NILES, Mich. — The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office says two men led police on a chase after committing a string of break-ins.
Around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to an alarm at Oak Dairy convenience store on Stateline Road in Niles.
They someone broke a front door window and stole liquor, cigarettes and money from inside.
While there, deputies learned about three other gas stations and convenience stores broken into in the city of Buchanan.
Later, the sheriff’s office got another call about a break-in at Galien Pro Mart in Galien.
Deputies say they saw two people get in a car and leave the scene, so they followed the car onto US Highway 12 toward New Buffalo.
The pair led deputies on a chase for about 15 minutes until Pokagon Tribal Officers were able to stop the car using stop sticks.
The sheriff’s office says Maleik Johnson from Illinois and Lashan Wyatt from Indiana got out of the car and tried to run away, but deputies arrested them quickly.
They say the pair committed four out of Wednesday’s five break-ins.
The sheriff’s office believes Johnson and Wyatt are part of a large crime ring that has committed more than 150 similar break-ins throughout Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Johnson and Wyatt now face a slew of charges including running from police, breaking and entering and having a stolen vehicle.
