Police are searching for an armed man who they believe has committed three gas station robberies in three days in the Westminster area.
State police said the gunman walked into the Exxon station convenience store at Route 140 and Sullivan Road about 8 p.m. Wednesday, picked up a drink and pointed a large caliber semiautomatic pistol at the attendant.
He demanded money and fled with an undisclosed sum in a dark colored Chevrolet Blazer or Ford Bronco, the victim said.
Police said the robber is a black man, 25 to 30 years old, 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds.
He was wearing blue jeans, a black Starter jacket, a baseball cap and sunglasses.
Investigators believe the man robbed the same gas station last Friday and robbed the Shell station on Route 140 at Suffolk Road Saturday. No one was injured in the robberies, police said.
TC Anyone with information is requested to call the state police Criminal Investigation Division at 876-8989 or 848-3111.
Two injured in crash on Route 140
A Taneytown man was flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore after an early morning accident on Route 140 at Meadow Branch Road yesterday.
City police said James Yealy, 40, of Frederick Street was driving a 1982 Chevrolet Citation east on Route 140 about 9 a.m., failed to stop for a red signal and struck a 1989 Plymouth Sundance driven by Amber Smith. The impact knocked the Plymouth across the highway.
Ms. Smith, 18, of Patricia Court in Westminster was taken to Carroll County General Hospital, treated and released, a spokeswoman said.
Mr. Yealy was treated at the trauma center and released at 2:25 p.m., according to a spokeswoman.
POLICE
* Finksburg: State police reported that someone broke a plate glass show window at Rite Aid Pharmacy in Finksburg Shopping Center and stole 80 cartons of cigarettes shortly before 2 a.m. yesterday. Officials of the store, in the 3000 block of Gamber Road, estimated the loss at $1,600.
* Westminster: An Owings Mills resident told police that someone stole the rear tag from her auto while it was parked on the Cranberry Mall lot Wednesday. She estimated the loss at $30.
An employee of Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 140 Village Shopping Center reported to police that someone broke the rear window of a Nissan Pathfinder parked near the company office Monday. The damage was estimated at $200.
FIRE
* Finksburg: Firefighters from Reese and Gamber were dispatched to the AD Products Co. in the 2900 block of Industrial Park Drive at 9:53 a.m. yesterday for a fire in the paint booth inside the building. Employees extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrived, officials said. Fire department fans were used to ventilate the building. No one was injured. Units were out for 42 minutes.
* Pleasant Valley: Pleasant Valley firefighters responded to a woods fire in the 300 block of Kirkhoff Road at 3:33 p.m. Wednesday. They were out for an hour and a half.