Man Claims to Be Cop, Assaults Women in Two Counties: Police

Police in two counties are searching for a man posing as a police officer who restrained and robbed women he met online, stabbing one of the victims.

The most recent incident happened Saturday when a 22-year-old woman was stabbed in a Rockville hotel after the man she’d agreed to meet for sex forced the woman’s hands behind her back. The victim suffered from a non-life-threatening stab wound to her back.

Montgomery County Police say the woman carried a small knife in a sheath on her necklace removed it during a struggle with the man, who then stabbed the victim. The suspect claimed he was a law enforcement officer who was trying to arrest the victim. The suspect took his cash and the victim’s knife before fleeing the hotel.

Investigators obtained surveillance photographs of the suspect and are asking for the public’s help to identify him. The suspect is described as a black man, in his 30s, about 6’00” to 6’03” tall, bald, very muscular, and wearing all black. He wore black loafers with silver buckles and wore a tan baseball cap.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department is investigating a Friday robbery that is similar to the assault; detectives believe that the same suspect is involved in both incidents.

In both cases, the suspect and victim arranged online to meet at a hotel and exchange cash for sexual acts. During the encounters, the suspect claimed he was a law enforcement officer. The suspect description is the same for both crimes.

Anyone with information about this suspect is asked to call police at 240-773-6084.

Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and/or indictment of this suspect.

»Images of assault suspect in Montgomery, Anne Arundel County cases, courtesy of MCPD