Finksburg, Md – The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has charged a man in connection with a homicide and attempted murder earlier this month in Finksburg. During a press conference on Tuesday, Sheriff Jim DeWees announced that 30-year-old Austin Paul Potocki was arrested at his Hanover, Pennsylvania home on Monday evening. He is accused of killing Benjamin Billings and attempting to murder David Anderson.
Potocki is currently being held in York County, Pennsylvania as a fugitive from justice. Authorities in Carroll County have obtained a warrant for his arrest on charges including murder and related offenses.
The incident occurred on Friday, December 13th, around 7:44 AM, when deputies responded to reports of a shooting at the intersection of Wesley Road and Patapsco Road. “Deputies discovered a white Silverado pickup truck with two gunshot victims—Benjamin Billings, the driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene, and David Anderson, the passenger, who suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm,” Sheriff DeWees said. Anderson was transported to Sinai Hospital for treatment.
Sheriff DeWees credited detectives for working tirelessly to identify Potocki as the suspect. Investigators executed search warrants at Potocki’s home, recovering physical evidence, cell phones, and computers that placed him near the scene at the time of the shooting.
Authorities believe Potocki carefully planned the attack. “We suspect Potocki monitored Billings and Anderson’s movements and ambushed them,” DeWees explained. “He allegedly fired multiple rounds from an AR-223 rifle from an elevated position east of the intersection, then fled on foot to a nearby staged vehicle.”
Investigators recovered the AR-223 rifle used in the crime, along with shell casings Potocki allegedly attempted to destroy at his residence.
According to Sheriff DeWees, Potocki had a business connection with the victims through his company, Austin Pool Service, based in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He was also facing a pending civil lawsuit filed by Anderson, with text messages exchanged between the two referencing the legal dispute.
Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker emphasized the gravity of the case during the press conference. “Crimes like this are rare in Carroll County, but we take them incredibly seriously,” Shoemaker said. “While the defendant is presumed innocent, we are confident in the strength of our case. Our priority is justice for the victims and the people of Carroll County.”
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office stated that evidence collection and analysis are ongoing. The case will be handed over to the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
The arrest resulted from collaboration between the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Division, West Manheim Police, and the York County Quick Response Team in Pennsylvania.
