Robber accosts two in Long Reach

Howard County detectives are investigating two robberies in Columbia's Long Reach village Tuesday involving an apparently intoxicated man who held his hand in his right pocket in a way that implied he had a gun.

No one was injured in either incident and no weapon was shown, police said.

The first incident occurred about 10:30 p.m. when Barbara Dublin, 52, of the 8700 block of Cloudleap Court, was stopped on her way to her apartment and threatened by a man who demanded her purse. She gave the robber her purse and he ran to a nearby foot path, police said.

The robber, who appeared drunk, was described as a slim white male in his early to mid-20s. He had a mustache and he wore a dark knit hat, a brown or yellow flannel long-sleeved shirt and jeans, police said.

About 25 minutes after the first robbery, Clemmie Weems, 57, was approached in a similar manner at his mailbox in the 8800 block of Tamebird Court, which is just a block away. The robber implied he had a gun, demanded cash and ran toward a parking lot after Mr. Weems told him he had no money, police said.