Tracked Down and Caught! BCI Arrests Kidnappers/Bank Robbers

ST. MARY'S COUNTY - 10/6/2008

By Pete Hurrey

On Monday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m., St. Mary's County Sheriff Timothy Cameron, Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans, BCI Commander Lt. Ricky Burris and Maryland State Police Commander Mike Thompson held a press conference to explain the details of the investigation that led to the arrest of suspects on the Sept. 24 kidnapping of Latoya Booth, a PNC bank manager, and her two children.

At the press conference, after brief opening remarks, Sheriff Cameron turned the podium over to Lt. Burris. In his statement to the press, Burris indicated that the suspects, Edwin Jones, 40 of Lexington Park, Quinita Ennis, 30 of Lexington Park, and William Johnson, 28 of California, were persons of interest to detectives early on in the investigation. "Det. Earl knew of them from earlier investigations," said Burris. "Then after we received valid Crime Solvers tips which confirmed their involvement, warrants were issued."

After numerous warrants, Enis was arrested for her involvement for transporting the suspects on the morning of the incident. It was her maroon 1999 Mitsubishi Gallant that was the subject to the manhunt, which transpired on the morning of Sept. 24.

Detectives searched the residences of the suspects as part of their investigation and uncovered four safes buried in a backyard. Two of the safes were empty and two contained approximately $110,000 in cash identified as being from the PNC Bank robbery.

After interviews, detectives discovered more recently purchased property. "They went on a shopping spree," said Burris. It was also learned that some of the suspects had traveled to Atlantic City and gambled a good deal of the $168,000 taken from the bank on Sept. 24.

Detectives learned of Johnson and Brown's flight to North Carolina. After informing Raleigh police, the two suspects were taken into custody from an apartment building and are awaiting return to St. Mary's County. "We are going down to Raleigh tonight," said Burris. "After we question them, we expect more arrests in the case."

Media asked Sheriff Evans if he still thought there was a possibility that Booth was involved in the case. "I am completely satisfied that she was not involved in any way, based upon the evidence collected," said Evans. The statement was confirmed by Burris.

"I want to reiterate that this is still an on-going investigation," said Sheriff Cameron.

 As a result of the ongoing investigation into the Sept. 24 abduction of a bank manager and her two children and subsequent robbery of the PNC Bank in California, St. Mary’s County Bureau of Criminal Investigations detectives, along with the Calvert Investigative Team, Maryland State Police, MSP Homeland Security and Intelligence Division,  St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, the Southern Maryland Information Center and the FBI, executed a number of search and seizure warrants in Calvert and St. Mary’s County on homes, persons and vehicles, beginning in the early morning hours of Oct. 3 and continued throughout the day.

 Quinita Jesse Ennis, 30 of Lexington Park, was taken into custody and charged with three counts of kidnapping, first-degree assault, armed robbery, theft over $500 and conspiracy.

Edwin Jonathan Jones, 40 of Lexington Park, was taken into custody and charged with three counts of kidnapping,  first-degree assault,  armed robbery, theft over $500, conspiracy and being an accessory before and after the fact.

Felony warrants were issued for William Cordell Johnson, a.k.a. “Back Road Billy”, 28 of California, and Joseph Franklin Brown, 25 of California. 

BCI detectives had determined William Johnson and Joseph Brown had fled to the Raleigh, North Carolina area, operating a 2002, Silver BMW passenger vehicle.  Johnson and Brown were considered armed and dangerous. 

BCI detectives contacted police in Raleigh.  Johnson and Brown were located and subsequently arrested by police in Raleigh.  Both are incarcerated awaiting return to Maryland.

Detectives recovered approximately $100,000 of the stolen currency and other evidence linking the suspects to the crime during the operation.  Ennis and Jones were incarcerated in the St. Mary’s County Detention Center.

 On Sept. 24, shortly before 7 a.m. two black males, dressed in camouflage, approached the victim, Latoya Booth, a PNC bank manager, and her two children (male one-year-old and a female five-year-old) as she exited her residence, which is located in Lusby in Calvert County. 
 

The suspects ordered the Booth and her children into her vehicle, a 2008 Chevy Tahoe and drove to the PNC Bank located at 22658 Three Notch Road in California.

Suspects ordered the her to enter the bank, remove money from the bank and return to the vehicle.  After retrieving the money from the bank, Booth was ordered back into her vehicle.  She was driven to Green Holly Elementary School on Millstone Landing Road in Lexington Park, where they were released unharmed.

Suspects fled the school in the victim's Tahoe.  The suspects abandoned the Tahoe at the CVS Drug Store located at Rue Purchase Road (state Route 235/Buck Hewitt Road) in Lexington Park , where at least one suspect was seen fleeing on foot.

An additional suspect vehicle described as a 2003 – 04 Black Nissan Sentra with tinted windows, driven by a black male, approximately 20 years old, was seen at the McDonalds Restaurant on Three Notch Road in California.

The suspects are believed to be three black males in their 20s; two suspects are wearing camouflage ski masks and camouflage shirts, and one suspect wore green pants.  The description of the third suspect is unknown at this time.

The suspects are considered to be armed and dangerous at this time as at least one long gun was displayed during the abduction and robbery.

St. Mary’s County Schools were secured as a precaution and several intersections/areas of the county have been shut down while the search for the suspects continues.