A masked man who stole cigarettes while demanding cash from a Carroll County gas station is facing a host of charges after being busted by police attempting to flee in a stolen vehicle, officials say.
Baltimore resident Brian Magruder was apprehended following an incident reported on Sunday morning at Carroll Fuels on East Main Street in Westminster involving an ill-fated armed robbery.
Shortly after 4 a.m. on Jan. 14, members of the Westminster Police Department were called to the gas station on East Main Street, where a clerk reported that Magruder, sporting a mask, asked for cigarettes, and as they fetched the products, he took out a knife and demanded cash.
The clerk then retreated to a back room and Magruder allegedly stole cigarettes and fled the area.
During a canvas near the station, police say that they spotted a vehicle leaving, and a check of the registration determined it had been stolen. When deputies attempted to stop Magruder, he proceeded to speed away into Baltimore County.
Once across county lines, police say that Magruder bailed out of the stolen vehicles, and he was apprehended after a brief foot chase.
In Westminster, Magruder was charged with:
- Armed robbery;
- Theft;
- First-degree assault;
- Second-degree assault;
- Reckless endangerment;
- Concealed dangerous weapon.
The Charles County Sheriff's Office also charged him with:
- Motor vehicle theft;
- Theft;
- Fleeing and eluding;
- Multiple "serious traffic charges."
Magruder was being held pending his next court appearance.
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