Inches Tall

More than 30 police officers, some with search dogs, and a state police helicopter combed the woods near Little Gunpowder Falls for nearly three hours Thursday for a suspect who robbed a Joppa bank.Police called off the search at about 2 p.m. when the suspect -- said to be at least 6 feet 4 inches tall -- had not been found, said Lt. James Smith, of the county Sheriff's Department.Detective Paul L. Cole, also of the sheriff's department, said a lone gunman went into the Maryland National Bank in the Joppatowne Plaza at about 11:15 a.m. Thursday, pointed a long-barreled revolver ata female teller and demanded money.

A 22-year-old woman looking for crack cocaine was raped by three menin a vacant Meade Village apartment early Saturday, county police say.Police say the woman went to Meade Village about 4 a.m. and spoke to a man at the intersection of Circle and Meade Village roads. The man directed her to an apartment building on Circle Road.The woman walked to the building and met another man, standing atthe entrance, who took her to a vacant apartment.Police say thefirst man also went to the apartment.

A hold-up of a Hardees restaurant in Annapolis may have been thwarted Wednesday when a customer saw a diner drop his gun.Police say the customer watched as a man sat down with his tray of food at a nearby booth in the restaurant, in the 2000 block of West Street, and then stood up to take off his coat. The customer said a small semi-automatic handgun fell to the floor.A police report says the man saw the customer watching, picked uphis gun and walked out of the restaurant. A car picked him up and drove away.

It used to be that some evenings were less than enchanted for Suzi Woolford. Whenever the 33-year-old senior data specialist gazed acrossa crowded room, she would discover only two or three strangers at her eye level -- the rest of the crowd usually stood beneath her 5-foot, 11-inch frame.Columbia resident Susan Pfeifer, who also measures 5-11, understands what it feels like to stand out in a crowd."People fear you, or are awed by you," said the 30-year-old chemist.And although both women believe tall men face fewer stigmas, Mark Elrod, 26, who is 6 feet, 7 3/4 inches tall, speaks of other problems.