OCEAN CITY – A Columbia
man was arrested on weapons and theft charges this week after attempting to
ditch a stolen handgun when questioned by police.
Around 2:30 p.m. on
Tuesday, three Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were on bike patrol
on the Boardwalk around 14th Street when they observed a female
individual who met the description of a suspect being sought for an earlier
theft scheme. The female suspect was accompanied by a group of individuals, two
of whom veered off the Boardwalk at 15th Street when they saw her
speaking with officers.
One of the individuals,
later identified as Andy Lymonne Jackson Connelly, 18, of Columbia, was
carrying a black gym bag at the time. The officer followed Connelly and the
other individual off the Boardwalk, but lost sight of them. According to police
reports, the officer realized the pair could not have reached Baltimore Ave. in
that short of time, so he doubled back and located the two suspects on
Washington Lane, essentially an alley, between the Harrison Hall Hotel and an
adjacent property under construction.
When the OCPD officer
located Connelly and the other individual, neither of them had the black gym
bag they were seen with earlier. The officers searched the immediate area and
found a black gym bag under the tire of a truck a few feet from where they were
detained. A probable cause search of the bag revealed a Wendy’s fast food
restaurant employee shirt wrapped around a Ruger .38-caliber handgun with five
bullets in the magazine although none of them were chambered.
A background check of
the gun’s serial number revealed it had been reported stolen in Howard County.
Connelly was arrested and charged with carrying a handgun on his person and
theft less than $1,000 for allegedly stealing the handgun worth about $300.
Alleged Copper Thieves
Arrested
GIRDLETREE – A Snow Hill
man and a juvenile from Pittsville were arrested last week in connection with a
spree of burglaries involving copper tubing and gasoline tanks over a three-day
period in May.
The Worcester County
Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) arrested Jacob Tyler Derr, 19, and the
17-year-old juvenile after connecting the pair to a series of burglaries in the
Girdletree area from May 21-24. According to police reports, Derr and the
juvenile allegedly stole roughly 15-20 feet of copper tubing from a bank-owned
residence in Girdletree. In addition, the two suspects allegedly burglarized
seven fishing boats docked at Taylor Landing in Girdletree and stole seven
portable gas tanks filled with gasoline.
An investigation of the
burglaries led WCBI detectives to Wicomico County, where Derr and Juvenile
allegedly tried to sell the copper tubing at Delmarva Recycling. Derr has since
admitted the burglaries and has been charged with first-, third-, and
fourth-degree burglary, theft under $1,000 and malicious destruction of
property. The juvenile has been charged through the Department of Juvenile
Services.
Armed Robbers Sought
BERLIN – The Worcester
County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) this week is continuing to look for three
masked gunmen who robbed a convenience store in Pocomoke.
Around 11:40 p.m. last
Wednesday, WCBI detectives responded to the Goose Creek-Arby’s in Pocomoke for
a reported armed robbery. According to police reports, three suspects entered
the convenience store-fast food restaurant and one of them displayed a black,
semi-auotmatic handgun. After getting what they asked for, the three suspects
fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money.
This week, local law
enforcement is seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspects. One
suspect is described as an African-American male in his late teens or early
20s, about six feet tall with a thin build wearing a long-sleeved white shirt,
dark blue jeans and a black ski mask at the time of the robbery. The second is
described as an African-American male, about 5’8” to 5’10” tall, medium build
wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt, blue jeans and a facemask at the time of
the robbery. The third suspect is described as an African-American male, medium
build wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt, blue jeans and a facemask.
Anyone with information
about the suspects is urged to call 410 641-3101 or 410-352-3476.
Urinating On Police Car
OCEAN CITY – A
Huntingtown, Md. man was arrested on disturbing the peace charges this week
after allegedly urinating on a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy’s car in plain
view of the officer.
Around 8:45 p.m. last
Saturday, an OCPD officer met with a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy in a
well-lit parking lot off Washington Lane behind the Majestic Hotel. The deputy
told the OCPD officer a suspect, later identified as Richard Thomas Grierson,
21, had urinated on his police cruiser.
The deputy told the OCPD
officer he was on the second floor of the Majestic Hotel doing surveillance on
a balcony across from the hotel when he observed Grierson walk down Wilmington
Lane and start urinating on his police cruiser. According to police reports, a
crowd had formed and yelled, “He’s peeing on a cop car.” The deputy ran down
steps of the hotel and out to the area of his vehicle where he found Grierson
with his penis still exposed. Based on the information provided by the deputy,
the OCPD officer arrested Grierson and charged him with disturbing the peace.
More Public Urination
OCEAN CITY – A
Harrisburg, Pa. man was arrested on indecent exposure, resisting arrest and
other charges last weekend after first peeing on a downtown street and later
fighting with the OCPD officer attempting to arrest him.
Shortly before 2 a.m.
last Sunday, an OCPD officer on bike patrol in the downtown area observed a
man, later identified as Michael David Kraft, 21, begin to urinate on some
bushes along the side of Dorchester Street, allegedly making no attempt to
conceal his actions.
The officer noted in his
report several bystanders on both sides of the street observed Kraft, as did
two bystanders on the porch right in front of him, who watched in disbelief,
according to police reports. When the officer approached Kraft and attempted to
place him under arrest, the suspect attempted to flee the scene. The officer
used an arm bar maneuver to secure Kraft, but he still resisted and attempted
to flee.
Other officers arrived
and Kraft eventually complied and was taken into custody. He was charged with
indecent exposure, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.
Alleged Officer Assault
OCEAN CITY – An
Edgewater, Md. woman was arrested for assaulting an officer and disorderly
conduct last week after an incident in the downtown area.
