The 80-year-old owner of a Dundalk liquor store was shot to death last week when he balked at giving his assailant change for a dollar, according to District Court charging documents.
The court documents quoted the assailant as saying he "went into the liquor store and asked the man for change for a dollar. The old man said, 'What do I look like, a bank?' "
The documents said the assailant "then pulled out a gun and shot him."
Police have charged William Patrick Ford III, 15, of the 8100 block of Gray Haven Road in Dundalk, with first-degree murder in the incident. Yesterday, District Judge Alexander Wright denied bail for the youth.
Police are unsure whether the Feb. 13 shooting began as an attempt to rob Angelo Coliano, owner of Try-It Liquors in the 200 block of Wise Ave.
The Ford youth was arrested Saturday at the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School in Cub Hill and charged with first-degree murder and handgun use in commission of a crime. He was at Hickey on an unrelated offense.
He became a suspect the day after Mr. Coliano was killed, when he allegedly told another youth about the shooting, according to the charging documents.
The other youth told police that young Ford detailed what happened during the shooting, the location of the liquor store and that the owner was shot in the chest, the documents said. The youth also told police that a .38-caliber pistol was used.
Mr. Coliano of Linthicum, known as "Angie" by neighborhood residents, was found lying in front of his store by a customer. He had been shot in the chest.
Police said Mr. Coliano walked out of the store but collapsed on the sidewalk. He died at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.