WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – A man was arrested and is facing federal charges in connection to a jewelry store robbery in Dearborn.
Two people wearing prosthetic masks attempted to rob Mariam Jewelry in Dearborn on Aug. 7, 2024.
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According to court documents, the men got out of a dark-colored Mazda sedan that was parked in front of the store.
When they went inside, one suspect took out a gun and told everyone inside not to move or they will be shot. The other suspect jumped over the counter and grabbed jewelry from the shelves.
The owner of the jewelry store went to the back of the store, grabbed his shotgun and came back to the lobby. The owner fired rounds into the ceiling in attempt to scare the suspects.
One of the suspects then grabbed a woman, put a hammer towards her head, and used her as a human-shield while the other suspect used his rifle to break open the door.
Once the door was open, both suspects left the store.
After the robbery, investigators searched for the black Mazda and the license place on it to find the owner of the car. They then learned the car was registered to Emad Elayyan.
Elayyan was eventually placed into custody. It’s not clear if the second suspect has been arrested.
What was captured on CCTV
According to court documents, officers searching the area for camera footage saw Elayyan’s car on CCTV parked about two miles from Miriam Jewelry on Aug. 7, 2024.
Camera footage from a nearby mosque, just south of the jewelry store, showed the car in the parking lot at around 2:50 p.m. At around 4 p.m., the driver got out of the car and went to the rear near the trunk. The driver in the video appeared to get something from the trunk and returned to the driver’s seat.
At 4:04 p.m., the car left the mosque parking lot, then returned at 4:06 p.m. The car then remained parked for about 25 minutes before driving past Mariam Jewelry Store and returning back to the parking lot at around 4:30 p.m.
At 4:41 p.m., the car left the mosque parking lot again and drove to the jewelry store, The car parked in a space and stayed there for several minutes.
At 4:52 p.m., the car left the parking lot and headed back to the mosque parking lot at 5:14 p.m. At 5:21 p.m., the car left the mosque parking lot again and returned at 5:23 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., the car left the mosque parking lot once again and, traveled to Mariam Jewelry at 5:34 p.m. and parked in front of the business. Both suspects in the car were wearing prosthetic masks.
At 5:36 p.m., the two suspects got out of the car and went into the jewelry store.
The first suspect wore a prosthetic mask, resembling an older white man, a blue shirt, dark pants and white plastic gloves.
The second suspect wore all-black clothing and a prosthetic mask.
When they went inside, one suspect took out a gun and told everyone inside not to move or they will be shot. The other suspect jumped over the counter and grabbed jewelry from the shelves.
Security footage showed one suspect taking jewelry from the shelves on the walls and putting them into a grey bag while the other suspect stood at the front of the store pointing the rifle toward the customers.
The owner of the jewelry store went to the back of the store, grabbed his shotgun, and went back to the lobby. The owner fired rounds into the ceiling in an attempt to scare the suspects.
The two suspects tried to leave but were locked inside the store. So, they ducked behind a display case for cover.
One of the suspects grabbed a woman, put a hammer towards her head, and used her as a human shield while the other suspect used his rifle to break open the door.
Once the door was open, both suspects left the store without the grey duffle bag full of jewelry. In the security footage, both suspects appeared to briefly consider returning inside to get it but ended up running to their car and leaving the area after the owner fired another shot.
The car then left the parking lot and headed north on Schaefer.
A responding officer saw the car and tried to stop it using emergency lights and sirens. The driver disregarded the emergency lights and sirens, continuing into the parking lot of a Dollar Tree. As the officer attempted to catch up, the car continued to drive eastbound in the opposite lanes of traffic on Ford Road.
The officer canceled the pursuit for safety reasons and saw the car continuing to speed eastbound.
Searching for the suspects
Investigators obtained a search warrant requesting all cell phones that were around the Lauder and West Chicago area, Mariam Jewelry, and the area where the officer last saw the car.
The results showed one phone was present at all three locations associated with the robbery at the specified dates and times. The phone number that was collected was under Emad Elayyan, a resident of Illinois.
Investigators obtained phone records and saw Elayyan’s phone had traveled from his home in Illinois to Dearborn, Michigan, and back on the same day of the robbery.
Police said Elayyan’s phone was also in the area of Mariam Jewelry during the time of the robbery.
Toll records showed Elayyan’s car traveled from Illinois to Michigan on the day of the robbery. Also, toll pictures showed Elayyan and another man in the front two seats of the car.
An Illinois State Toll Highway Authority image showed the car being driven by a man, believed to be Elayyan, and a passenger, heading through Illinois toward Indiana on the day of the robbery.
On Sept. 20, 2024, FBI SWAT executed an arrest warrant at Elayyan’s home and took him into custody. His phone was seized during his arrest.
What was on Elayyan’s phone
Investigators found on Elayyan’s phone that he bought a black Mazda 3 in July 2024, matching the car used in the robbery.
After further investigation, law enforcement found that Elayyan searched the following:
- “Gold stores in Dearborn Michigan”
- “Arabic jewelry Dearborn mi”
- “Mariam Jewelry”
- “Mariam Jewelry photos”
- “Middle eastern gold jewelry”
