Police say the victim was attacked and run over multiple times with his own Jeep.
DETROIT — A man believed to be in his 60s was killed early Tuesday during a carjacking at a gas station on Detroit’s west side after police say he was beaten and run over with his own vehicle, and a 25-year-old suspect was arrested a short time later.
The killing, described by police as a deliberate and apparently random attack, set off a fast, multi-agency search that ended about a mile away after a brief pursuit. As of Tuesday, prosecutors had not announced charges, and police had not released the names of the victim or suspect while investigators worked to confirm details and gather evidence from the scene.
Detroit police said the assault was reported just after 4:30 a.m. Tue., Feb. 10, at a Sunoco gas station near Joy Road and Greenfield Road. Investigators said the victim parked his Jeep, went inside the convenience store, and returned to find a man sitting inside his vehicle. When the victim approached, the suspect got out and attacked him, police said, then climbed back into the Jeep and drove over the victim repeatedly before leaving the station in the stolen vehicle.
Detroit Police Capt. Marcus Thirlkill said the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. “This was a deliberate attempt,” Thirlkill said during a briefing, adding that investigators believe the attack was random and that they had not identified a motive. Police said the victim suffered severe injuries in the assault and was not able to be saved despite the quick response to the 911 call.
Police said the suspect drove away in the victim’s Jeep and was located a short time later at another gas station area on Greenfield Road. Michigan State Police troopers tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled, prompting a brief pursuit. Authorities said the suspect struck a Dearborn police vehicle during the chase, then lost control and crashed into a telephone pole. The 25-year-old was taken into custody and turned over to Detroit police, officials said.
Michigan State Police First Lt. Mike Shaw praised the officers involved in the arrest and said no one was hurt during the pursuit. Detroit police said the chase ended near the intersection of Warren Avenue and Greenfield Road, about a mile from where the carjacking began. Investigators said they were continuing to review what happened minute by minute, including how the suspect entered the vehicle and whether the victim had any chance to escape the confrontation.
Neighbors and regular customers of the gas station said the violence was jarring in a place many considered routine and familiar, especially at the start of the day. A nearby resident who identified herself as Winter said the incident felt close and personal because she lives next door to the station. “This is nerve-wracking because I stay like right next door, so seeing this in real life was very traumatizing,” she said.
Others said they recognized the victim as someone who stopped at the station often. People who live nearby and the gas station’s owner told local media they did not know him well but described him as kind and familiar in the neighborhood. Another resident who identified himself as Cocoa said the victim lived nearby. “It’s a sad situation,” he said. “The guy was a local guy, stayed across the street over there. I just hate to hear that about him.”
Police said the victim’s name was being withheld as relatives were notified and detectives confirmed identity information. Investigators also said they were waiting to present the case for charges and an arraignment, which typically follows once prosecutors review the facts and decide what counts can be supported by evidence. Detroit police said the suspect remained in custody while the investigation continued.
Thirlkill said the department was working with state partners and neighboring agencies that assisted in the arrest. “This was a heinous act,” he said, adding that officers moved quickly to take the suspect into custody. Investigators said they were collecting surveillance video from the gas station and nearby businesses, interviewing witnesses, and documenting the vehicle’s path from the station to the crash site.
Carjackings and violent robberies around vehicles remain a concern across metro Detroit, but police stressed that the facts in this case suggest the victim was not targeted for who he was and that the incident appears to have been an opportunity crime. Investigators said they were still working to determine whether the suspect acted alone and whether any other crimes were connected to the stolen Jeep before the arrest.
By Tuesday afternoon, the scene at Joy and Greenfield had reopened, but the shock lingered among customers who said they pass through the area on the way home or to work. Detroit resident Michael, who said he stops at the station in the mornings, said the killing left him stunned. “It’s a tragedy,” he said. “I hate it for the family.”
Officials said the next steps include a charging decision by prosecutors, continued review of video and forensic evidence, and formal identification of the victim once family notifications are complete. Police said they expect to provide updates as the case moves toward arraignment and court proceedings.
Author note: Last updated February 11, 2026.