Cabbie Assaulted Over Fare
OCEAN CITY — A Las Vegas man was arrested on assault and theft charges last week after allegedly beating a resort cab driver after not paying his $12 fare.
Around 1:50 a.m. last Sunday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to the 49th Street area for a reported dispute between a cab driver and a customer. The officer met with a witness who told police he observed three suspects assaulting a cab driver. The witness told police he was changing an advertising sign near Coastal Highway when he heard a commotion coming from the 48th Street area.
The witness told police he observed two suspects standing over another man, a resort cab driver, and one of the men was punching the cab driver in the head. After the assault, the suspects fled the area and ran south on Coastal Highway. OCPD officers responded in that direction and located the suspects a short time later. Another OCPD officer brought the victim to the area of 45th Street for an identification and the victim positively identified his attacker as Endeshaw Endeshaw, 24, of Las Vegas.
The victim told police the altercation began when Endeshaw and his friends did not pay the $12.88 cab fare. Based on the evidence and testimony, Endeshaw was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and theft.
Five Years For Car Theft
SNOW HILL — A Hyattsville, Md. man, arrested last May after stealing a car in Montgomery County with a 9-year-old boy inside and driving to Ocean City where he was picked up after a high-risk traffic stop, pleaded guilty this week and was sentenced to five years in jail.
Around 9 a.m. last May 28, Ocean City police received a broadcast regarding a reported stolen vehicle crossing the Route 90 bridge. The black Honda had been reportedly stolen in Hyattsville, Md. A check with the Hyattsville Police Department revealed the vehicle had been stolen when the owner forgot her glasses and left the vehicle running in the driveway to go inside and find them.
The owner left her 9-year-old son in the vehicle when she went inside to retrieve her glasses and a Hispanic male holding a beer bottle jumped into the vehicle and drove away. The vehicle owner reported hearing her son screaming as she came outside after retrieving her glasses. The Hyattsville Police explained the nine-year-old boy was able to exit the vehicle shortly after it was stolen.
Meanwhile, back in Ocean City, an OCPD officer was traveling south on Coastal Highway when he received the broadcast about the stolen vehicle and observed a black Honda waiting at the light at the foot of the Route 90 bridge. The officer made a U-turn and picked up the stolen Honda on northbound Coastal Highway at around 70th Street. The officer broadcast the situation and was joined by other OCPD patrol vehicles, which stopped the Honda around 84th Street.
The multiple OCPD units performed a high-risk traffic stop and got the driver, identified a Erika Velasquez, 27, of Mount Rainier, Md., to get out and walk backwards toward them until they could handcuff her. They attempted to get the passenger, identified as Alex Quinteros, 21, of Hyattsville, to come out, but Velasquez advised them he was highly intoxicated and would not wake up. The OCPD officers were eventually able to handcuff Quinteros and requested OC EMS respond to evaluate his condition. Quinteros was ultimately transported to AGH.
Velasquez told police Quinteros had met with her with the Honda at her residence in the D.C. area and they proceeded to drive to Ocean City. Velasquez told police Quinteros was driving and continued to drink and she took over the driving because he had become intoxicated.
While at AGH, Quinteros told police he had a large sum of cash in the vehicle and asked if it would be returned to him. The officers told Quinteros if the cash was his, it would be returned to him when he was released. He was later released from the hospital and returned to Ocean City for processing.
Meanwhile, OCPD officers contacted the stolen vehicle’s owner and advised her it had been recovered. The owner was able to provide a description of the suspect who car-jacked the vehicle from her driveway that was consistent with that of Quinteros. The OCPD officers asked the victim if she had a large sum of cash in the vehicle and she told police he had $2,600 in her purse in the trunk that she had just withdrawn to pay her rent. It was later determined Quinteros had $1,100 in $100 bills and a total of $1,239 on his person when he was taken into custody. What was left of the money was seized and returned to the victim.
Quinteros was charged with theft from $10,000 to under $100,000, theft under $10,000 and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. Velasquez was charged with unlawful removal of property and theft from $10,000 to under $100,000.
On Monday, Quinteros pleaded guilty to unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and was sentenced to five years in jail.
Woman Located After WOC Manhunt Sentenced
SNOW HILL — An Ocean City woman, who led allied local law enforcement agencies on a massive search in November before being apprehended, pleaded guilty this week to second-degree assault and was sentenced to four years, all but about five months was then suspended.
On Nov. 18, 2016, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy was patrolling in West Ocean City when the officer observed a suspect, later identified as Kimberly Hinkley, 50, of Ocean City, who was wanted in connection with a stabbing incident earlier in the week, walking in the area of Route 50 and Jerry Mack Road. Hinkley was wanted on multiple charges including attempted second-degree murder and first-degree asault in connection with the earlier stabbing incident, but when she was unable to be located, a warrant was issued for her arrest.
When she saw police that Friday afternoon, Hinkley fled the area on foot touching off a large-scale search. Maryland State Police troopers, Worcester County Sheriff’s deputies, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers and a Maryland State Police helicopter participated in the search for Hinkley on that Friday afternoon. A K-9 track was initiated, directing officers east toward Ocean City. After the K-9 lost the trail and the aerial search came up empty, the effort was suspended.
However, late the next night, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Officer received a tip from Ocean City Police that Hinkley was hiding out in a residence on Old Bridge Road in West Ocean City. Acting on that information, Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at the residence around 4 a.m. on Sunday, November 20 and she was taken into custody without further incident.
On Monday, Hinkley pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to roughly four years in jail. However, all but about five months of the sentence was then suspended.
Jail For Biting Doorman
SNOW HILL — An Odenton woman arrested last August after biting an Ocean City nightclub doorman who was attempting to toss her boyfriend out of the establishment pleaded guilty this week to second-degree assault and was sentenced to four months in jail, all but 10 days of which were then suspended.
Around 1:30 a.m. last Aug. 13, Ocean City police responded to the parking lot of a mid-town nightclub and restaurant for a reported assault that had already occurred. The officers arrived on scene and found bar security staff attempting to pin down a female suspect later identified as Rosa Gutierrez-Rivas, 26, of Odenton, down in the parking lot while a large crowd gathered to watch.
Based on her yelling of profanities and the crowd that had gathered, OCPD officer attempted to place Gutierrez-Rivas under arrest for disorderly conduct. She continued to attempt to get away from officers, but she was ultimately brought into compliance and handcuffed.
OCPD officers interviewed the bar security staff, who told police they were attempting to escort Gutierrez-Rivas’ boyfriend from the premises because he had tried to start fights when Gutierrez-Rivas allegedly began an attack of her own. According to police reports, she struck one doorman in the face with a closed fist, breaking his glasses and causing a one-inch gash over his eye.
Another doorman attempted to restrain Gutierrez-Rivas, but she allegedly bit down on his wrist below the palm where veins and tendons are located. The doorman told police Gutierrez-Rivas continued to bite down on his wrist for as long as 45 seconds and did not release despite attempts to pull her away.
The officer inspected the doorman’s wrist and observed cuts with bruising and bite marks that were around two inches long and an inch wide. According to police reports, the skin was removed around the area of the bite. Based on the evidence and testimony, Gutierrez-Rivas was charged with first- and second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and malicious destruction of property. On Tuesday, she pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 120 days, all but 10 of which were suspended. She was also placed on probation for 18 months.