Gun, Cocaine Arrest

BERLIN — A Connecticut man was arrested on drug and weapons charges last week after getting his vehicle stuck in a water-filled ditch along Route 113.

Last Friday, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the area of Route 113 and Porter’s Crossing to assist a motorist who had gotten his 2013 Ford truck stuck in a ditch with the engine area of the vehicle submerged. While the vehicle was being pulled out of the ditch and loaded onto a tow truck, deputies observed the owner of the vehicle, identified as Brett Baczek, 27, of Connecticut, was wearing a gun holster on his right hip. Further investigation revealed Baczek was carrying a loaded handgun and what appeared to be cocaine. Baczek was arrested and charged with possession of a handgun and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

Cigarettes Seized

BERLIN — Two individuals were arrested for transporting hundreds of cartons of untaxed and illegal cigarettes last weekend after a routine traffic stop near Berlin.

Around 12:15 a.m. last Sunday, a Maryland State Police trooper pulled over a Nissan Altima with Massachusetts tags for speeding along northbound Route 113 near its intersection with Route 589. The driver was identified as Baligh Mohamed Alsaidi, 32, of Hazelton, Pa., while the passenger was identified as Bassam Algazali, 37, of the Bronx, N.Y.

A probable cause search revealed 430 cartons of untaxed cigarettes. The suspects told police they had purchased the cigarettes in Virginia and were transporting them to New York for resale. They did not possess a bill of lading, nor did they have permission from the Maryland Comptroller’s Office to transport the cigarettes. Both were arrested and charged with transporting untaxed cigarettes through Maryland.

Armed Robber Sought

POCOMOKE — The Worcester County Bureau of Investigations (WCBI) this week is looking for the suspect who robbed an individual at gunpoint outside a Pocomoke restaurant early Wednesday morning.

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, the Pocomoke Police Department requested assistance from WCBI with an investigation into a reported armed robbery at Plaza Tapatia in Pocomoke. WCBI detectives learned a victim was approached as he was entering his vehicle after closing the business for the night. The suspect displayed a dark-colored handgun and demanded money from the victim. The suspect then stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the victim before fleeing the area on foot.

Pocomoke Police and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office utilized K-9 dogs to initiate a scan tracking the direction the suspect fled to no avail. The suspect is described as an African-American male roughly 5’11” wearing a black jacket and pants with a bandana covering his face. WCBI continues to work the case and anyone with information is urged to call WCBI at the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office at 410-632-1111.

Disorderly Arrest At AGH

BERLIN — An Ocean City woman was arrested on disorderly conduct charges this week after allegedly causing a fight at the emergency room at Atlantic General Hospital.

Around 1:26 a.m. on Sunday, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy responded to the emergency room at Atlantic General for a reported fight. Upon arriving on the scene, the deputy observed a female suspect, later identified as Jessica Erin Bradshaw, 31, of Ocean City, in parking lot acting in a disorderly way.

After several attempts to get the suspect to leave the area, Bradshaw was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. She was then released on a uniform criminal citiation.

No Time For Stabbing

SNOW HILL — A Berlin man arrested in October after stabbing his wife several times pleaded guilty this week in Circuit Court to first-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months in jail, all of which was suspended.

Around 9 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2012, Berlin Police responded to a residence on Austin Circle for a reported domestic altercation involving a stabbing. When officers arrived, they located a female victim with numerous stab wounds to her arm, chest and hand. The victim was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury for treatment and was later released.

The suspect, identified as Douglas W. Largent, 69, of Berlin, was taken into custody without further incident. Largent, accused of stabbing his wife several times, was charged with first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. On Monday, Largent pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months in jail, which was suspended. He was then placed on probation for three years.

Probation, Fine For Weed

BERLIN — Two Virginia residents arrested on marijuana possession charges in January after a routine traffic stop in Berlin pleaded guilty last week to possession and each was fined and placed on probation.

Around 10:50 p.m. on Jan. 5, a Berlin Police officer pulled over a vehicle for speeding on Route 113 near Franklin Ave. When the officer made contact with the occupants, he detected the strong odor of marijuana coming from the passenger compartment. A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed two separate plastic baggies that contained small amounts of marijuana.

The two suspects, Ronald Alston Lafond, 35, and Daphne Jo Lafond, 33, both of Newport News, Va., were charged with possession of marijuana and were released on criminal citations. Last Friday, each pleaded guilty to possession and each was fined $250 and placed on probation for two years.