3 Charged in Ellicott City Home Depot Faucet Thefts: Police

The Howard County Police Department reported Friday that it has charged three men in connection with a string of thefts from the Ellicott City Home Depot—and the men may be involved in more than 60 additional thefts.

Howard County detectives began investigating after a series of thefts was reported from the Home Depot in the 9100 block of Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City, police said.

The suspects took faucets and made getaways through a fire door, according to police.

Last weekend, at 1:50 p.m. on March 29, a man stole numerous faucets, then ran out a fire door, police said.

At 6:10 p.m. on March 27, two men took a paint sprayer and several faucets before running out a fire door, according to police.

At 1 p.m. on Feb. 3, an employee saw two men get into a vehicle after they activated a fire door, and surveillance footage showed they had stolen several faucets, according to police.

Through investigation, police determined the suspects were driving a 2007 Pontiac G6, the report said.

At approximately 4:15 p.m. on April 3, officers saw the vehicle enter the parking lot of the Ellicott City Home Depot, where the suspects were under surveillance, police said.

Later that day, Howard County officers arrested the men after they sold [stolen] faucets at a Baltimore pawn shop, according to the report.

Donnelle Markus Williams, 39, of Baltimore, and Alexander Jerome Mathews, 45, of Baltimore, were charged with five counts of theft apiece: two counts of theft under $1,000; two counts of theft from $1,000 to under $10,000; and theft scheme from $1,000 to under $10,000.

Eric Alexander Ellerbe, 53, of Reisterstown, was charged with four counts of theft: two counts of theft from $1,000 to under $10,000; theft under $1,000; and theft scheme from $1,000 to under $10,000.

Police said Williams, Mathews and Ellerbe may be connected to more than 60 reported thefts from Home Depots in the region since December.

Each of the men is being held in the Howard County Detention Center on $10,000 bond.