Arrested Twice In 12 Hours

Arrested Twice In 12 Hours
tdcuffs33

BERLIN – A Berlin man was arrested on drunk driving charges twice within 12 hours this week after police discovered his vehicle missing five minutes after he was released on the first arrest.

Around 2:43 a.m. last Sunday, Berlin Police on routine patrol in the area of Route 113 and Branch Street observed a vehicle weave wildly into another lane. Berlin Police conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and noted the driver, identified as Wayne Davis, Jr., 24, of Berlin, had an odor of alcohol on his breath and person.

Officers conducted a series of field sobriety tests, which Davis did not complete to their satisfaction, and he was arrested on drunk driving charges. Davis was then released after processing. About five minutes later, Berlin Police noticed the vehicle Davis had been driving was no longer where it was at the time of his initial arrest.

Police searched the area and discovered the vehicle at a residence on Intrepid Lane with Davis in the driver’s seat with the keys on his person. Davis was arrested again and charged with another whole set of drunk-driving charges within 12 hours of his initial DUI arrest, according to police reports.

Attack Leads To Arrest

BERLIN – A Berlin man was arrested on assault charges along with two failure to appear warrants after allegedly attacking his live-in girlfriend.

Around 3:40 a.m. last Saturday, Berlin Police responded to a call from an apartment on William Street about an assault that had occurred. The female victim told police she had been assaulted by her live-in boyfriend, identified as William Simons, 33, of Berlin. The victim told police she was arguing with Simons over another female when the argument became physical. The victim told police Simons began striking her in the head during the argument.

The victim told police at one point during the attack, she broke a window in an attempt to call for help. She was eventually able to get away from Simons and called the police. During the investigation, police observed blood and broken items in the apartment. Police also learned Simons had two warrants out on him for failing to appear for court on two separate occasions in 2009.

Simons eventually returned to the apartment and was taken into custody. According to police reports, Simons was argumentative and evasive during the interview about the alleged assault. He was charged with second-degree assault, alcohol endangerment because he was intoxicated at the time of the incident, and two failure to appear warrants in Worcester County.

Public’s Help Sought

OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) is seeking the public’s help today in locating an individual wanted on burglary and theft charges.

The OCPD solicited the public’s help in locating Shawn Andrew Michael Reed, 24, of Dundalk, Md. Reed is wanted on arrested warrants for burglary and theft stemming from an incident in the resort last Aug. 17. He is described as a white male, 24 years of age, with brown hair and brown eyes, about 5’11” and 210 pounds. He has a tattoo on the left side of his neck.

Reed is known to frequent the Ocean City area and may be traveling in a teal or blue minivan made by either Plymouth or General Motors. Anyone with information regarding Reed’s whereabouts in Ocean City is urged to call the OCPD at 410-723-6600. Anyone with information about Reed’s whereabouts outside the Ocean City area, or any of his criminal activities, is urged to contact Detective Todd Spiegle at 410-723-6604. Information may be given confidentially and callers do not have to give their names.

One Injured In WOC Shelter Fire

WEST OCEAN CITY – An employee of a West Ocean City shelter was injured this week during a fire at Diakonia.

Around 9 p.m. on Monday, Ocean City Fire and Emergency Services responded to a reported fire at the Diakonia facility on Old Bridge Rd. in West Ocean City. First arriving units reported an employee had put out the fire with a portable fire extinguisher. Ocean City EMS reported it was treating one victim, an employee of Diakonia, for burn injuries.

The employee, Thomas Purnell, Jr., was transported to Atlantic General Hospital where he was treated for first-degree burns to his face and arms. Roughly 30 other occupants were in the facility at the time of the fire, but all escaped without injury, according to reports. The injured employee was treated and released from AGH.

The Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire originated in a mechanical room at the shelter off the pantry area. The fire ignited when cleaning supplies fell next to a gas water heater and vapors from the supplies came in contact with the open flame of the pilot light. The cause of the fire has been listed as accidental.

Boat Thief Convicted

SNOW HILL – A Berlin man arrested last November after local law enforcement officials were able to connect him and another man to a string of thefts of stolen fishing equipment in the West Ocean City area over several months pleaded guilty last week in Circuit Court to first-degree burglary and was sentenced to five years in jail, most of which was suspended in favor of restitution to the victims.

Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) in November charged Clayton James Entwistle, 19, along with another man, identified as Chad Michael Shipley, 19, also of Berlin, with burglary and theft charges after connecting the pair to a burglary spree involving fishing equipment. After a month-long investigation, NRP officers noticed the two suspects selling fishing equipment out of a backpack on the Harry Kelley (Route 50) Bridge during a routine patrol check.

After further investigation, NRP officers were able to determine the equipment had been reported stolen from a vehicle parked as Sunset Marina and a 45-foot sportfishing boat docked at Fisherman’s Marina in West Ocean City around Oct. 3. Entwistle and Shipley were later connected to a similar theft incident dating back to June.

