Police Make Arrest in Convenience Store Robbery

Howard County police are holding an Aberdeen man in custody in connection with the robbery of an Ellicott City store, according to police, and are investigating the suspect's connection to additional store robberies committed over the weekend.

On Wednesday, police identified the man as a 34-year-old from Aberdeen who has been charged with armed robbery, robbery and first-degree assault.

Three convenience stores were robbed at gunpoint Saturday and Sunday, police said, and the hold-ups are being investigated as related.

Among the string of three weekend robberies, two occurred on Old Waterloo Road in Elkridge on Saturday, police said.

“The three robberies over the weekend had similarities in method of robbery, as well as a similar suspect description, all within a close geographic area and time frame,” said Elizabeth Schroen, spokeswoman for the Howard County Police Department.

At 1:48 a.m. on Feb. 18, a man approached the clerk at the Elkridge CVS with a gun and stole cash and cigarettes, police said.

Approximately 20 hours later, a store down the street was robbed in similar fashion, according to police. At 9:57 p.m., a man held up the 7-Eleven in the Lark Brown Shopping Center and left with cash and cigarettes.

On Sunday, Feb. 19, the Ellicott City 7-Eleven on Montgomery Road was robbed at gunpoint, police reported.

“There was a single suspect in the stores in all three robberies," said Schroen. 

On Tuesday at about 2:30 a.m., a police officer on routine patrol stopped 34-year-old Theodore Bratton Heath on Broken Land Parkway in Columbia, Schroen said. Police said he was driving a Ford Explorer with revoked North Carolina tags under the influence of alcohol and his license was suspended.

“Officers noted Heath’s appearance, clothing and vehicle matched the description of the robbery at 7-Eleven,” Schroen wrote in an email.

“Based on evidence at the scene and investigation, he has been charged in the 7-Eleven robbery, and the investigation continues into his possible involvement in other cases.”

Two Elkridge 7-Elevens were robbed at gunpoint recently and police said the investigation into the incidents continues. In November, the Rowanberry 7-Eleven was held up; and in December, there was an attempted armed robbery at the Old Waterloo Road 7-Eleven.

"The investigation is ongoing and will determine if the same suspect had involvement in any other county cases," said Schroen.

This article was updated at 1:10 and 12:25 p.m. on Feb. 22 to indicate the suspect has been identified.