OCEAN CITY – Two people were injured in an early Monday morning single-vehicle accident involving a Jeep Liberty SUV that rolled several times before miraculously coming to rest back on its wheels.
Around 2 a.m. on Monday, Ocean City police and paramedics responded to the scene of a single-vehicle accident on Coastal Highway at 50th Street. The investigation revealed a Jeep Liberty SUV containing four occupants had overturned onto the median and struck two trees as well as a fixed wooden crossing barrier.
The SUV flipped over several times before landing back on its tires facing southbound in the northbound lanes of Coastal Highway. Amazingly, while the car was rolling over and over, no other vehicles were struck and none of the vehicle’s passengers were seriously injured. However, one passenger and the driver, later identified as Alla Pavare, 24, of Ocean City, were taken by Ocean City EMS to PRMC in Salisbury where they were treated for minor injuries.
While at the scene, OCPD Traffic Safety Officer Pfc. Patrick Flynn questioned Pavare prior to his transport to PRMC. Based on Flynn’s observations at the scene, police suspect Pavare might have been intoxicated at the time of the accident. Charges are pending based on the results of Pavare’s blood test, which could take as long as 90 days to come back. The Jeep Liberty was totally destroyed, according to police reports.
Five Arrested In Downtown Donnybrook
OCEAN CITY – Five people including three juveniles were arrested last weekend after a huge downtown brawl near Worcester Street.
Shortly after midnight last Saturday, Ocean City police responded to Baltimore Ave. and Worcester Street for a large fight in progress. While police were breaking up the fight and sorting out the combatants, a large crowd gathered that became more and more volatile as the situation escalated.
After police sorted out the details, five individuals, including three juveniles, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, affray, resisting arrest, failure to obey a lawful order and possession of a concealed deadly weapon.
The two adults have been identified as Devon Anthony Jamar Cuffee, 18, of Milford, Del., and Christina C. Durham, 20, of Dover, Del. The three juveniles, two 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old, were eventually released to the custody of their parents.
Daddy And Daughter Party
OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man was arrested on several charges last weekend including assault, burglary and indecent exposure after a wild night in an uptown hotel during which he partied with his 16-year-old daughter to the point she needed EMS treatment for alcohol poisoning.
Around 1:30 a.m. last Saturday, OCPD officers were dispatched to the second floor of the Fenwick Inn in uptown Ocean City to assist on a 911 call for a young female found on the floor in a semi-conscious state and vomiting. While en route to the hotel, the officers received another report about the 16-year-old girl’s father, later identified as Larry L. Smith, 44, of Stevens, Pa., fighting with hotel guests.
The officers arrived and responded to the second floor where they observed the 16-year-old girl lying on her back in the hallway in a large pool of vomit. The officers also observed Smith flailing and swinging his arms around at other hotel guests who were attempting to help the girl because they believed she was choking on her own vomit. According to police reports, Smith loudly shouted profanities at the assisting guests including “get the [expletive deleted] away, she’s my daughter.”
At that point, Smith lied down on top of his daughter and refused to get up while continuing to scream profanities. The girl was breathing but was unresponsive, despite the paramedics shaking her and shouting her name.
The officers were eventually able to get Smith off of his daughter and began to question the obviously intoxicated suspect. Smith allegedly told police he was staying on the seventh floor and had come down to the second floor to look for his daughter, whom he found passed out on the floor. He then called 911. Smith told police at the time he did not know where his daughter obtained alcohol.
Meanwhile, the officers were approached by as many as 10 other hotel guests who advised they had seen Smith and his daughter drinking together in the hotel all night prior to the officers’ arrival. One witness said he saw Smith and his daughter hours earlier wandering the halls handing out beers. The father and daughter were drinking beer and other alcohol for hours and became more and more belligerent the more they drank.
Another witness told police the father and daughter were roaming the halls and knocking on doors looking for people to party with. Yet another witness told police he was a lifeguard and tried to help the debilitated daughter when Smith attacked him and told him to stay away from her.
Another witness said she was in the bathroom of her hotel room when she heard a knock on the bathroom door. Thinking it was her boyfriend, the witness opened the door and saw Smith standing in the doorway with his pants down and holding his private parts yelling, “I have to pee,” over and over. Smith barged in and used the victim’s bathroom to relieve himself.
