Woman Assaults Columbia Toys "R" Us Employee with Pepper Spray: Police

This article was originally published Nov. 25, 2014.

In the wake of two robberies at the Dobbin Road Toys “R” Us, the Howard County Police Department is investigating whether the crimes are related.

The most recent robbery was reported at 7:06 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24, when two women left the toy store in the 6100 block of Dobbin Road with a shopping cart filled with merchandise they had not paid for, police said.

After an employee confronted the women, one threatened her with pepper spray, according to the report from police.

Then the two suspects left with a third woman, police said. Nobody was injured, according to police.

A few days before—at approximately 9:26 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21—three women left the same Toys “R” Us with carts of unpaid merchandise, police said.

When an employee confronted them, one of the women assaulted the employee with pepper spray, according to the report from police, which said the trio got away.

Police are looking into the possibility that the two robberies may be related, Lori Boone, spokeswoman for the Howard County Police Department, said Tuesday.