Two banks were recently robbed in Blackman-Leoni Township, both located on E. Michigan Avenue. Now, investigators believe that one man is responsible for robbing a FirstMerit Bank on January 31, and a Flagstar Bank branch on February 7, according to news articles at Mlive.com.
Public safety Detective Sgt. Christopher Boulter said that the individual who entered the Flagstar Bank resembled the individual who robbed the FirstMerit Bank, and that the perpetrator in both robberies was wearing the same mask. Boulter also said a similar method and weapon were used in the bank robberies.
On Friday February 7, the man entered the Flagstar Bank branch at approximately 4:30 in the afternoon; according to Boulter, the robber jumped a counter and demanded money after brandishing what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun. The FirstMerit Bank, robbed just a week earlier, is located within one mile of Flagstar Bank. In the first robbery, the suspect was wearing a dark grey hooded sweatshirt and a black mask. The man demanded money while brandishing a black handgun.