Dearborn police catch two teens accused of attempted carjacking using drones

Published October 20, 2026 10:11 PM EDT

An elderly man is recovering Tuesday night after getting jumped by two teens. It happened in Dearborn and officials are now showing a birds' eye view of how the teens got caught.

Big picture view:

The suspects were identified as a 13-and 15-year-old who police say roughed up an 85-year-old man at Fairlane Mall near JC Penney. They were attempting to steal his car. 

Dispatch audio from that night described what went down that led to the series of events that sent police out to the scene.

"They doused him with bear spray of all things, and then they start to physically assault and then punch him and then hit him, and he had enough way that he knew that he had the key in his pocket, and so he ran as fast as he put away from the car so they wouldn’t be able to start his vehicle."

Dig deeper:

Meanwhile, police in Dearborn have a drone operating, ready to launch for these exact situations. They were able to get the drone overhead in 45 seconds at Fairlane Mall and could keep tabs on the teens until officers moved in making the arrest.

Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said the teens were moving towards the bus stop and without the drone, could have escaped officers. They will now be moving their way through juvenile court. 

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The Source: FOX 2 used information from the Dearborn Police Department for details in this report. 

Crime and Public SafetyDearborn