Mounted Officer Nabs Robber

Mounted Officer Nabs Robber
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OCEAN CITY – A Baltimore man was arrested on armed robbery and assault charges last week after getting chased down by an OCPD mounted officer following an alleged knife assault.

Shortly after 2 a.m. last Friday, OCPD officers responded to the area of 2nd Street and Baltimore Ave. for a reported assault involving a knife. As officers began responding to the area, an OCPD mounted officer spotted the suspect, whose description had been broadcast, fleeing the scene. The mounted officer pursued the suspect, later identified as William Alfred Allewalt, 22, of Baltimore, and was able to apprehend him a short time later with the assistance of other officers who responded to the scene.

Prior to his apprehension, Allewalt was able to discard the knife in question, but OCPD officers recovered it nearby. The investigation revealed that prior to the arrest, Allewalt had been drinking and got into an argument with friends. During the argument, Allewalt allegedly assaulted three individuals with the knife and assaulted a fourth physically.

During the assaults, Allewalt allegedly put the knife under the chin of one of the victims and demanded the victim empty his pockets in an attempt to rob the person. During the robbery attempt, Allewalt’s friends allegedly pulled him away from the victims. No serious injuries were reported for any of the victims.

Allewalt was charged with attempted armed robbery, three counts of first-degree assault, four counts of second-degree assault, three counts of reckless endangerment and three counts of carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to cause injury. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner in Ocean City and was ordered held on a $250,000 bond before being transferred to the Worcester County Jail.

Traffic Stop Reveals Handgun

OCEAN CITY – A Gettysbury, Pa. man was arrested on weapons charges last week after a routine traffic stop in Ocean City.

Around noon last Thursday, OCPD officers were conducting a seat belt enforcement detail in the area of 8th Street and Philadelphia Ave. when they pulled over a vehicle with both front seat occupants not wearing their seatbelts. During the traffic stop, officers obtained consent to search the vehicle from the driver, later identified as Cory Robert Beaver, 19, of Gettysburg.

During the subsequent search, the officers located a .25 caliber handgun with ammunition in the glove compartment. Beaver was arrested and charged with possession of a handgun, minor in possession of a handgun and possessing a handgun in a vehicle. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and later released after posting a $25,000 bond.

Lightning Causes House Fire

BERLIN – Lightning struck a home on William Street in Berlin on Sunday night causing a fire, but the blaze was contained and no injuries were reported.

Shortly after 8 p.m. on Sunday, the Berlin Volunteer Fire Company responded to a dwelling fire at a residence on William Street behind the Bank of Ocean City facility. In addition, the Ocean Pines and Showell Volunteer Fire companies responded to assist. First arriving units reported light smoke extending from the residence.

The fire, which was attributed to a lightning strike during a band of strong thunderstorms that rolled through the area, was quickly extinguished. The residence was occupied at the time, but all of the occupants escaped and no injuries were reported. Firefighters remained on the scene for about two hours.

Pot Smokers Caught In Parking Lot

WEST OCEAN CITY – Two Pennsylvania men were arrested on marijuana charges last week after a Maryland State Police trooper observed them in the parking lot of a West Ocean City business that was closed at the time.

A little after 5 a.m. last Thursday, a MSP trooper on patrol observed a black Volkswagen with Pennsylvania tags in the parking lot of a mattress store on Route 50. The trooper observed the vehicle’s passenger sitting up with his head partially out of the window. There was no driver behind the wheel when the trooper first observed the vehicle.

The trooper approached the area and detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. At around that time, the driver appeared from the direction of the parking lot of a nearby convenience store. The two suspects were identified as Andrew J. Metzeiger, 24, of Lancaster, Pa.; and Joshua A. McSorley, 23, also of Lancaster.

A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed a silver metallic and white plastic smoking device with marijuana residue in the back seat, a tin-foil smoking device with marijuana residue above the vehicle’s radio and a plastic baggie with a trace amount of marijuana in it in a cigarette box under the passenger seat. Metzeiger and McSorley were both arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

Fine After Drinking, Drug Arrest

OCEAN CITY – An Rock Hall, Md. woman arrested in April on drunk driving and drug charges after a traffic stop revealed her license had been expired for over five years pleaded guilty this week to driving while impaired and was fined $500.

Around 11:45 p.m. on April 13, an Ocean City Police Department officer on patrol stopped a Ford Focus with Delaware tags on 17th Street and Baltimore Ave. after observing it straddling lanes of traffic on the roadway. The officer met with the driver, later identified as Lizbeth Marlene Brown, 49. Brown presented a license to the officer that had expired in February of 2004. A background check revealed she did not have a valid driver’s license.

