Portage, MI – A Michigan man suspected in a string of armed robberies at Aldi grocery stores across the state has been taken into custody and is facing multiple felony charges.
According to the Portage Department of Public Safety, the arrest stems from incidents on December 10, 2024, and January 18, 2025, at the Aldi store on South Westnedge Avenue in Portage. In both cases, a masked suspect allegedly asked to speak with a store manager before implying he was armed and demanding cash in a back room.
Detectives investigating the Portage cases uncovered a broader pattern of similar robberies at Aldi locations throughout Michigan during the same time period. Authorities say the suspect’s methods and appearance remained consistent in each instance.
By late January, a lead directed investigators to a suspect living in the Lansing area. After coordinating with multiple law enforcement agencies and Aldi Corporate, police linked the suspect to armed robberies at several stores statewide.
On June 2, 2025, the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office charged 34-year-old Kaleb Michael Shaffer with two felony counts of armed robbery. Shaffer was apprehended in Rapid City, South Dakota on June 4 and extradited to Michigan. He was arraigned on June 20 in Kalamazoo County District Court and remains held without bond.
In a related case, the Meridian Township Police Department announced Tuesday that an additional charge of armed robbery has been filed against Shaffer for a January 5, 2025, incident at an Aldi in their jurisdiction.
Officials noted that the investigation remains active and additional charges may be forthcoming from other jurisdictions.
Anyone with further information is urged to contact Portage Public Safety at 329-4567 or Silent Observer at 343-2100.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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