Salisbury man convicted in 2022 robbery at Pizza City

SALISBURY, Md. – A Salisbury man has been convicted of armed robbery and assault.

On Wednesday, a two-day trial wrapped up with Kendal Smiley being convicted of armed robbery, two counts of first degree assault, two counts of firearm use in a violent crime, and other related charges.

The charges stem from an incident on March 13, 2022, when Smiley stole a handgun from a related and walked a short distance to Pizza City on Carroll Street. Smiley covered himself in a grey hooded sweatshirt, red sweatpants, and a red plastic mask before entering the business and pointing the handgun at two employees, robbing the store of the money inside the cash register. Smiley then fled the business, threw his clothing in the relative’s backyard trashcan, and fled the area. Police made initial contact with Smiley in the area roughly ten minutes after the robbery took place, but his clothing did not match the description provided by the victims, so he was released from police contact. Smiley then went to a local hotel to use the stolen money to pay for his stay. A short time later, police located the clothing items and mask that had been discarded in the trash can.

Sentencing was postponed pending the completion of a pre-sentence investigation, and Smiley will remain in custody pending sentencing.