OCEAN CITY – Thanks to a tip from alert citizens, Ocean City Police early Monday morning arrested a local man on burglary charges at an unoccupied residence on Robin Drive and have linked the suspect to several other burglaries in the area.
Early Monday morning, resort police got a call from alert residents on Robin Drive about a suspicious man believed to have kicked in a door of an unoccupied apartment. Based on the information provided by witnesses as well as the physical evidence observed by the officers who first arrived on the scene, the OCPD quickly established a perimeter around the location to contain the suspect.
One witness reported as many as eight OCPD cars around the building with officers behind them with weapons drawn. The OCPD utilized a bull horn to communicate with the suspect, later identified as Edward Lee Robbins, 34, of Ocean City, who initially refused a request from police to surrender. OCPD K-9 officer Pfc. Kevin Flower and his K-9 dog “Tacko” were also on the scene, and while officers were instructing Robbins to come out of the apartment, Flower and “Tacko” were preparing to enter the unit to apprehend the non-compliant suspect.
When Robbins realized the K-9 unit’s entry was imminent, he immediately surrendered and was taken into custody without incident. Police discovered Robbins is also a registered sex offender living in Ocean City. The investigation revealed Robbins was seen by an alert citizen kicking in the rear door of the residence at 311 Robin Drive.
After Robbins was arrested, OCPD detectives discovered he may be linked to several other recent thefts in Ocean City, particularly thefts from automobiles. OCPD detectives recovered approximately 75 items reported stolen from several previously reported thefts as well as some unreported thefts. The items included tools, CDs, musical equipment, and personal electronics among others.
Robbins was initially charged with first-, third- and fourth-degree burglary and malicious destruction of property and is currently being held at the Worcester County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
OCPD is asking anyone who may have been a victim of theft from their automobile and who has not reported it to the police to contact Detective Todd Spiegle at 410-723-6604.
For the full story, see Friday’s print and website edition of The Dispatch.