant about crime rates. Still others make judgement calls about the womans economic status without having a shred of information about her or her family. This stuff says an awful lot about the character of the people making those comments, and I hope you are proud of yourselves. For myself, I pray this woman and her child are safe tonight and that they catch the animals that did this to her and her child so that they can't hurt anyone else for a very, very long time. I pray they keep their family members and close friends near by so as to help protect them from further harm. And most of all I hope they can put this behind them so they can move on and have the rest of their lives be happy, safe and filled with love. The rest of you, well...you gotta live with yourselves. 'Nuff said.
Kathy Sabol
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 12:23 a.m.
Like I said on a different post a couple weeks ago, SO glad some of these people are not my neighbors. So close-minded, selfish and inconsiderate.
u812
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 12:16 a.m.
it's all about the money these days no respect for common decency
Tru2Blu76
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 9:25 p.m.
No matter where they happen - home invasions are among the most frightening and dangerous crimes. My sincere sympathy to the female victim. I just hope the police get the lead they need to apprehend these two vicious perps as quickly as possible. They went for the most vulnerable target they could find.
Ponycar
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 8:33 p.m.
Don't get me wrong, this is a tragedy no matter who it happens to, but what kind of stupid robber decides to rob a trailer park home for cash and jewelry? Wouldn't they have better luck with the goods in a upscale neighborhood? Not that it's impossible for a poorer person to have good stuff, but if you're gong to jail anyway, play the odds better moron! Oh, and don't compound the idiocy by pointing a gun at a little kid. Again, moronic!
Paul Epstein
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 10:51 a.m.
This has nothing to do with common "robbers". These men are sociopaths who would be lethal regardless of whether they pilfer or not. And, thankfully, they are a very rare phenomenon.
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 10:55 p.m.
I don't think Ponycar's comment is overly outlandish. There is some sense to it. Which raises another question as to how random the crime was or wasn't.
lisam
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 8:45 p.m.
Yeeouch....that comment was in very poor taste. Not to minimize this tragedy, but it is a mobile home community...not trailer park...and not everyone who lives there is a poor person either or has necessarily less expensive items in their "home." I guess I understand where your mentality comes from because it happens quite a lot...but you need to educate yourself a little. In Florida....these are considered retirement communities and let me tell you...some wealthy folks live there. End of my rant. Have a good day.
Sutro1
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 8:43 p.m.
Given the circumstances, why would you take the time to sterotype the mother based on where she lives? Seriously?
Honest Abe
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 8:18 p.m.
This is scary, just reading this. These guys need to be caught and given very lengthy sentences. Any robbery is terrible, but pistol whipping a woman and putting the gun to a baby's head is barbaric. Absolutely no mercy should be given to these individuals if and when they are caught.
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 9:52 p.m.
I would agree, except that I don't see the value of ever letting these animals out of jail. The needs of the many must come before the needs of the career criminal. Someone must be completely lost to civilized society long before he commits a crime of this nature. Rehabilitation would be impossible.
Constance Colthorp Amrine
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 7:55 p.m.
Are Pittsfield Township police impacted by Ann Arbor budget cuts? I would think not, but this crime is still very close. Regardless, it's unacceptable for a toddler to witness that kind of violence to his or her mother. I'm so sorry for both of them.
LaMusica
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 7:43 p.m.
Oh my gosh! I'm thankful the mother and toddler weren't seriously hurt. I can't imagine watching as someone held a gun to my baby's head. Let's hope these dangerous thieves are caught quickly. If they are willing to put a gun to a baby's head, what else are they capable of?
Irwin Daniels
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.
Glad to know that crime is down in Ann Arbor Here is one story http://annarbor.com/news/opinion/ann-arbor-is-safe-thanks-to-a-police-force-that-works-well-despite-necessary-budget-cuts/ Another story http://annarbor.com/news/opinion/police-coverage-may-be-down-but-ann-arbor-remains-a-safe-town/
JustInTime
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 3:11 a.m.
Rest assured: Police coverage may be down, but Ann Arbor remains a safe town (a story title from annarbor.com today). Suuuuure. The people will police themselves! Let evolution take its natural course, free from the justice system. That will be interesting!
Beth Mayhand
Thu, Jun 7, 2012 : 1:27 a.m.
We keep getting warnings that more violence will come and the world keeps ignoring it. There is no such thing as a safe place, never has been. No amount of police or anything that mankind has will stop what God has promised to the world in Revelation. From 1 Thessalonians 5:3 "For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." Isaiah 13:9 "Behold, the day of the lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.' All of us, the entire world are the very "sinners" that are being warned. Why do you think all of this craziness and chaos is happening? Wake up, before it is too late and return to the Lord!
SMC
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 8:53 p.m.
How much would you care to wager that Pittsfield's police budget has also been cut over the last few years?
jcj
Wed, Jun 6, 2012 : 8:09 p.m.
Irwin Whether crime is down in Ann Arbor is one thing. But we can't hold Ann Arbor officials responsible for Pittsfield Township any more than we can hold them responsible for Ypsilanti or Lincoln.