A soldier from Aberdeen Proving Ground is accused of carjacking an Edgewood man?s SUV while the victim?s 5-year-old son remained in the vehicle.
The boy was not physically hurt, but police said the father?s leg was partially amputated in the process of resisting the robbery.
Pvt. Brandon Lee Taylor, 18, assigned to the 143rd Ordinance Battalion, was charged with carjacking, kidnapping, reckless endangerment, theft of a motor vehicle, first- and second-degree assault as well as a number of motor vehicle charges, said Bob Thomas, a spokesman for the Harford County Sheriff?s Office.
The victim, Thomas Maurice Head, stopped at the Shell Mart in the 1700 block of Hanson Road around 10:30 p.m. Monday, leaving his 2004 Ford Explorer with the motor running and his son inside it.
While inside the store, he saw a man get into the vehicle and drive away. Head ran out of the store and grabbed onto the vehicle, causing the driver to lose control and hit a utility pole, injuring Head?s right leg.
Head was in critical condition after undergoing surgery at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, Thomas said Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, Taylor ran away from the scene into a nearby development, although sheriff?s deputies captured him in the 500 block of Meadowood Drive within five minutes. Taylor is now being held on $50,000 bond at the Harford County Detention Center.
“This was a very unusual set of circumstances and very unfortunate for the young man. He made a number of stupid mistakes,” Thomas said.
Taylor, a native of Canby, Ore., was a trainee at the Ordnance Center and Schools at Aberdeen, said Debi Horn, a base spokeswoman. Depending on their level of training, many trainees are not permitted to leave the base, Horn said. Because of the number of officers away for the Fourth of July holiday, she said she could not find out if Taylor was absent without leave.
The Sheriff?s office will continue the investigation with the assistance of the Provost Marshal?s office at the base. While Head could face charges for leaving his son in the car unattended, Thomas said it was uncertain if he would.
“He has already suffered tremendously with his leg injury,” Thomas said.
