Suspect Charged in Deadly Towson Liquor Store Holdup

TOWSON, MD - Authorities have identified the suspect in an attempted Towson liquor store robbery who ran when his partner was fatally shot by the clerk, the Baltimore County Police Department reported Wednesday.

Hayes Sample Jr., 25, of the 600 block of West Hoffman Street in Baltimore, is charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of first-degree assault, using a firearm to commit a felony and having a handgun on his person, according to police.

Authorities said Sample and his partner, armed with handguns, went into Towson Wines & Spirits on Pennsylvania Avenue and announced a robbery shortly before 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7.

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Sample’s partner in crime—Claude Edward Mayo, 25, of the 900 block of Arlington Avenue in Baltimore—pointed his gun at the clerk’s head, police reported.

The liquor store clerk produced his legally registered gun from behind the counter and shot Mayo several times, according to the report.

After Mayo and Sample left the store without money or merchandise, Mayo collapsed nearby and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Sample continued running and eluded police until at least the next morning, Tuesday, Dec. 8. That day, court records show police obtained an arrest warrant for Sample. He was taken into custody Tuesday, Dec. 15, according to court records.

Police said Wednesday, Dec. 23, that Sample was being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center with bail set at $3.5 million.

He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in Baltimore County District Court on Jan. 8, 2016.

Photo Credit: Baltimore County Police Department.