Cops And Courts – June 2, 2017

Cops And Courts – June 2, 2017
Social Issues Government

Worker Injured In Ladder Fall

OCEAN CITY — An unidentified worker who fell a significant height from a ladder at a north-end Ocean City hotel last week remained in critical, but stable condition this week, although it is believed his condition is improving.

Around 4:40 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Communications received a call regarding a male that had fallen from a significant height at the Econo Lodge in north Ocean City. Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers and EMS arrived and determined a 17-year-old male, who was working as a contractor at the motel, had fallen roughly eight to 12 feet from a ladder.

The victim was unconscious and a private citizen was performing CPR when first-responders arrived. Ocean City Fire Department personnel immediately took over life-saving measures and quickly transported the victim to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.

Business Owner Charged For Smuggling Smokes

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City business owner was fined last week after a complaint from a local resident led to the discovery of a cigarette smuggling scheme.

Following a complaint from a resident last week, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) uncovered a cigarette smuggling scheme that resulted in a criminal citation for a resort business owner for violating Maryland tax regulations. Rustam Pachev, 30, of Berlin, was fined by the Maryland Comptroller’s Office for intentionally selling out-of-state cigarettes from Delaware in his Ocean City business, the Smoky Shop on Baltimore Avenue.

Pachev also faces numerous criminal charges in Worcester County including possessing and selling unstamped cigarettes, failure to display a license, doing business without a trader’s license and selling cigarettes without a license. According to police reports, Pachev was selling the cigarettes from Delaware in order to evade duties imposed by Maryland.

The tobacco products were not affixed with the proper Maryland tax stamp and the sale of the smuggled cigarettes prevented the state from receiving any revenue from those transactions. The joint investigation, led by the OCPD, included assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Maryland Comptroller’s Office.

Out-of-Control Suspect Tased

OCEAN CITY — A Riverdale, Md. man had to be tased this week to get him to calm down after scrapping with other individuals at a downtown motel.

Around 1:35 a.m. on Monday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a motel on 8th Street for a reported noise complaint. The officer met with a motel security guard and they started walking upstairs toward a unit from which they could hear screaming and yelling from at least 50 feet away. When the officer reached the unit in question, he discovered a man holding the arms of another man, identified as Jose Argueta-Hernandez, 24, of Riverdale, while a female was attempting to keep down the suspect’s legs.

According to police reports, Argueta-Hernandez was flailing on the ground and attempting to get his arms and legs free. The officer ordered everyone in the room to get down on the floor, but nobody responded to the officer’s commands. The officer again ordered everyone to get down on the floor and drew and displayed her CEW, or Taser. All in the room then complied with the officer’s commands with the exception of Argueta-Hernandez, who allegedly yelled expletives at the officer and advanced toward her with a clenched fist, according to police reports.

As Argueta-Hernandez approached the officer as if to assault her, the officer deployed the Taser and both barbs penetrated the suspect’s skin. The Taser immobilized Argueta-Hernandez for five to seven seconds, but he began screaming and yelling again and the officer threatened to tase him again. By then, other OCPD officers arrived and pulled Argueta-Hernandez to the ground, but he continued to actively resist arrest, but he was eventually handcuffed and taken into custody.

The original officer interviewed the female victim involved in the altercation with Argueta-Hernandez who had an abrasion on her forehead and complained of having a headache. The female victim said she sustained injuries when Argueta-Hernandez threw her to the floor. The female victim told police she and the other man were attempting to control the intoxicated Argueta-Hernandez after he began screaming and breaking items in the motel room. The officer noted three lamps had been broken, a drawer had a broken handle and a mirror had been dislodged from the wall. Argueta-Hernandez was charged with assault, resisting arrest, malicious destruction of property and other charges.

Two Busted In Molly Sale

OCEAN CITY — Two southern Maryland men were arrested on drug distribution charges last weekend after allegedly selling “Molly” to undercover Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers.

Around 8:15 p.m. last Saturday, two OCPD officers were operating undercover in a drug-buying investigation when they made contact with two individuals walking along Wilmington Lane in the area of 12th Street. The undercover OCPD officer asked one suspect, later identified a Jacob Stallings, 18, of St. Leonard, Md., if he knew where he could purchase some Xannies, or slang for Xanax pills.

According to police reports, Stallings told the officer he didn’t have any Xanax pills for sale, but his friend, identified as Matthew Watson, 18, of Dunkirk, Md., has some “Molly” he would sell. Stallings called over to Watson, who began walking back toward the undercover OCPD vehicle. Watson told police he had Molly pills for sale for $15 each, but that he had to run up to his hotel room nearby to get them.

About three minutes later, Watson and Stallings returned and completed the transaction for four Molly pills for $60. The undercover officers parted ways with Stallings and Watson and uniformed officers took them into custody a short time later. Watson was charged with distribution of controlled dangerous substances (CDS), while Stallings was charged with conspiracy to distribute CDS.

Store Windows Shattered

OCEAN CITY — A Glen Burnie man faces malicious destruction of property and other charges this week after allegedly breaking large display windows at a north-end Ocean City surf shop.

