In the early morning hours of July 1, a man wearing a red bandana over his face and the words "Police Explorer" printed on the back of his shirt, robbed a Columbia gas station at gunpoint and stole not only cash, but lottery tickets, too..
Not one or two, but between 50 and 60 tickets.
As a result, Howard County police have dubbed him the "lottery ticket robber."
The man, estimated to be between 35 and 40 years old, entered a Shell gas station, in the 9100 block of Snowden River Parkway in Columbia, at approximately 3:30 a.m., brandished a gun, pushed an employee to the ground and demanded money, according to police.
He also stole cigarettes.
The two employees present complied and the man fled the store and stole an employee's 2002 Oldsmobile Brevada during his getaway, police said. Police later recovered the stolen vehicle, which had been abandoned.
Police are offering a $500 reward for information leading to his identification. The man is estimated to be 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weigh 200 pounds.