SHELBY TOWNSHIP (WWJ) – A Pontiac man is facing a long list of charges for a dangerous situation on Black Friday that Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido says “could have been much worse.”
Wellington Inoa, 36, is facing six felony counts after allegedly robbing a Marshalls and HomeGoods store on Hall Road in Shelby Township then leading police on a high-speed chase that ended with a crash and the discovery of drugs and a machete in his pickup truck.
Employees saw Inoa pushing a shopping cart full of merchandise out of the store without paying and called police. Officers showed up and spotted Inoa’s truck at the nearby Chick-Fil-A drive-thru, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
When officers pulled in front of his truck, he allegedly backed up over the curb to flee, then drove forward and intentionally rammed another officer’s vehicle before fleeing onto westbound Hall Road.
Authorities say Inoa continued speeding along Hall, running red lights until he hit a vehicle headed north on Van Dyke Avenue, spilling tons of merchandise all over the road. Authorities did not say what type of items he allegedly stole.
After the crash, Inoa allegedly got out of his truck and Shelby Twp. officers chased him on foot and arrested him.
Officers found meth and a machete inside the truck, according to the prosecutor’s office. Luckily, prosecutors say, no injuries were reported, but many vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Inoa was arraigned Sunday on one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, a 10-year felony; possession of meth, a 10-year felony; fleeing police in the third degree, a five-year felony; carrying a concealed weapon, a five-year felony; first-degree retail fraud, a five-year felony; and assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer, a two-year felony.
“This was a very dangerous situation for our police officers and our community. This blatant disregard for the law has to stop, or innocent lives will be lost,” Lucido said, per a press release. “This situation could have been much worse.”
Inoa’s bond was set at $50,000 cash/surety only. His next court date has been scheduled for Dec. 12.
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