November 14, 2000
Two Hampstead men have been charged in two recent store robberies in Carroll County and are wanted for questioning in several similar crimes in western Baltimore County, authorities said.
Erland Roessler, 35, of the 1500 block of Main St. and Steven Sirbaugh, 30, of the 4100 block Hillcrest Ave. have been charged in Carroll with multiple counts of armed robbery, assault and theft, said Lt. Terry L. Katz, commander of the state police barracks in Westminster. They were being held without bail at the county detention center in Westminster.
They were arrested after Hampstead police received a tip late Friday and a search warrant was executed, according to state police.
An investigation was launched after the Nov. 7 robbery of the Holy Cow gift shop in the 1300 block of Main St. in Hampstead.
A man entered the store that evening, engaged the clerk in conversation and asked for change, then ordered the woman to lie on the floor and grabbed cash from the open register, according to Hampstead police.
The description and method used were similar to robberies small stores, including a second one in Carroll and at least three in the Reisterstown area.
In addition to the gift shop, the two men have been charged in Carroll in the robbery of a 7-Eleven store on Route 30.
