Columbia Mall Robberies

[pfrazier]

http://columbia.patch.com/articles/robbers-strike-inside-columbia-mall-over-weekend

Here is another reason not to go the mall. Columbia is going down hill

 

[tball]

Based on the descriptions I have read in the local crime reports, I believe the tall one of these guys was the one who approached me at the grocery store parking lot when I was putting my food in my car at lunchtime on Valentines day. He wanted my grocery receipt. I asked him why he wanted it. He threatened to F(@* me up if I didn't give it to him. I told him no and asked him to go away. He told me I didn't know what he could do to me. I told him you don't know what I could do to you. It was in the middle of the day and there were people around. I pulled out my phone and called 911. (I wish I had used it to take his picture, then called 911). The guy and his two buddies who had been hanging out by the entrance to the store left. The police came within 5 minutes or so after my call. By then, the guy and his two buddies were long gone. I couldn't believe this happened to me in Columbia.

This guy and his buddies meet the description given for several armed robberies in the area over the last 4 months, where victims were robbed and assaulted and later taken to the hospital. There have been several robberies and assaults each week by that meet the description of these guys.

I guess what happened to me didn't merit getting into the papers or crime report, because I wasn't hurt.

I couldn't understand why they wanted the receipts until I talked to the policeman and the manager at the store who said they had been bringing receipts to the store telling the manager that something wasn't put in their cart or something was wrong with what they bought.

I wish I had asked for a police report. Thanks to Woolard, I shouldn't need it.

 

[dneidFIST]

tball - which grocery store were you at? I visit about half of the village centers regularly and, while I'm always on the watch, I want to know which one(s) are having more issues than other currently.

 

[tball]

Harpers Choice Safeway. I've been over there a lot since and haven't seen them around. If you check out the Crime reports for Howard County, you will see that on the 17th, there was a robbery at the Harpers Choice Shopping center similar to what has been happening in the area.

Two years ago, my wife was at the Hickory Ridge Giant. She had her gym bag in the cart, her purse was in the gym bag and her wallet was in her purse. Someone took her wallet and within half an hour charged $750 at the Mall.

I've lived here since for about 25 years and don't remember anything like this happening.

 

[tball]

Another trick I had been told that has been happening at the Safeway. The ATM machine is right next to the front door. When someone is using the money machine, you have to walk around them to leave the store. Apparently there are some criminals, who distract the person at the money machine while another person grabs the money when the person at the ATM is looking away. The person at the ATM goes to complain to the manager that money didn't come out of the machine. The manager takes them to the office and they watch the tape to see what happened. That's when they see the money being taken.

It's a brave new world. We all have to be more aware of our surroundings. I used to live in the city where crime was an every day event. Now its coming out to the suburbs. Oh joy! I worry about my wife and daughter. In howard county, you can't even have a stun gun. We need to have stronger wording on our bumper stickers than "Choose Civility".

 

[Matlack]

Welcome to Columbia!

Is this a surprise to anyone.

A few weeks ago my wife and I were shopping in Columbia and my wife noticed a guy walking through the parking lot grabbing door handles. We stopped and watch as he entered a vehicle and then got back out and continued. We called the police and waited. We followed the guy through the parking lot and watched as he continued. We directed police dispatch to his location and they quickly took him down.

He was stealing their vehicle registrations and accompaning documentation. I figure it was to go to their homes later and steal the vehicle or something worse.

Dont ever leave your cars unlocked in a parking lot.

 

[tball]

It's called Bumping

When I lived in the city, the lady who lived in the house at the end of the block that was the neighborhood's unlicensed pharmacy used to watch her kids "bump" the cars on the block. If a door was unlocked, they would be inside in a second. If the door was locked and they saw something interesting. You would find broken glass on the street. I expected this kind of crap in Baltimore city. It ticks me off that it is now in the suburbs. We need CCW now. The criminals knowing people are unarmed has emboldened them to think they can do anything they want to people. I worry about my wife and daughter.

 

[pfrazier]

What sucks is that I live about three minute drive from the Harpers Choice Safeway but, the quality of the store contents have gone down so I drive out to the Giant. What is funny is that I see a security guard BS'ing with his buddies and not paying any attention. There once was a police substation there but I believe they have closed it.

 

[FFMike]

Howard County has gone downhill in the past 10 years. When I was working at the Banneker Station we regularly ran shootings, assaults, sexual assaults... If you guys who live in Howard County want to know the truth about the crime go to Radio Shack, spend a couple bucks on a scanner and listen to HCPD and HCFD.. you will be suprised what you hear!

It isn't just Columbia, it is everywhere!

