Police charge man for Dec. 11 robbery

University Police charged 19-year-old Omiesam Nathaniel Ockiya yesterday with his alleged involvement in the Dec. 11 armed robbery of a 25-year-old graduate student on Rowalt Drive, police said yesterday.

Ockiya, a Silver Spring resident, is charged with armed robbery, robbery, first degree assault, second degree assault, theft under $1,000, credit card theft and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is not listed as a student in this university's directory, University Police spokesman, Capt. Marc Limansky said.

On Dec. 11, a graduate student was reportedly robbed by two males between 10:30 and 10:45 p.m. as he was walking through the entranceway to the Graduate Gardens apartment complex on Rowalt Drive, Limansky said. Police are still seeking the other suspect, he added.

The student was not harmed, but his wallet and money were reportedly stolen. Limansky said police were able to use security camera footage from local convenience stores to identify Ockiya, who used the victim's credit card at such stores.

He will not be served with the charges from the Dec. 11 incident in this city until he is released from his current imprisonment in Montgomery County for a separate robbery he allegedly committed in Rockville, Limansky said. Court documents show this is not Ockiya's first criminal offense.

He has previously been charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, three counts of possession of paraphernalia, two counts of giving a false statement to police, theft less than $100, five counts of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, two counts of theft between $10,000 and $100,000, theft less than $1,000, four counts of unlawful removal of property, three counts of possession of marijuana, three counts of resisting arrest, three counts of theft over $1,000, violation of probation, first degree assault, attempted robbery, conspiracy of a first degree assault, robbery, and first degree burglary, according to court documents.

The Dec. 11 incident was the second of two on-campus armed robberies last semester. University Police are pleased with the "swift" arrest, Limansky said.

"I think this was a pretty good time frame," Limansky said. "We're keeping up with our track record of closing these violent offenses. Our detectives were able to take their time to solve this, instead of it becoming a cold case. It was pretty swift."

Limansky added that anyone who knows Ockiya or has information on the second suspect should contact the department.

egan@umdbk.com