Crime & Safety

Snowden Exxon Robbed Three Times Since September

Police arrested two people suspected to be involved in one robbery in which coffee was thrown at the gas station's clerk.

 

It appears to be a series of unfortunate events occurring at the Exxon gas station near the 8200 block of Snowden River Parkway.

The gas station has been robbed three times in less than six months, according to past police reports. Police announced Thursday they made arrests in one of the reported robberies.

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"We're working with police," said Mirsad Basar, manager of the gas station, who said they have supplied surveillance videos to police. "It's just random, maybe bad luck."

The latest robbery involved a man who entered the gas station wearing a yellow bandana covering his face and brandishing a knife, who demanded cash and stole two to three cartons of cigarettes on Jan. 19 around 2 a.m., according to police.

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Police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn said there's no specific reason why the gas station is being robbed, but even so, police arranged for a crime prevention officer to see if there are any measures the store can take to prevent being robbed again.

Before that, two other robberies were reported, including a dramatic coffee throwing robbery on Jan. 5.

In that incident, police say two men entered the Exxon around 3 a.m. on Jan. 5. One man asked the clerk if the coffee was hot and poured himself a cup, according to police. The other man went and grabbed a water bottle. As the first suspect went to pay for the coffee, the clerk opened the cash register and the suspect threw the coffee at him, said police.

Then the other man swung around the counter, pushed the clerk to the floor and both suspects displayed handguns, according to police. The men stole the money from the register and fled, said police. The clerk was reportedly not seriously injured.

Police announced on Thursday that two men were arrested for their suspected involvement in the incident. Michael Elliott Dickey Jr, 20, of Flowerstock Row in Columbia, and Kyle Brandon Willis, 19, of Baltimore, were charged with robbery, assault, theft and gun charges. Police said fingerprints found at the scene and surveillance videos helped lead them to the suspects. Dickey is being held at the Howard County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond, while Willis was released on a $100,000 bond, according to police.

The third robbery of the gas station occurred on Sept. 23. Police reported two men entered the Exxon, one stood near the doorway, while the other approached the counter, displayed a knife and stole money and two cartons of cigarettes around 3:25 a.m.

Police said the Jan. 19 and Sept. 23 robberies remain under investigation.


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