A Howard County Circuit Court judge sentenced a Glen Burnie man to 50 years in prison yesterday in a Columbia carjacking in January.
Larry W. Best, 36, pleaded guilty in September to armed carjacking, armed robbery and handgun possession in the carjacking of a Cockeysville woman Jan. 27 in front of a hair salon on Minstrel Way. Best also struck the woman repeatedly with a handgun, police said.
As the woman entered her car, Best approached her, pulled out a handgun and demanded cash, police said. When he found she had less than $10, he got into the car and forced the woman into the passenger seat, police said.
He drove the car on Broken Land Parkway and told the victim to get out her ATM card, police said.
Best tried to withdraw money from the ATM at the NationsBank in Owen Brown village but was interrupted when the woman tried to escape. Best then struck her on the head with his handgun, police said. He took the woman's diamond earrings and her gold Seiko watch, police said.
The woman finally escaped and ran to a home in the neighborhood, where she asked for help, police said.
Police were able to identify and arrest Best by comparing a surveillance camera photograph with one taken at another ATM in a Baltimore rape case, according to charging documents. The Baltimore photograph was aired on television, and a tipster told authorities that he thought that Best was the attacker, police said.
The day after the robbery, Best sold a pair of diamond earrings to a Jessup pawnshop, police said. Best was arrested in early February.
Judge James B. Dudley sentenced Best to 25 years for carjacking, 15 years for armed robbery and 10 years for the handgun violation.
