A months-long burglary streak that police say targeted cash registers across Howard and Anne Arundel counties may have hit a wall this week. Howard County police report that six people were arrested after being identified during an attempted commercial burglary in Howard County. The group, made up of five adults and a 17-year-old juvenile, is linked by investigators to a string of break-ins focused on cash and registers over roughly three months. All adult suspects are being held without bond at the Howard County Detention Center while the investigation rolls on.
How police say the arrests unfolded
The Howard County Police Department's daily crime bulletin lists three commercial burglaries reported on April 28 in Ellicott City and Columbia, and notes that “ARRESTED: Six suspects were arrested in the three burglaries above,” according to the Howard County Police Department. According to the bulletin, suspects got in by smashing glass doors or windows and, in some cases, made off with cash and small electronics taken from registers and countertops. The department’s log ties those April 28 incidents to a broader cluster of commercial burglaries reported across the county in late April.
Who was arrested and what they're charged with
Local coverage identifies the arrestees as Alphonso Wilson, 20; Isaac Anderson, 21; Zevian Jones, 21; Roderick Thomas, 21; Damari Day, 23; and a 17-year-old male from Washington, D.C. Four of the adults are each facing 20 counts that include burglary, theft and destruction of property, while Thomas is charged with eight counts and the juvenile faces burglary and destruction charges, according to WMAR-2 News. Authorities say most of the alleged incidents involved forced entry and the theft of cash.
Police say the arrests stopped a months-long spree
Police and local outlets report that investigators believe the arrests cut short a spree of dozens of commercial burglaries that stretched back about three months across multiple jurisdictions. Authorities say the suspects were identified while attempting a burglary and taken into custody in Columbia, and local reporting notes that cash was the main target in many of the break-ins, per WBFF (Fox45).
What's next for the case and for local businesses
All adult suspects remain held without bond and charges are still pending as investigators work to connect the group to related break-ins in Anne Arundel and neighboring counties, according to the Howard County Police Department. The department is asking anyone with surveillance footage or tips to follow instructions in its online newsroom while prosecutors in the affected counties decide where to file charges. In the meantime, local business owners are being urged to review existing security video and tighten up cash-handling practices as the case moves forward.
