Police Release Details from Monday's Car Theft Arrest

The man who drove a stolen car into a ditch near the Edgewater Safeway on Monday was the suspect who stole the vehicle in the first place, according to the Annapolis Police Department.

Police charged Phillip Joseph Banks, 23, of Annapolis, with motor vehicle unlawful taking and theft $1,000-$10,000, according to a report.

At about 7:30 a.m. Monday, Annapolis police received a call of a reported auto theft on the 1900 block of Copeland Street in Annapolis. Upon arrival, officers spoke with a female victim who said she turned her car on, went back inside her home briefly and then came out to see a man preparing to steal her car.

The victim said she ran to the passenger side of the car and yelled, commanding the man to stop, but was unable to prevent the theft, according to police.  She told officers she recognized the suspect as someone she had seen walking down her street before and that she would be able to recognize him again.

Annapolis police contacted Anne Arundel County law enforcement to be on the lookout for the victim’s car—a green and tan 2003 Mercury Mountaineer.

While police still worked with the victim at the scene, Anne Arundel County officers received a call for a single vehicle accident near the Safeway in Edgewater. The car matched the description of the stolen vehicle so police made contact with the driver, who displayed aggression towards the officers, according to the report.

The driver assaulted county police before he was ultimately subdued, Annapolis police said.

The suspect was transported to Anne Arundel Medical Center due to injuries resulting from the struggle he had with the county officers, police said.

With the help of the victim’s one-on-one identification, Banks was identified as the car thief while he was at the hospital, according to the report.

Additional investigations revealed that Banks’ driver’s license was suspended for failing to comply with child support payment requirements, police said.