A 31-year-old homeless man is behind bars after police say a robbery attempt in South Baltimore turned into a shooting that sent a pedestrian limping into a nearby fire station for help. The victim was later taken to a hospital with a non-life-threatening arm wound, and investigators quickly zeroed in on a suspect now facing a long list of felonies.
Police timeline and arrest
According to the Baltimore Police Department, officers were called around 6:18 a.m. on Feb. 10 to the 400 block of Maude Avenue after a shooting victim walked into a fire station looking for help. Detectives later determined the shooting happened during an attempted robbery in the 4000 block of 5th Avenue, where a 36-year-old man was wounded and then taken to an area hospital.
Police say 31-year-old Preston Freeman was identified as the suspect and arrested the next day in the 3900 block of 5th Street. Officers report he was taken into custody without incident and transported to Central Booking.
Court records detail the confrontation
Charging documents reviewed by FOX 45 News state that Freeman approached the victim as he walked to work, demanded cash, and, when refused, ordered him to kneel. The papers say the assailant then pistol-whipped the man and went through his pockets before firing a shot that hit the victim in the right forearm.
The suspect was described in those records as wearing a green jacket, black pants, and a ski mask while riding a small bicycle. The documents also say a woman detained on an unrelated warrant later helped confirm the suspect’s identity by recognizing a person in a body-camera still and a booking photo as her friend “Presjon.”
How officers tracked the suspect
Local reporting on the department advisory indicates that detectives used the witness identification together with image matches in arrest databases to tie the case to Freeman. As Shore News Network notes, officers ultimately located Freeman, arrested him without incident, and took him to the Central Booking Intake Facility while investigators continue their probe. Police say they are still reviewing evidence and following up on leads tied to the early-morning encounter…