Harrison Lewis III linked to series of robberies, FBI says
Updated: 2:54 PM EST Jan 31, 2017
Saliqa A. Khan
Digital Editor
Winter hat robber
SOURCE: FBI
BALTIMORE —
The so-called winter hat robber has been arrested, the FBI said Tuesday.
The FBI said Harrison Lewis III was arrested without incident at 2:30 p.m. Monday by Baltimore County police officers after he robbed the PNC Bank at 3422 Sweet Air Road in Phoenix, Maryland.
Authorities believe Lewis is behind at least 10 robberies in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Howard and Carroll counties.
Special agents from the FBI Baltimore Office and police detectives from Howard County assisted in the investigation.
Lewis is currently being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center.
Baltimore County police investigate vandalism spree
South Park? WTF? Is there anything left in Harm City to vandalize?
-Jeremy
Not much, Jeremy, that's why our home team is playing in the surrounding ciounty.
-James
Baltimore County police investigate vandalism spree
Updated: 6:18 PM EST Jan 31, 2017
Kim Dacey
News Reporter
TOWSON, Md. —
Baltimore County police are investigating a vandalism spree in the Towson and Cockeysville areas. There were eight incidents in less than a week, and police are looking at them as possible bias crimes.
Four locations were hit Wednesday and Thursday, and more locations were hit on Sunday. The vandalism included graffiti, swastikas, profanity and slurs spray-painted on cars and signs. The restrooms at Valley Fields Park south in Lutherville were also vandalized.
"On Sunday, again, we had four more that don't appear to be related to the first four, but they themselves could possibly be related," Baltimore County police Officer Jennifer Peach said. "We had four incidents on Sunday where the words 'south park' were spray painted on various items. At this point, we're looking into what that could possibly mean."
All of the incidents happened in the Towson or Cockeysville precincts. Some targeted cars and driveways an one targeted the dumpsters at St. Pius School on York Road.
"They're all being investigated as possible bias incidents and by that we mean that the victims seem to feel that this may have been done to their person or property because of their race, religion or sexual preference," Peach said.
"That's pretty shocking, pretty surprising," a neighbor said.
A neighbor in one of the areas hit did not want to be identified but said he's never heard of something like that happening there.
"That's not something that normally happens in a neighborhood as quiet as this, so yeah, I'm completely surprised," he said.
Police are trying to get their hands on any security video that might be available to help track down the suspects, and determine if any of the incidents are related.
"If we can find any video from surrounding areas of maybe a person that was walking down the street with a spray paint can, then we'll have a better idea if we have the same suspect for multiple incidents," Peach said.
There's not much people can do to protect their property from vandals, but police have one suggestion.
"One of the things you can do is have outside lighting that comes on automatically that is motion sensored so if someone were to walk onto the property things would be lit up a lot of times that's enough to scare someone away," Peach said.
