Crime & Safety
Long-Sleeved Cigarette Thieves Sought In Harford: PHOTOS
Authorities said three recent thefts involve men with long sleeves snatching cigarettes from stores in Forest Hill, Joppa and Bel Air.
BEL AIR, MD - After three similar reports of thefts from local businesses in recent weeks, authorities in Harford County are asking for help identifying the suspect(s). The cases have involved a person asking for cigarettes, then leaving the store without paying for them.
"We are looking for the public's assistance in identifying those responsible," the Harford County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The thefts occurred at a Forest Hill 7-Eleven, Joppa Wawa and Bel Air Walgreens.
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Most recently, officials said that 7-Eleven in the 1500 block of Rock Spring Road in Forest Hill was the target.
A man went into the store around 11:38 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27, then asked for cigarettes. When the clerk put them on the counter, he acted as if he was going to pay for them, then grabbed the items and left, officials allege.
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The suspect was described as a 20-to-30-year-old white man with blond hair, wearing a gray long-sleeved shirt.
Anyone with information may call the Harford County Sheriff’s Office at 1-888-540-8477 or submit a tip online.
The second incident happened at Wawa in the 1400 block of South Mountain Road in Joppa.
At 11:55 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 7, a man asked for cigarettes at the store. Once they were put on the counter, he took them and left the Wawa, officials said.
The suspect was described as a white man with gray hair and a goatee who was in his 40s or 50s and was wearing a black and blue baseball t-shirt.
The first theft report came from Walgreens in the 1200 block of East Churchville Road in Joppa.
At 8:12 p.m. on Saturday, July 29, authorities reported a man asked for cigarettes and once they had been put in a bag on the counter, he distracted the clerk, then left with the merchandise.
The suspect at Walgreens was described as a white man in his 30s who was 5 feet 10 inches tall, of an average build and was wearing a long gray t-shirt, shorts and a backwards hat.
Photos courtesy of the Harford County Sheriff's Office.
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