A camera alert and multi-unit search helped deputies find the suspect in Groveland Township.
ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Oakland County deputies used camera alerts, aircraft, drones and ground units Tuesday to track a stolen vehicle after a mother was shot during a carjacking outside an Orion Township shopping center, authorities said.
The case began about 5:43 p.m. May 19 near Baldwin and Brown roads, where Sheriff Michael Bouchard said a man appeared to wait outside a business before targeting a woman walking with her young son. The woman was shot, and the suspect drove away in her vehicle.
Bouchard said investigators believe the attack was random. The suspect, identified by officials only as a 25-year-old Ann Arbor man, was already on probation for assault, the sheriff said. “He ran and confronted her,” Bouchard said during a public update, describing how the woman was shot before the vehicle was taken.
After the shooting, deputies broadcast information about the stolen vehicle and began tracking it through the county’s Flock camera network. Officials said the system helped show the vehicle moving north from the shopping area. The sheriff’s office then deployed detectives, auto theft investigators, K-9 units, drones, a helicopter and fugitive apprehension deputies.
The search moved into Groveland Township, where deputies spotted the stolen vehicle. Authorities said the suspect crashed after a short chase, then fled on foot. An undercover detective later saw him and arrested him. Officials did not immediately release details about where the arrest happened or whether the suspect was injured.
The victim’s young son was present when the shooting happened, officials said. The child was not reported shot. Authorities said the mother suffered serious injuries, but her name and exact condition were not released. Investigators also had not released the make and model of the stolen vehicle or the full list of evidence recovered.
The shooting drew a large police response to a commercial area near I-75, where evening shoppers found patrol vehicles and investigators around the parking lot. Businesses in the area include clothing stores and restaurants. The location made the case urgent because the suspect had quick access to nearby roads after leaving the plaza.
The next step is review by prosecutors. The sheriff’s office was expected to seek charges tied to the shooting, carjacking, vehicle theft, fleeing police and any weapons violations supported by the evidence. No court hearing had been announced early Wednesday.
As of Wednesday, the suspect was in custody and the investigation remained active. Detectives continued checking video, witness statements, camera data and the suspect’s movements before and after the shooting.
Author note: Last updated May 20, 2026.