"The assailant came in the door, I heard the click of the chamber and immediately I thought, 'Ugh oh," and then he came over and demanded the money," said Campbell.
After that robbery netted 400-dollars, the suspect decided to rob another store three days later.
The target this time---Piper’s Wine and Spirit Barn on Hanover Pike in Manchester.
Only this time, when the armed robber entered the store and demanded cash, police say he soon realized he had made a critical mistake.
"The clerk behind the counter recognized his voice, called him by name and told him to get out of the store,” said Maryland State Police Spokesman Greg Shipley, “He followed her advice and left and didn't get any money from this liquor store."
What state police got was a positive identification that led them to 27-year old Melson Hairston.
Detectives tracked down Hairston at a home in Manchester, which they say produced more evidence from the robberies and of other crimes.
"They found 44 small baggies of what we believe contained crack cocaine, some marijuana and we believe some clothing articles that were worn by the individual when he committed these armed robberies. We also found a located 9 millimeter handgun," said Shipley.
The investigation also produced two additional arrests---Hairston’s girlfriend, Shahara Kutcherman, who allegedly helped him in the botched robbery attempt and Corey Weems who now faces a series of drug charges---all because Hairston attempted to commit a crime where a mask did him no good.
