ABERDEEN, Md. — Police charged a man Wednesday with trying to carjack baseball great Cal Ripken‘s mother in a bank parking lot in Maryland.
Aberdeen police charged Jesse Bowen, 33, of Havre de Grace with attempted armed robbery, attempted armed carjacking, possessing a dangerous weapon, first-degree assault and several controlled substance related charges. He was being held without bond.
A man with a handgun approached 75-year-old Vi Ripken on Tuesday afternoon near NBRS Bank in Aberdeen, a town about 25 miles north of Baltimore, police said. Ripken activated a key alarm and the man left.
Ripken wasn’t hurt and went into the bank to report the crime, Aberdeen police spokesman Lt. Frederick Budnick said. After police identified a suspect from an ATM photo, officers arrested Bowen about two hours later, Budnick said.
Ripken spokeswoman Katy Ford said Wednesday morning that the family has no comment.
On July 24, 2012, Ripken was taken from her Aberdeen home at gunpoint and returned unharmed 24 hours later. At that time, police released a sketch, photographs and a surveillance video that were believed to show a potential suspect.
In August of this year, Cal Ripken announced a $100,000 reward for information that helped lead to the capture and conviction of the person responsible for the abduction. No one has been charged in that case.
Budnick said Wednesday morning that there does not appear to be any connection between the two crimes.
Hall of Fame infielder Cal Ripken played in 2,632 consecutive games in a 21-year career with the Baltimore Orioles.
