Jacob Abraham Savickas

By Judy Reed

The man who robbed the Cedar Springs Admiral gas station and a string of other businesses here in Michigan and Ohio (including two banks) is now in custody at the Kent County Correctional Facility.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, Jacob Abraham Savickas, 33, was arrested without incident on Wednesday, August 9, at a local hotel, by the FBI Fugitive Task Force. He was lodged at the jail on several warrants, including bank robbery, larceny from a person, fleeing and eluding a police officer, parole absconder, and being a habitual offender.

Savickas started his crime spree Wednesday, July 26, when he is suspected of an unarmed robbery of the J&H Mobil gas station at 4404 Clyde Park Ave., Wyoming. He then robbed the Admiral gas station on the corner of Main and Muskegon Street in Cedar Springs the next day, Thursday, July 27. According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, the robbery occurred about 9:22 a.m. The clerk told police that a white male in his late 20s came in and demanded money. He was described as wearing a white shirt, blue baseball cap, and having facial hair.

Police found him at the rest stop on US-131 near 10 Mile Rd., but after a brief foot chase, he got back into his car and sped away. Police pursued him, but terminated the chase on 10 Mile Rd. The Admiral clerk had reportedly told police that he had a small child with him.

Savickas drove to Indiana later that day, and is suspected of robbing two more gas stations that day in South Bend—the Marathon gas station on W. Western Ave, and Low Bob’s, 4505 N. Ameritech Dr.

The next day, Friday, July 28, Savickas is suspected of committing an unarmed bank robbery at the Beacon Credit Union, 820 North Broadway, in Peru, Indiana. On Tuesday, August 1, Savickas was back in Michigan, and is suspected of robbing the Next Door Food Store at 4616 Alpine Ave., N.W., where he struck the clerk with his vehicle. He is also suspected of robbing the Independent Bank, 3090 Plainfield Av NE on Wednesday morning August 2.

Savickas was previously convicted in 2015 of retail fraud, first degree. He was arrested after he tried to steal plasma cutters from Family Farm and Home in Cedar Springs. Employees recognized him at the time as someone who previously stole welders and interrupted the theft of the plasma cutters. He fled but was arrested and held on six charges, several for retail fraud at other locations. He was sentenced to a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years in prison. His record on the Michigan Corrections website shows him listed as a parole absconder as of July 6.

The Admiral Gas Station, 194 S. Main, in Cedar Springs, was robbed on Thursday, July 27. Post photo by J. Reed.

Jacob Abraham Savickas is suspected of robbing a string of businesses in Michigan and Indiana.

By Judy Reed

Police are asking for the public’s to help to locate the man wanted for a string of robberies in Michigan and Indiana, including the robbery Thursday, July 27, of the Cedar Springs Admiral gas station.

Savickas is driving this blue Oldsmobile Intrigue.

Police are looking for Jacob Abraham Savickas, 33. He is described as a white male, 5 feet 10 inches, 170 pounds, with short brown hair and a beard. He is driving a blue/purple Oldsmobile Intrigue 4D, Michigan plate DNL1257. He reportedly has family in the Howard City area.

If anyone sees him or knows where he is, please call the Kent County Sheriff Department at 616-632-6125, or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

Savickas started his crime spree last Wednesday, July 26, when he is suspected of an unarmed robbery of the J&H Mobil gas station at 4404 Clyde Park Ave., Wyoming. He then robbed the Admiral gas station on the corner of Main and Muskegon Street in Cedar Springs the next day, Thursday, July 27. According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, the robbery occurred about 9:22 a.m. The clerk told police that a white male in his late 20s came in and demanded money. He was described as wearing a white shirt, blue baseball cap, and having facial hair.

Police found him at the rest stop on US-131 near 10 Mile Rd., but after a brief foot chase, he got back into his car and sped away. Police pursued him, but terminated the chase on 10 Mile Rd. The Admiral clerk had reportedly told police that he had a small child with him.

