Columbia Teens Arrested in Long Reach Group Street Robbery, Burglaries

Howard County Police announced Wednesday they arrested four Columbia teens in connection with a Long Reach street group robbery and a series of residential burglaries in the area.

Police said three of the teens, two 15-year-olds and an 18-year-old, were involved in a July 6 robbery in which two victims reported being attacked by a group of seven to nine males while walking across a parking lot in the 6100 block of Old Dobbin Road around 11:30 p.m. 

Police said the victims attempted to run across a ball field to escape from the attackers, but one fell and was punched by members of the group. One suspect stole the victim's wallet, which contained foreign currency, credit cards and a student identification card, according to police. The other victim managed to escape into a wooded area, said police.

One adult, Milton M. Montgomery, 18, of the 8200 block of Tamar Meadow St., was charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of theft. The two other 15-year-olds arrested were also charged with robbery, second-degree assault and theft. Police are not releasing their names because they are juveniles.

Police tracked the victim's stolen credit card, which was used at a nearby gas station the day after the robbery. Surveillance video from the gas station showed a group of five young males with mud covering their shoes and clothing who fit the victims' description from the robbery, said police. Through an investigation police identified the teens and arrested them over the weekend.

Montgomery, the two teens charged in the robbery, and another 15-year-old from Columbia were also charged with multiple burglaries in the Long Reach area. The teens are suspected to have burglarized residences on Airybrink Lane, Tamebird Court, Cobblefiled Drive and Cloudleap Court by entering through sliding glass doors at night and taking electronic and cash, said police.

Police spokesperson Mary Phelan said police are investigating the possibility the teens are also involved in other robberies and burglaries in Long Reach and the Columbia Lakefront. Police said additional charges in those cases are expected.

On June 19, a man was attacked by a group of five males and reported his laptop was stolen near the 10300 block of Swift Stream Place in Downtown Columbia, according to police. A similar incident was reported to police in Oakland Mills on June 20, when a man said he was attacked from behind by a group of five males and had his iPod stolen at the intersection of Kilimanjaro Road and Merryrest Road.

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This article has been edited.