30-year-old man charged with robbery following grocery store assault in Gaithersburg
BALTIMORE -- Montgomery County Police Department detectives have arrested a 30-year-old man in the robbery of another man at a Giant grocery store in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Wednesday, according to authorities.
Eugene Thompson allegedly robbed the other man after making anti-Semitic statements, police said.
The incident happened around 3:50 p.m. in the 18200 block of Flower Hill Way, according to authorities.
The robbery victim said he was shopping inside the store when he noticed Thompson being harrassed by a group of males, police said.
When the robbery victim approached the suspects and asked them to stop, the group surrounded him, according to authorities.
That's when Thompson began making anti-Semitic statements towards him and allegedly began assaulting the robbery victim, police said.
Thompson and the other suspects then left the grocery store with the robbery victim's keys, according to authorities.
Firefighters provided medical treatment to the robbery victim and took him to a hospital to receive treatment for his serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Officers later found Thompson at a McDonald's restaurant in the 18200 block of Flower Hill Way and arrested him, according to authorities.
They found the robbery victim's keys in Thompson's possession, police said.
Thompson was transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, which is where he was charged with first-degree assault and strong-armed robbery-related charges, according to authorities.
He is being held without bond, police said.
Detectives are working with the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office regarding the potential addition of hate crime charges, according to authorities.