Attempted Bank Robbery

Attempted Bank Robbery
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OCEAN CITY – Ocean City police this week are looking for a man who attempted to rob a bank in the 94th Street area on Monday morning before apparently getting cold feet and fleeing the scene.

Shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Monday, a white male in his mid- to early-40s entered the Susquehanna Bank on 94th Street and Coastal Highway in Ocean City and slipped a note to a teller demanding money. The suspect, a white male in his 40s, must have had a change of heart because he ran from the building just a few minutes after entering the bank. No weapon was displayed during the robbery, no one was hurt and no money was taken.

The suspect was last seen exiting the bank and running west on 94th Street. He is described as a white male in his 40s with green or blue eyes, clean shaven and no visible tattoos. At the time of the attempted robbery, he was wearing a black T-shirt, gray cargo shorts and a bucket hat. The OCPD is asking anyone with information about the suspect or the incident to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at 410-723-6604.

WOC Attackers Still Sought

WEST OCEAN CITY – A West Ocean City man remains hospitalized this week three weeks after suffering a severe beating in his home late last month as local law enforcement officials still seek his attackers.

Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) officials this week announced they are still looking for the suspect or suspects who inflicted a severe beating on a West Ocean City man in his home sometime between July 23 and July 24. On July 24, Maryland State Police troopers responded to a residence on Harbor Rd. in West Ocean City for a report of an injured person.

The victim, a 42-year-old West Ocean City man, was transported by Ocean City EMS to Peninsula Regional Medical Center with multiple head injuries and was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU). He remains in the ICU at PRMC this week, three weeks after the alleged beating.

The investigation revealed that sometime between the evening hours on July 23 or the early morning hours on July 24, unknown suspects attacked the victim. The investigation further revealed the victim had been seen at a West Ocean City bar on the evening of July 23. Anyone with information about the attack or the suspects is urged to contact the state police at 410-641-3101, or WCBI at 410-352-3476.

Two Injured In Jet Ski Explosion

NEWARK – Two people were burned last weekend while working on a jet ski on dry land when the vessel exploded.

Around 2 p.m. last Saturday, the Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to an incident involving a jet ski that had exploded at a residence on Downs Rd. in Newark. The investigation revealed two men, later identified as Robert Riley, 20, and Justin Riley, 19, were working on the jet ski, which was out of the water, when the explosion occurred.

Robert Riley received second-degree burns on his face and first transferred to PRMC in Salisbury and later flown to the Bayview Burn Center in Baltimore. Justin Riley received first-degree burns on his arm, but refused medical treatment. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

Armed Robbery In Snow Hill

SNOW HILL – Local law enforcement agencies this week are looking for two masked men who robbed a Snow Hill convenience store at gunpoint early last Sunday morning.

Shortly after midnight last Sunday, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Super Soda store in Snow Hill for a reported armed robbery in progress. The investigation revealed two armed men had forced an employee back into the store as he was locking up for the night. The two men, one of whom as armed with a handgun and the other who was armed with a shotgun, robbed the store before fleeing on foot.

A ground search conducted with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit and the Maryland State Police helicopter Trooper 4 proved fruitless. The store clerk and a female patron were not injured during the incident. One of the suspects is described as a black male, about six feet tall with a medium build who was wearing all dark clothing and a mask and carrying a handgun during the robbery. The other suspect is described as a black male about 5’9” wearing a white shirt, dark pants, a mask and carrying a shotgun.

Snow Hill Police and Maryland Natural Resources Police assisted the Sheriff’s Office during the incident. The investigation has been turned over to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigaion (WCBI). Anyone with information about the incident or the suspects is urged to contact WCBI or the Sheriff’s Office.

Wanted Man Nabbed In Store

BERLIN – Berlin Police last week nabbed a man wanted in Wicomico County when they spotted him in a convenience store.

Shortly after 1 p.m. last Tuesday, Berlin police officers in the area of the Shop Kwick store on Old Ocean City Blvd. spotted a man they recognized as Zahi James Moreno, 28, of Berlin. The officers knew Moreno had an outstanding warrant through the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office for violating probation. The officers approached Moreno and took him into custody until they could confirm the warrant.

About 10 minutes later, the warrant was confirmed and Moreno was placed under arrest. He was processed and transported to the District Court Commissioner’s Office where he was held on a pre-set $25,000 bond.

Noise Violation Leads

To Assault Arrest

BERLIN – A Salisbury man was arrested on assault and other charges last week after Berlin Police responded to a reported noise complaint at an apartment complex.

Around 1 a.m. last Saturday, Berlin Police were investigating a reported noise complaint at the Bay Terrace Apartments when they discovered an assault in progress in the same area. The suspect, Alonzo Antonio Baines II, attempted to leave the area but shortly returned and continued yelling.

When police attempted to arrest Baines for disorderly conduct, he assaulted one officer and resisted arrest. He was ultimately charged with assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and trespassing on private property. Baines was taken before a court commissioner and ordered held on a $2,500 bond.

