OCEAN CITY — A Princess Anne man, wanted in connection with the armed robbery of a bank in Somerset County last week and an armed robbery of a Family Dollar store in Salisbury on Monday, was apprehended in Ocean City on Tuesday and is now behind bars on a $500,000 bond.
Last Thursday afternoon, Princess Anne Police officers responded to a reported armed robbery of the PNC Bank in the Somerset County seat that had just occurred. The investigation revealed a male suspect entered the bank, handed the teller a note and demanded money. The suspect did not display a weapon, but indicated he had one, before taking an undisclosed amount of money and fleeing the scene on foot.
The review of the bank’s surveillance videos identified the suspect as Michael Ryan Russell, 29, of Princess Anne. However, he was not apprehended and remained at large through the weekend.
Around 1:20 p.m. on Monday, the Salisbury Police Department responded to a reported armed robbery at the Family Dollar store on N. Salisbury Blvd. The initial investigation revealed a suspect entered the business, displayed a knife and demanded cash from an employee.
Furth investigation revealed the suspect entered the store and selected merchandise he appeared to intend to purchase. The suspect then immediately approached the cash register, removed a large knife and demanded cash from an employee. The employee gave the suspect an undetermined amount of cash and fled on foot in an unknown direction.
There were no reported injuries during the Family Dollar robbery. The Fruitland Police Department K-9 unit conducted a track of the area, which did not reveal any additional evidence. However, security surveillance captured at the Family Dollar store identified the suspect as Russell, who had allegedly committed the PNC Bank armed robbery in Princess Anne four days earlier.
On Tuesday, detectives were able to identify the suspect in the Family Dollar armed robbery as Russell. With the assistance of the Maryland State Apprehension Team, Russell was located in Ocean City on Tuesday afternoon and taken into custody. He was ordered to be held in the Wicomico County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond.
For the Family Dollar incident in Salisbury on Monday, Russell has been charged with armed robbery, robbery, first- and second-degree assault, dangerous weapon-intent to injure and reckless endangerment. For the bank robbery in Princess Anne last week, Russell faces the same charges along with having a handgun on his person and the use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime.