For Dawood Aldaylam, Aug. 19 began as an ordinary day at the Good Brothers convenience store in northwest Baltimore until he and his business became the victim of an armed robbery.
The U.S. Marshals Service has now joined the search for one of the two suspects wanted in connection to the case.
Byron Powell, 61, is wanted for felony armed robbery, according to the federal agency.
“It was a slow day,” said Aldaylam. “There weren’t many people in the store and then two older guys walked in.”
Surveillance video shows both men waving to Aldaylam, who was standing behind the enclosed register. The men then begin to walk up and down the aisles.
Aldaylam said once he finished checking out the other customers, the men asked for his help locating ice cream in the back freezer.
“I remember I only had one ice cream sandwich left in the freezer so I thought they probably didn’t see it. I walked from behind the counter and back to the freezer and pulled out the ice cream sandwich.”
But Aldaylam said he quickly realized the men weren’t there for ice cream.
“The one guy pointed his gun at my face and the other guy put his gun against my back,” said Aldaylam. “They told me to not move. I put my hands up and told them whatever you want to take, take.”
Aldaylam said the men first took the cash he had in his pockets, as well as his gun that was in his pants, and then led him back toward the register.
Surveillance video captured one suspect leading Aldaylam through the aisle now armed with two guns, and the other suspect following with his gun still pressed against Aldaylam’s back.
Another camera’s vantage point captured the suspects then entering the enclosed register area with Aldaylam. Aldaylam said at this point he began fearing for his life.
“When it was just me and them in the enclosed area that’s when I was nervous. I was scared. I was asking myself, am I going to see my kids again today, or no? That moment I really thought this might be it. Any move I would have done they may have shot me,” said Aldaylam.
Surveillance video captured one suspect pulling hundreds of dollars in cash from the register and removing boxes of cigarettes from the back shelves.
During the robbery, two more customers can be seen on video walking into the store and up to the counter, unaware of what was happening just on the other side of the plexiglass.
“I think the customers kind of scared them off,” said Aldaylam. “They started rushing and just ran out of the store.”
Aldaylam then called the police.
According to charging documents, responding officers reviewed surveillance footage from cameras both inside and outside of the store, and used that footage along with MVA records to identify Powell as one of the suspects.
Court records indicate Powell’s criminal history dates back to the 1990’s with the majority of his arrests centered on drugs.
Aldaylam said he didn’t know the suspect and didn’t recognize either man. The owner and father expressed his frustration with the crime.
“Sometimes I feel like I just want to close and just leave. It’s really not worth it. It’s not worth it,” said Aldaylam.
Investigators have not yet revealed if they’ve identified or apprehended the second suspect.
Anyone with information regarding Powell’s whereabouts is asked to contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 202-819-5058.