Howard County Police Get Help From Social Media Tracking Down Armed Robbery Suspect

ELKRIDGE, Md. (WJZ) -- A surveillance image circulated on social media helped lead to the identification and arrest of a suspect accused of holding up an Elkridge McDonald's at knifepoint this month, according to Howard County police.

Ryan Ashley Powell, 36, of Wilmington, N.C., faces charges of armed robbery, first-degree assault and theft related to the March 13 robbery of the restaurant located in the 6200 block of Washington Boulevard.

The suspect walked up to the counter about 5:30 a.m. that morning, brandishing a knife and demanding money from the register, an employee told investigators. He got away with some cash in a gray Volkswagen Passat station wagon.

The employee told police the suspect appeared to have some kind of trauma or disfigurement to the right side of his face.

After releasing photos of the man on Facebook and Twitter, officers received a tip that a man matching his description had been been seen at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore, according to police.

Police later identified the man as Powell and secured a warrant for his arrest. He was taken into custody at his home in North Carolina and extradited to the Howard County Detention Center where he's being held on $150,000 bond.