On July 14th, 2005 at 1115 hrs law enforcement officers responded to the Belk Department Store located at the Wildewood Shopping Center in California, St. Mary's County, Maryland for a reported armed robbery. Detectives from the St. Mary's County Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) made contact with two (2) store employees who advised two (2) suspects entered the back office area and held one (1) female employee around the neck and put a knife to her throat. The suspects demanded money from the employees and fled the area in a vehicle with an undisclosed amount of US Currency.
The suspects were spotted by St. Mary's County Deputies traveling northbound on Rt. 5 in Mechanicsville, MD and a vehicle pursuit ensued after the suspect vehicle failed to stop. The pursuit continued into Charles County and ended when the suspect vehicle ran off the road. A short foot pursuit ensued and both suspects were apprehended and transported to BCI. The suspects were identified as 37 year old Kenneth Morris Barnes and 35 year old Mikal Dennard Barnes - both of Prince Georges County, MD.
US Currency from the Belk Store was recovered near the vehicle and weapons were discovered inside the suspect vehicle as well as suspected marijuana and paraphernalia from the trunk. Both suspects were placed under arrest and each charged with two (2) counts of Armed Robbery, two (2) counts of 1st Degree Assault, one (1) count of Theft Over $500, and one (1) count of 2nd Degree Assault. They are currently awaiting their appearance before the District Court Commissioner for St. Mary's County.