Around 1 a.m. on Monday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a malicious destruction of property case that had already occurred at the Quiet Storm Surf and Turf Shop at 122nd Street. The OCPD officer met with a worker from Justine’s Ice Cream Parlor adjacent to Quiet Storm, who told police a suspect, later identified as Brandon Foster, 19, of Glen Burnie, was walking along Coastal Highway as part of a larger group had broken the window at the Quiet Storm shop.

The OCPD officer interviewed the allegedly intoxicated Foster, who told police he had no idea what the officer was talking about. However, another OCPD officer who had arrived on the scene met with the ice cream parlor employee and watched the store’s video surveillance of the incident.

The surveillance video allegedly showed Foster first attempting to kick the door of Justine’s Ice Cream Parlor before moving west to the windows of the Quiet Storm store. Foster then picked up one of the baseball-sized decorative rocks in the parking lot of the Quiet Storm shop and threw it through the large, double-paned window.

According to police reports, it appeared the rock broke through the first double-pane glass window, bounced off a wooden display and then broke the interior layer of glass. All in all, three large glass windows were broken. The store’s owner estimated the damage at over $1,000 because of the large broken windows and because the wooden display would have to be removed to replace the windows. Foster was charged with malicious destruction of property and disorderly intoxication.

Phony Guest Refused To Leave Motel

OCEAN CITY — A Capital Heights man was arrested on disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges this week after being told to leave a downtown motel where a party was being held and repeatedly coming back onto the property.

Around 12:30 a.m. on Monday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a motel on 9th Street for a reported noise complaint. The officer met with hotel security, who told police he believed the complaint was generated from a unit on the third floor, but was unable to reach the unit. The officer and the security employee went up to the third floor and could hear what sounded like a party in one of the units.

When the officer knocked on the door, a suspect later identified as Gervon Norris, 23, of Capital Heights, Md., answered and told police there were roughly 20 people inside. The officer told Norris he needed to speak with the registered occupants and anyone not staying in the room needed to leave immediately. Shortly thereafter, about 20 to 30 individuals filed out of the room. Norris elected himself as spokesperson for the group and freely told police he was not staying in the room, nor was he even staying in the hotel.

The motel security guard told Norris because he was not a guest, he would have to leave the property and Norris was issued a trespass warning. However, according to police reports, Norris continued to argue with motel security for about 20 minutes before the OCPD officer told him he had about five seconds to start walking toward the stairs or he would be arrested for trespassing.

Norris complied and with an iPhone in his hand began recording the incident while yelling obscenities at the officer and the security guard. Norris walked down the stairs and off of the property and the officer thanked him and told him to have a nice night and not to return, but when the officer went back up the stairs, Norris came back on the motel property and walked up right back up the first flight of stairs.

The OCPD officer attempted to place Norris under arrest for trespassing, but Norris resisted and struggled with the officer attempting to handcuff him.

He was eventually taken into custody, but continued yell a stream of obscenities at the officer and anyone else within earshot. According to police reports, by now many of the motel’s guests had come out on their balconies to observe the disturbance and the steady stream of obscenities including families with young children. Norris was charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Surrey Thief Spits On Business Owner

OCEAN CITY — A Silver Spring man was arrested on assault and theft charges last weekend after scrapping with a bike rental company owner over a stolen surrey-style bicycle.

Around 7:40 a.m. last Sunday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a hotel on the Boardwalk at 16th Street for a reported fight between a male individual and the owner of a bike rental company. An OCPD public safety aid was nearby impounding a vehicle in an unrelated case when a concerned citizen advised him of the fight going on.

When OCPD officers arrived, they observed the suspect, later identified as Jose Jiminez, 20, seated on the ground along a fence near the bike rental company. OCPD officers met with the bike rental company owner, who told police he was setting up for the day when he noticed out the corner of his eye one of his four-person surrey-style bicycles moving toward the Boardwalk.

The business owner told police Jimenez had removed the wooden blocks that held the surrey in place and was attempting to pedal it onto the Boardwalk. The owner told police he yelled at Jimenez to get off the surrey, but Jimenez ignored him and kept trying to get the bike onto the Boardwalk. When the business owner confronted Jimenez, he allegedly responded by spitting in the operator’s face. Jimenez, who was clearly intoxicated at 7:40 a.m. according to police reports, was arrested and charged with theft and assault.

Another High-End Bike Theft

OCEAN CITY — Two Baltimore men were arrested on theft charges last weekend after allegedly swiping a “limousine-style” rental bicycle from a Boardwalk rental company.

Around 11 a.m. last Sunday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a reported theft from a bike rental company at 2nd Street. The complainant told police one of the four-seater “limousines” had been stolen. The rental company owner described the bicycle down to blue canopy and a Sumo wrestler squeaker mounted on the front.

A description of the bicycle was broadcast, as was an advisory to review video surveillance from the City Watch cameras along the Boardwalk. A short time later, Ocean City Communications advised the City Watch cameras had picked up three individuals riding the bicycle on the Boardwalk up at 26th Street, or 24 blocks away from where it had been stolen.

The original OCPD officer responded and caught up with the three suspects, later identified as Osmin Guzman, 21, and Cesar Cardona, 18, of Baltimore, along with a juvenile, on the bike in the area of 21st Street. Each was taken under arrest and charged with theft of the bicycle, valued at around $5,000. When speaking with suspect, the juvenile reportedly told police, “I thought it was free,” and “we know we took it and we can pay for it.”