Creepy Clowns, $52K Stolen Rolexes, Slain Mom: Top Police News

ODENTON, MD — Police and federal authorities in Anne Arundel County stepped up to solve crimes and served residents in the Odenton and Crofton areas in ways big and small in 2017. Patch was there to chronicle some of the above-and-beyond steps the departments took this year, which included a wife's murder at Dunkin' Donuts, a NSA worker accused of stealing government secrets, a $52K jewelry heist and a whimsical plea for no more creepy clown sightings.

Here are the top Patch stories of police officers and firefighters protecting and serving in 2017:

Creepy Clowns Making A Comeback In Maryland?
A year after creepy clown sightings had people on edge from Maryland to California, some police departments bracing for another round of reports. This fall, scary clown sightings were expected again, especially with a remake of killer clown classic "It" hitting theaters. Anne Arundel County Police spokesman Lt. Ryan Frashure told Patch the department has received no such reports this year, and he hopes it stays that way.

Girlfriend Of Slain Fort Meade Soldier's Husband Pleads Guilty In Death

After the husband of a Fort Meade soldier and mother allegedly shot his wife in her Severn home, he pulled down her clothes to make the killing look like a sexual assault, then placed their 4-month-old daughter in her arms and fled the state to establish an alibi for the murder, federal authorities said . The new details released about the slaying of Karlyn Serane Ramirez were included in court documents filed with the guilty plea of a Texas woman who was dating Ramirez's estranged husband.

Husband Wanted in Dunkin Donuts Murder Added To Most Wanted List: FBI

Authorities have intensified their efforts to arrest a Hanover husband accused of killing his wife at the Dunkin Donuts in Hanover, where they both worked. This year the FBI has added Bhadreshkumar Patel to its Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list; he reportedly killed his wife, Palak Bhadreskumar Patel, 21, in a back room of the Arundel Mills restaurant on April 12, 2015, while several customers were still in the store.

$52K Worth Of Rolex Watches Stolen At Arundel Mills Mall

A man used a handgun to smash a display case and grab $52,700 worth of Rolex watches at a jewelry store in Arundel Mills mall. Anne Arundel County Police released surveillance photos of the robbery suspect in hopes that the public can help identify the well-heeled thief. The smash-and grab happened after the suspect entered the store, looked at a display case containing watches, then removed a revolver from his pocket and used it to smash the glass case.

NSA Worker Denies Stockpiling Top-Secret Defense Files At Home

A Maryland contractor who had a top-secret clearance when he worked for the National Security Agency, pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of willful retention of national defense information over a 20-year period, prosecutors say. Suspect Harold Thomas Martin III, 51, of Glen Burnie, was indicted Feb. 8 by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing "highly classified computer codes" which officials claim could have caused "exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States" if released.

Hate Crime Guilty Plea In Case Of Noose Left At Crofton School

A Crofton man who pleaded guilty to a hate crime for climbing up on the roof of Crofton Middle School to hang a noose, a symbol of racial strife and violence, must do his community service with a local civil rights group. On May 12, Anne Arundel County Police arrested Conner Charles Prout, 19, for hanging the racially-charged object. Prout pleaded guilty to the charge of race/religious belief — harass/commit a crime upon and was sentenced to 120 hours of community service to be completed under the direction of the Anne Arundel County NAACP.

Odenton Pizza Worker Foils Knife-Wielding Robber

An Odenton restaurant employee reportedly wrestled with a knife-wielding teen and thwarted his robbery attempt, according to Anne Arundel County Police. The hold-up attempt happened one night at Today's Pizza, 1215 Annapolis Road, officials say. The robber demanded food and then walked around the counter holding a knife. But the employee grabbed the suspect's hand with the knife and pushed him out of the store.

Photo of Karlyn Ramirez, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police