Arrest Made In Cold Case Robbery

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested a 42-year-old man in connection with the robbery of a Garfield Township Walgreens seven years ago.

At the time of the robbery, investigators believe Jason David Cook lived nearby, at a business off of South Airport Road down the street from the store that was robbed in 2012.

Cook was arrested with help from the state police fugitive team at a Macomb County motel August 7 and brought to Grand Traverse County to face charges of armed robbery and being an habitual offender.

Detectives allege that Cook stole a car and drove up to the pharmacy’s drive-thru window on May 11, 2012. He presented a note that claimed that a bomb had been placed inside the building and demanded some specific prescription drugs, which were handed over to him. He drove off and the stolen car was found a short distance away.

A latent fingerprint lifted from the stolen car connected Cook to the crime, says Capt. Randy Fewless.

The fingerprint was submitted to the state crime lab just after the robbery in 2012; Fewless didn’t know why it’s taken so long for a positive match to show up.

“We don’t know,” Fewless says. “This guy is not exactly a stranger to the criminal justice system.”