Savickas drove to Indiana later that day, and is suspected of robbing two more gas stations that day in South Bend—the Marathon gas station on W. Western Ave, and Low Bob’s, 4505 N. Ameritech Dr.

The next day, Friday, July 28, Savickas is suspected of committing an unarmed bank robbery at the Beacon Credit Union, 820 North Broadway, in Peru, Indiana. On Tuesday, August 1, Savickas was back in Michigan, and is suspected of robbing the Next Door Food Store at 4616 Alpine Ave., N.W., where he struck the clerk with his vehicle. He is also suspected of robbing the Independent Bank, 3090 Plainfield Av NE on Wednesday morning August 2.

Multiple law enforcement agencies are looking for Savickas, including the FBI.

“We believe this will continue and potentially escalate until Savickas is located and arrested,” said Det. Mike Tanis, with the Kent County Sheriff’s Dept.

Savickas was convicted in 2015 of retail fraud, first degree. He was arrested for trying to steal plasma cutters from Family Farm and Home in Cedar Springs. Employees recognized him at the time as someone who previously stole welders and interrupted the theft of the plasma cutters. He fled but was arrested and held on six charges, several for retail fraud. He was sentenced to a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years in prison. His record on the Michigan Corrections website shows him listed as a parole absconder as of July 6.

Current warrants out for him include parole absconder, two counts of larceny from a person, and fleeing and eluding.

The last time the Admiral Gas station in Cedar Springs was robbed was four years ago. It was robbed once in 2010; once in 2011; twice in 2012; and once in 2013.

When gas prices go up, many people flock the Admiral gas station at the corner of Main and Muskegon to get a good price on gas.

Sun Capital Partners, Inc. (“Sun Capital”), a leading private investment firm specializing in leveraged buyouts and investments in market-leading companies, announced last month that an affiliate has bought Admiral Petroleum Company & Lemmen Oil Company, a leading convenience store business based in the Midwest.

The Company, which had been family owned and operated since the 1950s, became incorporated in 1956, with its first gas stations in Greenville. It is now headquartered in Coopersville, Michigan, and includes 130 Admiral-branded gas and convenience stores, as well as nine Lemmen-branded gas and convenience stores across Michigan and Indiana. Admiral was one of the first pioneers of the milk, bread, and egg concept in gas stations, which eventually became an industry standard. The Company today employs approximately 1,400 people.

Industry veteran Jeff Turpin, who has more than 20 years of experience in the convenience store industry, will lead growth initiatives at Admiral as CEO. Turpin previously served as Chairman and CEO of VPS Convenience Store Group, a former affiliated portfolio company of Sun Capital.

“Admiral has been an innovator in the convenience store sector, and we look forward to building on the business’ strong reputation as it explores new growth opportunities,” said Marc Leder, Co-CEO at Sun Capital. “We’re excited to once again partner with Jeff Turpin, whose proven track record in this industry is second to none. I’m confident his deep experience and operational know-how will be invaluable as Admiral charts an exciting course forward.”

Rite Aid was robbed on Friday, September 13.

Last year (2012) closed with a rash of robberies, and several more occurred in 2013.

It was just a year ago, on December 29, 2012, that the Kent Theatre was robbed during the 9 p.m. showing of a “Life of Pi.” Cedar Springs Police said that a man in a puffy gray jacket with a stocking cap pulled down over his face walked into the Kent Theatre about 10 p.m. and demanded money, while implying a weapon. He got an undisclosed amount of cash from the concession stand and grabbed the donation can before fleeing on foot. Dogs tracked the suspect to a house on First Street, and then back to the road, where they lost the scent. He has never been found.

The Kent Theatre robbery was the second in a string of robberies. The Admiral gas station had been robbed the week before, on December 22. The third robbery occurred on December 31, New Year’s Eve, at Family Video, at the corner of Main and Muskegon Streets, around 9:50 p.m. The man was described as having dark hair and dark clothing, about 30 years old. He walked around the store for about 20 minutes without a mask waiting for others to leave then pulled a stocking cap down over his face with eye holes cut out and approached the counter. He showed the clerks a 5 or 6-inch hunting knife and demanded money. He then walked away to the west, towards Second St. Dogs tracked him Second Street to Beech before losing the scent.

