Link Between Bank
Robbery, Missing Man?
Updated: Wednesday, 12 Aug 2009, 6:25 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 12 Aug 2009, 6:22 PM EDT
ROSEVILLE, Mich. (WJBK) - Local police are investigating a possible connection between a violent bank robbery and a missing person's case. Matt Landry has been missing for three days. His car was found abandoned in Detroit, but there has been no sign of the 21-year-old.
Now, police believe they have clues in this case that link Landry's disappearance to the gunman who robbed a Flagstar Bank this week.
A man who doesn't want to be identified says he hasn't slept in days after he and his wife claim they witnessed the kidnapping and carjacking of Matt Landry in the parking lot of an Eastpointe Quiznos Sub shop. The 21-year-old Chesterfield Township man has been missing since Sunday.
"This guy was punching this other fellow in the face. Then he drug the guy by the head, a headlock" the witness said. "He wouldn't go into the trunk, so he jerked him back and pushed him back into the car and sat him down by the car and hit him really hard in the face."
He says with their victim in the back, he watched the men take off in a green Honda believed to be Landry's vehicle. Police are examining surveillance tape at the Quiznos because they believe this kidnapping/carjacking in broad daylight sparked a three day crime spree led by 17-year-old Ihab Masalmani from Flint.
From Quiznos, they headed to a Sunoco station at Seven Mile Road and Hayes in Detroit. Surveillance video shows what the gas station owner claims he saw, Masalmani walked in, bought a shirt and changed by the ATM before he used Landry's ATM card three times to pull out hundreds of dollars.
"He was acting really suspicious. He spent 15 minutes over (at) the atm," said Sadaam Alkhi.
Police say Masalmani made his next appearance Monday, caught on camera robbing a Flagstar Bank in Harrison Township. The gunman in that robbery pointed a semi-automatic handgun at a customer's head. Sources say the green car used to get away is Landry's vehicle.
"I don't know. You just pray for the best. It doesn't look good," said Landry's sister Gina Harriman.
Roseville Police finally caught up with Masalmani Tuesday after he allegedly attempted to carjack another man driving a red Honda in front of a Wal-Mart on Gratiot. Witnesses called police, who tracked him down behind the complex and arrested Masalmani on the spot.
Masalmani was arraigned in the shirt he allegedly bought at the gas station. He's been charged for the Roseville carjacking, but police are working to connect him to the other crimes.
The family of Matt Landry is just hoping he's still alive. In fact, they're taking matters into their own hands, searching areas he was last seen.
"Maybe he's beat up, tied up somewhere and we can find him alive and get him home," said family friend Bob Berugi.
Masalmani will be facing charges for the bank robbery in Harrison Township. He is being held on a two-million dollar bond for the carjacking in Roseville. It turns out he has quite an extensive criminal record and was wanted on other felonies.
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