26-Year-Old Bel Air Man Charged for Armed Robbery of Creswell Liquor Store Friday; Possible Connection to Earlier Heist

From the Harford County Sheriff’s Office:

[April 22, 2013, Bel Air, MD] — Sheriff’s detectives have identified the suspect in the robbery of Third Base Liquors, which occurred on Friday April 19, 2013. Arrest warrants have been issued for a 26 year old Bel Air man charging him with armed robbery, robbery, assault first degree, assault second degree, and theft less than $1,000. He remains in stable condition at University of Maryland Shock Trauma after he crashed his white SUV while fleeing from police.

At approximately 3:00 p.m. on April 19, Harford County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Third-Base Liquors, 2029 South Fountain Green Road in Bel Air. Upon arrival, deputies learned a black male wearing a burka, which was covering his entire face with the exception of his eyes, had entered the store and engaged the clerk in a discussion about beer. The suspect reportedly altered his voice to represent himself as a female. The suspect chose a case of beer and when the clerk stooped over to pick it up the suspect displayed a handgun and announced the robbery.

After giving the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash the suspect left the store and got into a white SUV. An alert passerby saw the suspect running from the business and thought it suspicious. They saw him get into a white sport utility vehicle and as he left the area copied the tag number of the vehicle and reported it to police.

A short while later police saw the suspect vehicle on Rt. 40 at Rt. 755 in Edgewood and turned on the vehicle to stop it. The suspect vehicle then fled west bound on Rt. 40. Sheriff’s deputies pursued the vehicle. As the suspect vehicle approached Pine Ave. in Joppa it clipped a car that was making a turn. This contact caused the suspect to lose control and the vehicle rolled several times ejecting the suspect on to the roadway.

He was treated at the scene by EMS personnel from the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company and subsequently transported to University of Maryland Shock Trauma by Maryland State Police Medivac. Rt. 40 west of Rt. 152 was closed for several hours while police investigated the crash and collected evidence believe connected to the robbery. There were no other injuries reported at either the scene of the robbery or the scene of the crash.

Detectives believe that this robbery is connected to the armed robbery that occurred earlier that same day at Xtra Mart in the 2400 block of Churchville Road in Bel Air, MD. They are continuing to process the evidence necessary to positively connect the two cases. The suspect also faces separate traffic charges as investigation by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit continues into the pursuit and subsequent crash.