MUSKEGON, Mich. — A teen suspect was arrested and charged in connection to the shooting death of a 72-year-old man from earlier this month in Muskegon.
On Monday, officers from the Muskegon Police Department spotted a vehicle they believed was connected to the killing of Thomas Stewart Jr. When officers tried to pulled the vehicle over, two teens jumped out of the car and ran, according to police.
Thanks to help from the Muskegon County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police, officers tracked both boys down.
One of the teens, a 16-year-old, now faces charges tied to Stewart's death. The teen is charged as an adult with open murder, according to the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office.
The other teen, a 17-year-old, does not face any charged in connection to the homicide, but police say he was charged with possession of a firearm.
Stewart was found on December 1 inside his home on Jiroch Street. The 72-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Public Safety Director Timothy Kozal said Stewart likely knew the teen and may have let him into the home.
"This incident appears to be related to a robbery," said Kozal.
WATCH: Muskegon Police Chief gives update on murder of 72-year-old
Detectives have not recovered the gun believed to be used in the shooting, said Kozal.
Investigators believe only the teen and Stewart were in the home at the time of the shooting, but other people may still face charges in connection to the case.
"We are confident that we have identified the person responsible for Mr. Stewart's tragic death," said Kozal, citing video evidence detectives used to identify the suspect.
The police chief did not release the name of the teen, since he is a minor.
When asked whether there has been an increase in crime committed by teen, Kozal said no.
"It is very tragic that we do have a very young person involved in something like this," said Kozal. "We get asked all the time what we can do as a law enforcement community to try to stem the violence. At some point we as a community got to also work on trying to stem the violence with our young people, and I think that starts at home."
If convicted of first-degree murder, the 16-year-old could spend the rest of his life in prison.
