2008 Woodie Awards
Man arrested, charged in attempted robbery
Ben Worsley
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: News
Police arrested Tuesday night a Silver Spring man who they accuse of driving a getaway car after an attempted robbery during which a student was hit with a baseball bat.
Edward Rodas-Acosta, 19, was arrested on a charge of attempted armed robbery in connection with the incident, Maj. Kevin Davis, District 1 commander of the Prince George's County Police Department wrote in an e-mail.
The Monday robbery attempt on the 7300 block of Princeton Avenue left the three student victims - Daniel Bauman, Gordon Griffin and Lanny Hoang, all seniors - without any injuries.
According to their account, the victims had just left their home to go to Potbelly's Sandwich Works when a gray car containing four or five people pulled up. Two men got out of the car, and one put Griffin in a chokehold and demanded his money, the victims said.
The other man, who was wearing a ski mask and holding a baseball bat, began to chase Hoang, but Hoang outran him and then called police. The man wearing the ski mask then hit Griffin in the leg with his bat.
Bauman said he found a rock nearby and threatened to throw it through a window of the car. The suspects then gathered back into the car and drove off, the victims said.
Hoang said he was able to give police the tags of the vehicle. The victims were also able to supply detailed descriptions of the suspects, giving police strong leads that led to the first arrest.
Bauman, Griffin and Hoang said detectives have kept in touch with them, updating them on the status of the case. The victims also praised police for the speedy arrest and their reaction to the recent string of crimes in College Park.
"They're trying to be more involved, and definitely reacting to recent events," Bauman said. "I think they're upscaling [efforts] and getting better."
"With our case in particular, I think they've been really good with keeping up with us and meeting us and trying to help out each other to get the bad guys," Griffin said. "I really appreciate the follow-up."
Rodas-Acosta gave detectives a written confession detailing his role in the crime, Davis said. He is being held by the Prince George's County Department of Corrections on $85,000 bond.
The baseball bat used in the incident was recovered, he added.
Davis was unable to comment further, because the investigation is ongoing.
"Efforts to identify and arrest the remaining suspects continue," Davis said in the e-mail. "We're working diligently to identify and arrest the remaining culprits."
Griffin, the only student attacked in the attempted robbery, called himself "the sacrificial lamb" of the group. But when an ambulance arrived at the scene, he said he was fine.
"I was okay," Griffin said. "I just wanted my milkshake from Potbelly's."
worsleydbk@gmail.com
Edward Rodas-Acosta, 19, was arrested on a charge of attempted armed robbery in connection with the incident, Maj. Kevin Davis, District 1 commander of the Prince George's County Police Department wrote in an e-mail.
The Monday robbery attempt on the 7300 block of Princeton Avenue left the three student victims - Daniel Bauman, Gordon Griffin and Lanny Hoang, all seniors - without any injuries.
According to their account, the victims had just left their home to go to Potbelly's Sandwich Works when a gray car containing four or five people pulled up. Two men got out of the car, and one put Griffin in a chokehold and demanded his money, the victims said.
The other man, who was wearing a ski mask and holding a baseball bat, began to chase Hoang, but Hoang outran him and then called police. The man wearing the ski mask then hit Griffin in the leg with his bat.
Bauman said he found a rock nearby and threatened to throw it through a window of the car. The suspects then gathered back into the car and drove off, the victims said.
Hoang said he was able to give police the tags of the vehicle. The victims were also able to supply detailed descriptions of the suspects, giving police strong leads that led to the first arrest.
Bauman, Griffin and Hoang said detectives have kept in touch with them, updating them on the status of the case. The victims also praised police for the speedy arrest and their reaction to the recent string of crimes in College Park.
"They're trying to be more involved, and definitely reacting to recent events," Bauman said. "I think they're upscaling [efforts] and getting better."
"With our case in particular, I think they've been really good with keeping up with us and meeting us and trying to help out each other to get the bad guys," Griffin said. "I really appreciate the follow-up."
Rodas-Acosta gave detectives a written confession detailing his role in the crime, Davis said. He is being held by the Prince George's County Department of Corrections on $85,000 bond.
The baseball bat used in the incident was recovered, he added.
Davis was unable to comment further, because the investigation is ongoing.
"Efforts to identify and arrest the remaining suspects continue," Davis said in the e-mail. "We're working diligently to identify and arrest the remaining culprits."
Griffin, the only student attacked in the attempted robbery, called himself "the sacrificial lamb" of the group. But when an ambulance arrived at the scene, he said he was fine.
"I was okay," Griffin said. "I just wanted my milkshake from Potbelly's."
worsleydbk@gmail.com
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Marg Gy
posted 3/07/08 @ 9:19 AM EST
One down, a few more cases to go. Keep up the good work! Let's get the sexual assaulter off the streets!
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