Howard County Police Ask For Help Identifying Sex Offender
COLUMBIA, Md. (WJZ) -- Howard County police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man wanted in connection with a sex offense that took place in a Columbia shopping plaza parking lot.
On May 23, at 11:30 a.m., a woman was walking back to her vehicle parked in the Best Buy parking lot in the 8200 block of Gateway Overlook when she was approached from behind by an unknown male. As the woman was entering her vehicle, the suspect reached under her dress and grabbed her. When the woman screamed, the suspect walked away.
The woman followed the suspect and saw him get into a white 4-door pickup truck, possibly a 4-door Dodge Ram 2500, with two wide, dark stripes running down the middle of the hood. There was a large piece of plywood in the bed of the truck. She was unable to provide any tag information. The suspect fled the parking lot a high rate of speed, making a right out of the shopping center by Trader Joes and an immediate left into an industrial park in the 8100 block of Lark Brown Road.
The suspect was described as a white male, in his 20s or 30s, average build, approximately 5' 10" with a tan complexion, wearing a camouflaged-colored ball cap, a brown sweat jacket, a white T-shirt, and light brown shorts. Video footage from Best Buy showed the suspect following the victim around the store and then following her out.
Police are asking anyone with information to call 410-313-STOP.
