Essexville man pleads to trying to rob Pet Supplies Plus with airsoft gun

BAY CITY, MI — An Essexville man has admitted in court to trying to rob a Bay County pet store of nearly $400 in dog and cat food.

Damian M. Leske, 22, on Monday, May 19, appeared before Bay County Circuit Judge Jessie Scott Wood and pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss counts of armed robbery and possessing fewer than 25 grams of cocaine. The former is a life offense; the latter is a four-year felony.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred the evening of Jan. 11 at Pet Supplies Plus, 2624 Center Ave. in Hampton Township.

Store staff told police two men had come into the store about 8 p.m. While one man asked the staff questions about an item for a dog, the other — Leske — loaded up a cart of Blue Buffalo-brand dog food and Friskies-brand cat treats, police reports contained in court records show.

Leske pushed the cart outside without paying, according to police. The manager followed him out and told him to pay for the merchandise, she told police.

Leske turned, raised his shirt and flashed a gun in his waistband, the manager told police. He then pulled out the gun, pointed it at the ground between them, and told the manager, “Don’t do it, don’t come near me,” according to police reports.

The manager described the gun as looking like the officers’ service weapons.

Leske loaded the food bags into a black 2009 Chevrolet Equinox then got in the passenger seat. The Equinox drove off, heading west on Center. The manager snapped a photo of its license plate and provided it to police. The Equinox was also distinctive as its rear window had been smashed out and the hole was covered in plastic, police reports state.

The other customer who had entered the store with Leske asked staff what had happened. On being told the Equinox had driven off, he said, “They’re my ride.” Staff asked him to stay at the store until police arrived, but he said he was wanted on warrants and walked off along the nearby railroad tracks, police reports state.

In all, Leske allegedly made off with $376.76 in pet food, $399.37 with tax.

Police determined the Equinox was owned by a Bay City woman. Officers went to her home, where family said she was out of the state and that Leske was a friend of her son.

Meanwhile, police spotted the Equinox and pulled it over in the 300 block of South Farragut Street. Leske was the driver and sole occupant.

Police searched Leske and found a suspected glass crack pipe and a Sig Sauer air soft pistol, their reports state. The Equinox contained the unopened dog food items.

Leske began experiencing a seizure after being detained by police. An ambulance took him from the scene to McLaren Bay Region hospital. He was discharged within a few hours and lodged in the jail.

Leske declined to speak with police upon being read his Miranda rights.

At the time of his arrest, Leske was wanted on three warrants charging him with misdemeanor third-degree retail fraud, or shoplifting. Those stem from him allegedly pilfering goods at the Meijer and Jack’s Fruit & Meat Market in Hampton Township in May and September 2024.

Leske in February pleaded guilty to one of the retail fraud counts in exchange for the dismissal of the other two. He has since paid $289.92 in fines and restitution.

Judge Wood is to sentence Leske, who remains jailed, on June 30.

Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free “3@3″ daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw.