Cookie-Nabbers Run Down and Busted By Girl Scouts, Neighbors

Two alleged thieves were no match for a pair of Girl Scouts on a mission: to sell their famous cookies in Severn.

Anne Arundel County Police were called Saturday afternoon to the 7900 block of Jason’s Landing Way in Severn, where two suspects had reportedly snatched a wagon full of cookies.

The girls, ages 12 and 13, stepped away from their treats, then looked around and saw a man take the loaded wagon and head toward a waiting vehicle. One of the girls chased after the would-be thieves and grabbed the wagon full of cookies.

Police say the cookie-nabber is Gabriel Taylor Smith, 18, of 8311 Telegraph Road, No. 234 in Odenton. Another suspect from Odenton, whom police are not identifying because he is 17 years old, let go of the wagon and then jumped into the suspect vehicle.

The girls yelled that they were being robbed, which alerted neighbors in the area. One person hopped in a vehicle and followed the suspects’ vehicle. Officers found the suspects at the Gulf gas station on Annapolis Road in Odenton, where they were arrested without incident.

Both Smith and the underage suspect were charged with theft under $1,000.

Girl Scout cookie booth sales began Oct. 25 around Anne Arundel County, mostly on the weekends. To find a booth near you, go to www.gscm.org and click on Cookies. Enter your zip code and you’ll see where booths are set up.

Cookies cost $4 per box and the proceeds help pay for troop activities, projects, trips and events throughout the year.

»Gabriel Taylor Smith, 18, of Odenton, is charged with stealing a wagon full of Girl Scout cookies. Photo courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police