James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the teenager charged in the Oxford High School shootings, were located and arrested early Saturday in Detroit after a citizen saw their vehicle and called the police.
“Yes, they are both on remand and will be heading to the Oakland County Jail soon,” said Mike McCabe, Oakland County’s undersheriff. “Kudos to Detroit PD and all other agencies that have helped.”
Police arrived at the scene of the crime in the 1100 block area of Bellevue near E. Lafayette around 10:00 p.m. or 10:30 p.m., Detroit police chief James White told reporters around 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
The Crumbleys – who were charged with negligent homicide in connection with the Oxford High School mass shooting in which their son is accused – are believed to have been let into a commercial building by someone, White said.
Police know who that person is and those who helped the couple could face criminal charges, White said.
The crumbleys were found hiding in it and were “concerned,” said White. They were unarmed.
He said a security video helped officers by revealing one of the crumbleys entering the building.
Authorities searched for the crumbleys for most of the day on Friday after facing four counts each of negligent homicide in the shootings at a northern suburb of Detroit high school. Her son Ethan Crumbley is charged with terrorism and first degree murder in the case.
Crumbley’s parents failed to appear for their indictment in Rochester Hills on Friday afternoon, and the US Marshals Service offered a reward for information leading to their arrest.
The clue prompted officials to search the Bellevue building, which is home to several shops. Police were seen outside the building and in SWAT gear outside a nearby house at around 12:45 p.m. as other officers checked the area and combed nearby properties with flashlights.
The Middle East Detroit area is peppered with light industrial buildings and is a few blocks north of the Detroit River, west of Belle Isle.
White praised his officers and said Detroit would use all the manpower necessary to help the victims of the shooting at the Oxford Township high school, about 45 minutes’ drive from the Crumbleys site. Tuesday’s tragedy touched the whole country, he said.
“We have a number of victims in Oxford, it takes as many staff as it takes … we are fed up with it,” he said. “I mean, it’s awful.”
The investigation into the shootings and the search for the Crumbleys were directed by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. McCabe previously said the vehicle was found around 11:30 p.m. Friday.
“The owner of the building came up and saw the car in the back lot, knew it didn’t belong there, and went to investigate,” McCabe told the Free Press.
More:The sheriff’s office is suing prosecutors for the parents of the Oxford shooting suspect, who is on the run
The owner of the building immediately recognized the car from law enforcement information, checked the license plate that matched, and called 911.
“Nearby there was a woman sitting near the car smoking a cigarette,” McCabe said, adding that she was walking away.
Sean O’Neill, 40, of Detroit, watched with his wife Jocelyn as the police worked around 12:30 p.m. It could have been the police who work, he realized.
The couple had arrived around midnight to see the massive police reaction.
“You were looking back there with the dogs and you can see the flashlights in the woods,” he said, waiting for an opportunity to turn off the alarm.
From 1:10 a.m., the police stopped passers-by, lit lights and asked for information as to whether people had seen anything
At around 1:45 a.m., the Crumbleys were arrested.
The pair were turned over to the U.S. marshals and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, White said. They are expected to face criminal charges later Saturday.
The author Christina Hall contributed to this report. Contact Darcie Moran: [email protected]. Contact Tyler Davis: [email protected].
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