While the officer spoke with Brown, he noticed her speech was slurred and there was a strong odor of alcohol emanating from her person. The officer had Brown exit her vehicle to perform a series of field sobriety tests, which she failed to perform satisfactorily. Brown was then arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

During a search incident to the DUI arrest, the officer found in Brown’s purse a plastic Baggie of suspected marijuana and a small bottle of white pills imprinted Watson 749. The officer contacted the local poison control center and learned the pills were Oxycodone, an illegal controlled dangerous substance. Brown was then charged with possession of marijuana and Oxycodone. Last week, Brown pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and was fined $500. The other charges against her were not prosecuted.

Vehicle Fire Investigated

OCEAN PINES – The Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office this week is investigating a vehicle fire in Ocean Pines early Sunday morning.

Shortly before 4 a.m. on Sunday, the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Company responded to a reported vehicle fire on Willow Way. First arriving units found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames in the driveway of the residence, which was vacant at the time. The fire was quickly extinguished, but firefighters remained on the scene for about an hour.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation this week. Anyone with information about the fire is urged to call Chief Deputy Matt Owens at 410-632-5666, ext. 2, or email [email protected].

Tough Times Dealer

Headed To Circuit

OCEAN CITY – A local man arrested in April on drug possession and distribution charges after getting pulled over for a routine seatbelt violation appeared in District Court last week and had his case forwarded to Circuit Court.

Charles Joseph McMillen, 26, of Ocean City, and another suspect, Sarah Elizabeth Bunyea, 25, of Selbyville, Del., were arrested in April on various drug charges after a routine traffic stop. McMillen appeared in District Court last week and had his case forwarded to Circuit Court. Earlier this year, Bunyea pleaded guilty to possession of controlled dangerous substance and was fined $1,000, around $900 of which was then suspended, and placed on probation for two years.

Around 8:15 a.m. on April 28, an Ocean City police officer on uniformed school bus patrol observed a green Acura with a female driver and a male passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt. The officer followed the vehicle and activated his emergency lights and siren around 77th Street. The vehicle did not stop initially, but eventually pulled over around 72nd Street after the officer activated his siren and air horn again.

The officer approached the vehicle on the passenger side and made contact with the male passenger, later McMillen and told him why he had pulled them over. McMillen said the couple had just pulled out on the highway and he had forgotten to put his seatbelt back on. The officer collected McMillen’s identification and wrote him a citation for not wearing a seatbelt. The officer also collected identification from the driver, later identified Bunyea.

After he had written the citation and given it to McMillen, the officer told the couple they were free to leave, but he noticed they were acting strangely as if they were hiding something. He decided to return to the vehicle and question the individuals further. The officer asked Bunyea if there were any illegal guns, knives, drugs or weapons in the vehicle to which she replied no. When he asked Bunyea if he could search the car, she consented.

McMillen was asked to stand near the back of the vehicle during the search, which turned up nothing illegal. The officer then asked Bunyea if she had any illegal weapons or drugs on her person to which she replied no. The officer asked Bunyea if a female officer could search her person and she consented while handing the officer her purse. In her purse, the officers found one labeled prescription bottle and another prescription bottle that was not labeled. In the unlabeled bottle, the officers discovered nine individually wrapped plastic baggies of suspected powder cocaine packaged in such a way as to indicate distribution.

At that point, Bunyea was taken into custody. After agreeing to speak with the officer without an attorney, Bunyea told police the drugs in her purse were cocaine. When asked if the drugs were for personal use, Bunyea said no. Finally, when asked if she was buying and/or selling cocaine, Bunyea said “No, but he is,” indicating McMillen. She also said, “The cocaine is his. He told me to put it in my purse as soon as you pulled us over. It’s not mine.”

When asked if she knew McMillen had cocaine on him, she told police “Yeah, I knew he had it and didn’t want it.” McMillen was then arrested, but was not as forthcoming with the police as Bunyea was. However, he did yell some things to her from about 30 feet away including “I’m not getting out on this one.” As the officer searched McMillen, he asked why he was being searched and he also said “I’m gone, man,” and “I’m on parole, man,” according to police reports.

McMillen then shouted more things to Bunyea including, “I gotta get paid. I only got $10 to my name,” and “It’s my fault. I love you.” McMillen then told the arresting officer, “I’m just working, man,” and “I just had a little bit of [expletive deleted] and I’m trying to make some money,” according to police reports.