Three men armed with handguns stormed a Verizon store on Annapolis Road in Odenton on Monday night, forced two employees into a bathroom, and sped off in one of the worker's stolen cars. Anne Arundel County police are now asking the public for help identifying the trio behind the brazen hold-up.
Officers responded to the store at 1496 Annapolis Road around 8:25 p.m. Monday, according to FOX45 News. The station reports that the three suspects entered the shop armed with handguns, forced the two employees inside into the bathroom, and fled before the workers could free themselves.
Detectives are still working to determine exactly what merchandise was taken and in what quantity, the outlet reports. What is confirmed is that the suspects did not leave on foot — they stole one of the employee's vehicles to make their getaway.
Descriptions Released for Three Suspects
Police have released descriptions of all three men involved. The first is described as a white man standing roughly 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, wearing an Amazon delivery jacket, a surgical mask, and black shoes. The second suspect is described as a white man around 6 feet tall in a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black shoes, and a face mask. The third is described only as a tall white man dressed entirely in black.
The case has been handed to the Anne Arundel County Police Department's Regional Crimes Unit.
A Troubling Pattern at County Cell Phone Stores
That suspicion is not without basis. Just eight days before the Odenton robbery, an employee at a Verizon store in Arnold was robbed at gunpoint in the 1400 block of Ritchie Highway shortly after closing, as reported by Hoodline. In that case, a masked gunman confronted the worker outside the store and demanded his wallet and phone before fleeing on foot.
The Odenton store falls within the patrol zone of the department's Western District Station on Telegraph Road. That same district has seen other violent, weapon-involved crimes this year. In August, officers responded to an armed carjacking on Village Square Court in nearby Severn, where two suspects confronted a driver with a handgun before dawn and stole his vehicle, later found abandoned at a nearby park. Separately, in July, a revolver was discharged when a suspect struck a register at a Linthicum store.
Legal Exposure if Suspects Are Caught
Should the three men be identified and arrested, they would face serious criminal exposure under Maryland law. Armed robbery carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, according to SoMD Criminal Defense. Using a firearm during a violent crime adds an additional 5 to 20 years, including a non-parolable mandatory minimum of 5 years for handgun use, according to attorneys at Houlon Berman.
Countywide numbers underscore how often guns and stolen vehicles intersect in Anne Arundel County. Nearly 2,000 motor vehicles were reported stolen and close to 300 people were charged with handgun offenses countywide in 2023, according to data cited by the Herbst Firm.
Anyone with information about the Odenton robbery is urged to call the Regional Crimes Unit at 410-222-4730. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can instead contact the Anne Arundel County Police tip line at 410-222-4700. It remains unclear whether the stolen employee vehicle has been recovered or whether surveillance footage from nearby businesses along Annapolis Road has helped investigators trace the suspects' escape route.
