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| Robbers tracked casino patron to his home by putting GPS on his car, police say | Robbers tracked casino patron to his home by putting GPS on his car, police say |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Last fall, two armed men, wearing ski masks, showed up at a home in Montgomery County, tied up two residents and demanded: “Where is the money?” | Last fall, two armed men, wearing ski masks, showed up at a home in Montgomery County, tied up two residents and demanded: “Where is the money?” |
| What may have seemed random at the time — authorities are now asserting — was nothing of the sort. The bandits had staked out a casino in Baltimore, identified a frequent gambler, slipped a GPS tracker on his car, learned where he lived, and made their move. | What may have seemed random at the time — authorities are now asserting — was nothing of the sort. The bandits had staked out a casino in Baltimore, identified a frequent gambler, slipped a GPS tracker on his car, learned where he lived, and made their move. |
| “Came in — guns, zip-ties, duct tape — the whole deal,” Montgomery County prosecutor Curtis Zeager said during a recent court hearing. “Grabbed up $6,000 in cash.” | “Came in — guns, zip-ties, duct tape — the whole deal,” Montgomery County prosecutor Curtis Zeager said during a recent court hearing. “Grabbed up $6,000 in cash.” |
| Zeager was speaking at the bond hearing for a suspect whose arrest police announced Monday: Kevin Darnell Carroll, 44, of Baltimore. | Zeager was speaking at the bond hearing for a suspect whose arrest police announced Monday: Kevin Darnell Carroll, 44, of Baltimore. |
| “He took a good amount of time to reconnoiter,” Zeager said in court. | “He took a good amount of time to reconnoiter,” Zeager said in court. |
| He said that Carroll and a partner — after hanging out at the Horseshoe Casino — knew what they’d find. | He said that Carroll and a partner — after hanging out at the Horseshoe Casino — knew what they’d find. |
| “They see: ‘OK, this guy is at the Horseshoe Casino a lot, and probably has a lot of cash around.’ And they’re right. He comes down here via the information from the tracker,” to commit the robbery, Zeager said. | “They see: ‘OK, this guy is at the Horseshoe Casino a lot, and probably has a lot of cash around.’ And they’re right. He comes down here via the information from the tracker,” to commit the robbery, Zeager said. |
| Carroll’s attorney during the bond hearing, Staci Pipkin, said Carroll “steadfastly denies” any involvement in the case. Whoever may have put a tracker on the car, it wasn’t he, she said. | |
| Carroll has not had a conviction in 13 years, Pipkin said, and has been employed selling cars for more than five years and helps his disabled mother. | Carroll has not had a conviction in 13 years, Pipkin said, and has been employed selling cars for more than five years and helps his disabled mother. |
| “He would like to get back to work and taking care of his mother,” said Pipkin, who said that her partner, Jack Rubin, would handle the bulk of the case. | “He would like to get back to work and taking care of his mother,” said Pipkin, who said that her partner, Jack Rubin, would handle the bulk of the case. |
| A Montgomery County judge assigned Carroll a $125,000 bond, which he posted for his release. A second suspect remains at large. | A Montgomery County judge assigned Carroll a $125,000 bond, which he posted for his release. A second suspect remains at large. |
| The bond hearing last week, as well as arrest records filed in court, spell out a bizarre sequence of events before the robbery. | The bond hearing last week, as well as arrest records filed in court, spell out a bizarre sequence of events before the robbery. |
| Among other details, the wife who lived at the Montgomery home — in the Darnestown-Germantown area — had hired a private investigator to keep tabs on her husband. | Among other details, the wife who lived at the Montgomery home — in the Darnestown-Germantown area — had hired a private investigator to keep tabs on her husband. |
| On Nov. 11, the private investigator tailed the husband to the casino. After the man parked and went inside, the private investigator put his own GPS tracking device on the man’s car. While the private investigator was still near the car, he saw another man crawling under the car with a flashlight. Eventually two GPS devices were on the husband’s car — the robbers’ and the investigator’s, according to the police. | On Nov. 11, the private investigator tailed the husband to the casino. After the man parked and went inside, the private investigator put his own GPS tracking device on the man’s car. While the private investigator was still near the car, he saw another man crawling under the car with a flashlight. Eventually two GPS devices were on the husband’s car — the robbers’ and the investigator’s, according to the police. |
