A man dressed in a full-body pink unicorn costume robbed a county dairy store early Saturday morning, smashing a register with a crow bar after demanding money from an employee, police said.
Jacob William Rogge, 28, of the 7900 block of Bradshaw Road in Upper Falls, was charged with armed robbery, robbery, first- and second-degree assault, theft, and destruction of property after allegedly robbing the High Dairy Store on Long Green Pike in Baldwin at 5 a.m., police said.
According to police, Rogge fled the store with cash and cigarettes in a sliver Hyundai Elantra driven by his accomplice, Joseph Phillip Svezzese, 27, of the 600 block of Thames Way in Bel Air. Svezzese was also charged with armed robbery, robbery, and theft, police said.
Police said officers responding to the call passed the silver Elantra, which fit the description of the suspect vehicle.
Before officers could turn around and stop the vehicle, it lost control and crossed over the oncoming traffic lane on Manor Road at Sweet Air Road, crashing into mailboxes, a BGE pole, shrubbery, and finally a boulder, which redirected the vehicle back across Manor Road where it came to a stop after striking a tree.
Both suspects were transported to local hospitals with serious injuries, police said.
Svezzese was treated and released and is being held without bail pending a bail review hearing, police said. Rogge remains hospitalized in serious condition and received an initial bail hearing Monday afternoon that resulted in a no bond status, police said.
According to police, evidence was recovered at the scene of the crash that linked both suspects to the robbery. The unicorn costume was discarded prior to the crash but was later recovered by police off the side of the roadway in some bushes, police said.
–Will Farrington