Man arrested for pepper-spraying employees during Silver Spring restaurant robbery

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Montgomery County police said a tip they received helped lead to the arrest of a suspect accused of pepper spraying two employees during an armed robbery inside a Chinese restaurant in Silver Spring.

According to police, 37-year-old Bryan O'Donald Ray walked into the Golden China restaurant in the 12700 block of Old Columbia Road at around 11 p.m. on July 21 armed with a gun and pepper spray. He pepper-sprayed a male employee behind the counter and assaulted a female employee in the head with his gun while also pepper-sprayed her during a struggle in which she attempted to grab his weapon.

After the assault, the suspect then took money from the cash register and fled from the restaurant.

After releasing surveillance video of the robbery suspect, investigators received a tip that helped identify Ray as the suspect, police said. He was arrested at a home in Northwest D.C. on Tuesday.

Ray has been charged with one count of armed robbery, two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault.

Police said Ray is being held in D.C. for similar offenses that occurred in the city.