Truck, Gun Thief Nabbed
OCEAN CITY — Ocean City Police last week located and arrested a Montgomery County teen wanted in that jurisdiction after allegedly committing a burglary and stealing a truck and two handguns.
On Tuesday, March 22, a suspect, later identified as Teris D. McDonald, 16, of Brookeville, Md., allegedly committed a burglary and stole a GMC truck and two handguns in Montgomery County. Last Wednesday, the OCPD Criminal Investigation Division received information from Montgomery County Police that McDonald was in the resort.
OCPD detectives conducted surveillance in the area and located the stolen vehicle traveling northbound on Coastal Highway in the area of 54th Street. Marked patrol officers responded and conducted a traffic stop on the stolen truck in the area of 63rd Street. McDonald was taken into custody at that time without incident.
In addition, three passengers were also taken into custody including Khiry Hall, 19, of Severna Park, along with a 16-year-old male juvenile and a 14-year-old female juvenile. During a search, detectives located the two stolen handguns in the vehicle.
McDonald was charged with motor vehicle theft and transporting a handgun in addition to the charges pending in Montgomery County. He was seen by a District Court Commissioner, waived to adult status and transferred to the Worcester County Jail on a $25,000 bond. Hall and the two juveniles were each charged with motor vehicle theft. Hall was taken before a District Court Commissioner and later released on recognizance, while the two juveniles were released to their parents.
Disorderly At Outlets
WEST OCEAN CITY — A Baltimore man was arrested on disorderly conduct and theft charges last weekend after allegedly attempting to get small children to play with him in a West Ocean City outlet store and later being found with stolen shoelaces in his pocket.
Around 7:50 p.m. last Saturday, Maryland State Police troopers were dispatched to Rack Room Shoes in the Tanger Outlets in West Ocean City for a reported suspicious person. The caller told police an adult male was attempting to get small children to play with him in the store. The caller felt the behavior was suspicious and the suspect was asked to leave the store by an employee.
Troopers arrived and located the suspect, later identified as Gregory Davis Sterling, Jr., 33, of Baltimore, in front of a different outlet store. According to police reports, Sterling was intoxicated and was making a scene. Sterling allegedly refused to follow the troopers’ orders and was arrested for disorderly conduct.
A search incident to the arrest revealed a pair of shoelaces in Sterling’s pocket from Rack Room Shoes. A store employee confirmed he had not paid for the shoelaces and he was also charged with theft under $100. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the incident.
Arrests Follow Hotel Incident
OCEAN CITY — Two men were arrested on a variety of charges last weekend after a noise complaint at a mid-town hotel turned into a wild argument and physical confrontation with police and management.
Shortly before 7 a.m. last Sunday, Ocean City Police responded to the Bonita Hotel at 81st Street for a reported noise complaint that resulted in the eviction of the occupants. OCPD officers arrived and met with the hotel manager, who took police up to the room where the problem tenants were staying. The manager told police the front desk had received numerous complaints from other guests about noise from the problem unit. The manager also told police while he was out on the sidewalk, the tenants in the problem unit were yelling obscenities at him.
With the officer escorting him, the manager knocked on the door and told the tenants they were being evicted. The tenants disagreed with the level of noise, but began packing up their belongings. According to police reports, the manager turned on a light in the hallway and opened the bathroom door to see if anybody else was in the room when the OCPD officer observed a male suspect facing the bathroom door as if he was attempting to hide, according to police reports.
The suspect then pulled the door shut, and when the manager opened it again, the suspect began to yell that the manager was opening the door on him while has was urinating and that he was going to file a complaint. Both the OCPD officer and the manager told the suspect he was merely trying to hide in the bathroom and was not using it in the way he said he was.
The suspect, later identified a Damian Robinson, 21, of no fixed address, continued to claim he was going to file a complaint, but the officer and the manager allegedly told him he was getting evicted whether he was actually using the toilet or not. According to police reports, Robinson continued to yell racial slurs at the manager. The officer told Robinson to stop yelling or he was going to be arrested for noise and disturbing the peace. However, Robinson told the officer he couldn’t arrest him for exercising his “5th Amendment Rights.” According to police reports, the officer told Robinson he was thinking of the wrong amendment.
By now, Robinson was in the middle of the hallway and continued to yell at the officer and the manager about his alleged unfair treatment. At one point, Robinson moved in front of the door at another unit and told police “their black and I’m a tell them what you said,” and began banging on the door. The OCPD officer told Robinson if one person opened that other door, he was going to be arrested for disturbing the peace. When Robinson continued to bang on the door, the officer observed at least four hotel doors open as people who appeared groggy and irritated by the noise poked their heads out.
The officer then attempted to take Robinson into custody, but the suspect struggled against the effort to handcuff him. When the officer saw Robinson’s friends coming toward him, he disengaged from Robinson, drew his taser, armed it and pointed it at the suspect. At that point, Robinson began to follow the officer’s instructions.
The officer had Robinson lay on his stomach with his hands behind his back, but one of his friends, later identified as Warren Williams, 20, of Glendale, Md., quickly approached the officer and told him he can’t arrest his “dude.” The rest of Robinson’s friends were on their cell phones taping the entire incident. Williams was told to stand back, but allegedly kept coming at the officer, preventing him from cuffing Robinson.
With the officer keeping his taser trained on Robinson and Williams continuing to approach him within arm’s length, an unnamed Good Samaritan came up from behind the officer and got Williams in a bear hug and moved him away from the officer. The Good Samaritan was able to move Williams away far enough that the officer was able to holster his Taser and finally handcuff Robinson.