Fender Bender On Bridge

BERLIN – One person was taken to the hospital with injuries last Sunday after a rear-ender on the Route 90 bridge over the St. Martin’s River.

A little after 5 p.m. last Sunday, a 2001 Toyota driven by a juvenile from Salisbury on the Route 90 bridge failed to see slowed or stopped traffic up ahead and ran into the back of the vehicle in front of it, a 2006 BMW driven by Tony Lee Horn, 50, of Elkins, Pa. One individual was injured in the collision and was taken to PRMC in Salisbury with non-life threatening injuries.

Man Overboard

OCEAN CITY – A Baltimore man was arrested on suspicion of boating while intoxicated last weekend after a passenger on his vessel fell overboard.

Shortly after 11 p.m. last Friday, Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to an area in the Isle of Wight Bay for a possible person in the water. When they arrived on the scene, NRP officers learned the Coast Guard had been able to recover the uninjured person from the water.

NRP officers were then able to contact the vessel’s operator, identified as Frank Windsor, 52, of Baltimore. According to police reports, Windsor displayed signs of being under the influence of alcohol. After a series of field sobriety tests were administered, Windsor was arrested and charged with operating a vessel while intoxicated, operating a vessel under the influence and negligent operation of a vessel.

Stay Off The Sandbars

OCEAN CITY – A Centerville man was arrested on suspicion of operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol last weekend after twice running his boat aground on sandbars.

Around 7:20 p.m. last Saturday, Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) arrived on the scene just as a grounded boat was pulled off a sandbar and into deeper water by a Good Samaritan in another vessel. As NRP officers watched the recently released vessel pull away from the area, it quickly became grounded on another sandbar nearby.

NRP officers then pulled the vessel off a sandbar a second time and requested the operator, identified as Matthew Gian Facchina, 41, of Centerville, Md., to perform field sobriety tests. The results of those tests were sufficient to have NRP officers ask another adult on board to take over the helm until the boat could be safely moored at Fisherman’s Marina in West Ocean City.

Once the vessel was safely docked in the marina, Facchina was taken ashore and asked to perform additional sobriety tests. In the end, Facchina was charged with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired and operating a vessel in a reckless manner.

Kid In Candy Store Convicted

SNOW HILL – One of two men arrested in early June on various charges including burglary after breaking into a Candy Kitchen store pleaded guilty this week to disorderly conduct and theft and was placed on probation for a year and fined $500.

Around 2:50 a.m. on June 5, Ocean City police responded to a Candy Kitchen store for a reported alarm. As officers were approaching the establishment, they noticed two men later identified as Ian Lyons, 21, of Cork, Ireland, and Darragh McCarthy, 22, of Ocean City, who appeared to be arguing. As officers approached, Lyons fled the scene on foot. McCarthy was placed under arrest for obstructing and hindering. Lyons was taken into custody a short time later and was placed under arrest for disorderly conduct.

As officers searched Lyons incident to his arrest, they noticed several bags of Candy Kitchen brand candy in his pockets. When officers asked Lyons where the candy came from, he told police he had purchased it two days earlier. OCPD officers and Forensics Services members located additional boxes of candy in the parking lot of the Candy Kitchen store.

Lyon had roughly $20 worth of Candy Kitchen candy in his pockets. In addition to the disorderly conduct charge, he was also charged with second-degree burglary and theft. This week in Circuit Court, Lyons pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and theft and was placed on probation for one year and fined $100. McCarthy was charged with obstructing and hindering, but is not scheduled to appear for trial until September 25.

First Of Three Drug

Raid Suspects Sentenced

OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City woman arrested in May during a significant drug bust in the resort after a year-long investigation by OCPD narcotics officers this week pleaded guilty to possession of paraphernalia and was placed on probation and fined while her two alleged counterparts still face serious charges.

On May 7, OCPD narcotics detectives concluded a year-long investigation into an alleged cocaine and crack cocaine dealing operation at a residence in the resort. The primary subject of the investigation was Claiton Pacheco, 38, of Ocean City, whom detectives had suspected of distributing narcotics for the 12 months prior. OCPD narcotics detectives executed a search and seizure warrant at Pacheco’s residence on 43rd Street. Once inside, police located Pacheco along with two other suspects including Paul Young, 27, of Edgewater, Md., and Ashleigh Ann Smith, 30, of Ocean City.

Inside the residence, police recovered crack cocaine and numerous items of drug paraphernalia. Pacheco was arrested and charged with seven counts of distributing cocaine, eight counts of possession of cocaine and one count of possession of crack cocaine. Young and Smith were charged with possession of crack cocaine and possession of paraphernalia. During the investigation, it was also learned Smith was wanted on an outstanding warrant for her arrest in Anne Arundel County.

This week, Smith pleaded guilty to possession of paraphernalia and was placed on probation for one year and fined $500. Young also appeared in District Court this week, but prayed a jury trial and had his case forwarded to Circuit Court. Meanwhile, Pacheco, the alleged kingpin of the operation and target of the investigation, still faces 16 total charges and has a trial date set for Sept. 8.