An Elmwood Township man is facing a maximum penalty of up to life in prison if found guilty of robbing the Cherry Bend Grocery store.

Michael D. Light
is jailed on armed
robbery charges.

Michael D. Light, 29, 9431 Cherry Bend Rd., Traverse City is currently lodged in the County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing on a charge of armed robbery and habitual offender. He was arraigned in the 86th District Court on Jan. 2. before Judge Joseph E. Deegan, who did not allow bond.

Light’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for tomorrow at 10:45 a.m.

According to court documents, on Dec. 28 county Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call to the Cherry Bend Grocery store at 4:59 p.m. Store owner Daniel Plamondon described the robbery suspect as a white man wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with Adidas printed on the front, and a black baseball cap.

The suspect brought a six-pack of beer to the counter. As Plamondon was ringing up the sale, Light allegedly brandished a knife and demanded money. He allegedly fled the store with the beer and $300 in cash.

Tracks in newly fallen snow allegedly showed Light ran to an adjacent lot which holds a storage unit. A canine tracker unit from the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene and followed the tracks in the snow. Court documents showed Light approached a house on Sylvia Street and asked the homeowner for a car ride. Light was tracked to the Sylvia Street residence by Suttons Bay Police Chief Del Moore, who lives in the same Elmwood Township neighborhood.

The canine unit followed Light’s tracks to an area where deputies found clothing matching the description of the suspect and a bag containing five containers of beers. The dogs continued to follow the tracks, which led them to the house on Sylvia where deputies arrested Light.

He was previously convicted of third offense felony drunk driving on March 10, 2000 in 13th Circuit Court in Grand Traverse County. If found guilty of armed robbery, he faces a maximum penalty of up to life in prison or any term of years. If the habitual offender is used, the maximum penalty may be increased by 1½ times the original penalty on the primary offense.