One suspect is in a Louisiana jail, and another was picked up in a traffic stop in Plymouth Township, following a fatal armed robbery of a Rochester Hills couple by criminals disguised as DTE employees over the weekend.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s fugitive apprehension team arrested the second suspect in the brutal robbery during a traffic stop in Plymouth Township Monday afternoon, according to a “breaking update” on X.
Breaking update:
We have taken the second suspect into custody from the Rochester Hills homicide. Our fugitive apprehension team located the individual as he was traveling this afternoon in Plymouth Township and a traffic stop was effectuated. He was taken into custody without— Oakland County Sheriff’s Office (@oaklandsheriff) October 14, 2024
Go Ad-Free, Get Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial
The arrest follows another near Shreveport, La., on Saturday involving Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, who was taken into custody when a Caddo Parish Sheriff’s deputy recognized the vehicle used in the Rochester Hills robbery as it headed southbound from Arkansas on I-49, according to news release.
“Hernandez was booked for multiple warrants out of Ohio for armed robbery, as well as a homicide warrant out of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office,” the release read.
The latter stems from the murder of 72-year-old Rochester Hills jeweler Hussein Murray, who owns Gold & Glitter Jewelry in Hamtramck, at his home in an upscale neighborhood on Friday, The Detroit News reports.
Go Ad-Free, Get Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Hernandez and his accomplice, who has not been identified, posed as DTE employees when they approached the home in a white pickup truck with a DTE identifier and reflective vests.
“We’re DTE,” one said in a surveillance video. “We’re checking for gas leaks.”
The couple turned the men away when they first approached the home around 10 p.m. on Thursday, but Murry allowed them in on Friday morning and escorted them to the basement. Murry’s wife told investigators her husband did not return with the men, who then bound the wife with duct tape and demanded money and jewelry, WDIV reports.
The two searched the home for about 20 minutes, took the woman’s phone and watch, and fled. The wife eventually called 911 and told police she believed her husband had been kidnapped. Police found Murray’s body in the basement with injuries so severe they could not immediately determine a cause of death.
“This case is an extremely disturbing and tragic event for which we intend to hold the perpetrators fully accountable,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a news release Sunday.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald charged Hernandez with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment.
“This was a gruesome attack on an elderly couple in their home,” McDonald said in the release. “I have authorized the highest charge, which carries a mandatory life without parole sentence for this brutal crime. My office will work diligently to ensure that this individual is held accountable and that the public is safe from violent predators.”
Murry will be greatly missed by his wife of 54 years, three children and 11 grandchildren, Hussein Murray, a grandchild told The News.
“Our family is deeply saddened by the loss of my grandfather, Hussein,” Murray said in a statement. “My grandfather was a man with a heart of gold, who treated all those around him with kindness and compassion. He has made a lasting impact with our family and community, and I’m beyond proud to call him my grandfather.”
Brek Scott, spokesman for Caddo Parish, told The Midwesterner Hernandez was arrested by Deputy Michael Rocco on I-49 at LA-169 and booked into the parish jail as an armed fugitive.
“We had a tip he was (coming) in from Arkansas,” Scott said.
Caddo Parish booking information for Hernandez, who was arrested without incident, lists an address in Katy, Texas, though Scott said his immigration status is unknown.
“We don’t have that information,” he said.
Steve Huber, spokesman for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, was also unsure.
“I don’t know he has an immigration status,” Huber said. “I can’t answer that.”
Several Michigan media outlets reported Hernandez as a “Dearborn resident.”
Murry’s wife was hospitalized following the robbery but has since been released.
The robbery has since prompted reports of other fake DTE workers in other parts of the state, as well as advice from the utility on spotting imposters.
“It is important to note that, before DTE arrives at a customer’s home for any service visit, we make every effort to contact them in advance, either through a phone call from our call center or via email or text message,” the company wrote in a statement cited by WXMI.
“If customers want to verify a worker’s identity or confirm that a vehicle is an authorized company vehicle, they should call DTE customer service at 800-477-4747 to confirm the validity of the visit.”