A distinctive — and allegedly stolen — white designer belt led police to arrest a Havre de Grace teenager over the weekend in connection with an armed robbery in Aberdeen that occurred last month.
Brandon Tyree Jones Jr., 16, was allowed home detention after a bail review hearing Tuesday afternoon in Harford County District Court. He is charged as an adult with two counts each of armed robbery, robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and theft under $1,500. Altogether, the charges carry a maximum sentence of 141 years in prison.
The alleged victim and two others drove to the Wawa in Aberdeen to meet up with Jones and another individual the night of July 30. After picking them up, the group drove to Aberdeen’s train station. They parked under an overpass, and as Jones was getting out of the car, the driver noticed the white Ferragamo belt he wore, the documents state.
The driver noted that his friend, who was sitting in the car with him, had a similar belt stolen from his house recently. That friend told him to hurry up and drive away, but the driver fumbled with the keys. Then, court documents state, the gun came out.
“The subject said ‘give me all your stuff,‘” while pointing a gun through an open passenger-side window, the documents allege.
The group handed over a phone and $100. Jones allegedly also looked at the driver’s ID card for his home address and ordered the phone be factory reset before he took it.
“‘I know where you live now, don’t try nothing stupid,‘” Jones said, according to the documents.
The group drove back to the Wawa, where they knew police officers were, and told them what happened. Local law enforcement were told to keep a lookout for the 16-year-old — particularly, his distinctive white belt with multicolored F’s on it.
On Aug. 16, a police officer found Jones in front of Harford Family House on Bel Air Avenue. He was loitering with two other people, and the officer noticed he was wearing a belt with a “bold” design on the buckle. The officer told them to leave, but later recalled that Aberdeen police were looking for someone wearing a belt like that. He called for another officer and interviewed Jones, asking him to lift his shirt up to reveal the white Ferragamo belt.
“[Police] determined that this belt was sufficient evidence to place Jones under arrest,” the documents state. He was taken into custody without incident.
Police were also able to identify Jones though his Instagram page. On the profile was a video of Jones brandishing a black handgun, which matched the gun allegedly used in the robbery, according to the documents.
Tuesday, Jones’ public defender Katrina Smith argued for his release on home detention, saying that such a measure could guarantee the alleged victims’ safety.
District Court Judge Mimi Cooper agreed that jail would not be productive for the teen, and that home detention was more acceptable than releasing Jones on his own recognizance, noting the harsh facts of the case. The release is not automatic; Smith will have to file a motion before Jones can leave.
“He is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Smith said.
Jones’ grandmother, who was present at his bail review, declined to speak after the hearing.