AWayne woman has been charged in
the carjacking and injury of an 88-year-
oldLivoniawoman last week.
According to the office of the Wayne
County Prosecutor, Jessica St. Clair, 41,
of Wayne and Jason Malinas, 38, of
Sterling Heights have been charged
with carjacking, unarmed robbery and
five counts of stealing a financial trans-
actiondevice.
Prosecutors allege that the victim,
Gloria Kevelighan, parked her Ford
Escape at aWalmart store located in the
29500 block of Plymouth Road in
Livonia at about 4 p.m. Sept. 19. As she
left her vehicle and began walking
toward a shopping cart, it is alleged that
Malinas pulled her purse strap, causing
her to fall to the parking lot pavement.
Kevelighan told responding police
officers that she attempted to fight off
her attacker with her cane, but was not
able to defendherself.
The attacker then took Kevelighan's
purse and keys, got into her vehicle and
drove away.
St. Clair was in the passenger seat of
the victim's car as Malinas drove from
the lot, according to witnesses who pro-
vided details to Livonia police officers
who arrived on the scene. Kevelighan
was treated by EMS workers and then
transported to a local hospital where
she was treated and released with
extensive facial bruising.
The two defendants were arrested by
Livonia police at about 11 p.m. the same
day the incident took place. Officers
were able to track the vehicle location
using a phone left on the front seat of
the vehicle by the victim.
Both defendants were arraigned in
16th District Court in Livonia before
Judge Kathleen McCann who ordered
each of them held on a $2 million cash
or surety bond. No date for a prelimi-
nary examination had been announced
at press time.
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
September 27, 2018
C
ANTON
- W
AYNE
Turning the anniversary of a
national tragedy into an effort to
promote goodworks was the aim
of the Do Good Expo in Canton
onSept. 11.
Members of the Interfaith
Community Outreach were glad
to participate in the effort,
organized by Canton Leisure
Services.
“It's a great event,” said
Chandru Acherya of Canton,
who worships at the Canton
Hindu Temple. He and others
were at the expo making cards
for the Veterans Affairs hospital
inAnnArbor.
Acherya said he believed that
events like this help to dispel
stereotypes.
“Once you get the community
involved, everything seems fun,”
he said. He was joined by
Mahira
Elder,
Dawn
Christenson, Hasina Abdu and
LisaDeGroot, all of Canton.
The 9/11 event was hosted by
Canton Leisure Services and
took place on the National Day
of Service and Remembrance.
Tom Salapatek of Canton was
getting the word out on a new
initiative of the Canton
Community
Foundation,
Providing Others Renewed
Confidence&Hope or P.O.R.C.H.
“We're asking people to com-
mit one hour a week for 12
weeks. We'll match you up with
someone who needs a friend.
These people don't get out,”
explained Salapatek. “It's called
the Plymouth-Canton communi-
ty.Wewant it to be a community.”
He delivers Meals on Wheels,
and meets many homebound
people. Referrals for the brand-
new P.O.R.C.H. initiative are
coming from churches, hospitals
and Canton Police Ofc. Patty
Esselink, who participated in the
DoGoodExpo.
“Nobody should be without a
friend; nobody should think
they're not worth a friend,”
Salpatek said.
The Civil Air Patrol Livonia
Thunderbolt Squad, represented
by Tom Venn of Redford and
James Dresbach of Canton, were
in attendance. Dresbach is the
aircraft manager for Mettetal
Airport inCanton.
The Civil Air Patrol has a
radio network that functions
when the power grid is down,
working as volunteers to help
Homeland Security and other
federal agencies. The group was
among many getting the word
out and seeking volunteers dur-
ing the expo inCanton.
“This was a perfect opportu-
nity. It's a great idea. We'll put up
a display and hopefully get more
members,” saidVenn.
Following the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks, Civil Air Patrol members
handledduties ranging fromaer-
ial photography, transporting
blood and medical supplies,
transporting government offi-
cials, offering risk assessment of
critical infrastructure andwater-
ways, manning communications
at airports accepting flights, and
providing chaplains.
Canton Township Clerk
Michael Siegrist said he was
impressedwith the first DoGood
Expo.
“For us to come together and
say, how do we make a better
community? Well-done,” he said
to township staff and the 30-
some organizations involved.
Do Good Expo draws crowds to Canton
Wayne woman charged in assault on 88-year-old victim
Canton Police Ofc. Patty
Esselink greets Do Good Expo
visitors on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at
Summit on the Park.
The Civil Air Patrol Livonia Thunderbolt Squad was represented at
the Do Good Expo by James Dresbach of Canton and Tom Venn of
Redford.
Mahira Elder of Canton, right, greets Dawn Christenson, also of
Canton, at the Interfaith Community Outreach table on Sept. 11.
Julie Brown
Staff Writer