In the meantime, Smith’s daughter had passed out in the hallway on the second floor and was lying in a pool of vomit, causing witnesses to call 911. When Smith heard the police and EMS were on their way, he pushed through the crowd of people tending to the girl and attempted to pick her up and carry her away. However, a group of as many as 15 hotel guests stopped Smith from removing the girl before police and medical assistance arrived.
While police questioned Smith before a large group of witnesses, he became more and more belligerent and continued to scream profanities, according to police reports. At that point, another young girl, later identified as Smith’s other daughter, a 14-year-old, attempted to calm down her father, but Smith swung a backhand in her direction, striking her and knocking her back a few steps.
At that point, OCPD police attempted to take Smith into custody, but he continued to resist. After pinning Smith against the wall near the elevators and subduing him with knee strikes, the officers were able to get the suspect under control although he still continued to scream profanities and struggle. Smith was charged with second-degree assault, fourth-degree burglary, indecent exposure, reckless endangerment, providing alcohol to a minor, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Tough To Take Down
OCEAN CITY – A New York woman pulled over for making an illegal turn on Coastal Highway last Saturday was later arrested on marijuana possession and other charges, but not before giving resort police fits trying to take her into custody.
Around 11:30 p.m. last Saturday, an OCPD officer pulled over a Toyota 4Runner for making a left turn onto to 58th Street from the center lane on Coastal Highway. As the officer approached the vehicle, he saw its occupants suspiciously shifting around inside. When the officer asked the driver, later identified as Jacqueline F. Denise, 20, of Ithica, N.Y., for her license and registration, she failed to produce the documents.
When asked where she was going, Denise told police she and her passenger were going to the beach to go to the bathroom. There is no public bathroom on 58th Street, nor is there any hotel or other public place to relieve one’s self in the area. Denise and her passenger then told police they had arrived in town and wanted to see the beach. The pair also told conflicting stories about where they were staying while in Ocean City.
While police were questioning Denise and her passenger, identified as Kristen Rodriguez, 22, of Burke, Va., they noticed a glass marijuana smoking device in plain view on the back seat. A search of vehicle turned up a Baggie of suspected marijuana in the passenger side door panel.
Two OCPD officers then attempted to place the two suspects under arrest for possession. One officer was able to get Rodriguez into handcuffs, but the other officer had difficulty getting Denise into custody, getting her left hand into one cuff but struggling to cuff her other hand. Denise yanked her right arm away and attempted to flee, but the officers restrained her.
The officers affected an arm take down move on the suspect, but she was again able to break free and swing her arms wildly at the officers, according to police reports. The officers then delivered several knee strikes to the suspect’s midsection, but the knee strikes did not affect her. One of the officers then pulled out his pepper spray and sprayed Denise in the face for about two seconds at close range, but that did not affect her and she continued to struggle with police.
Finally, Denise relented and allowed herself to be handcuffed. According to police reports, Denise showed no adverse signs of being sprayed with pepper spray, nor was she out of breath after her long scuffle with police. When asked if she was hurt or needed medical assistance, she replied “No, I’m fine.”
A further search of the vehicle revealed a Baggie of cocaine and three Percocet pills in a cellophane wrapper. Denise was charged with possession of marijuana and other CDS, possession of paraphernalia, and resisting arrest. Rodriguez was charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia and resisting or interfering with an arrest.
Wrong-Way Driver Busted For Pot
OCEAN CITY – A Cumberland, Md. man was arrested on marijuana charges last week after resort police observed him driving the wrong way down a one-way street.
Shortly after midnight last Tuesday, an OCPD officer on routine patrol observed a gray Volkswagen with expired tags driving north on Coastal Highway and began following the vehicle. The vehicle turned left onto 120th Street and headed west against oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road. When the officer finally stopped the driver, identified as Andrew J. Miller, 22, of Cumberland, a search of the vehicle turned up a Baggie of marijuana and a glass smoking device under the front passenger seat.
When questioned about the pot, Miller told police it was his and that his female passenger had no knowledge of it. Miller told police he placed it under her seat when he realized he was being pulled over. Miller was charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia and traffic offenses.
Flakes On Shirt Lead To Drug Bust
OCEAN CITY – A Hebron man was arrested for possession of marijuana and mushrooms last week after being observed sitting in the back seat of a running passenger car with no driver behind the wheel.
