Crime and Fire Blotter

This activity report is a selection of local incidents provided by the Anne Arundel County police and fire departments as a public service to the community and compiled by Patch. It is not a complete listing of all events and crimes reported.

July 20, 2011
Brooklyn Park:

Anne Arundel County Police arrested a Baltimore man Wednesday afternoon in connection with the robbery of a Brooklyn Park Save-A-Lot after a witness followed him into the city after the incident, police said.

Keith Gerald Smith, 48, of Baltimore was charged with robbery, second-degree theft and assault.

According to a police press release, officers responded to the store located in the 5000 block of Ritchie Highway in Brooklyn Park at about 4:30 p.m. for a reported robbery.

Officers spoke with witnesses who said a man entered the store, pushed the clerk to the ground and stole an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register. The man then fled the scene in a white Chevrolet van heading north on Ritchie Highway, police said.

Another witness followed the Chevrolet until it stopped on 5th Street and East Patapsco Avenue in Baltimore and the man ran from the car. The witness told officers the direction the man ran and they were able to find and arrest him without incident. The money was recovered.

Glen Burnie Incidents Under Investigation

July 23, 2011
Glen Burnie:

A Pasadena man died Saturday night after being involved in a motorcycle accident on Nabbs Creek Road in Glen Burnie.

James Alton Cockrell of Pasadena, who was not wearing a helmet according to police, was pronounced dead on the scene.

According to a police press release, Cockrell had just left Nabbs Creek Cafe with his motorcycle group when they reached a sharp curve near the intersection of Francis Road. That's when a car supposedly crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, according to a police press release.

To avoid a collision, another motorcyclist laid down his bike in the roadway. Cockrell hit the brakes on his bike and veered into a wooden area on the side of the road. He was thrown from the bike. Cockrell was not wearing a helmet and was pronounced dead on the scene. 

Alcohol and speed appear to be factors in this case and the investigation is continuing, police said.

Shady Side:

A Glen Burnie man died from injuries he sustained in a single-car accident that occurred early Saturday morning in Shady Side.

According to a release from police, Terry Elvin Potts, 26, of Glen Burnie was flown by state police helicopter to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore where he later died.

A preliminary investigation has led police to believe that speed was a factor in the accident, police said.

Police said Potts was driving a 2002 silver four-door Saturn on Shady Side Road at about 2:55 a.m. The vehicle left the road and struck a utility pole, according to the release.

County police are continuing to investigate the crash.

Brooklyn Park: Armed Robbery

Two men robbed the Pizza City in Brooklyn Park at gunpoint early Saturday morning, police said.

According to a police press release, officers responded to the store in the 5600 block of Belle Grove Road in Brooklyn Park at about 2:40 a.m. for a reported robbery. Officers spoke with a man who said he was closing the store with another employee when two men entered Pizza City, pointed handguns at them and demanded money. The man said he gave them an undisclosed amount of money as well as some of his personal property.

The men ran toward Belle Grove Road in an unknown direction. Officers and a K-9 unit searched the area but were unable to locate the men.

July 18, 2011
Brooklyn Park: Robbery

A man snatched a woman’s purse July 18 in the parking lot of Shoppers Food and Pharmacy in Brooklyn Park, police said.

According to a police press release, officers responded to the store in the 5700 block of Ritchie Highway shortly before 12:30 p.m. for a reported purse snatching. Officers spoke with a woman who said that a man drove up beside her and grabbed her purse from her shoulder. She said the man never got out of the car, which was described only as a tan, four-door car. The man fled the scene toward 17th Avenue.

Officers searched the area but were unable to find the man.

Metro Crime Stoppers: If you have information on the above incidents, please call, email or text your tip to Metro Crime Stoppers. A hotline is available 24 hours a day toll-free at 866-7LOCKUP or text "MCS" plus your message to CRIMES (274637).

Phone calls are not recorded and callers remain anonymous. You may also be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.

Upper Marlboro Patch Editor Marcus J. Moore and Greater Annapolis Patch Editor John Wilfong contributed to this report.