OCEAN CITY — A West Virginia man was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and false imprisonment last weekend after allegedly slamming his girlfriend’s arm in a door several times and holding her against her will.
Around 7:15 p.m. last Sunday, Ocean City Police responded to a residence on 5th Street in reference to a domestic assault. The investigation revealed a female victim was staying in the residence with her boyfriend and the couple had an argument that resulted in the suspect, later identified as Joseph Devincent, 30, of Morgantown, W.Va., throwing the victim on a bed.
When the victim attempted to collect her belongings and leave, Devincent allegedly barricaded the bedroom door, which was the only exit from the room, and attempted to hold her against her will. The victim was eventually able to free herself from the bedroom, but Devincent hid her luggage and handbag and took possession of the only key to the residence.
Devincent then allegedly barricaded the front door to physically prevent the victim from leaving. The victim was able to force her arm through the door and attempted to slip through the opening, but Devincent slammed the door on the victim’s arm. According to police reports, Devincent opened the door and slammed it on the victim’s arm several times. The victim was eventually able to get out through the door, but Devincent locked the door and fled the area before police arrived.
According to the police report, the victim had signs of injury on her arm corroborating her story including multiple bruises on her forearm that indicated she had been struck with a sharp edge along with a blood blister on her thumb. The victim told police she was staying in the residence with Devincent for a few more days, but also told police she didn’t feel safe waiting for him to return and did not wish to stay at the residence for the rest of the week.
All of the victim’s belongings were still locked inside the residence. The victim, who had legal standing at the residence, advised police they could enter the residence through a rear window to retrieve her belongings. An OCPD officer entered the residence through the back window and retrieved her possessions.
Another OCPD officer was able to reach Devincent by phone. According to police reports, Devincent acknowledged he had been arrested twice before for domestic violence including one incident involving the victim. He then agreed to return to the residence. Based on the testimony and evidence, Devincent was charged with second-degree assault and false imprisonment.
According to protocol, a Domestic Violence Lethality Screening was conducted. After the screening was conducted, the OCPD officer asked the Life Crisis representative if there was anything else that worried the victim about her safety, the representative told police the victim said, “he will never let me go.”
Passenger Falls From Car
WEST OCEAN CITY — A Berlin man was arrested on drunk-driving charges last weekend after his passenger fell out of the vehicle he was driving on Route 50 near Route 707 in West Ocean City.
Around 12:50 a.m. last Saturday, Maryland State Police troopers were dispatched to the area of Routes 50 and 707 in West Ocean City for a reported accident. The investigation revealed a blue Chevy pick-up was traveling on Route 707 and approaching the intersection of Route 50. When the vehicle made a left turn onto Route 50, the passenger door flew open and the front seat passenger, identified as Morgan Fisher, fell out and struck the roadway.
The troopers identified the driver as Matthew Louis Kee IV, of Berlin, from his moped driver’s license photograph. During the investigation, troopers detected the strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the driver’s breath along with other signs of impairment.
Kee did not complete a battery of standardized field sobriety tests to the officers’ satisfaction and he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Back at the MSP Berlin barrack, Kee refused to submit to an alcohol concentration test. He was charged with DUI and related charges for the collision and was issued a civil citation for suspected marijuana less than 10 grams. Kee was not injured, but the passenger suffered minor injuries from the fall from the vehicle.
Sign Thief Nabbed
BERLIN — A Berlin man was arrested on theft and malicious destruction of property last week after allegedly attempting to dismantle a road sign under construction near Routes 50 and 113.
Around 6:15 p.m. last Thursday, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy responded to the area of southbound Route 113 at Route 50 to check on the welfare of an individual on a bicycle. Upon arrival, the deputy observed a male later identified as Keith Alexander, 39, of Berlin standing near a large metal sign under construction on the side of the highway.
Upon closer inspection, the deputy observed Alexander was undoing the strapping holding the sign pole secure. Two tethers had already been undone and were on the ground. Alexander was working on the third tether when the deputy arrived and made contact with him. Alexander was also found with a reflector that had been broken off the guard rail in his pocket. Alexander was charged with theft under $100 and malicious destruction of property.
First-Degree Assault Charge
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested on first-degree assault charges this week for an alleged attack on his girlfriend in June during a domestic dispute about his apparent cheating.
Around 5:50 p.m. on June 21, an OCPD officer responded to a reported domestic incident on North Ocean Rd. in north Ocean City. The officer met with witnesses told police they were sitting on their porch when they observed a female come out of a neighboring property and ask that they call 911. The witnesses told police shortly after they called 911, they observed a male suspect identified as Sean Yeffstig, 44, of Ocean City, exit the neighboring unit and speed off in a black VW.
The officer met with the victim who told police the couple had an argument over his alleged cheating. The victim told police she found a pair of female rain boots, a pair of rainbow flip-flops and pink underwear in Yeffstig’s closet that did not belong to her. When the victim confronted Yeffsig about the alleged cheating, an argument ensued during which the suspect allegedly grabbed her by the neck, dragged her across a hallway and pushed her against a wall, according to police reports. The victim told police Yeffsig strangled her for as long as eight or nine seconds and that if it went on any longer she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to breathe.
The victim told police at one point during the incident, Yeffsig allegedly pulled out a gun and pointed it at her. According to police reports, the victim told officers Yeffsig said “you can sit here and listen to me…I smash your face against the wall.” The victim told police she was afraid of guns and feared for her life. The gun was later recovered and turned out to be a PT-85 Blowback airsoft replica handgun.
The victim told police it was not the first physical altercation between the couple and said Yeffsig had been violent towards her in the past. The victim told police Yeffsig had punched her in the face in the past. The investigating officer found evidence in the form of physical injuries on the victim to corroborate her story.
Based on all of the evidence and victim and witness testimony, Ocean City Police charged Yeffstig with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and use of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure and he was arrested on the warrant.