Police say an "alert citizen" in Sykesville tackled a man who was beating a High's convenient store clerk with a baseball bat on Friday, Jan. 6, but couldn't detain the assailant long enough for police to make an arrest.
As a result, Maryland State Police and the Sykesville Police Department are searching for the clerk's attacker, and have obtained a warrant for Darrell Webb Jr., 21, of the 1800 block of Amanda Lane, Sykesville.
Police said Webb is wanted for armed robbery, first degree assault and theft. Additional charges are pending, police said. State troopers said Webb is the only suspect in the incident.
According to the report, at about 6:45 a.m., troopers from the Westminster Barrack and Sykesville Police Department officers responded to the High's convenience store, 7400 Village Road, Sykesville, for a report of an assault.
When officers arrived, they found the clerk suffering from injuries from an apparent strike to the head and body with a baseball bat. The clerk was transported by the Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department to Carroll Hospital Center with non-life threatening injuries.
Police said their preliminary investigation indicates that Webb entered the store and threatened the store clerk verbally. He then used the bat to strike the clerk several times.
Police said a citizen — who was not identified — saw Webb enter the store with the bat and interrupted the assault. The citizen tackled Webb as he fled from the store, but was unable to detain him until police arrived, police said.
Webb fled in a dark blue 2006 Chrysler Sebring, with Maryland tags 8AK5106.
During the assault, Webb also stole an undetermined amount of Maryland Lottery scratch off tickets. Investigators said Webb is believed to have threatened the same clerk with a bat several days prior to this incident. That incident is being investigated by officers with the Sykesville Police Department.
Anyone with information about the robbery or Webb's whereabouts is asked to contact state police at 410-386-3000.