Despite the Good Samaritan doing everything he could to assist, Williams kept coming at the officer, yelling and getting within his personal space, according to police reports. Williams was punching the wall in the hallway.
By then, back-up officers arrived and the situation was defused. Robinson was taken into custody, but Williams and many of the others went back into the hotel room and locked the door. The officer utilized the manager’s keycard and told Williams to come with him. When Williams was told he was being arrested for disorderly conduct and noise, he told the officer he couldn’t be arrested because he was exercising his right to free speech.
When the officer attempted to take Williams into custody, he continued to struggle to the point the officer again had to take out and arm his taser. Finally, Williams complied with the other officer’s orders and was handcuffed. During a search of Williams’ backpack, OCPD officer found a knife in a side pocket of the backpack. The knife appeared to have once been a folding knife, but the handle was broken so the blade was taped open, making it a fixed blade knife. Robinson and Williams were each charged with disorderly conduct, noise and resisting arrest. Williams was also charged with concealing a dangerous weapon.
Pot Dealing On Assateague
ASSATEAGUE — Three juveniles were arrested for allegedly attempting to deal marijuana in Assateague State Park after hours last Friday.
Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) were on patrol in Assateague State Park just before midnight last Friday when they observed a vehicle at the marina and pulled up to check it out. The officers smelled marijuana as they talked to the vehicle’s driver and then found two other juveniles hiding in the nearby reeds.
While searching the vehicle, the officers located marijuana in plastic bags and vacuum-sealed bags, several packages of concentrated tetrahydrocannabinol, two digital scales and three grinders. The suspects, including two 17-year-old boys and one 16-year-old boy, were charged as juveniles with possession with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana. They were released to the custody of their parents.
Traffic Stop Leads To Heroin
OCEAN CITY — A Selbyville man was arrested on drunk and drugged driving charges after a traffic stop for speeding in Ocean City early last Saturday morning.
Around 1:15 a.m. last Saturday, an OCPD officer on patrol in the area of 30th Street observed a vehicle going 47 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone. The officer caught up to the vehicle at 33rd Street and continued to follow it heading north on Coastal Highway. At 52nd Street, the vehicle driven by Michael Harant, 32, of Selbyville, made a wide U-turn at 52nd Street and straddled the lanes of traffic, according to police reports.
The vehicle turned into a parking lot at 50th Street and the officer activated his emergency lights and followed. According to police reports, Harant’s vehicle straddled two parking spaces and he pulled in so far that his vehicle struck the parking bumper. Harant then exited the vehicle and attempted to walk away. Harant attempted to shut the vehicle door, but the seat belt was hanging out of the door and it wouldn’t close. The officer observed the keys on the passenger side floor and the lights still on.
While Harant was searching for the vehicle registration, the officer observed part of a syringe briefly. According to police reports, Harant showed signs of being intoxicated or impaired. He was put through a battery of field sobriety tests which he did not perform to the officer’s satisfaction. During the process, the officer allegedly noticed familiar track marks on Harant’s arms indicating he was likely a heroin user.
During a search of the vehicle, the officer located a syringe with a brown, cloudy liquid inside. Also located were other items of known paraphernalia including a spoon and pieces of cigarette filters that were cut. Harant was taken into custody and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by drugs and numerous traffic violations. A background check revealed his license was suspended and revoked in Delaware.
Goose Beating In Park
SALISBURY — A Salisbury man and two juveniles were arrested last week for allegedly intentionally killing a goose in the city park during the middle of the afternoon.
Around 2 p.m. on March 21, Salisbury Police responded to the City Park in the area of Ben’s Red Swings for a report of suspects chasing and striking geese with sticks. Officers arrived on the scene and met with witnesses who identified the suspects involved as well as the dead goose that was floating in the water.
The investigation revealed the suspects were walking through the park carrying large sticks and chasing geese. The suspects were then witnessed striking the geese with the sticks as they chased them. According to police reports, the geese were chased and struck as they entered the water, where they were found to be deceased. Salisbury Police Animal Control Officers responded to the scene and assisted with the investigation.
As a result of the investigation, Salisbury Police arrested Domonick Hall-Mallory, 18, of Salisbury, along with a 17-year-old juvenile and a 14-year-old juvenile. Hall-Mallory was charged with aggravated animal cruelty, false statement to police and obstructing. The two juveniles were each charged with aggravated animal cruelty and were released to their guardians.
Assault Victim Hit
With Shoe, Lamp, Iron
OCEAN CITY — A New York woman was arrested on assault and other charges last weekend after allegedly hitting her husband with a shoe, a lamp and an iron during an argument that ultimately ended with her smashing the dishes in a midtown hotel room.
Around 4:15 a.m. last Sunday, Ocean City Police responded to the Princess Royale hotel in reference to a destruction of property complaint. The officer met with the male occupant of the room, who told police he and his wife had been to a nightclub earlier and an argument began when his wife, identified as Ebony Williams, 42, of Ossining, N.Y., was talking to a member of the band. The wife returned to the hotel in their car and the husband took a cap back to the hotel where the verbal argument apparently turned physical.
The male victim told police Williams hit him first with a shoe, and then a hotel lamp and ultimately an iron. When the male victim retreated to bedroom to avoid the confrontation, the Williams then smashed plates on the floor of the hotel. Williams was arrested and charged with second-degree assault.