Last week in Circuit Court, Entwistle pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree burglary and was sentenced to five years in jail, all of which but eight months were suspended. He was also sentenced to one year in jail for possession of trazadone, a controlled dangerous substance, during a separate incident. All in all, Enwistle was ordered to pay about $3,600 in combined restitution to several victims including $2,100 to one victim and $1,235 to another. Shipley is scheduled to appear for trial in April. 

Berlin Dealer Convicted

SNOW HILL – A Salisbury man arrested on drug charges in Berlin last September pleaded guilty last week in Circuit Court to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and now awaits his fate pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation.

Shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2009, Berlin Police officers reported to the Bay Terrace Apartments on Bay Street regarding a complaint about suspicious activity possibly involving drugs. Upon arrival, the police made contact with a suspect, later identified as Jerrell Lamont Harmon, 25, of Salisbury, who was identified by the complainant as a suspect who had just been involved in a drug transaction.

A warrant check revealed Harmon was wanted by Salisbury police for failure to appear for court in an unrelated case. Harmon fled Berlin Police, but was apprehended after a brief foot chase. A search of his person revealed a bag containing crack cocaine and a large sum of cash. Harmon was charged with CDS possession- not marijuana, CDS possession with intent to distribute, resisting arrest, and the warrant from Salisbury.

Last week in Circuit Court, Harmon pleaded guilty to one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The disposition of his case was deferred pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation.

Boardwalk Dealer Sentenced

SNOW HILL – A Pennsylvania man, one of several arrested last summer in Ocean City during an aggressive buy-bust campaign conducted by the OCPD, pleaded guilty this week in Circuit Court to manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine and was sentenced to three years in jail, all of which but three months was suspended.

Throughout last summer, the OCPD targeted the sale of illegal narcotics in the resort, particularly in the Boardwalk area, with an aggressive undercover operation during which officers made contact with suspected dealers and arranged to buy, or even sell in some cases, drugs. On June 14, for example, undercover OCPD narcotics officers made contact with a suspect later identified as Keir Andrew Christy, 20, of Lititz, Pa. and inquired about purchasing marijuana. Christy told police he had a friend, later identified as Kevin Ryan Gray, 19, of Trevose, Pa., who had a large amount of ecstasy he was selling.

While Christy was escorting the undercover officers to meet with Gray, he informed them of his plan to rob Gray and steal his money and drugs. Christy went so far as to ask the undercover officers to assist him with his robbery plan and told police he was going to carry it out with or without their help.

Once the transaction was completed with Gray, the undercover officers arrested both Christy and Gray and charged each of them with possession and distribution of controlled dangerous substances (CDS). A total of 32 ecstasy pills, two Hydrocodone pills and over $200 in currency were seized during the arrest. In addition, the officers were able to thwart a potentially serious assault on Gray by Christy.

This week in Circuit Court, Gray pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced to three years in jail. All but three months of the sentence was then suspended and Gray was placed on probation for two years and fined $500. He was also given credit for the 123 days he spent in jail awaiting trial. Last November, Christy was found guilty of possession and was placed on probation for two years and fined $1,000.

Child Rapist Faces 20 Years

SNOW HILL – A Snow Hill man was found guilty last week in Circuit Court of second-degree rape and other serious charges for sexually offending a minor child over two years ago and now faces as many as 20 years in prison.

In October 2007, Andrew Dominick Warrick, 41, was arrested and charged with several serious counts after investigators determined a pattern of abuse against a minor child. The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI), working in conjunction with the Worcester County Child Advocacy Center, the Department of Social Services and Atlantic General Hospital, developed the case against Warrick.

Last Thursday, over two years after the incident, Warrick was found guilty of second-degree rape, second-, third-, and fourth-degree sex offense, secondd-degree assault, sodomy and sex abuse of a minor. He was not found guilty of first-degree assault. He now faces as many as 20 years in jail, but the outcome of his case was deferred pending the completion of a pre-sentence investigation. A sentencing hearing will be set for a later date.

St. Pat’s Safety Urged

OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Police Department is reminding citizens to stay safe during the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day festivities in the resort including the annual parade scheduled for tomorrow.

According to resort police, while St. Patrick’s Day has become an occasion for people to don their green in celebration, it can also be dangerous due to impaired drivers. The OCPD is reminding residents and visitors, whether they are celebrating at home, attending the parade or socializing in a pub, to plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.

Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home. If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to ensure you get home safely. The OCPD is reminding holiday revelers the municipal bus costs just $2 to ride all day.

The OCPD is reminding those planning on attending the 30th Annual Ocean City St. Patrick’s Day Parade that it is illegal to possess or consume an open container of alcohol in public. This includes all public sidewalks, roadways and municipal parking lots, but excludes privately owned property.

Finally, the OCPD is warning the public about the risks of driving while impaired by alcohol.

“Not only do you risk injuring yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial cost of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can really be significant,” the OCPD release states. “Don’t depend on dumb luck this St. Patrick’s Day, designate a sober driver before the party begins.”