Anne Arundel County business owner had home burglarized days before he was killed, police say
The owner of an aquatic garden business in Anne Arundel County reported he had his home broken into less than two weeks before he was tied up and burned in his pickup truck, according to police.
Police said 67-year-old Edward Stephen Koza told officers that someone stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the home on Spring Race Court in Annapolis on May 12.
Police said 67-year-old Edward Stephen Koza told officers that someone stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the home on Spring Race Court in Annapolis on May 12.
Contributed photo
Jonah Poole and Kylee Dakes, both 18 years old, are facing murder, assault, and arson charges related to Koza's death on May 24.
Anne Arundel County police confirmed Poole briefly worked for Koza at Tropic Bay Aquatic Garden Center in Davidsonville in 2024.
A neighbor told WJZ that Koza may have been struggling in the weeks leading up to his death.
"He was a pretty good neighbor, I know he suffered depression several times," the neighbor said.
Police said they cannot release any specific details about the burglary due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Video of the possible suspect
A video circulating on social media appears to show a suspect who fits Poole's description setting fire to a truck that is described in charging documents as Koza's. Police are working to authenticate it as part of their homicide investigation.
According to police, Koza was attacked around closing time inside the Tropic Bay Aquatic Center. He was tied up, placed in the back of the pickup truck, driven to a gas station, and back to the parking lot, and was set on fire.
"I was shocked," Koza's neighbor said.
Sequence of events leading to murder
WJZ learned that Dakes' last day at her job at Pirates Cove restaurant in Galesville was on May 13, the day after Koza's home was burglarized.
Poole allegedly burglarized Pirates Cove on May 18 and caused about $6,000 in damage and stole more than $11,000 from the safe, according to charging documents. Koza was found dead in his burned truck on May 24, and the suspects were arrested on May 31.
Charging documents also revealed that Dakes and Poole were a couple and were scheduled to graduate from Southern High School this week.
An Anne Arundel County Public Schools newsletter that celebrates AVID seniors said Dakes was planning to attend Notre Dame of Maryland to study radiology and had received more than $200,000 in scholarships.
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