A swarm of police responded to a reported home invasion robbery Monday night on Mary Lynn Drive near the south gate of Patuxent Naval Air Station.
Within minutes, officers learned no home invasion had occurred.
The only suspect on the scene claimed to be a victim, who said he was assaulted by two other men who fled on foot, reports Lt. Daniel Alioto of the St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Office.
Two residents called 911 after a person was pounding on the front door of one house shouting “police.” A glass section on the home’s front door was broken from the pounding.
Timothy Uncle Jr., who was ultimately arrested at the scene for damaging the door, told police he gave a ride to two black men he picked up at Blimpie nearby, but they beat him up and took a large sum of cash. He claimed to be banging on the door so the occupants would call the police.
The incident occurred during the evening shift change for the sheriff’s office, Alioto said, so even a larger number of officers than usual responded and immediately saturated the area looking for the two suspects that Uncle said fled on foot. Even a K9 officer was on the scene minutes after the initial dispatch, trying to pick up a trail.
As minutes past, officers and detectives gathered more information from Uncle and the nearby residents, and apparently Uncle was the only person to have seen the two black men he described. Lt. Alioto, who was on the scene, said Uncle did not have any visible signs of injury.
No other suspects were located after the wide search and increased patrols afterwards in the Hermanville area lasting late into the night.
There have been several burglaries reported in the vicinity this year.
Lt. Alioto said police and detectives gathered useful information from nearby residents, and the suspect arrested at the scene.