 

[fivepointstar]

Howard County has gone downhill in the past 10 years. When I was working at the Banneker Station we regularly ran shootings, assaults, sexual assaults... If you guys who live in Howard County want to know the truth about the crime go to Radio Shack, spend a couple bucks on a scanner and listen to HCPD and HCFD.. you will be suprised what you hear!

It isn't just Columbia, it is everywhere!

+1

This....HoCo has been on a downhill slide now for about 15 yrs now!!!! Funny it was voted the "best community" but I laughed when they got that award

 

[smokey]

lived in ellicott city growing up since i was 2. Went to northfield, dunloggin, then centennial. came back after college to teach in columbia. The area goes downhill every time they put in more high-density housing. The area goes downhill every time a new section 8 slimeball moves in for their "opportunity" to escape baltimore. They've already tried to keep the columbia mall from becomming the mall white people used to go to with a hugely expensive remodeling...it worked pretty well for a while. I still prefer the tweens bopping around the columbia mall to the straight gutter trash roaming arundel mills.

oh, check out the demographic shift in the last few years...

2000 hoco demographics
2010 hoco census data

 

[dneidFIST]

I was born, raised, and still live here in Columbia. Originally I was closest to Harpers Choice and would ride my bike there when I was a kid until a group of other kids threatened to beat me up and take my bike if I didn't leave the corner next to the entrance to the Safeway. That Safeway has turned to crap anyway - they only ever have 3 registers open during the rush hours and two of those are the self-checkout ones.

That was the first and only time I've had a real issue in Columbia. I live on the other side of Columbia now anyway.

 

[FFMike]

The East side is a little worse than the west and the west isn't all that good! So many illegals and alot more gang activity on that side... Just as much section 8 so it really isn't much difference there... And they wonder why we want permits! I would like to have our ASSTUTE governor do an undercover study. Him in regular clothes, unshaven wandering the footpaths and sidewalks of Stevens Forest, or Harpers Choice, say just about dark... See if he changes his mind!

 

[smokey]

anyone here like listening to hoco popo's on the scanner radio app? It makes driving around town funny. It is sad that i've heard the names of numerous current and former students over the airways while i'm driving. It definately gives you an idea on where the crappy parts of town are.
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?feedId=1227

 

[markgrutz]

I think over the past 6 months (just a round number) I have personally run 3-4 assult calls at that same Safeway. That is just one crew on one day out of the week in an 8 hour period. Having run calls there for years, there are places I won't go without the police first. It always amazes me what the press keeps secret around here.

 

[LCPIWB]

Thugs gotta make a last min dash to easy money before everyone starts packin'.

 

[niftyvt]

Welcome to Columbia!

Is this a surprise to anyone.

A few weeks ago my wife and I were shopping in Columbia and my wife noticed a guy walking through the parking lot grabbing door handles. We stopped and watch as he entered a vehicle and then got back out and continued. We called the police and waited. We followed the guy through the parking lot and watched as he continued. We directed police dispatch to his location and they quickly took him down.

He was stealing their vehicle registrations and accompaning documentation. I figure it was to go to their homes later and steal the vehicle or something worse.

Dont ever leave your cars unlocked in a parking lot.

I ALWAYS tell my aunt this and she STILL leaves her keys on her floor board and leaves the car unlocked . . . she drives a Cadillac CTS!!

 

[tball]

Years ago, before you could wheel your cart out to your car. I was at the Giant in Glen Burnie. I walked out to get my car so I could drive up to get my groceries. I saw a car with 4 men drive up to my cart, get out of the car and walk up to my cart. They were starting to steel my groceries. The little old guy who helped people with their groceries challenged them and they got back in the car and drove away. I could fill a book with the crap that happened when I lived in Baltimore City. This is all coming out to the suburbs now. Would you want anyone in your family to shop at Arundel Mills or Owings Mills mall at night?

It appears to be the same group of three who are robbing people in Columbia. It shouldn't be that hard to find them. They hang out in front of a store trolling for their next victim. The police have their descriptions.

 

[r3t1awr3yd]

lived in ellicott city growing up since i was 2. Went to northfield, dunloggin, then centennial. came back after college to teach in columbia. The area goes downhill every time they put in more high-density housing. The area goes downhill every time a new section 8 slimeball moves in for their "opportunity" to escape baltimore. They've already tried to keep the columbia mall from becomming the mall white people used to go to with a hugely expensive remodeling...it worked pretty well for a while. I still prefer the tweens bopping around the columbia mall to the straight gutter trash roaming arundel mills.

oh, check out the demographic shift in the last few years...
View attachment 54179
2000 hoco demographics
2010 hoco census data

There are only two kinds of malls....

 

[pfrazier]

I never complain about the tweens jumping around in the mall. I am just jealous that I am not that young. I will be happy when we can carry a concealed weapon, maybe that will give some of these thugs some second thoughts about trying to rob someone.