Off-duty detective helps nab masked suspects in Frankfort Township

A young man and teen were were arrested in Frankfort Township after they were trailed by an off-duty detective who believed they were going to commit a robbery.

On Sunday morning, an off-duty sheriff’s detective was arriving home with his family when he saw two hooded, masked suspects approaching his neighbor, who was getting groceries out of his vehicle, according to a statement from the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

“It appeared to the detective that the neighbor was about to be robbed,” police said.

The detective honked his vehicle’s horn to scare off the masked suspects, police said.

The suspects then fled the area in a sedan.

The detective then contacted the sheriff’s office about the incident and attempted to gather video evidence from his neighbor’s house, police said. As he was obtaining video, he saw the suspects’ vehicle pass through the area.

The detective followed the vehicle to the Speedway gas station in Frankfort Township, police said.

“Due to recent robberies at the same gas station, the detective suspected that the two suspects were going to commit a robbery,” police said.

After on-duty deputies arrived at the scene to investigate the incident, the suspects “rammed the detective’s personal vehicle as they fled from the gas station parking lot,” police said.

The vehicle fled down Harlem Avenue in Frankfort Township and attempted to turn onto Route 30 when it hit a curb and became disabled, police said.

The two suspects ran away from the vehicle on foot, police said. Deputies managed to catch up to them and arrest them. Two firearms were recovered from the area of the foot pursuit.

“Once the suspects were taken into custody, both refused to speak with detectives regarding this incident,” police said.

One suspect refused to identify himself and his identity had to be confirmed through fingerprint comparison, police said.

The first suspect was Michael Smith, 21, and the second one was a 17-year-old male, both of Chicago, police said.

Smith was arrested on probable cause of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, obstructing justice and identification, police said. The 17-year-old was arrested on probable cause of aggravated fleeing and eluding, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and several traffic citations.