OCEAN CITY – A Salisbury man was arrested on burglary charges this week after allegedly taking up residence in an uptown high-rise condominium.
Around 4:15 p.m. on Monday, an OCPD officer working routine patrol was dispatched to the Golden Sands condominiums for a reported burglary in progress. The officer arrived an met with maintenance staff who told police they were doing routine maintenance checks on the units when they discovered a vacant one with the thermostat turned up. The maintenance staff said that was unusual and upon further investigation located someone inside the unit under a blanket and asleep in a bed.
The maintenance worker told police he found the suspect’s belongings strewn throughout the unit and noticed a large knife on the table near where the suspect was sleeping. The OCPD officer contacted the unit’s owner and learned it should be vacant. The officer attempted to make contact with the suspect by pounding on the door and announcing himself as a police officer through an open window.
When that attempt failed, a Wor-cester County Sheriff’s Deputy responded with a K-9 unit, and once the suspect heard the officer and saw the dog, he exited the unit and surrendered without incident. The suspect was identified as Justin Goslee, 24, of Salisbury. Goslee told police he had recently been charged with DUI in Salisbury, then had a fight with his father and was kicked out of his residence. Goslee told police he then got on a bus to Ocean City, where he promptly lost his wallet and cell phone.
Goslee told the officer he then walked to the Golden Sands where one of his friends used to stay. Goslee told police he saw an open door at one of the units and decided to take up residence. At that point, Goslee was arrested for burglary.
During the subsequent interview, OCPD officers asked Goslee if he had been in any other units, and he allegedly admitted to burglarizing a different unit. OCPD officer searched Goslee’s belongings in the unit in which he had taken up residence and located four tools they knew from experience were burglar’s tools.
There were two pieces of metal with a rubber coating stripped on one end approximately six inches long that the officers knew were used for defeating certain locks. Goslee was also in possession of a small, flat-head screw driver commonly used by burglars to defeat locks.
Finally, the officer found a key-shaped piece of metal they identified as part of a pumpkin-carving tool, which is also known to pick locks.
Goslee admitted he had broken into the units initially to seek shelter. He allegedly told police while he stayed in the units for multiple days, he watched television, ate food located inside the units and slept in the beds. Gosless was charged with two counts of fourth-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools.
‘Stupid’ Sign Thief Arrested
OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man was arrested on theft and malicious destruction of property charges last weekend after swiping and damaging a municipal sign during the storm.
Around 1 a.m. last Sunday, Ocean City Police officers were dispatched to the area of 7th Street and the Boardwalk for a reported theft in progress. Upon arrival, OCPD officers detained one of three reported suspects, identified as Michael Thane, 18, of Ocean City.The officer reported observing Thane drop the sign on the Boardwalk about 75 feet from where the suspect was detained.
When the officer asked Thane why he stole the sign, the suspect reportedly responded “I don’t know,” and “It was stupid.” The OCPD officer recovered the sign, which was a “Please Leave Only Your Footprints” sign from 48th Street. The officer noted in his report the sign was dented and scratched from being removed from its pole and then dropped on the Boardwalk. Thane was arrested and charged with theft and malicious destruction of property.
DUI Suspect Conceals Identity
OCEAN CITY – A Salisbury man was arrested on drunk-driving, multiple traffic violations and providing false identification to police charges this week after a traffic stop early Monday morning.
Around 2 a.m. on Monday, an OCPD officer on traffic patrol observed a Honda Civic stopped and parked in the northbound bus lane in the area of Coastal Highway and 94th Street for several minutes.
As the officer approached the illegally parked vehicle, the driver, later identified as Christian Villatoro, 21, of Salisbury, was observed not wearing a seatbelt. Villatoro drove north on Coastal Highway and turned against a red light in front of a southbound pick-up truck, which had the green light.
The pick-up truck had to brake to avoid hitting Villatoro, according to police reports.
The officer stopped Villatoro who told police he had a license in Virginia but could not produce any license or documentation. When asked his name, Villatoro allegedly told police his name was “Mike Ramadam.” The officer wrote down the information, but could not find any reference to a Mike Ramadam in the databases for Maryland or Virginia. According to police reports, Villatoro continued to insist his name was Mike Ramadam and the officer warned him “if you lie about who you are, you can go to jail for that.” Only after the suspect was arrested did Villatoro admit his real name.
The officer noted in his report Villatoro had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his person and extremely slurred and mumbled speech to the point the officer could hardly understand him.
Villatoro was subjected to a battery of field sobriety tests, which he did not pass to the officer’s satisfaction. The officer also discovered an open can of beer in the vehicle.
When questioned further, Villatoro told police he was deceptive about his real identity because “I came here illegal,” and that he was “trying to beat the system.”
