April 12--Boasts and a trail of antifreeze led police to a Frederick man charged with ramming an ATM with a stolen car in February, according to police.
Michael Allen Bennett Jr., 28, was served a warrant Tuesday at the Frederick County Detention Center, where he was being held on other charges. Bennett was charged with second-, third- and fourth-degree burglary, theft, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, unauthorized removal of property, malicious destruction of property and failing to stop after an accident in connection with the attempted ATM theft on Feb. 21.
Bennett stole a van from the Rosemont Service Center, police said, and rammed the vehicle into an ATM at a nearby BB&T Bank on Rosemont Avenue. No money was taken, but between the van and bank property, police said the crime caused nearly $50,000 in damage.
After the crime, police followed a trail of antifreeze from the bank to the area of Independent Hose Company, where they found the van about 80 yards from Bennett's Jennings Court home, according to charging documents filed in Frederick County District Court.
A witness later told detectives Bennett had been aggressively trying to sell tools he said were stolen from the Rosemont Service Center and bragging about committing the burglary. The person saw Bennett near the service center at the time of the incident and said Bennett committed the crime alone, the documents state.
Investigators spoke with Bennett at Frederick police headquarters, where he was being held for questioning in an another case. According to the documents, when Bennett was told detectives wanted to speak with him about another matter, he replied "Like that Rosemont service station."
Bennett initially denied involvement, but said he knew who committed the crime. After he was told a witness saw him in the area, he said he acted as a lookout and helped plan the theft. He said he tried to sell tools taken in the burglary and chewed a can of tobacco stolen from the service center, the documents state.
Police later searched Bennett's home and found electronic cigarettes and refills such as those taken in the burglary.
Frederick police spokesman Lt. Clark Pennington said the crime is still under investigation.
"The case is still open, but we had enough evidence to show that he was the principal, or at least involved, in the crime, so we charged him," Pennington said.
Bennett was being held Wednesday at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center on two bails totaling $60,000.
He is also charged with robbing a a woman at knifepoint March 26 at the Burlington Coat Factory.
While executing a search warrant in connection with that robbery and a case on March 28, a deputy shot and wounded Bennett's pit bull. The family said it plans to sue the sheriff's office, which maintains the dog was lunging at the deputy.
Copyright 2012 - The Frederick News-Post, Md.
