Westminster attempted robbery leads to chase; other suspect overdoses, police say

Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun
·2 min read
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Carroll County sheriff’s deputies engaged in a high-speed pursuit of a Baltimore man driving a U-Haul van in Westminster last week, which police said began after the suspect struck a deputy’s arm with the van while trying to evade arrest.

The deputy was not injured, police said, and the 56-year-old driver was arrested and charged with resisting arrest, first- and second-degree assault, and 16 traffic violations, including speeding as much as 45 miles per hour over the limit, failure to obey traffic calming devices, and reckless driving in wanton and willful disregard for safety of persons and property.

The incident began at BJ’s Wholesale Club, 820 Market St., Westminster, where the suspect had attempted a burglary, according to a news release from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.

A suspected accomplice showed signs of an overdose and was hospitalized after exiting the store, police said, while two other suspected accomplices, a 34-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman, both of Baltimore, were charged with fourth-degree burglary.

The 34-year-old was also charged with producing fraudulent personal identification to avoid prosecution, according to the news release.

Deputies pursued the U-Haul van as it traveled east on Route 140 on May 14, but called off the chase due to safety concerns when the van began passing vehicles on the shoulder, near Bethel Road, about halfway between Westminster and Finksburg, the release stated.

Police began searching for the van after receiving a tip that it was parked at a house in the 1000 block of Hemlock Lane in Westminster at around 8:15 a.m. on May 14, according to the news release.

The suspect was arrested in Baltimore by city police after being tracked by Baltimore County police. Westminster police also contributed to the effort, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. The other suspects were arrested in the Westminster store parking lot.

The female suspect was released after the incident, according to county police; the 40-year-old suspect was released on his own recognizance and the 56-year-old driver of the van is being held without bail, according to court records.