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Serial robber involved in 2-state crime spree appears in court

A Howard City-area man who went on a week-long, two-state crime spree made the first of two court appearances Tuesday. Jacob Savickas' case is going to circuit court. 

A Howard City-area man will stand trial for charges related to a week-long, two-state crime spree in late July and early August. Jacob Savickas appeared in Walker District Court Tuesday, one of several hearings scheduled for his many crimes.

The 33 year-old was arrested at a hotel on 28th Street in Cascade Township on August 9. Police said there was strong evidence Savickas was “substantially” under the influence of drugs during his alleged crimes.

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Savickas did not appear at his probable cause hearing Tuesday morning at the 61st District Court in Grand Rapids, where he was charged with bank robbery and larceny in a building. That afternoon, he appeared in Walker District Court for attempted larceny of a person at a McDonald's.

Savickas waived his district court hearings for the three criminal cases, sending them to circuit court. His attorney, Valerie Foster of the Kent County Office of the Defender, said she’s exploring how Savickas’ mental health factored into his crimes.

“He's advised me that there were some things going on in his life that I think are worth exploring on his behalf,” Foster said. “I've been in contact and communication with the prosecutor's office. We're hoping to resolve things if we're not able to resolve matters through a mental health diagnosis."

She said the bank robbery case will likely not be transferred to federal court because of the multiple state cases against Savickas. He has two more hearings Wednesday for larcenies in Cedar Springs and Wyoming.

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