| The robbery occurred six days later. Two occupants of the home — a 21-year-old male and 14-year-old female — had gone to get something to eat, come back in, and fell victim to two men who slipped into the garage behind them. They zip-tied the two victims, and placed duct-tape over the girl’s mouth. No serious injuries were reported by police. | The robbery occurred six days later. Two occupants of the home — a 21-year-old male and 14-year-old female — had gone to get something to eat, come back in, and fell victim to two men who slipped into the garage behind them. They zip-tied the two victims, and placed duct-tape over the girl’s mouth. No serious injuries were reported by police. |
| [Has the bet on casino gambling in Baltimore been a bust?] | [Has the bet on casino gambling in Baltimore been a bust?] |
| The victims freed themselves and called 911, police said. At the scene, the victims’ mother asked one of the detectives “if she could speak to him,” and told the detective she had hired a private investigator to follow her husband — and told them about the GPS tracker the investigator had put in place. | |
| Detectives later spoke to the private investigator, according to a police spokesman. | Detectives later spoke to the private investigator, according to a police spokesman. |
| The investigator told detectives about following the husband on Nov. 11 to the casino, where the husband had been going about six days a week and “was gambling with large sums of money,” according to the arrest warrant. | The investigator told detectives about following the husband on Nov. 11 to the casino, where the husband had been going about six days a week and “was gambling with large sums of money,” according to the arrest warrant. |
| The private investigator said that while the husband was inside, he saw two men acting stealthily near the husband’s car. | The private investigator said that while the husband was inside, he saw two men acting stealthily near the husband’s car. |
| In court however, Pipkin said her client drives a different vehicle than any cars spotted in the garage spotted by the private investigator. | In court however, Pipkin said her client drives a different vehicle than any cars spotted in the garage spotted by the private investigator. |
| “The private investigator went there and he sees someone else,” Pipkin said. “Someone else places a tracker on [the homeowner’s] vehicle. And the private investigator then places his own tracker on the vehicle.” | “The private investigator went there and he sees someone else,” Pipkin said. “Someone else places a tracker on [the homeowner’s] vehicle. And the private investigator then places his own tracker on the vehicle.” |
| Six days later — 50 miles away in Montgomery County — two assailants entered the garage of the casino patron, pointed guns at the 21-year-old and 14-year-old, ordered them to the ground and tied them up. One suspect then took the 21-year-old into the home, asking where money was located. The victim took the gunman to “various locations in the house where money was kept,” according to the arrest records. | Six days later — 50 miles away in Montgomery County — two assailants entered the garage of the casino patron, pointed guns at the 21-year-old and 14-year-old, ordered them to the ground and tied them up. One suspect then took the 21-year-old into the home, asking where money was located. The victim took the gunman to “various locations in the house where money was kept,” according to the arrest records. |
| Crime scene investigators tested for DNA on zip-ties, duct tape and the GPS tracker from the robbery site. They were able to match DNA from the duct tape to Carroll, according to the arrest records. | Crime scene investigators tested for DNA on zip-ties, duct tape and the GPS tracker from the robbery site. They were able to match DNA from the duct tape to Carroll, according to the arrest records. |
| Police arrested Carroll last week. They say they found a ski mask and a gun at his home believed to have been used in the robbery. Carroll was charged with home invasion, armed robbery, assault and other counts, according to police. | Police arrested Carroll last week. They say they found a ski mask and a gun at his home believed to have been used in the robbery. Carroll was charged with home invasion, armed robbery, assault and other counts, according to police. |
| Police provided only a minor, vague description of his suspected accomplice. | Police provided only a minor, vague description of his suspected accomplice. |