Open Garage

Police Blotter is a sampling of crimes in Howard County.Ellicott City: 3300 block of N. Chatham Road: A tan 1996 Honda Accord, Maryland license plate DJJ 912, was stolen Saturday.Ellicott City: 2400 block of McKenzie Road: A cellular telephone was stolen from a house after someone opened an unlocked garage Monday.Ellicott City: 10200 block of New Forest Court: A bicycle was taken from an open garage Monday.Ellicott City: 8300 block of Dawn Court: A motorcycle was taken from an open garage Sunday.

In the Crofton special tax district, a navy blue police car is a familiar fixture. It patrols the area nearly around the clock, and the officer behind the wheel is known to residents.This is community policing. And Crofton has practiced it for almost three decades, long before the term became popular with politicians and law enforcement authorities.As other jurisdictions adopt the grass-roots strategy, Crofton is showing how effective the approach can be. The community of 10,000 has had but one homicide in the district's 25-year history, and the crime rate remains low.Most of all, residents say they feel safer.

A Laurel man was treated at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center and released Tuesday afternoon after he was pinned between the bucket of a front-end loader and a steel trash container, officials said.Hugh Peter Fletcher, 26, of the 9500 block of McGuirk Road was loading debris from a construction site into the trash container shortly before noon when the accident occurred, police said. The construction site was in the 700 block of Crain Highway in Glen Burnie. Mr. Fletcher works for B & R Associates in Beltsville, police said.

Armored car guard robbed at gunpointPolice are looking for the robber of an armored car guard in Columbia yesterday afternoon.Police said a man held up a Brink's armored car service guard as the guard was entering the First American Bank in the 5900 block of Symphony Woods.Police said the suspect displayed a handgun as the guard was leaving his truck with bags of money. The suspect snatched an undisclosed amount of money and ran into a nearby wooded area.Police said a K-9 patrol followed the suspect's trail but lost the scent somewhere in the wooded area.

The following is compiled from police reports. The Columbia Flier includes descriptions of perpetrators only when the description makes identification possible. East Columbia Westleigh Drive , 10100 block, 4:21 a.m. May 22. Entry gained. Tamar Drive , 8800 block, 10:17 a.m. May 21. Gray 2008 Toyota Avalon stolen. Catfeet Court , 9700 block, between 3 and 4:45 p.m. May 20. Entry gained by breaking window. Nothing stolen. Coleman Thomas Road , 9200 block, between 12:19 and 1:11 p.m. May 19. Entry gained through unlocked window.

Woman assaulted in Ellicott CityRory Wade Leftwich, of the 8200 block of Wellington Place,was arrested Wednesday in Ocean City. He was charged with burglary, theft and two counts of theft from automobiles, police said.Mr. Leftwich eluded authorities for 10 days before his capture, police said.Police said they've been searching for him since late July, when his fingerprints were allegedly recovered from the scene of an attempted burglary in the 3200 block of Regents Row and a burglary in the 3200 block of Parliament Place in West Friendship.

The following is compiled from police reports. The Howard County Times includes descriptions of perpetrators only when the description makes identification possible. Ellicott City Route 40 , 8400 block, between 2 and 2:30 a.m. May 19. Entry gained to Tower Federal Credit Union by cutting hole in wall. Centennial Woods Lane , 10200 block, between 11 a.m. May 18 and 8 a.m. May 19. Entry gained by prying window screen. Route 40 , 9440 block, 4:12 a.m. May 18. Entry gained to Tongamoo House.

POLICE LOG Ellicott City: 7700 block of Rockburn Drive: A purse was stolen from a home after someone entered an open garage Wednesday, police said.

POLICE LOG* Elkridge: 3100 block of Mullineaux Lane: Someone entered a home through an open garage door and stole cash and credit cards from a purse Wednesday or Thursday.