Cops & Courts

Cops & Courts
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High Speed Chase
Ends in Resort

OCEAN CITY – Three Salisbury teens including a juvenile were ar-rested last week after a high-speed chase that began on Route 50 in northern Worcester County and ended on 54th Street in Ocean City.

Around 9:40 p.m. last Wednes-day, a Maryland State Police trooper attempted to stop a 2001 Ford Windstar minivan in the area of Bell Rd. and Route 50 for going 70 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone. The vehicle, driven by Dajour Hakeem Waters, 18, of Salisbury, failed to stop and led police on a high-speed chase on Route 90 that reached speeds of 112 mph at one point.

The Maryland State Police, Wor-cester County Sheriff’s Office and Ocean City Police assisted in the pursuit as the vehicle sped eastbound on Route 90 toward Ocean City. The pursuit entered Ocean City on southbound Coastal Highway before it ended at 54th Street after OCPD officers deployed stop-sticks, which deflated all four tires of the minivan.

A search of the vehicle turned up concealed deadly weapons. Waters, his adult passenger, identified a Or-lando Thomas Bowen, 19, of Salis-bury, and a female juvenile also from Salisbury were each charged with concealing a deadly weapon. Waters was also charged with 12 traffic violations stemming from the chase.

Seatbelt Violation Nabs Burglary Spree Suspects

OCEAN PINES – Two Berlin residents were arrested for a two-state burglary spree last Saturday after getting pulled over in Selbyville, Del. for a seatbelt violation.

Around 10 a.m. last Saturday, Selbyville Police stopped a Dodge Caravan on Polly Branch Rd. for a seatbelt violation. The Selbyville Po-lice officers had been advised to be on the lookout for the vehicle after receiving information it had been involved in a burglary that had just occurred in Ocean Pines.

The Selbyville officers confirmed with law enforcement agencies in Maryland the Dodge Caravan was the same vehicle that had fled the scene of the burglary in Ocean Pines and held the occupants, identified as James Cloyd, 63, and Pat-ricia Celmer, 25, both of Berlin, until officers from Ocean Pines and the Worcester County Bureau of Investi-gation (WCBI) arrived.

A search of the vehicle revealed several thousand dollars worth of stolen property, drug paraphernalia and 40 pills of a controlled dangerous substance. The stolen property has been linked to reported burglaries in West Ocean City, Ocean Pines and Long Neck, Del.

Cloyd and Celmer were both ar-rested and charged with six counts each of receiving stolen property, possession of burglary tools, possession of CDS, possession of paraphernalia, maintaining a vehicle for drug distribution and traffic violations. Both were incarcerated in the Sussex Correctional Institute with Cloyd being held on a $34,000 bond and Celmer being held on a $33,000 bond. Charges are also pending in Worcester County.

Missing Person Located

BISHOPVILLE – A Bishopville man reported as missing last week was located early this week after an investigation and search of the area.

Last Tuesday, Charles Allen Jer-read, 59, of Bishopville was reported missing by his wife after he had not been seen for several days. Ear-ly releases reported Jerread had last been seen behind his residence on Peerless Rd. in Bishopville back on September 17. According to po-lice reports, Jerread had consumed a large amount of alcohol and prescription drugs before he went missing and had been staying in a wooded portion of the property for about three days.

The victim was also an insulin-dependent diabetic. Due the variety of factors, the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) was called in to conduct a search for the missing man. A report was taken and the victim’s information was entered in the National Crime Computer Database. On Monday, however, a Worcester County Sher-iff’s Office release reported the missing man had been located without incident although no details about his disappearance or eventual location were included.

Fine, Probation
for Slapping Horse

OCEAN CITY – A seasonal Ocean City resident was arrested in August after allegedly slapping an OCPD police horse working crowd control at closing time at a downtown underage nightclub pleaded guilty last week and was fined and placed on probation.

Around 2 a.m. on August 2, an OCPD mounted officer was riding police horse Roy in front of the H2O2 club on Worcester Street while assisting with crowd control at closing time during a special late night event for international students. As the officer was riding Roy through the crowd in front of the club, he heard a slapping sound and immediately felt the horse lunge forward.

