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Austin Paul Potocki, 30, of Hanover, was arrested Monday, Dec. 23, in connection with the Dec. 13 shooting that killed Benjamin Billings, 42, and injured David Anderson, 39 in Finksburg.
According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Potocki fired multiple rounds into a pickup truck at the intersection of Wesley and Patapsco roads before fleeing the scene.
Deputies found Billings dead in the driver’s seat of a white Chevrolet Silverado and Anderson suffering from a gunshot wound to his arm.
Investigators believe Potocki used an AR-15 rifle with a device to catch ejected shell casings, as none were found at the scene despite several rounds being fired.
Potocki was arrested in Hanover this, with help from local police and the York County Quick Response Team, officials said.
He’s being held in York County as a fugitive from justice, with Maryland officials awaiting his extradition, which could come as soon as Friday, according to Carroll County State's Attorney Haven Shoemaker.
Carroll County Sheriff James DeWees said that Anderson was a key in connecting Potocki to the shooting.
"Anderson provided evidence and names of individuals who may have targeted he and Billings, and Potocki became a primary suspect a few days later," he said. "We had physical and digital evidence, narrowing down the timeline and placing him near the scene.
"Because Anderson was a passenger in the vehicle and he survived, he could speak and gave us some indication of who he thought may have targeted him and Potocki came up as a strong suspect."
Detectives worked nonstop to crack the case, officials said, gathering physical and digital evidence that tied Potocki to the shooting.
DeWees said that it is believed Potocki had previously been tracking Anderson's movements, and was lying in wait before the shooting, then fled on foot to a vehicle that was staged nearby so he could make his getaway.
"I've been policing in this county for 36 years, and shootings in and of itself are few and far between ... But something this ... I've only seen a couple times in my career where someone went through the efforts to hide their movements.
"With the prior surveillance, we do believe that Potocki knew the movements of Anderson specifically, and that's why he was where he was and ready to do what he did."
Investigators seized firearms, including AR-15 rifles, and recovered discarded shell casings from his residence, officials said. Search warrants also uncovered cell phones and computers that placed him near the scene at the time of the attack.
It is also believed that Potocki attempted to destroy some of the discarded casings.
The Sheriff’s Office said Potocki had a business relationship with the victims through his pool company, Austin’s Pool Service. Text messages between Anderson and Potocki revealed a possible civil lawsuit involving the pair, which detectives believe could have been the motive for the shooting.
DeWees said that Potocki was a subcontractor for Anderson, and a financial agreement between the two wasn't followed through.
"The disturbing thing is that it doesn't appear as though he cared who was in that car," the sheriff said. "It could have been an infant or 90 year old woman sitting in that truck.
"He shot indiscriminately to kill the one person and anyone who got in the way was going to get hit."
Potocki is being held pending his extradition back to Maryland to face murder and other charges, which Shoemaker may happen as soon as Friday, Dec. 27 or subsequent Fridays, pending on the holiday schedule in York County.
Authorities credited the swift arrest to collaboration with the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office, West Manheim Police Department, and York County Quick Response Team.
"Obviously this isn't the type of crime we see every day in Carroll County, so it's certainly one that the Sheriff's Office and my office takes incredibly seriously," Shoemaker added. "We have a very strong case, and our ultimately goal is to get justice for the victims of this heinous crime and the good people of Carroll County."
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