OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested on assault and weapons charges on Sunday after allegedly firing two shots from a BB-gun into a passing vehicle before fleeing on foot and being captured by his victims.
Devin Gales
Around noon on Sunday, Ocean City Police responded to the area of 14th Street and St. Louis Ave. for a reported weapons violation. When OCPD officers arrived, they found a suspect, later identified as Devin J. Gales, 18, of Ocean City, being detained by two victims. The investigation revealed Gales was in the area of 14th Street and St. Louis Ave. when he allegedly fired a replica firearm into a passing vehicle.
Gales then fled west toward St. Louis Avenue. Two males in the passing vehicle chased Gales and detained him in the area of 14th Street and St. Louis Avenue before calling police. The replica firearm was located nearby and, despite its close resemblance to a handgun, was later determined to be an airsoft BB gun.
Gales has been charged with possession of a replica gun, discharging an air-gun within city limits, two counts of reckless endangerment and two counts of second-degree assault. Gales was taken before a District Court Commissioner and is currently being held at the Public Safety Building on a $5,000 bond.
A mid-afternoon accident on Tuesday at Route 611 and Assateague Road resulted in one vehicle towing a trailer turned over on its side. While the investigation is ongoing, it appears a vehicle traveling southbound on Route 611 struck a vehicle pulling a trailer attempting to make a left turn on Assateague Road. No major injuries were reported. Photo by Shawn Soper
First-Degree Assault Charge For Knife Threat
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man faces first-degree assault and other charges this week after allegedly threatening his girlfriend with a knife during a domestic incident at a midtown apartment last Thursday.
Around 10 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police responded to the area of the Key Apartments at 72nd Street for a reported male and female arguing on the property. The responding officer observed a male suspect, later identified as Earl C. Townsend, 35, of Ocean City, on the porch on one unit, and the female victim standing on the sidewalk several feet away from the building. According to police reports, the female victim was upset and crying and told the officer she had been in a verbal argument with Townsend that had escalated physically.
The officer observed fresh marks, bruises and scrapes on her face, shoulder area and arms of the victim. The victim told police the couple had been in an argument inside their apartment when Townsend allegedly grabbed a large kitchen knife and waved it in her direction. The victim told police Townsend poked the top portion of her lip with the knife and that she thought he had cut her due to him pressing the knife on her lip.
The victim told police Townsend grabbed her arm to prevent her from leaving the apartment and then forcefully threw her to the ground and struck her in the head with an open hand. According to police reports, the victim told officers she believed Townsend was going to kill her because he used and displayed the knife on her. The officers located the roughly 10-inch kitchen knife the victim described.
The victim told police she was able to eventually leave the apartment after neighbors knocked on the door to see if she was okay. One neighbor told police he got into a verbal argument with Townsend outside the apartment and that Townsend had pushed him. Townsend was charged with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment, carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure and disorderly conduct. He was taken before a Court Commissioner and was later released on a $5,000 bond.
Wanted Woman Exits Vehicle, Flees On Foot
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City woman faces a slew of charges this week after an incident on Tuesday morning that began at the public library and ended with her abandoning her vehicle on Coastal Highway before she was ultimately Tased for resisting arrest in an expletive-laced scene in the downtown area.
Around 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, an OCPD officer was dispatched to the public library on 101st Street in an attempt to locate a wanted female, identified as Wendy Carroll, 41, of Ocean City. The Maryland State Police Berlin barrack contacted the OCPD with information that Carroll was in the library and was wanted on an active warrant. The MSP also advised the OCPD to use caution as Carroll had allegedly previously assaulted a state trooper, according to police reports.
The OCPD officer arrived at the library and learned Carroll had been there, but had left the area in a gray Hyundai Elentra. A description of the suspect and the vehicle was broadcast and another OCPD officer spotted Carroll traveling southbound on Coastal Highway in the area of 33rd Street. The officer turned around and got behind Carroll’s vehicle with his lights activated in the area of 19th Street and Coastal Highway.
Carroll pulled over to the right side of the highway around 17th Street, but then turned abruptly to the left and started to travel east on Coastal Highway. At that point, Carroll abandoned the vehicle, which was now blocking two lanes on southbound Philadelphia Avenue and fled on foot, according to police reports.
