WHEATON, MD – Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division have charged Anthony Carlos Thomas, Jr., age 18, of the 5800 block of Eastern Avenue in Northeast, Washington, D.C., with armed robbery offenses related to the May 4 armed robbery of an AT&T store located in Wheaton.
On May 7, Thomas Jr. was arrested by officers from the Laurel Police Department after Thomas Jr. committed a similar robbery at an AT&T store in Laurel.
On Tuesday, May 4, at approximately 11:10 a.m., 4th District officers responded to the AT&T store located at 11427 Georgia Avenue for the report of an armed robbery that just occurred
.The investigation by Montgomery County Police (MCP) detectives determined that the suspect entered the AT&T store, locked the front door, and threatened employees with a handgun. The suspect forced two employees to a rear office and demanded property from the store. The suspect stole merchandise and fled.
At approximately 9:00 a.m. on May 7, MCP investigators released surveillance video of the suspect to the media and to the public and asked for help in identifying him. At approximately 10:32 a.m. that morning, officers from the Laurel Police Department (LPD) responded to an AT&T store in Laurel for the report of an armed robbery and armed carjacking that just occurred. During the investigation by Laurel Police Department officers, Thomas Jr. was identified as the suspect and arrested near the scene.
MCP detectives, working with investigators from LPD determined that Thomas Jr. was the same suspect who committed the May 4 armed robbery at the AT&T store in Wheaton. MCP detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Thomas Jr. charging him with armed robbery-related offenses for the Montgomery County AT&T store robbery. Thomas Jr. is being held without bond in Prince George’s County.