The crime report is a sampling of crimes in Howard County compiled from police. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 410-313-3700.
East Columbia
Stevens Forest Road: 5600 block, Oakland Mills. Someone forced a ground-floor window of a home and stole video game systems and digital video discs between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 2.
Berger Road: 9200 block, Kings Contrivance. Police responding to the Lube Center found a broken window and cash stolen about 11 p.m. Feb. 5.
Tamar Drive: 8900 block, Long Reach. Someone pried open an apartment's rear sliding-glass door and stole a video game system, surround-sound system, digital video disc player, DVDs and other electronics-related items about 8 p.m. Monday.
Cloudleap Court: 8700 block, Long Reach. A woman barricaded herself and her children in a bedroom after hearing a loud noise in her home late Feb. 9. She saw a rear bedroom window forced open and heard someone in the house. The burglar fled before police arrived.
West Columbia
Thicket Lane: 5600 block, Wilde Lake. A boy and girl were walking along Governor Warfield Parkway when they were approached from behind by four or five teen-age boys about 8 p.m. Friday. One of them struck the girl and took her purse, and the group ran toward the lake. They wore dark clothing and were in their middle to late teens. One of the boys wore a black knit cap with a yellow stripe.
Ellicott City/Elkridge
Dorsey Hall Drive: 4700 block, Ellicott City. Two men wearing ski masks - one armed with a handgun - tried to take a purse from a woman about noon Saturday. The men ran when she screamed. Both were about 6 feet tall; one wore an orange ski mask and the other a white one.
N. Laurel/Savage/Jessup
Gorman Road: 8800 block, North Laurel. Police responding to an alarm at the Golden Coast Chinese carryout restaurant found the front door smashed and cash stolen early Feb. 3.
Tower Drive: 8600 block, North Laurel. Someone broke through a rear door and stole jewelry, a video game system and video games in the afternoon or evening Feb. 7.
Assateague Drive: 7400 block, Jessup. As an Arby's restaurant was closing late Feb. 9, two men wearing masks and displaying handguns entered and forced employees into the back. They then forced the manager to open the safe and stole an unknown amount of money.
Western Howard
Henryton Road: 1500 block, Marriottsville. Police responding to a residential alarm discovered the side door to the attached garage kicked in about 8 p.m. Feb. 6. The house was not entered, but a chainsaw and a mitre saw were stolen from the garage.
Forsythe Road: 13700 block, Sykesville. Someone broke into a home and stole a .22-caliber rifle and portable radio between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6.