Ultimately, OCPD officer were able to positively identify the suspect as Villatoro. Through the databases, it was discovered Villatoro never had a valid driver’s license in either Maryland or Virginia and that there were active warrants for him when he failed to appear for driving without a license char-ge in December. Villatoro was charged with making a false statement to an officer and multiple traffic violations.
Shooting Suspects Sought
SALISBURY– Salisbury Police this week continue to look for the suspect or suspects wanted in connection with a shooting last Sunday.
Late last Sunday afternoon, Salisbury Police detectives initiated an investigation into a shooting that occurred in the area of Shiloh Street.
The initial investigation revealed a 40-year-old male victim sustained a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen that did not appear to be life-threatening. As of mid-week, the victim was being treated at Peninsula Regional Medical Center for injures considered serious but not life-threatening.
The investigation revealed the victim was standing in the doorway of his residence when he was approached by two masked suspects.
The suspects attempted to push the victim back into his residence, while one suspect removed a handgun and shot the victim one time in the abdomen. Following the shooting, the suspects fled the area on foot. Salisbury Police K-9 “Hank” responded and conducted a track, but was unsuccessful in locating the suspects.
Each of the suspects are described as African-American males, roughly 25-years of age with thin builds and face masks. One of the suspects was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact Salisbury Police at (410) 548-3113 or Crime Solvers at (410) 548-1776.
Jail Time For Knife Threat
OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man arrested in October after threatening his girlfriend with a knife during a domestic incident at a midtown apartment pleaded guilty last week to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Around 10 p.m. on Oct. 29, 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.
According to police reports, 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 Towns-end 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. Last week, he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Fine For Firing BB Gun At Vehicle
OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man arrested charges in November after firing two shots from a BB-gun into a passing vehicle before fleeing on foot and being captured by his victims pleaded guilty last week to second-degree assault and was fined $500.
Around noon on November 1, Ocean City Police responded to the area of 14th Street and St. Louis Av-enue for a reported weapons violation. When OCPD officers arrived, they found a suspect, later identified as Devin J. Gales, 18, of Ocean City, be-ing detained by two victims. The investigation revealed Gales was in the area of 14th Street and St. Louis Avenue 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 was 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. Last Friday, he pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault and was fined $500.
Probation, Fine For Sign Thief
OCEAN CITY – The second of two teens arrested in November after uprooting a “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” sign near the Inlet and dragging it across the Boardwalk and Somerset Street before getting caught in a West Ocean City restaurant pleaded guilty last week to malicious destruction of property and was fined and placed on probation.
Around 10:30 p.m. on November 14, an OCPD officer responded to the area of Somerset Street for a reported theft that had just occurred. The caller told police an unidentified male and female were seen dragging a “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” parking sign down Somerset Street. When the witness yelled at the pair to stop, they abandoned the sign and fled.
The witness reported the suspects fled the scene in a Chevy pick-up truck with a tool box in the back of it. The original responding officer went to Somerset Street and saw the sign, which had been bent and pulled from the ground. Concrete was still attached to the base of the pole. The officer observed drag and gouge marks on the pavers on Somerset Street, the steps leading to the Boardwalk and the concrete edge of the Boardwalk.
The officer was ready to document the scene with photographs when Ocean City Communications received a call from an individual who had seen the suspects’ vehicle. The witness told police soon after the description was broadcasted, he observed the truck traveling through the alleys at 2nd Street between Baltimore Avenue. and Philadelphia Avenue. The witness told police he followed the truck across the bridge and into the Outback Steakhouse parking lot.
OCPD officer responded to the Outback Steakhouse and observed the truck in the parking lot. The officers were told there was only one table left in the restaurant and the group had entered just minutes earlier. The officers approached the group and asked who owned the truck and were told by a suspect later identified as Logan Grubb, 18, of Arnold, Md., that it was his.
As officers spoke to the group and advised them of why they were questioning them, another suspect, identified as Olivia Husby, 18, of Annapolis, told police she and Grubb had attempted to steal the sign. When questioned further, Grubb admitted he had removed the sign and Husby had helped him drag it from the scene. Meanwhile, Ocean City Communications reported the incident had been captured by one of the town of Ocean City’s “City Watch Cameras,” which revealed footage of Grubb and Husby dragging the sign across the Boardwalk.
Grubb and Husby were both arrested and charged with theft and malicious destruction of property. The sign was owned by Ripley’s Believe it or Not and the sign, post and cement base were valued at around $300. The damage to the Boardwalk, the steps and the pavers on Somerset Street were valued at under $1,000.
In December, Husby pleaded guilty to malicious destruction of property and was fined $500 and placed on probation for one year. Last week, Grubb pleaded guilty to the same count and also received a $500 fine and one year of probation.