armed robbery suspect tried to flee in wheelchair

MADISON HEIGHTS – An armed robbery suspect was quickly arrested after police say he tried to make a getaway in his wheelchair.

Rudolph Spurlin, 39, of Detroit was arraigned Thursday in Madison Heights 43rd District Court before Magistrate Kim Wilson and jailed on $50,000 cash bond. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of the armed robbery charge against him.

Spurlin is accused of stealing a $70 Carhartt jacket from Dunham’s Sports, 32101 John R, about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and pulling a homemade knife on a cashier who tried to stop him at the door, police said.

“It looked like a shank he had made from a pair of scissors partially wrapped in white medical tape,” said Madison Heights Police Lt. Robert Anderson.

Employees at the store called police to report the robbery and told police the suspect was headed north on John R in a wheelchair.

“Officers located the suspect in a nearby parking lot and confronted him,” Anderson said. “The suspect told the officers he had a gun. Our officers took him into custody and recovered his homemade knife.”

Store employees told police the suspect first approached a cash register at the store with the jacket and a bag of candy. He tried to pay with a check that was declined, and then presented a debit card which declined to make a payment, police said.

The suspect grabbed the merchandise from the counter, but the cashier managed to grab back the bag of candy as the suspect headed for the door with the stolen jacket, police said.

“When the employee approached him at the door the suspect produced what the employee said looked like a knife wrapped in a towel,” Anderson said. “The employee retreated and allowed him to leave the store.”

Spurlin is scheduled for a pre-exam conference in Madison Heights District Court at 8 a.m. next Wednesday.
by Michael P. McConnell taken from http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2011/03/31/news/doc4d94db42037e2048846030.txt