Montgomery County police have arrested and charged a man in connection with a June strong-arm robbery and assault at the Giant Food store in downtown Bethesda, according to authorities.
Police are crediting employees at a Kensington Giant for helping them identify the man, Rafael Stedman Diaz-Powell, 34, of an unknown address, when he was in that store in late September.
Diaz-Powell has been charged with commercial strong-arm robbery and assault, county police said in a statement Friday. He is being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit in Rockville.
According to police, Diaz-Powell entered the Bethesda grocery store at 7142 Arlington Road at about 11:30 a.m. on June 25 and attempted to return stolen merchandise for a cash refund.
After Diaz-Powell was not successful in making the return, he then allegedly punched a store employee in the face, stole an undisclosed amount of money from another employee and left, police said.
Following the incident, police released photos of the suspect captured by surveillance cameras in the store and asked for the public’s assistance in identifying the man. During the investigation, detectives identified Diaz-Powell as the suspect, police said.
On Sept. 22, employees at a Giant Food in Kensington spotted Diaz-Powell in that store, recognized him as a person of interest and notified nearby patrol officers.
Officers took Diaz-Powell into custody on an unrelated outstanding warrant, police said, and on Sept. 25 obtained an arrest warrant charging him in connection with the June robbery.
Diaz-Powell is being held without bond. According to court documents, he is being represented by a county public defender.
A media representative for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender did not immediately respond to MoCo360’s email request for comment.
This year, Giant Food stores in the county have beefed up security protocols at some of its stores in response to “unprecedented levels” of theft, a spokesperson told MoCo360 in July. Shoplifting in retail stores has been on the rise over the past few years in the county and some stores have hired security personnel and police officers to deter theft.
