Crime & Safety
Man Charged With Kidnapping, Robbing Woman In Harford County
According to Harford County deputies, the woman's 5-year-old son was with his mother during the kidnapping and robbery.
HARFORD COUNTY, MD — An Edgewood man accused of kidnapping and robbing a woman, whose young son was with her at the time of the crime, is now behind bars, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office.
On Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, at 8:53 a.m., deputies responded to Clover Valley Way in Edgewood for armed robbery report.
Once on scene, deputies said they met with a female victim who reported she had been robbed at gunpoint.
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Through the investigation, deputies said they determined the victim was in the 1300 block of East Spring Meadow Court with her 5-year-old child, when an unfamiliar man, later identified as Michael Joseph James, approached her with a knife and demanded money.
When James learned the victim didn’t have any cash, deputies said he forced her to drive him and her child to a local ATM where he made her withdraw cash from her account. After getting the cash, deputies said James forced the victim to drive him to the area of Clover Valley Way, where he fled on foot.
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Pictured above: Michael Joseph James, 28, of Edgewood
The investigation was assumed by detectives with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. Investigators from the Forensic Services Unit responded to the scene to collect and preserve physical evidence in support of the investigation.
Detectives and Patrol Deputies followed leads, examined evidence and sought additional information and on Dec. 7, 2021, James, 28, was arrested on unrelated charges.
After his arrest, James was transported to the Criminal Investigations Division where he was questioned.
During this questioning, deputies said James revealed information that indicated to detectives he was involved in this incident. As a result of the investigation, James was charged on Jan. 5, 2022, with armed robbery, robbery, two counts of kidnapping, two counts each of 1st and 2nd degree assault, two counts of reckless endangerment and theft $100 to under $1,500.
James is being held at the Harford County Detention Center without bail.
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