DNA From Mask Links Cecil Suspect To Havre de Grace Armed Robbery

Havre de Grace – State Troopers arrested a Cecil County man Thursday on robbery charges after a DNA sample recovered at the scene linked him this week to the holdup in December.

Sha-Quan Adrian Triplett, 19, of 26 Race Street, Port Deposit, MD., was arrested at his home without incident on a warrant obtained by TFC. D. Wenger, a criminal investigator assigned to the Bel Air Barrack “D.” Triplett was charged with armed robbery, weapons violations, reckless endangerment, theft over $500, and first-degree assault. He was being held at the Harford County Detention Center pending an appearance before a District Court Commissioner.

Triplett and another individual are accused of robbing the Cork & Barrel Liquor Store, 1830 (A) Pulaski Highway, near Havre de Grace, MD. on December 13, 2008. During the robbery, Triplett and his accomplice pointed firearms at two clerks and demanded cash from the registers and safe. The two masked gunmen fled the store; neither clerk was injured. There were no patrons in the business at the time of the robbery. During the investigation at the scene, MSP K-9 Kato and his handler, Cpl. B. Tognocchi, recovered several items while attempting to locate the suspects. The items, which included a mask, were collected and sent to the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division.

Within days of the robbery, Triplett was identified as a possible suspect after he was arrested by the Perryville Police Department for a burglary. Triplett and Zachary Miller, 19, of Newark, DE., were accused of breaking into a house in the 500 block of Aiken Avenue. Ironically, the home was the residence of a clerk from Cork & Barrel Liquor Store. During the investigation, TFC. Wenger obtained a search warrant for Triplett’s DNA. The sample collected by TFC. Wenger was compared by forensic scientists to the DNA extracted from the mask, recovered at the scene. Scientist contacted investigators about the match Monday.

Additionally during her investigation, TFC. Wenger learned Triplett had conspired with Anthony Fonash, 21, of Perryville, MD. Fonash was a Cork & Barrel employee working at the store during the night of the robbery. Fonash was charged with conspiracy, robbery and related offenses on January 13, 2009 for his involvement in the crime. During the holdup, Triplett and his accomplice are accused of brandishing firearms and assaulting a female clerk, who was working at the store with Fonash. Investigators are still attempting to identify the second gunman.