By Judy Reed

Jacob Abraham Savickas

Jacob Savickas, 33, the man who robbed the Cedar Springs Admiral gas station on July 27 and a string of other businesses here in Michigan and Ohio (including two banks) in the days that followed, has been offered a deal by the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker, if Savickas accepts the deal, he will plead guilty to a bank robbery charge as a third-time offender and two other felony cases, which have yet to be decided. In exchange, prosecutors will dismiss all the other charges he faces in Kent County. The bank robbery charge involves the Independent Bank on Plainfield Ave, which he robbed on August 2.

Federal authorities have also agreed not to pursue charges for the bank robbery.

As of press time Wednesday, Savickas had not yet made a decision.

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.

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 Ave NE on Wednesday morning August 2.

Savickas was arrested at a Grand Rapids hotel on August 9 by the FBI Fugitive Task Force.

He is still lodged in the Kent County Correctional Facility on 10 charges in three different courts, including bank robbery, multiple counts of larceny from a person, fleeing and eluding a police officer, parole absconder, and being a habitual offender.

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, of Howard City, 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. Both were unarmed robberies.

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. All were unarmed robberies.

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.

By Judy Reed

Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent spoke to the Cedar Springs Area Chamber Commerce Monday evening about the robberies that took place last month and ways and things business owners should do if one occurs.

“These will not be quickly solved,” he said

The first robbery occurred on October at the Admiral gas station, on October 9, at about 9:20 p.m. It was robbed again on December 22, about 9:02 p.m. Then, on December 29, the Kent Theatre was robbed at about 10 p.m. In each case, a man with a mask pulled over his face implied he had a weapon and demanded money, and then fled on foot to the east side of town.

Two days later, on December 31, New Year’s Eve, Family Video was robbed at about 9:50 p.m. A man in dark hair and dark clothing 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. He was tracked to Beech and Second Street, where the scent disappeared.

Each time the clothing has been different, but he has been described as about 5 foot 8 inches, and somewhere between 165 to 200 pounds.

Chief Parent urged residents to report any suspicious activity, such as a car parked and idling in a spot where it normally wouldn’t be, and if they see a crime, to be a good witness. “Look for scars, tattoos, the type of clothing they wear,” he said.

Anyone with information should please call the Cedar Springs Police a 616-696-1311, or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

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 evening, December 22. Post photo by J. Reed.

The Admiral Gas Station at the corner of Main Street and Muskegon in Cedar Springs was robbed again Sunday evening, December 22, for the second time in just over two months.
According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent, the robbery took place about 9:06 p.m. A single male entered the store wearing a dark coat with light colored collar, dark beanie-type stocking cap, and a light-colored mask. He was described as about 5-foot 8-inches, 200 pounds. The suspect kept his hand inside his pocket to imply he had a weapon. He fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
No area canine units were available to track the subject.
The clerk on duty was not the same clerk as in the previous robbery. That incident took place October 9, about 8:20 p.m. The robber in that incident was described as 5-foot 6-inches, medium build, with a raspy voice.
If you have info on this or the other robbery, please call the Cedar Springs Police at 616-696-1311.

The robbery suspect entering the Admiral gas station last Thursday about 12:46 a.m.

Police are searching for the suspect that robbed the Admiral gas station in Cedar Springs early Saturday morning.
According to Cedar Springs Police, a man wearing a disguise entered the Admiral Gas station at the corner of Main and E. Muskegon Streets about 12:46 a.m. Saturday morning, November 26, and displayed a gun to the clerk. The man, described as about 5-foot 6-inches, with a husky build, and possibly wearing khaki pants, fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Police set up a perimeter and searched for the suspect. A tracking dog led police to the Meadow Creek Apartments at the end of Oak Street, but no suspect was apprehended.
Surveillance photos show a man with something pink or red covering his face, possibly a blue or purple hat over that, and he’s wearing a blue or purple jacket with a picture on the back of a bear head with a fish in its mouth. If you have any info on who this might be, or if you’ve seen this coat before, please call Cedar Springs Police at 696-1311. You can also call or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345. You can submit tips online by going to http://www.silentobserver.org/reportacrime.asp. Or you can text a tip to CRIMES (274637). TIP138 must appear in the first line of your message, then type your message. All tips to Silent Observer are anonymous.
Cedar Springs Police were assisted by the Kent County Sheriff Department, a Wyoming Police Canine Officer, and the Rockford Police.

Gas prices hit a high this week that hasn’t been seen since the summer of 2008. Gas was $3.96 in Cedar Springs, with Admiral being $3.95 at press time on Wednesday.
Michigan is one of several states seeing the high end of the gas prices, but gas is approaching $4 per gallon around the country.
There are signs, however, that Americans may be cutting back on driving because of the high prices. Sales dropped 3 percent at most of the nation’s major gas-station chains, according to a March survey by the Oil Price Information Service.
What are you doing to offset the high gas prices? Write and tell us at news@cedarspringspost.com.
Click here to see what you can do for your car when the gas prices rise.