Ferndale 7-Eleven robbery suspect arrested with the help of city's new license plate readers
James Heflin, 24, of Oak Park. Photo courtesy of Ferndale Police.
FERNDALE, Mich. (FOX 2) - An Oak Park man was arrested for robbing a convenience store in Ferndale after a license plate reader utilized by police recognized the suspect's car in the city.
James Heflin, 24, was arrested more than a month after he allegedly walked into a 7-Eleven on 1040 W. Nine Mile Rd and demanded money from the store clerk.
According to a press release from Ferndale police, Heflin was armed with a knife.
While robbing the store, a customer entered the store, interrupting the incident. The suspect fled the scene in an unknown silver SUV.
Police were able to determine the make and model of the vehicle and a description of the suspect before using the Flock system to get the license plate. On March 21, officers responded ot an alert after getting pinged from the system that the suspect's vehicle had entered Ferndale.
Officers then initiated a traffic stop, later learning the driver was connected to the robbery. He was taken into custody without incident.
He's since been charged with armed robbery and given a $10,000 cash bond. He's expected to be in court on April 4.
Ferndale recently announced it had installed Flock Safety license plate readers around the city after the council approved it in 2023. See where they're placed around the city here.
Flock license plate readers coming to Ferndale -- Here's what to know about the technology
Ferndale is getting Flock Safety license plate readers. The technology will be added for a two-year pilot program.