ALMONT — A 51-year-old Detroit man is in Lapeer County Jail after kidnapping his ex-wife at gunpoint and threatening to kill her and himself on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Almont Police Sgt. Laura Black said the abduction of the Almont woman took place at around 6:45 a.m. at a residence on Kidder Road.
Almont Police were not aware of the incident until around 10:30 a.m., when Sgt. Black was informed by the Warren Police Department, who had fielded a 911 call from the 49-year-old victim.
At that point, Black notifed all neighboring police agencies to be on the lookout (BOL) for the suspect.
Black said the abduction took place after the Almont resident had gotten her grandchildren onto the school bus that morning.
“When the woman walked back into the home, the suspect confronted her and held a gun to her head,” said Black. “He told her to bring some warm clothes and be prepared for a long, cold day; and that it was going to be the last day of both of their lives.”
After taking the keys to her van and throwing her cell phone on top of some cupboards, Black said the victim was directed to get in the vehicle’s back seat.
“While constantly observing her in the rearview mirror,” said Black, “he drove to an ATM at the Comerica Bank at Eight Mile Road and Mound Road to transfer $500 into his own account.”
While the suspect conducted his ATM transaction, the woman saw an opportunity to escape, and using an extra key to the van she had in her possession, she hopped into the driver’s seat and began to drive off while “blasting the horn” for help.
At that point, Sgt. Black said the suspect attempted to climb into the passenger’s seat, but he apparently got scared and jumped out of the vehicle, fleeing into an alley behind the bank.
“He took off running in the area of Eight Mile and Mound, and she went to a friend’s house in Warren, where she called 911 and Warren Police responded.
Black reported that the ex-husband, who is believed to be homeless, was apprehended and arrested at around 5 p.m. by Detroit Police near his mother’s home on the city’s east side. He was reportedly unarmed at the time of his arrest.
At around 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sgt. Black picked the suspect up at a Detroit Police precinct and transported him to Lapeer County Jail, where he remains in custody.
Upon interviews with police, the suspect revealed that he had buried the 38-revolver beneath some dirt and leaves in the alley behind the bank.
He also told police that unbeknownst to his ex-wife, he had spent much of Tuesday (Feb. 18) huddled in a shed behind her home on Kidder Road.
The suspect also told police that after the woman went to work on Wednesday (Feb. 19), he made his way into the home and up into the attic, where he spent the night.
“Her bedroom is probably only a matter of 10 feet from where he was in the attic,” said Black. “He had taken some food from the refrigerator and he had been smoking up there. There was also air freshener up there.”
Black said the woman has lived in Almont for about four years and currently houses three grandchildren.
It is believed that the two were divorced seven or eight years ago, but had known one another for some time prior.
The male suspect was scheduled to be arraigned in Lapeer County Court over the weekend, with charges pending.
Tom Wearing started at the Tri-City Times in 1989, covering the Village of Capac as a beat reporter. He later served stints as assistant editor and editor. Today, he covers Imlay City and Almont as a staff writer. He enjoys music and plays drums and sings with various musical groups in the Detroit Metropolitan area.
