HYATTSVILLE, Md. — A man accused of attempting to rob the driver of an armored truck in Hyattsville was shot Monday by undercover protection detail following the truck for security. Two other suspects are still on the loose, according to police.
At 9:20 a.m. Hyattsville Police officers responded to the Capitol One bank on East-West Highway for a report of an attempted robbery of an employee of Brink's Security who was loading an ATM with cash. Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod Towers said the employee was approached by three men wearing ski masks, who all had weapons; at least one man was carrying an assault rifle.
"Because of the recent increase in armored vehicle robberies and the violence in our communities, Brinks had covert or undercover personnel following this vehicle to protect their employees," Towers said.
According to Towers, when the security detail saw the men attempt to rob the Brinks employee, they intervened, leading to one of the suspects being shot. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition. The two other men ran away, and police are still searching for them.
The chief said he did not know if the other two suspects had been shot, or if they had fired back. He also did not know whether any cash had been stolen.
Towers said police are also searching for two cars seen driving away from the area. The first is a four-door black Lexus with no front tag, front end damage and Maryland temporary tags on the back of the car. The other car is either a two or four-door black Honda.
The attempted robbery was the latest in a string of attacks targeting armored trucks, according to Towers. Hyattsville Police have been investigating along with the Prince George's County. Towers declined to comment on exactly how many robberies had occurred, but said there had been one Monday morning before the Hyattsville incident in another jurisdiction and another similar report "over the weekend."
Anyone with information on this robbery or shooting is asked to contact Prince George's County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or on their website, PGCrimeSolvers.com. There is a $10k reward being offered to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