Last Sunday, an OCPD officer on routine foot patrol near North Division Street noticed a passenger car with a female in the front passenger seat and a male in the back seat. The vehicle was running and nobody was behind the wheel. The officer was suspicious and shined a flashlight into the vehicle and saw the male suspect, later identified as Benjamin Krebs Zawacki, 31, with suspected marijuana all over his shirt.
A search of the vehicle revealed a brown paper bag containing a large quantity of Psilocybin mushrooms and a digital scale. Zawacki was then arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute mushrooms.
While en route to the station, Zawacki asked the officer what drew his attention and the officer told him he observed marijuana all down the front of his shirt. According to police reports, Zawacki told the officer, “It wasn’t weed on the shirt, but I was rolling a blunt, and I’ve never done ‘shrooms before, I was just going to try them with some friends.”
Suspended Sentence For Armed Asssaulter
SNOW HILL – A Bishopville man arrested in March after allegedly pointing a loaded handgun at a former girlfriend during an argument at his home pleaded guilty last week to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, all of which was suspended.
Following an investigation by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation in early March, Walter W. Mumford, 26, of Bishopville, was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault. Mumford’s girlfriend reported to police Mumford pointed a loaded handgun at her during an argument between the couple at Mumford’s home.
The victim fled the residence and called the police. WCBI detectives located Mumford a short distance from his residence and placed him under arrest. The handgun allegedly used in the assault was recovered by police. Last week in District Court in Snow Hill, Mumford pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, all of which was suspended, and he was fined $400 plus court costs.
Child Support Scofflaw Busted For Possession
OCEAN CITY – A Selbyville man pulled over in Ocean City last weekend for having expired tags on his vehicle was found to be driving on a suspended license for failing to pay child support and was later found with marijuana.
Around 3 a.m. last Saturday, an OCPD officer pulled over a Toyota on Coastal Highway for having expired tags. A background check revealed the driver, Steven D. Long, 44, of Selbyville, Del., had his license suspended for child support non-compliance. When asked if he was behind on his child support payments, Long told police he was and that was why his license was suspended.
While Long was being taken into custody for driving on a suspended license, a search of his person revealed a brass smoking device and a baggie of marijuana. Long was charged with driving on a suspended license, driving without current tags, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.
Guilty Of Possession
OCEAN CITY – Michael Anthony Parks, 21, of Riverdale, Md., appeared in District Court this week, pleading guilty to possession of marijuana.
On July 1, 2006, Ocean City police officers noted a vehicle in which neither the driver nor the passenger, Parks, were wearing seatbelts. The vehicle was also lacking a front registration plate, prompting officers to pull over the vehicle. While talking with the two, officers observed marijuana in plain view. A subsequent search of the car revealed 1.6 grams of marijuana in a baggie.
Parks appeared in District Court in Ocean City on Monday and was found guilty of the offense and fined $357.50.
Accidental Fire Displaces Occupants
OCEAN CITY – A fire at a downtown apartment complex this week started in a second-floor utility closet and has been ruled accidental by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office.
Around 6 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City fire units were dispatched to a reported building fire on 8th Street in the resort. Fire crews arrived on scene and observed a two-and-a-half story wood frame duplex with smoke showing from Unit 2 on the second floor. Crews quickly extinguished a fire located in a utility closet in the second floor unit. Firefighters remained on scene for approximately 45 minutes performing overhaul operations.
The Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the fire was accidental and originated in a water heater closet on the second floor. Fire damage was limited to Unit 2, while Unit 1 below it suffered water damage. The occupants of the units were displaced and were provided with temporary accommodations by the Harrison Group. There were no injuries reported.
Guilty Plea To Possession
OCEAN CITY – Mark Joseph McMahon, 29, of Ocean City, pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana in District Court this week, receiving one year of unsupervised probation and $157.50 in fines.
On Feb. 11, Ocean City police officers observed McMahon ride his bike through a stop sign without stopping. Upon speaking with McMahon, officers realized that an active warrant was out for his arrest. As officers took McMahon into custody, he willingly admitted to having marijuana in his pockets and was subsequently charged with possession of marijuana. This week, he was found guilty and placed on probation for one year and fined $157.50.