COOPERSVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — Investigators are looking into whether four people arrested after a break-in at a smokeshop in Coopersville may also have been involved in break-ins in Kent County.

Around 2:20 a.m. Monday, deputies with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office were called to a burglary at the Funky Monkey Smoke Shop on West Randall Street near 68th Avenue. Authorities say they stole cash, smoking devices and other merchandise worth more than $5,000 altogether.

When deputies got there, they saw a black SUV leaving. The deputies tried to make a traffic stop but the suspects sped off eastbound on I-96. The sheriff’s office said the SUV tried to exit at 16th Avenue in Marne but the driver lost control and crashed at the ramp curve. The suspects got out of the vehicle and ran away.

Deputies chased the suspects to a nearby Methodist Church. The sheriff’s office said a police dog was called to the scene and found all four suspects hiding in a building on church property.

All the suspects were taken into custody. They are three men and a teenage boy (a 19-year-old, two 18-year-olds and a 16-year-old) from the Grand Rapids area, the sheriff’s office said. Their names were not immediately released pending arraignment.

Authorities in Kent County are looking into whether they may be responsible for other break-ins in metro Grand Rapids and Cedar Springs over the weekend.

A map showing where several break-ins happened in Kent and Ottawa counties between Feb. 3 and Feb. 6.
A map showing where several break-ins happened in Kent and Ottawa counties between Feb. 3 and Feb. 6.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Department responded to five break-ins between Friday and Sunday — gas stations, liquor stores and marijuana shops. The thieves made off with vape pens, marijuana edibles and money, though there were a couple of locations where nothing was actually stolen.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Department and city police departments are investigating several recent break-ins. Before the weekend burglaries, they say they arrested four suspects believed to be involved in at least some of them on Friday after Grand Rapids police spotted two cars reported stolen out of Grandville. An 18-year-old from Grand Rapids, 17-year-old from Grand Rapids, 16-year-old from Grand Rapids and another 16-year-old from Coopersville were also accused of possessing stolen cars and credit cards.