UPDATE: Howard County Police Department say the woman dubbed the “Hamburglar” has been arrested. According to police, 27-year-old Jessica Marie Cross turned herself into police Nov. 16 upon learning she was wanted and has been charged with burglary and theft.
Police in Maryland’s Howard County posted a video on the department’s Facebook page this week showing a woman who entered a McDonald’s in Columbia through the drive-thru window and leaving with cash and food.
The department says it responded to a report of a burglary at 5 a.m on Nov. 5. Police say an employee arrived at the store to find cash registers “disturbed” and the office door open. Investigators determined $1,400 had been stolen.
The camera shows a clear image of the woman’s face who disappears off camera before returning with a box full of food and other items with her shirt pulled over her face. She drops the box then picks it up once more putting it on the drive-thru window. An unseen person then grabs the box from outside and closes the drive-thru window.
Sherry Llewellyn, with the Howard County Police Department, said the video has garnered a lot of interest — it currently has almost 110,000 views on Facebook— is because it is “unusual.”
“We’re fortunate for our investigators that we have such good quality video and we’re hoping that someone will be able to identify her so that we can bring her into custody,” she said.
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“In this day and age, it is quite common for businesses to have video surveillance equipment. We’re not always able to have such a good clear view of the suspect and, in addition, this video is getting a lot of attention because of the unusual nature of the burglary.”
Llewellyn said the department has received several tips in the past 24 hours since the video was posted and investigators are following up on leads.
The video has been receiving several comments, some about the seriousness of the crime, while others have been taking a more comedic tone.
“Is anyone upset that she had all those soda options and she chose Powerade?” wrote one Facebook user.
Another wrote: “She climbed through that window like a ninja, no wonder no one noticed her.”
Asked about the comments taking a comedic tone, Llewellyn said it is still a crime that occurred.
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“We share videos and certainly any time that we have such good quality video. This happens to be one that people do seem to be finding amusing, however, we don’t really consider ourselves in on the joke because this is a crime as far as we’re concerned like any other,” she said. “Our focus on this video is its outstanding quality and our hope is that it ultimately resolves the case with an arrest.”
The police department is asking anyone with information about the crime to call them at 1-410-313-7867. Emails can also be sent to HCPDcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov.