Troopers Charge Teens with Monkton Convenience Store Robbery

MONKTON _ State Troopers from the Bel Air Barrack “D” charged two teens with armed robbery, assault and theft Monday following a holdup of a convenience store near the Harford-Baltimore county line.

Lonnie Eugene Teats Jr., 19, of the 3100 block of Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD., and Randy Lee Ervin Jr., 19, of the 400 block of Westfield Road, Dundalk, MD. were arrested within hours of the robbery by TFC. Justin Gross. Both men are accused of robbing two clerks of cash, cigarettes and cigars during the heist of the Royal Farms Store near the intersection of Jarrettsville Pike and Hess Road.

Two employees at the Royal Farms Store called police shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday after two masked men entered the store and brandished a handgun. The assailants directed one of the clerks behind the counter, where they demanded cash from a register. The suspects then took nearly a dozen packs of cigarettes and cigars before fleeing the store on foot. Both men were clad in masks and hooded sweatshirts at the time. Troopers from the Bel Air Barrack “D,” joined by a MSP helicopter, Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputies, and a K-9 unit, responded to the scene and searched the area.

During a check of the neighborhood and surrounding homes, TFC. Gross and D/Sgt. Charles Moore developed Teats as a possible suspect. During their canvass, the criminal investigators recovered several packs of stolen cigarettes and other items linking Teats to the crime. Teats, along with his long-time friend, Ervin were tracked to the Dundalk area of Baltimore County, where they were taken into custody without incident within several hours of the robbery.

There were no reports of injuries during the robbery. Both Teats and Ervin were being held at the Maryland State Police Bel Air Barrack late Monday afternoon, pending an appearance before a District Court Commissioner.