Shortly before 7:30 p.m.
last Thursday, an OCPD officer on bike patrol in the area of St. Louis Ave. and
1st Street observed a large crowd had gathered and heard loud
shouting going on. The officer removed the antagonist from the disturbance,
later identified as Brook Marie Peters, 18, who allegedly was shouting
“[expletive deleted] you all. You’re just a bunch of [expletives deleted]
anyway.”
When the officer asked
for the woman’s name, she identified herself as Jacklyn Marie Tippet. The
officer on scene called in the identification information, but no data on a
Jacklyn Marie Tippett came back. The officer again asked the woman her name and
pressed her for more information, but she could not provide an accurate date of
birth.
At that time, the woman
jumped up and attempted to run, but the officer was able to grab her arm and
detain the suspect. The suspect then spun around and punched the officer in the
chest with a closed fist. The officer, assisted by another officer, was able to
take the suspect into custody. It was only after the suspect was transported to
the Public Safety Building for processing that she gave her correct name. She
was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer and disorderly
conduct.
Fight Leads To Arrest
OCEAN CITY – A
Pennsylvania man was arrested for disturbing the peace and resisting arrest
last weekend after allegedly scrapping with police following a Boardwalk fight.
Last Sunday, an OCPD
officer patrolling the Boardwalk around 10th Street was approached
by an individual who said there was a fight in progress at 9th
Street. The officer responded to the area of 9th Street and the
Boardwalk and observed a man later identified as Kyle Benjamin Horn, 18,
yelling loudly, according to police reports.
The officer pushed Horn
against the sea wall and ordered him to sit down. Horn advised the officer and
an assisting officer he had been assaulted with a weapon. When the officer
asked Horn what kind of weapon he had been assaulted with, Horn allegedly said,
“[expletive deleted] you, you piece of [expletive deleted.]”
As Horn said this, a
group of around 10 people on the Boardwalk stopped walking and looked in his
direction, taking note of his comments, according to police reports. When the
officer observed the people’s response to Horn’s comments, he attempted to take
him into custody, but the suspect resisted. He was finally arrested after the
officer had to resort to knee strikes to his side in order to subdue Horn.
During the arrest, Horn received two lacerations to his head, but refused
medical treatment. He was charged with disturbing the peace and resisting
arrest.
Fight Yields Drugs,
Weapons
OCEAN CITY – Several
people were arrested at a fight on 69th Street last week during
which one suspect threatened individuals with a machete.
Around 12:20 a.m. last
Friday, OCPD officers were dispatched to a reported call about an unidentified
man in a black Volkswagen Jetta threatening someone with a machete at 69th
Street. When the officers arrived, they did not see the Jetta, but did observe
dozens of people in the street at the end of the block in what appeared to be a
fight about to start. When the officers arrived, the large group dispersed in
all directions leaving behind dozens of beer cans and broken beer bottles.
The officers met with a man
who said several individuals came to his residence on 69th Street
and attempted to start a fight, including one who was carrying a machete. The
witness told police he observed the suspect attempt to conceal the machete in
his pants and the group left the area in a black VW Jetta. The witness told
police he knew at least one of the suspects in the vehicle and the OCPD officer
had the witness call the known suspect on his cell phone.
According to police
reports, the suspect told the witness they planned to return to 69th
Street. The officer gave the witness his cell phone number and told him to call
if and when the Jetta returned. About 10 minutes later, the officer received a
call from the witness the suspect’s vehicle had returned. The officer went back
to the scene and observed the Jetta. According to police reports, the officer
approached the Jetta with caution because of concern about the potential weapon
in the vehicle.
A search of the vehicle
revealed a machete in the car between the front passenger seat and the front
passenger door. A further search turned up various amounts of marijuana and
paraphernalia throughout the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, identified as
Zachary A. Ford, 19, of New Oxford, Pa., was arrested and charged with carrying
a concealed deadly weapon and possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. The
passenger of the vehicle, identified as Derek F. Strasbaugh, 18, also of New
Oxford, was charged with the same offenses.
Playground Equipment
Burned
OCEAN CITY – Ocean City
fire officials this week are investigating a Tuesday evening fire at a
north-end city-owned park deemed to have been intentionally set.
Around 5 p.m. on
Tuesday, the Ocean City Fire Department was dispatched to the town-owned Gorman
Park in the area of 136th Street for a reported fire that had
already been extinguished. The investigation revealed the fire originated on
the second-level of the playground equipment.
The cause of the fire is
listed as incendiary, or intentionally set. There were no injuries reported.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Ocean City Fire Department’s
Office of the Fire Marshal at 410 289-8780.
Convictions In Drug Raid
OCEAN CITY – Three of
the seven suspects arrested during an OCPD narcotics raid in March pleaded
guilty this week to possession of marijuana and were fined substantially.
On March 3, Ocean City
police concluded a long-term drug distribution investigation with the execution
of eight search and seizure warrants at a downtown apartment complex, resulting
in seven arrests.
Around 4:15 a.m. on
March 3, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) narcotics unit served search
and seizure warrants on eight separate units in the Parrot Lagoon apartment
complex in a multi-agency, simultaneous raid.
Ocean City police were
able to make seven arrests of suspects involved in the illegal distribution and
possession of drugs in the resort, including Jermain Heath, 27, of Ocean City,
who was wanted for failing to appear in court for other drug charges.
This week in District
Court, Heath, Nathaniel Johnson and Jason Knaub each pleaded guilty to
possession of marijuana and were fined. Heath and Johnson were fined $1,000
each, while Knaub was fined $500. The other defendants are scheduled to appear
for trial in July and August.