 When the officer looked in the direction of the slapping sound, he saw an individual later identified as Ivan Bloshko, 19, of Ocean City, walking west on Worcester Street. Another OCPD officer in the area told the mounted officer he had observed Bloshko intentionally slap Roy hard on the right buttock.

The mounted officer advised the second officer to arrest Bloshko for striking a police animal. The officer noted in his report Bloshko’s actions could have resulted in either the officer or someone in the crowd being seriously injured or even killed if the police horse had taken off running after being slapped in such a manner.

Last week in District Court, Bloshko pleaded guilty to slapping an OCPD animal and was fined $100 and placed on probation for one year.

Pines Condo Fire Accidental

OCEAN PINES – A fire at an Ocean Pines condominium building Sunday evening has been ruled accidental and no injuries were reported.

Around 10:45 p.m. last Sunday, the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Company responded to a reported fire at The Pointe condominium on Points Reach Lane. First-arriving units reported smoke showing from the three-story condo building. Pines firefighters were able to contain the fire to an HVAC unit, assisted by fire companies from Berlin and Showell. Firefighters remained on the scene for about an hour.

The unit involved in the fire was occupied by a family at the time, but all of the occupants were able to escape without injury. The Worces-ter County Fire Marshal’s Office conducted an investigation and determined the cause of the fire was accidental.

Burglary Case
Forwarded to Circuit

OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man arrested in July on first-degree burglary and other charges after allegedly stealing two book bags from two different residences in the Judlee Ave. area, although he ap-parently had no recollection of the thefts, had his case forwarded to Circuit Court last week.

On July 27, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was flagged down by a cab driver, who told the officer to keep an eye on a suspicious individual walking around the area. The cabbie told po-lice the suspect, later identified as Joseph Samuel Lakata, 20, of Wea-therly, Pa., had walked by once with nothing in his hands and walked by a second time with two book bags in his hands. The cab driver told police Lakata had walked by his residence at least five times.

 The officer detained Lakata and asked him what he was doing in the area. Lakata told police he had met a girl on the Boardwalk and was supposed to meet her at a residence on Judlee Ave. but she had stood him up and he decided to walk back to his motel room nearby. When the officer asked Lakata about the book bags, he told police he had found them on the ground nearby and had taken them back to his motel room.

Based on the information provided by the suspect, police went to Lakata’s motel room and found the two book bags described by the victims. The two bags contained various items of clothing and shoes. Also found in one of the bags was a Bob Marley banner that had been hanging in the residence of one of the victims.

Lakata initially stuck to his story about finding the bags on the street, but when police interviewed the victims, they each told different stories. One victim told police he had come home from work earlier, tossed his bag behind a couch and met his roommates on an outside deck and had no idea Lakata had allegedly come into the house and taken his property.

Another victim at a different residence said he was sleeping on a couch and woke up to find someone had entered the house, but when he called out to him, the suspect turned and left. The victim told police the suspect had a book bag on his back when he left, but didn’t know it was his at the time. By the time he went to the door, the suspect, presumably Lakata, had disappeared.

Lakata was arrested on suspicion of theft and burglary and asked the officer he was in trouble. When the officer asked him if he had done anything to get into trouble, Lakata allegedly said, “yeah, I stole those bags and I should be in a lot of trouble.”

When asked if entered the units in question, Lakata allegedly told police “it was absolutely possible,” but he did not remember going into the residences. Lakata told police he tends to be very forgetful, especially when he drinks. He said he did remember stealing the bags, but he didn’t remember going into either of the residences. He was charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts each of third- and fourth-degree burglary and theft. Last week, he case was forwarded to Circuit Court.

18 Months for Phony Rape Case

SNOW HILL- An Ocean City man arrested in April on assault and robbery charges for his role in a falsely reported rape in an odd case where the suspect was actually the victim pleaded guilty this week in Circuit Court to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Around 1 a.m. on April 4, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) responded to a residence on Baltimore Ave. for a reported rape. Upon arrival, OCPD officers met with a man later identified as Jerry Adkins, 54, of Ocean City, who told police his step-daughter, Keisha Towns, 23, of Fruitland, had been sexually assaulted. Also present at the residence was Towns’ mother, identified as Mary Adkins, 44, of Ocean City, along with an unidentified man who was unconscious when police arrived.

