Pair arraigned in Washington Twp. purse snatching

Two suspects were arraigned Wednesday on charges related to a purse snatching incident at a Meijer store in Washington Township last week, officials said.

Makailee Nicole Medrano, 22, and Andre Ranell Johnson, 31, both of Romeo, were charged with larceny from a person, a 10-year felony.

According to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, a 57-year-old Washington Township woman reported that on Feb. 4 she was loading groceries into her vehicle when she was approached by a man and a woman.

“As the two persons walked past the victim’s shopping cart, the female suspect grabbed the victim’s purse from her shopping cart and began to run across the parking lot,” police said in a statement Thursday. “The victim gave chase.”

The female suspect removed the victim’s wallet and dropped the purse between some parked vehicles, police said. Witnesses began to yell and the suspect dropped the wallet on the ground. The suspect then got into a Dodge Durango parked in the Meijer parking lot and the two suspects fled.

Earlier this week, the sheriff’s office sent the media information about the purse snatching. The department said it received more than 20 tips overnight and identified the suspects through surveillance photographs.

The suspects were arrested Wednesday morning at the residence they share in Romeo, according to the Sheriff’s Office. They were arraigned Wednesday via video in 42-1 District Court of Romeo.

Bond was set at $75,000 each for Medrano and Johnson. They remain in the Macomb County Jail and are due back in court Feb. 23.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

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