Man nabbed in string of west county stickups

Crofton 39-year-old charged in 20-hour robbery spree

Anne Arundel Arundel County police have arrested a Crofton man in connection with a string of armed and attempted armed robberies in west county over a 20-hour stretch Sunday, court records show.

Police wrote in charging documents that Matthew Parsons admitted to robbing a gas station, a supermarket and a burger joint in Gambrills and attempting to rob a woman outside of a bank in Crofton.

The 39-year-old has been charged with three counts each robbery, armed robbery and theft, online court records show. He also faces four counts of first- and seconddegree assault and reckless endangerment, bringing the tally of charges against him to 21.

Parsons, who lists an address in the 1000 block of Reynolds Street, was ordered held without bond Tuesday.

He does not have an attorney listed in court records.

Parsons’ alleged crime spree began long before the sun rose Sunday and continued past sunset, a period during which police said he robbed employees at three different businesses at gunpoint and pointed the same revolver at awoman.

Nobody was injured during the robberies, in which Parsons stole $1,080 in cash along a 5-mile stretch of Crain Highway, according to charging documents.

Detectives developed a hunch early on that the crimes were connected, the department said Monday.

The robberies followed a familiar pattern.

Parsons walked into each business and up to the counter, retrieved a silver revolver and aimed it at the attending employee, police wrote in charging documents. In each case, the employees complied and Parsons fled.

In one case, charging documents detail that Parsons threatened to shoot. In another, police said he tapped the revolver on the woman’s windshield.

Police wrote that he wore the same outfit the whole time: a blue knit hat, gray sweatshirt, tan cargo pants and black gloves.

Parsons’ first target was the BP gas station in the 700 block of Crain Highway North, according to charging documents. About1:30 a.m., he stole $200 and fled.

Next up was the Taj Mahal Indo-Pak Supermarket around 11:40 a.m. This time Parsons got more greedy, the court documents detail.

He walked in and demanded cash from the clerk; she gave him $300. He wanted more, police wrote, and demanded to be taken back to the store’s safe. The clerk told him there wasn’t any cash back there because the store had just opened up. Police wrote Parsons ran away.

Parsons’ next two crimes were separated by minutes and less than a mile, according to charging documents.

A woman was parked outside of an ATM at the Bank of America in the 2000 block of Davidsonville Road. Police said he tapped on her window and pointed the revolver at her.

Afraid, the woman floored the gas pedal. She drove across the parking lot to a CVS pharmacy to ask for help, police wrote in charging documents. That’s where officers found her and took her statement around 10:40 p.m.

About10:55, Parsons walked into the Five Guys restaurant in the 1000 block of Crain Highway, police wrote. He approached the counter and said “Giveme the money or I’ll shoot you,” an employee recalled for officers. Parsons made off with $580.

Robbery detectives canvassed the area on Monday. Police wrote security camera footage showed a small Ford SUV approach two of the businesses before the robberies and flee after a man ran to the car.

Police put out an alert to all officers about the license plate; detectives pulled Parsons’ ride over by about 7:30 p.m. Monday. Everything he wore during the robbery was in the car, police wrote in charging documents.

Back at the police station, he admitted to it all in an interview room. Police said he’d agreed to speak without an attorney.

Police wrote that detectives asked him about the gun. He said it belonged to his father.