Carroll fled westbound on 17th Street with her vehicle still blocking Philadelphia Avenue. The OCPD officer caught Carroll on 17th Street and she stopped running and crossed her arms, but refused to cooperate with the officer’s instructions. According to police reports, Carroll instead launched into an expletive-laced tirade and at one point advised the officer to “go ahead and shoot her.”
The OCPD officer advised Carroll he was going to have to Tase her if she did not cooperate, to which she allegedly replied “[expletive deleted] Tase me then, I don’t care.” According to police reports, when two other officers approached Carroll from behind in an attempt to handcuff her, she continued to walk away, forcing the original officer to Tase her.
According to police reports, the entire incident caused dangerous situation for numerous people in the area. With Carroll’s vehicle blocking Philadelphia Ave., multiple vehicles swerved to avoid hitting it and one vehicle struck the curb in the median. In addition, numerous people were gathered in the parking lots of the nearby CVS store and the church to watch the incident unfold on an otherwise quiet Tuesday afternoon in November.
Armed Robber Sought
SALISBURY — Salisbury Police this week are looking for the suspect who robbed a convenience store at gunpoint on Monday.
Shortly after 8 p.m. on Monday, Salisbury Police responded to the Riverside Market on Riverside Drive for a reported armed robbery. The investigation revealed a suspect entered the store displaying a handgun and demanded money from the clerk. The suspect then reached into the cash drawer and removed an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing on foot.
A Salisbury Police K-9 unit was brought in to track the suspect to no avail. The suspect is described as an African-American male, roughly 5’8” to 6’ tall and around 150 pounds. At the time of the incident, the suspect was wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled down and a black mask over his face. The suspect was in possession of a black semi-automatic handgun. Anyone with information is urged to contact the SPD at 410-548-3113, or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.
Guilty Pleas In Weapon, Pot Case
OCEAN CITY — A Washington, D.C. man, arrested on drug and weapons charges in May after a routine traffic stop in north Ocean City, was found guilty last week in Worcester County Circuit Court and was fined and placed on probation.
Around 12:40 a.m. on May 24, an OCPD officer on patrol in the area of 118th Street observed a vehicle traveling in the turn lane, which failed to make a left turn. The officer pulled over the vehicle and noticed the strong odor of marijuana. The driver was identified as Ronald Baez, 21, of Washington, D.C. and there was a female juvenile in the front seat and a male juvenile in the back seat.
While standing next to the vehicle, the officer noticed a metal scale in the back seat next to the juvenile male. The occupants were asked to exit the vehicle and police observed the juvenile female grab a baggie of what appeared to be marijuana. She was instructed to place the baggie back in the vehicle and complied.
During a search of the vehicle, the officer located a red backpack. Inside the backpack was a silver handgun, which appeared to have been tampered with. According to police reports, an apparent attempt had been made to file down the weapon’s serial number. Baez told the officers everything discovered in the vehicle belonged to him. Inside the backpack were also discovered 12 smaller baggies of marijuana.
According to police reports, Baez deflected any questions about his potential dealing of the marijuana. In his wallet was located nearly $800 in cash. A separate interview was conducted with the juvenile female. She told police she knew the gun and drugs were in the vehicle, but denied any involvement in dealing. When asked if the occupants were dealing marijuana to provide for their child, the juvenile female nodded up and down to imply yes, according to police reports. Baez was then arrested for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Last week in Circuit Court, Baez pleaded guilty to carrying a handgun in a vehicle and entered an Alford plea to possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Baez was fined $500 for each conviction and was placed on supervised probation for two years.
Suspended Sentence For Stealing Pool
SNOW HILL — A Delaware man, arrested on theft and trespassing charges in June after attempting to steal an above-ground pool from the Wal-Mart in Berlin, pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to 30 days, all of which was suspended in favor of a fine and probation.
Around 12:30 p.m. on June 12, Worcester County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Wal-Mart on Route 50 for a reported theft. Upon arrival, a deputy was met by the complainant, who advised a suspect identified as Christopher Benson, 32, of Laurel, Del., was stopped by the store’s loss prevention agent while attempting to steal an above-ground pool.
During the investigation, it was learned Benson had been detained at other Wal-Mart stores in the area for shoplifting and trespassing and had been told to stay of all Wal-Mart properties. Last week, Benson pleaded guilty to theft less than $1,000 and was sentenced to 30 days. The sentence was then suspended and Benson was fined $250 and placed on probation for one year.