The robberies continued in 2014, with three more businesses being robbed: the Instant Cash Advance store on July 24, the Admiral gas station on August 17, and Rite Aid on Friday, September 13.

According to police, a tall black male entered the Instant Cash Advance Store at 151 S. Main Street and demanded money while showing a gun. After collecting the cash, he fled on foot. He was wearing a plastic mask, similar to one used in robberies in the city of Wyoming. Wyoming Police and the FBI subsequently arrested a man for bank robbery and robberies of other Cash Advance Stores, and they believe he may be tied to this one as well.

On August 17, a man entered the Admiral gas station about 12:40 a.m. with something in his hand and demanded money, and then fled on foot. A K-9 unit tracked  him a short distance to the area of Beech and First Street, and then lost the scent. The suspect did not wear a mask or try to cover his face. He was described as a white male in his twenties, 5 feet 9 inches and around 190 pounds. He had side burns and a pierced tongue. He wore a navy blue baseball style cap, blue shirt, and black shorts with a white stripe down the side.

On September 13, a man walked into the Rite Aid on 17 Mile in Cedar Springs about 4 p.m. and robbed the store at gunpoint. According to the police dispatch, he reportedly told the clerk he had killed two people, and would kill another.

A witness was standing at the counter waiting for the clerk, and saw the two ladies standing with the suspect and putting something in a yellow bag. He thought they were helping a customer. He said that the suspect then ran out, and the clerk said they had been robbed.

The witness then ran out and told his adult son, who was waiting for him in the car. The son then chased after the suspect, who ran west to the back of Subway, then south behind the strip mall and into the woods. But the man lost him at that point. “I didn’t see which way he went when he got to the woods,” he explained.

Both the witness and his son were upset about the robbery. “If I’d known sooner what was happening, I would’ve hit him in the throat so hard,” remarked the witness, who was a former police officer and security guard.

Several other police agencies helped Cedar Springs Police in the search for the suspect. Roadblocks were set up on White Creek Avenue by the Kent County Sheriff Department, and a Michigan State Police canine unit was called in, but the dog lost the scent and the suspect was not captured.

According to a witness, the suspect was about 5-foot four-inches, with a dark (tanned) face, sunglasses, black hair or wig, black hoodie, and light-colored jeans. Possibly in his mid-twenties.

Anyone with information on any of these robberies is asked to call the Cedar Springs Police at 696-1311, or contact Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345. Silent Observer can be contacted confidentially by using the Report A Crime section on their website, which is www.silentobserver.org. Or, download their mobile app and send an anonymous tip right from your smartphone.

This was the scene when the Admiral Gas Station at the corner of Main and Muskegon when it was robbed in October. It was robbed again Saturday morning. Post photo by J. Reed.

The Admiral Gas Station in Cedar Springs was robbed early Saturday morning, August 17, and police are asking for info from the public to help track down the suspect.

According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent, the suspect entered the store at 194 S. Main St. about 12:40 a.m. with something in his hand. He demanded money from the cash register and then fled on foot. A female clerk was alone in the store at the time.

A K-9 Unit from Grand Rapids Police Department assisted with a short track to the area of Beech Street and 1st Street, just to the northeast of the gas station. Other area police agencies also responded and assisted.

The suspect did not wear a mask or try to cover his face. He was described as a white male in his twenties, 5 feet 9 inches and around 190 pounds. He had side burns and a pierced tongue. He wore a navy blue baseball style cap, blue shirt, and black shorts with a white stripe down the side. A photo from the surveillance camera is not yet available.

This is the third time in 10 months that Admiral was robbed. It was last robbed on December 22, 2012, during a string of other robberies in the city at Christmas time.