New Use For Ambulance

OCEAN PINES — The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office last week proudly accepted the keys to a 2000 ambulance from the Ocean Pines Fire Department that was recently taken out of service.

The Sheriff’s Office will be transitioning the retired ambulance into a Mobile Incident Command Vehicle. The vehicle will be used at accident scenes, searches and rescues, large events around the county and in situations where scene lighting is needed for long periods of time. The donation from the Ocean Pines Fire Department to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office illustrates how fire, EMS and law enforcement agencies work well together and look out for each other and their communities. The Sheriff’s Office hopes to have the new Mobile Command Center ready for deployment by this summer.

Fugitive Arrested In OC

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City Police officers last week arrested a Delmar man they had been tracking for a couple of weeks at a resort hotel on felony and misdemeanor heroin charges.

In early March, the Ocean City Police Narcotics Unit and the Special Enforcement Unit received information about a wanted fugitive frequenting the resort. Through investigations initiated by the detectives, the wanted fugitive was identified as Andre Rafel Johnson, 28, of Delmar. Johnson had outstanding warrants in Maryland for failing to appear in court on drug possession charges and an extraditable fugitive warrant in Delaware for violation of probation.

At around 11:25 p.m. last Friday, OCPD detectives were able to locate Johnson at an Ocean City hotel and he was arrested without incident. Johnson was found to be in possession of heroin and detectives seized over $3,500 in currency. He was charged with felony and misdemeanor heroin charges and was transferred to the Worcester County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Woman Steals Shoes

WEST OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury woman was arrested on shoplifting and theft charges last week after allegedly swiping a pair of shoes from a store in West Ocean City.

Last Friday, the Maryland State Police received a call from Rack Room Shoes in West Ocean City in reference to a reported shoplifting that had just occurred. The manager told police the female suspect, later identified as Kristy R. Wallace, 29, of Salisbury, walked into the store complaining her feet hurt.

Wallace then sat down and removed a pair of Nike comfort thongs valued at around $32 from the box, placed the thongs under her arm and walked out of the store. The manager was able to get a registration plate number and vehicle description as Wallace drove away on westbound Route 50 toward Salisbury.

MSP troopers and allied agencies located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on Route 50 west of Route 346 in Berlin. Wallace was arrested on the side of the road after positive identification was made and the stolen item was found in her vehicle. She was taken to the MSP Berlin barrack for processing and was released on a criminal citation for theft under $100.

Loaded Gun, Pot Charges

BERLIN — A Salisbury man was arrested on handgun and marijuana possession charges last week after a Maryland State Police trooper assisting him and others on westbound Route 90 found a revolver in the vehicle.

Around 4:15 a.m. last Sunday, a Maryland State Police trooper was on patrol when she observed three individuals standing partially in the roadway attempting to put gas in a mini-van. The trooper stopped to assist the individuals with their disabled vehicle and instructed them to return to their vehicle for safety.

The trooper then observed a revolver-like cylinder in the vehicle later identified as a marijuana grinder. The individuals were ordered out of the vehicle and a probable cause search was conducted. During the search, the trooper located a loaded .38 caliber Rossi revolver that was concealed in a small black bag behind the driver’s seat.

The trooper questioned the individuals, including Tavern Parker, 27, of Salisbury, who advised the gun belonged to his mother. A criminal history check on Parker revealed he was prohibited from possessing a regulated firearm. Parker was arrested and charged with knowing possessing a regulated firearm after being convicted of a disqualifying crime, possessing ammunition after being disqualified, knowingly wearing, carrying or transporting a firearm in a vehicle, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. He was ordered to be held on a $5,000 bond.

Protective Order Violation

SNOW HILL — An Ocean City man was arrested for allegedly violating a protective order last week in West Ocean City after fleeing from officers in District Court in Snow Hill.

Last Thursday, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy responded to the District Court building in Snow Hill in reference to a reported violation of a protected order. The deputy met with the complainant, who advised her ex-boyfriend, identified as John Scott Edwards, 32, of Ocean City, had violated a court-ordered protective order.

Edwards fled the scene at the courthouse in Snow Hill, but was later located in West Ocean City. He was arrested and charged with violating a protective order. Edwards was taken before a District Court Commissioner and released on his own recognizance.

Child Abuse Arrest

SNOW HILL — A Snow Hill man was arrested on assault and reckless endangerment charges last week after allegedly abusing two minors at a residence in the county seat.

Around 8:40 p.m. last Thursday, Worcester County Sheriff’s deputies and the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) began an investigation into a report of child abuse at a residence in Snow Hill. After the investigation, deputies arrested Jermaine Ernest Schoolfield, 34, and charged him with second-degree assault and reckless endangerment of two minors. Schoolfield was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held in the Worcester County Jail on a $75,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing and further charges are possible.

Serious Route 113 Accident

NEWARK — A Virginia Beach woman was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident on Route 113 near Newark last Saturday.

Around 1:30 p.m. last Saturday, Maryland State Police troopers responded to a reported single-vehicle accident on northbound Route 114 north of Downs Rd. near Newark. The investigation revealed a victim identified as Sherry Blum Lieberman, 67, of Virginia Beach, was traveling north on Route 113 when her vehicle left the roadway and collided with a concrete culvert.

Lieberman was transported by ambulance to PRMC in Salisbury and was then flown to Shock Trauma in Baltimore. There were no other vehicles involved in the collision.

Home Improvement Fraud

SNOW HILL — A Snow Hill man was arrested and charged with home improvement fraud last week for allegedly failing to start a contracting job for an Ocean View, Del. man after collecting a substantial deposit.

A Bridgeville Police officer last Saturday stopped a vehicle driven by Michael M. Eline, 55, for speeding and determined there was a warrant out for his arrest and turned him over to the Delaware State Police. The warrant stemmed from an incident last April when Eline and Chelsea Builders was hired by an Ocean View man to complete some work at his home on Captain’s Court.

A written proposal was submitted to the victim, who then provided Eline with a deposit totaling more than $3,500. By December 2013, none of the work had been started and Eline failed to return the victim’s money even after numerous requests. Chelsea Builders has since ceased to exist.

Eline was arrested and charged with home improvement fraud. He was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond. Anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to similar crimes involving Eline are urged to contact Det. T. Shockley at 302-856-5850.

Hit-and-Run On Mailbox

SNOW HILL — A Stockton man was arrested on driving under the influence charges last weekend after allegedly hitting a mailbox with his vehicle and continuing on, only to be found a short time later at a residence still seated behind the wheel.

Around 3 p.m. last Saturday, Worcester County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of George Island Landing Rd. in Stockton for a reported hit-and-run collision. It was reported a white van struck a mailbox and continued driving. Deputies observed the mailbox and determined it had been hit, but no sustained no significant damage.

While en route to the scene, deputies observed a white van matching the vehicle description at a residence on George Island Landing Rd. Deputies made contact with the driver, later identified as Jeffery Dean Hillman, 53, of Stockton, who was still sitting in the driver’s seat. Deputies reported a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle and Hillman’s person. Hillman was then asked to perform field sobriety tests, which he did not pass to the satisfaction of the officers. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence.