The second of two Eldersburg robberies this week was stopped Friday night when the Maryland State Police arrested three male suspects.

The suspects were apprehended by police while fleeing the Blockbuster video store in Eldersburg, where they had alledgely just robbed three employees and one customer, according to a police news release.

Detective Sergeant Andrew G. Winner said that the police are investigating whether the three suspects might be the same men who robbed the Pizza Hut in Eldersburg Friday night, taking an undisclosed amount of money from both customers and restaurant employees.

"That's an angle we're looking at," said Winner, noting that they were "very similar type robberies." But the case is not closed on Pizza Hut, he said, and suspects are currently only charged with robbing Blockbuster.

Similarities include the fact that all three men were black in both cases and only one carried a handgun. However, he could not elaborate on further similarities since the investigation is ongoing.

"I'm hoping this arrest lets people know we are out there," said Winner. He pointed out that in the case of the Blockbuster, "we were out there in less than one minute."

Approaching an armed robbery in progress is difficult, even for a seasoned officer, he said, and with a handgun, the situation can be dangerous. But "no one got away," he said, and this arrest "shows we know what we're doing," said Winner.

The suspects arrested after Monday's robbery were Stanley Alexander Riddie Jr, 19, of Baltimore, Derek Allen Coley, 19, of Baltimore, and David Holmes, 18, of Columbia.

A police news release states that the three suspects entered the Blockbuster at approximately 11:44 p.m. and announced the robbery. One of the suspects was armed with what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun.

Employees of Blockbuster were able to alert troopers that an armed robbery was in progress.

One of the three employees was ordered to empty the cash register and open the safe. The employee was unable to open the safe and was subsequently struck in the head by one of the suspects with the handgun. That employee sustained minimal injuries and did not require medical attention.

The three suspects robbed each of the three employees and one customer of the money in their pockets, and during this time a perimeter was established by troopers, a Sykesville police officer and a Deputy Fire Marshal. The suspects were observed running from the establishment and were quickly apprehended after a short foot pursuit.

Each suspect will be charged with a variety of criminal offences including armed robbery, robbery, assault, and theft, the police report said.

On Friday night, Pizza Hut employees and customers were robbed by three suspects described as black males in their 20s, approximately 5'10" tall and medium build (approximately 180 lbs). They were wearing dark colored hooded sweatshirts, with the hoods was pulled tight around their faces. One male was wearing a dark colored half ski mask and one male was wearing a dark colored bandana.

No one was hurt in the incident, but an undisclosed amount of money was taken by the three men, who entered the Pizza Hut at about 11 p.m. One of the men was armed with a handgun, police said.

After entering, the subjects ordered the employees and customers to the rear of the business and then told them to lay down on the floor. After that, they demanded money from the employees and the customers, according to the police report.

During the robbery two additional customers entered the business. They were immediately ordered behind the counter and told to lay down.

The suspects demanded money from the two new customers and then fled the business through the front door in an unknown direction. Despite an extensive search of the area, the suspects could not be located.

At the time of the robbery, there were approximately 14 people in the Pizza Hut. No one was injured during the robbery.

Winner said that currently the police are checking with other counties including Baltimore and Howard to see if there have been other robberies conducted similarly there and to compare evidence.

However, it can be difficult when some stores have video and some do not, he said. In the Eldersburg cases, one store has video and one does not, Winner said.

"I would say it's uncommon" for customers to be robbed as well as the store, said Winner, and for personal money to have been taken.

In 2003, there were 18 robberies in Carroll County, he said, with 10 in South Carroll, down from 31 total county robberies in Carroll with eight in South Carroll. There were many more burglaries of houses, he said. So far, this year there have been five robberies with weapons of various kinds, one of which was in Mount Airy.

He said he does not think there is any reason why South Carroll would be more susceptible to robberies than any other areas of the county, since there is highway access in other parts of the county, as well.

To help the police in their job, Winner said people can "just be a good witness" by noticing details in what robbers wear, like shoes, earrings, and clothes. "That helps us a lot," he said.