In their initial statements, Jerry and Mary Adkins told police they arrived at the residence after receiving a phone call from Towns claiming she had been raped. However, during the course of the investigation, which went on for the next several days, detectives began to notice several inconsistencies in the stories provided by the alleged victim, Towns, and her parents.

The stories got even fishier when the male victim, who was unconscious at the time police arrived at the residence, explained his own version of the events. After being taken to Atlantic General Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and released, the victim told OCPD detectives he did not rape Towns. Instead, he told police he had been assaulted and robbed by Towns and Jerry Adkins.

After investigating further, OCPD detectives determined Towns and Jerry Adkins allegedly assaulted the victim and stole $127 from his wallet.

As a result, Towns and Jerry Adkins were charged with robbery, second-degree assault, theft under $1,000 and making a false report. Garrison has been charged with robbery, second-degree assault, and theft under $1,000.

This week in Circuit Court, Adkins entered an Alford plea to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18-months in jail. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not plead guilty, but acknowledges the state has enough evidence to try the case.tims. The two bags contained various items of clothing and shoes. Also found in one of the bags was a Bob Marley banner that had been hanging in the residence of one of the victims.

Lakata initially stuck to his story about finding the bags on the street, but when police interviewed the victims, they each told different stories. One victim told police he had come home from work earlier, tossed his bag behind a couch and met his roommates on an outside deck and had no idea Lakata had allegedly come into the house and taken his property.

Another victim at a different residence said he was sleeping on a couch and woke up to find someone had entered the house, but when he called out to him, the suspect turned and left. The victim told police the suspect had a book bag on his back when he left, but didn’t know it was his at the time. By the time he went to the door, the suspect, presumably Lakata, had disappeared.

Lakata was arrested on suspicion of theft and burglary and asked the officer he was in trouble. When the officer asked him if he had done anything to get into trouble, Lakata allegedly said, “yeah, I stole those bags and I should be in a lot of trouble.”

When asked if entered the units in question, Lakata allegedly told police “it was absolutely possible,” but he did not remember going into the residences. Lakata told police he tends to be very forgetful, especially when he drinks. He said he did remember stealing the bags, but he didn’t remember going into either of the residences. He was charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts each of third- and fourth-degree burglary and theft. Last week, he case was forwarded to Circuit Court.

18 Months for
Phony Rape Case

SNOW HILL– An Ocean City man arrested in April on assault and robbery charges for his role in a falsely reported rape in an odd case where the suspect was actually the victim pleaded guilty this week in Circuit Court to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Around 1 a.m. on April 4, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) responded to a residence on Baltimore Ave. for a reported rape. Upon arrival, OCPD officers met with a man later identified as Jerry Adkins, 54, of Ocean City, who told police his step-daughter, Keisha Towns, 23, of Fruitland, had been sexually assaulted. Also present at the residence was Towns’ mother, identified as Mary Adkins, 44, of Ocean City, along with an unidentified man who was unconscious when police arrived.

In their initial statements, Jerry and Mary Adkins told police they arrived at the residence after receiving a phone call from Towns claiming she had been raped. However, during the course of the investigation, which went on for the next several days, detectives began to notice several inconsistencies in the stories provided by the alleged victim, Towns, and her parents.

The stories got even fishier when the male victim, who was unconscious at the time police arrived at the residence, explained his own version of the events. After being taken to Atlantic General Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and released, the victim told OCPD detectives he did not rape Towns. Instead, he told police he had been assaulted and robbed by Towns and Jerry Adkins.

After investigating further, OCPD detectives determined Towns and Jerry Adkins allegedly assaulted the victim and stole $127 from his wallet.

As a result, Towns and Jerry Adkins were charged with robbery, second-degree assault, theft under $1,000 and making a false report. Garrison has been charged with robbery, second-degree assault, and theft under $1,000.

This week in Circuit Court, Adkins entered an Alford plea to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18-months in jail. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not plead guilty, but acknowledges the state has enough evidence to try the case.