Befuddled robber caught because he couldn’t find interstate

Authorities said Waddell, 26, of North East, Md., stopped a woman in an apartment complex Tuesday to ask for directions to Interstate 40.

The woman called Monterey police a few minutes after the driver confided he was in a stolen vehicle, Sgt. Tim Murphy said.

Waddell, who authorities say stole $200 from a sandwich shop earlier in the night, was caught about an hour later, 15 miles away and still on a state highway. He also is charged with holding up a sandwich shop and taking $200.

Murphy said leaving Monterey, population 2,717, shouldn’t have been hard.

“He was less than 200 yards from the I-40 ramp when he robbed the store,” Murphy said. “I think that he panicked when he left … and turned right into a residential neighborhood.”

Waddell was taken to the county jail on charges of aggravated robbery and property theft.