Driver Switch In Hit-And-Run
OCEAN CITY — A New Jersey man was arrested and charged with hit-and-run and other traffic violations after allegedly rear-ending a vehicle on Coastal Highway and then fleeing the scene and switching drivers.
Around 6:30 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a reported hit-and-run collision on Coastal Highway at 86th Street. The victim and witnesses reported a Dodge pick-up truck with New Jersey tags struck the rear of the victim’s vehicle causing moderate damage. The victim told police he made contact with the driver of the truck, later identified as Lenworth Palmer, 36, of Dover, N.J., and made an agreement to pull off to the side of the busy highway and exchange information.
When the victim pulled to the side of Coastal Highway, Palmer allegedly fled south without leaving any personal, vehicle or insurance information. The victim had taken a picture of Palmer’s New Jersey license plate and police quickly determined the vehicle belonged to him. A description was broadcasted and other OCPD officers observed Palmer’s truck heading south on Philadelphia Avenue.
According to police reports, the truck followed too closely to the vehicle in front of it, changed lanes unsafely and nearly hit a median. Palmer’s truck was stopped at 8th Street. The victim and witnesses identified Palmer as the driver involved in the hit-and-run incident, but Palmer was no longer behind the wheel. A passenger had taken Palmer’s place behind the wheel, but the victim and witnesses told police Palmer was driving at the time of the collision.
The officers also noticed damage on the front end of the truck consistent with the damage on the victim’s vehicle. The passenger turned driver told police it was Palmer behind the wheel during the collision and that they had stopped and switched positions. Palmer showed signs of intoxication and did not pass field sobriety tests to the officers’ satisfaction. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and other counts. A breath test administered at the Public Safety Building revealed an alcohol concentration of .19.
Three For Three Good In Baseball, Not Arrests
OCEAN CITY — A Pittsburgh man was arrested twice in two days after allegedly swiping a beach cruiser bicycle last weekend and promising Ocean City police he would try for a third.
Around 3 p.m. last Sunday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling southbound on Coastal Highway near the convention center when he observed an individual later identified as Cody Fehl, 25, of Pittsburgh, operating a green beach cruiser-style bicycle on the sidewalk in violation of a town ordinance. The officer observed as Fehl allegedly reached the red light at Convention Center Drive, dismounted the bicycle and threw it down on the ground.
When questioned, Fehl reportedly told police he found the bike and it did not belong to him. He told police he had taken it from a nearby bar without the owner’s position, rode the bike all the way down to 3rd Street and then back up to the bar before heading south again to Convention Center Drive where police first encountered him.
The officers observed the bicycle had a cable chain around the frame but the locking mechanism had been broken. At that point, the allegedly intoxicated Fehl was arrested for theft and intoxicated endangerment of the motoring public while operating the bicycle. According to police reports, Fehl shouted to the OCPD officers, “I’m two for two. Locked up twice in two nights,” pointing out he had been arrested near the same bar the night before for disorderly conduct.
According to police reports, Fehl reiterated the story about taking the bicycle, riding it down to 3rd Street and then back up to the 49th Street area before meeting with police near the convention center. He said he was not concerned about his two arrests in two days and the pending court cases, saying “It doesn’t matter what the judge says, I’m going to get out of here and go home, lie in my bed and go to sleep and you can send me 13 papers and I won’t come back for nothing,” according to police reports.
Fehl allegedly told police he was going to try for a third arrest later that evening.
“I’m going to leave here, go to your parking lot, take a [expletive deleted], get locked up again and go three-for-three,” Fehl told police, according to reports. He then asked the OCPD officer if he was working later that same night and the officer replied that he was.
“Good, I’ll give you a reason to lock me up again,” Fehl told the officer, according to police reports. No word on whether Fehl made good on his promise or not.
No Birthday Discount
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania woman was arrested on malicious destruction of property charges because a friend did not get a discount at a resort nightclub on her birthday.
Just after midnight last Friday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a hotel at 48th Street for a reported malicious destruction of property. The officers met with a victim who told police he had left nearby Seacrets with two friends including Maria Santiago, 28, of Allentown, Pa. The victim said Santiago had become upset and screamed at him for no apparent reason before picking up a metal bucket and slammed it repeatedly against his Cadillac.
The victim said he left the scene and went back to his hotel where he called 911. When the officer went back over to the nightclub parking lot, other OCPD officers were already on the scene and were detaining Santiago, who showed signs of intoxication including an inability to keep her balance, slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. Officers spoke with the victim’s other friend, who told police Santiago was upset because the nightclub didn’t give her a discount on her birthday.
OCPD officers inspected the victim’s Cadillac and found it had damage consistent with his story including damage on the front driver’s side door, the front passenger door and a scratch above the driver’s side rear wheel. Officers also located the metal bucket on the ground next to the victim’s vehicle.
At that point, Santiago was arrested and charged with malicious destruction of property. During the arrest, she continued to yell and scream, attracting the attention of numerous people on the sidewalk, and additional disorderly conduct charges were added.
Indecent Exposure Charge
OCEAN CITY — A Maryland man was arrested on indecent exposure charges last weekend after allegedly exposing himself in the hallway of an uptown hotel.
Around 3:07 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to 112th Street for a reported sex crime. OCPD officer met with hotel staffers who told police there was a man pleasuring himself with his penis exposed in the hallway on the second floor. The hotel staffers had observed the suspect on the hotel’s live security surveillance feeds. The suspect was lying on a bench hallway with his genitalia exposed.
OCPD officers and hotel staffers took the elevator to the second floor and observed the suspect, identified as William Griffin, 32, of North Potomac, Md. still lying on the bench pleasuring himself with his genitalia exposed. Griffin was arrested and charged with indecent exposure.