Owings

A chilling tale unfolded on December 23, 2020, at the AT&T store in Owings Mills. This wasn’t a typical holiday rush. It was a scene of brazen terror. Xavier Jones and his accomplices, Rico Dashiell and Donte Herring, stormed the store. Dashiell, pretending to be a customer, suddenly brandished a firearm. The store transformed into a stage for a violent crime. Jones and Herring, fueled by greed, snatched 76 Apple and Samsung Galaxy devices. The value of their haul reached a staggering $48,767. Dashiell emptied the cash register, adding another $322 to their loot. But their cruelty didn’t end there. They herded three terrified employees into a back room, where a safe stood silent. Then, they unleashed pepper spray on their helpless victims. Owings Mills became a temporary battleground between desperation and law. The robbers fled in a stolen Kia Niro, its license plates switched to mask its identity. Unknowingly, they carried a silent witness. A 3SI GPS tracker, tucked inside a stolen phone box, activated. It transmitted their every move, leading law enforcement straight to them. The tracker guided authorities to a Catonsville residence, where a friend of Jones lived. From above, aviation units watched as the robbers unloaded their stolen bounty. The stolen goods were carried into the house. Owings Mills may have been the scene of the crime, but the net was closing in. This incident in Owings Mills was not an isolated event. Jones and his crew were responsible for a string of robberies. Their reign of terror began on October 23, 2020, at a Verizon store in College Park. It continued through December, targeting cell phone stores across multiple counties. Owings Mills played a key role in bringing them down. The tracker, a small device hidden among their loot, became their undoing. The story of Owings Mills on that December day serves as a stark reminder. Criminality can strike anywhere, even in seemingly peaceful communities. Yet, technology and diligent police work can often prevail, restoring order and justice.