WEST OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury man was arrested on assault and other charges this week after numerous citizen phone calls and other tips connected him to a hit-and-run involving a store employee at the White Marlin Mall last week.
Last Tuesday, the Maryland State Police and the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) were called to the White Marlin Mall in West Ocean City for a reported assault that had just occurred. During the investigation, it was revealed a store loss prevention employee at Marshall’s attempted to stop a shoplifter from fleeing the business.
The shoplifter took unknown items from the store and was followed by the loss prevention employee. The employee attempted to convince the suspect to return the items he had taken from the store. The suspect refused and entered a vehicle described at the time as a newer model “boxy-style” lime green vehicle, possibly a Kia Soul or Scion XB. The suspect then fled the scene, striking the store employee with the vehicle in the process.
The MSP and WCBI broadcasted a description of the vehicle along with a fairly good surveillance photo of the suspect. During the subsequent investigation, WCBI received numerous phone calls and other tips regarding the identity of the suspect.
Using the information collected, WCBI detectives were able to positively identify the suspect as Mark Lee Donoway, Jr., 33, of Salisbury.
Based on the investigation, an arrest warrant was obtained charging Donoway with first- and second-degree assault, theft less than $1,000 and multiple traffic violations. Donoway was apprehended on Monday in Wicomico County by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held on a $100,000 bond.