Armed Men Rob Kroger Monday Night, Police Search for Suspect

are searching for a man who helped rob at gunpoint Monday evening, while a second man believed to be involved is in custody.

According to police reports, two men entered the Kroger store at Maple and Woodward around 11:40 p.m. and jumped over the office counter. They entered the security office, reports state, where they forced an employee at gunpoint to open the store's safe.

The pair then filled a trash bag with an undisclosed amount of cash and ran into the parking lot, where they got into a car and fled eastbound on Maple, police said. While leaving, they struck a car parked in the lot, police said.

Police were alerted by a motorist and began following the pair into Troy. Somewhere on Maple, east of Coolidge, the suspects abandoned their car and began running on foot.

Officers from Birmingham, Troy, Royal Oak and Clawson searched the area and one of the suspects, a 20-year-old from Detroit with no criminal record, was apprehended near the at 1250 Maple Rd.

Birmingham Police Chief Don Studt said there were reports of shots fired during the robbery, though he said no shots were fired in the store or during the police chase. Studt said he's looking into those reports.

Studt said when officers apprehended the suspect, no gun was found though they did recover what they believe is most of the cash taken from the grocery store.

"We got the guy," Studt said Tuesday morning. "And nobody got hurt."

Police continue to investigate and search for the second suspect. The suspect in custody is to be charged and arraigned in later today or Wednesday.

Anyone with information about the case are urged to call the Birmingham Police Department at 248-530-1889.