Armed Robbers Hit Gas Station

By Andrew Gorosko

Two males brandishing handguns and threatening violence made off with an unspecified amount of cash in an armed robbery at about 9:34 pm Tuesday, which was Halloween, at Buzz’s Mobil gas station/convenience store at 286 South Main Street in Botsford, according to police.

There were no injuries in the incident. The gas station is located on the west side of South Main Street, just south of its intersection with Cold Spring Road.

Armed robbery is a relatively unusual crime locally.

Information on the incident provided by police was sketchy, with little detail provided.

According to a police report, two males entered the business, displayed weapons and demanded cash. They received some money from an unidentified clerk, after which the two males fled from the gas station via a vehicle that was positioned nearby, according to police.

Patrol Officer Steve Santucci investigated the case, which is being turned over to the police detective unit for further investigation, said Detective Sergeant John Cole.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe declined to provide much detail about the incident.

Each of the two males displayed a handgun, he said. The chief did not provide physical descriptions of the two males or disclose whether they were disguised. The police chief declined to disclose whether the armed robbery was recorded on a surveillance system.

There were two employees in the gas station when the incident occurred, he said.

“We’ll put a lot of effort into solving this…This is a very serious case…It’s a hot case…We’re actively pursuing it,” Chief Kehoe said.

In January 2001, Buzz’s Mobil was the site of another armed robbery, in which a masked young male made off with cash and disappeared into the night.

Chief Kehoe noted that although the gas station is located on a busy street, there were no other businesses open nearby when the armed robbery occurred. Although neither of the two clerks who were in the gas station when the robbery occurred were injured, they were emotionally shaken by the incident, the police chief said.