Background: News footage of Terrance Sandles at his arraignment on Nov. 10 (WXYZ). Inset (left): Marvan Batoo (Facebook). Inset (right): Ghaith Baban (GoFundMe).
A man who was reportedly dissatisfied with the vehicle he bought from a Michigan car dealership allegedly shot two men to death, then robbed the business.
Authorities in Macomb County announced the arrest of 46-year-old Terrance Sandles, a Texas man who was living in a hotel in Romulus after allegedly fleeing police in Texas on unrelated charges. In a press conference on Tuesday covered by the Macomb Daily, Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide said that on Nov. 7, Sandles went to the Star Auto dealership to confront 40-year-old Marvan Batoo, the owner, over his recent $3,000 purchase of a 2007 GMC Hummer.
Shelide said, "He thought it was a lemon." After the two men had an argument, which was captured on surveillance video, Sandles allegedly opened fire on Batoo and 48-year-old Ghaith Baban, a customer with whom Batoo was having a meeting.
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After Sandles allegedly shot Batoo and Baban, he allegedly robbed the dealership of an undisclosed amount of cash. He then fled the scene in a getaway car that proved to be the key to tracking him down, according to Shelide. According to Shelide, the entire encounter — from Sandles entering the building, the alleged confrontation and shooting, and his exit on foot — was caught on camera.
Batoo and Baban were shot at "point-blank range," according to Shelide, who said Sandles "went in to kill that man, the owner, and Mr. Baban happened to be there." Their bodies were discovered by an employee at the dealership who had returned from making a delivery.
Shelide said license plate reader cameras throughout the neighborhood near Star Auto were able to read the license plate on the vehicle that Sandles was seen getting into on camera following the alleged shooting. Sandles was linked to the person to whom the vehicle was registered, then ultimately tracked down on Nov. 8 at the hotel where he was staying in Romulus using data from his cellphone.
Inside Sandles' hotel room were two guns, one of which was believed by police to be the alleged murder weapon. The allegedly stolen cash was also located in the same room. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said that authorities also found a "large quantity of cocaine."
Sandles was arrested and booked into the Macomb County Jail, where he is being held without bond. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed robbery; one count each of delivery and manufacture of controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, and carrying a concealed weapon; and seven felony firearm charges.
He was arraigned in the 41A District Court in Macomb County on Monday. His next court date is scheduled for Nov. 24.
