A Montgomery County man has been identified as the suspect in a series of dine-and-dash incidents targeting restaurants across Baltimore and Harford counties. According to court documents from the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, the suspect is 57-year-old Randy Micheal Nelson.
Nelson was arrested following allegations that he targeted multiple businesses in the region. Business owners have utilized social media to alert other establishments and prevent further victims of the crime.
Incident at Massoni’s Italian Restaurant
One of the targeted establishments was Massoni’s Italian Restaurant in Perry Hall. The owner, Nicole Massoni, reported that Nelson visited her business on a Wednesday afternoon and ordered several beers in quick succession.
According to the restaurant, the bartender eventually cut Nelson off from drinking. Following this, Nelson allegedly left the premises without paying his bill, an action that was captured on the restaurant’s security video.
Nicole Massoni expressed her frustration over the incident, stating that the impact is felt more heavily by small businesses where every dollar counts
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Community Response and Other Affected Businesses
Following the incident at her restaurant, Massoni posted a warning on social media to notify other local business owners. This post led to a surge of phone calls and comments from other proprietors who claimed that Nelson had also targeted restaurants along Belair Road.
Other businesses that took action after seeing the social media warnings included Looney’s Pub and the Silver Spring Mining Company, both of which removed him from their establishments.
Nelson has since been released and is back on the streets following his arrest.