DUI Checkpoints & Crime on the Road, Sobriety Checkpoints

(North East, MD) – Police in Cecil County are warning food delivery drivers to stay alert and use extra caution when taking orders and making deliveries after several armed robberies of delivery persons have occurred.

The latest attempted robbery occurred shortly after 8:00 p.m. yesterday, at the railroad crossing on South Leslie Road, in North East.  The suspect is described as a white male, possibly in his late twenties, with a fair complexion and a light reddish, blonde goatee.  He was last seen wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and light colored sneakers.  The suspect is said to have displayed a small black pistol, possibly a semi-automatic.

Just after 7:30 p.m. yesterday, Nino’s Pizza in North East received a food order from what was listed as a private number.  The address given was 25 South Leslie Drive.

A 22-year-old male employee of Nino’s, who is not being identified at this time for  safety reasons, drove up Leslie Drive, but could not locate the address given.  As he neared construction barriers at the end of the dead end street, the suspect walked from behind the barriers and called the driver over.  The suspect pointed a gun at the driver and demanded money.

Fortunately, a Maryland State Police patrol in the area saw the suspicious activity and interrupted the robbery.  The suspect immediately fled into the wooded area.  A search of the region by personnel and K-9 from the State Police, the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, and the North East Police Department did not locate the suspect.  The Nino’s driver was not injured.

The Maryland State Police and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office have recently investigated several robberies involving food delivery drivers.  Police are urging businesses who deliver food to take extra precautions including:

*Obtain a valid call back number from customers;

*If the incoming number is blocked, do not accept the order until
receiving a verifiable phone number;

*If at all possible, verify the address with maps or computer-aided
 programs before responding;

*If the caller seems legitimate, but an address is not verifiable, arrange for
delivery in a public place, such as a convenience store parking lot
where other people are in the area;

*Drivers should be aware of their surroundings during deliveries;

*If circumstances do not look or feel “right,” they probably are not;

*If an address is not obvious, or appears to be incorrect, drivers should not
get out of their vehicle and should leave the area immediately;

*Store owners and managers should place employee safety first and
remind drivers to use caution while working to ensure safety
before the driver ever leaves the store.

The police investigations into this and the three other similar robberies that occurred this month are continuing.  It is not known if the suspect in last night’s attempted robbery has been involved in the other incidents.  Anyone with any information about the suspect or suspects involved in these crimes is urged to call the Cecil County Bureau of Investigation at 410-996-5500.  Callers may remain anonymous.

CONTACT:                    D/Sgt. Steve Seipp
MD State Police
410-392-2140
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CONTACT:  Mr. Gregory Shipley
Office of Media Communications & Marketing
410-653-4236 (Office) 410-653-4200 (through Headquarters Duty Officer)
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