Two teens charged in three robberies at Columbia Exxon

Two teenagers have been charged with multiple counts of armed robbery in connection to three robberies at a Columbia Exxon gas station over a three-month period, Howard police announced Tuesday morning.

Demetrius Burney, 18, of Columbia, and a 15-year-old male from Jessup are facing armed robbery, assault and theft charges.

Police investigation began around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2015 in the 8200 block of Snowden River Parkway when a woman reported that two individuals forced her to the ground at knifepoint. After finding no valuables, the two then ran away.

About a week later, police said a similar robbery occurred at the same gas station at 2:20 a.m., where another woman was approached by two people with knives, who stole her cash and cell phone. One of the suspects also held the knife to her throat, demanded she get into her car and hit her in the face after she screamed.

Police said the teens later robbed an Exxon employee around 1:30 a.m. Feb. 5, partially covering their faces and jumping over the convenience store counter. Both teens, one armed with a knife and the other holding a handgun, forced the employee to open the register and took the cash. Police said the robbery was found on the store's video surveillance and released to the public on social media.

During the investigation, detectives learned information connecting Burney to the robberies, later serving search warrants at the homes of Burney and the juvenile. Evidence was found at both homes, including clothing, multiple knives and a handgun-style pellet gun, linking both teens to the robberies.

Burney is currently being held at the county jail on $750,000 bond, police said, while the juvenile was released on community detention with electronic monitoring.