Police Say Employees Thwarted a Glen Burnie Man's Alleged Attempted Robbery of an Annapolis Store

Employees at Anita’s Spanish Grocery Store in Annapoils struggled with a Glen Burnie man and chased him around the store Friday night until officers arrived and arrested him, police said.

Darius Cameron, 26, was charged with three counts of attempted murder, three counts of first- and second-degree assault, armed robbery, robbery and various weapons charges.

According to an press release from the Annapolis Police Department, Cameron entered the store located in the 1900 block of Fairfax Road at about 9:20 p.m. As he went down the store's aisles, police said he covered his face and pulled a handgun. He then walked to the counter, pointed the gun at the store clerks and demanded money.

One of the store clerks did not follow Cameron's ordered and activated a panic alarm inside the store. Police said at that point, he jumped on the counter, pointed a gun at a female clerk, and continued to demand money. When the woman refused to comply, Cameron tried to shoot her, “but the weapon did not work,” according to the press release.

At one point Cameron dropped the gun and a struggle over the weapon ensued, police said. Store employees got into a struggle with Cameron, hit him with different items inside the store and chased him around the store until police arrived, according to the release.

According to police, one of the store employees received minor cuts during that struggle. Police said Cameron was transported to the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for precautionary purposes after sustaining lacerations to his head and body.

“What we have here was a thug, a predator who was stopped in his tracks by the brave actions of decent people. Annapolis violent crime hasn't been lower in decades, and the city is safer than ever, but we can't declare victory as intolerable incidents like these happen from time-to-time. We're working hard to prevent crime and very grateful for the positive outcome in this case,” Annapolis Police Chief Michael Pristoop said in the news release.

Cameron was being held without bail as of Saturday afternoon, police said.