Traffic Stop Finds Drugs
OCEAN CITY — A Dover woman was arrested on various drug charges last week after a routine traffic stop in Ocean City.
Around 11 p.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer on routine patrol near 15th Street observed a vehicle in the left turn lane at Philadelphia Avenue and 17th Street with its high beams on. The OCPD officer was heading north on Philadelphia Avenue and noted the bright high beam lights were producing a blinding glare. The officer also noted the vehicle did not make a left turn on a green signal despite no other northbound traffic in the area.
The officer observed the vehicle make a left turn onto 17th Street using a turn signal and another left turn onto Baltimore Avenue without using a turn signal. The officer activated his lights and pulled the vehicle over at 18th Street. When the officer approached the driver, identified as Jheri Troise, 31, of Dover, he detected an odor of burnt marijuana coming from the passenger compartment.
When asked about the marijuana, Troise told police it was an old odor, according to police reports. At that point, the officer asked Troise to exit the vehicle to allow for a search. The officer observed Troise grab her purse and take it with her as she sat on the curb. When OCPD officers told Troise they wanted to search her purse, she consented but said she wanted her wallet out of it.
A search of the wallet revealed a zippered pouch containing a tan, powdery substance. The search also revealed a blue pill the officer recognized as ecstasy. The officer also located three pink pills identified as oxycodone. In addition, a baggie of marijuana was found in the purse along with a hand-rolled marijuana cigarette. Troise was arrested at that point on various drug possession charges.
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Shaky Break-In Memory
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was charged with burglary and malicious destruction of property last week after Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) detectives were able to connect him to an alleged break-in at a downtown hotel last month.
Around 2:20 p.m. on Dec. 19, 2017, an OCPD officer was dispatched to the Madison Beach Hotel for a reported burglary that had already occurred. The officer met with the building manager, who told police a maintenance man had been working on the property and discovered a door to a unit along with the door to a storage closet had been kicked in. The building manager the maintenance man to secure the doors while he observed security surveillance.
The OCPD officer watched the surveillance footage and observed an unidentified man in a baseball cap and wearing a bookbag approach the storage closet door, place his hands between the door frame to stabilize himself and then stomp on the door forcefully. When that effort failed to open the door, the suspect turned around and utilized a back kick until the door jamb broke and the door opened.
The suspect entered the storage closet for about a minute and then exited. The suspect then went over to unit 141 and utilized the same back kick technique to break the door lock on the unit. Again, the suspect entered the unit and exited a short time later. The OCPD officer observed both door jambs to be splintered with freshly broken wood strewn on the ground in the area.
The OCPD officer also noticed a shoe print on the doors and photographed it. Ocean City Police put out a description of the suspect and officers attempted to locate him on surveillance cameras in the area. Through the investigation, the officer was able to identify the suspect as Donald Parrish, 47, of Ocean City.
The officer applied for charges of fourth-degree burglary and malicious destruction of property against Parrish.
He was served with the warrant last week and was taken into custody and charged before being released on recognizance. When interviewed about the incident, Parrish reportedly told police, “I drink a lot and if I did do it, I wouldn’t remember,” according to police reports. The officer then asked Parrish to see the bottom of his shoes, which matched the same size and distinctive sole pattern found on the broken doors. The officer also noted Parrish was wearing the same clothes in which he was observed in the motel surveillance video at the time of the incident. When questioned further, Parrish was reportedly indifferent and told police he may have broken into the units, but did not remember.
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Fine, Probation After Crash
SNOW HILL — A Selbyville man, charged in September with driving while impaired after crashing into a guardrail on Route 113 in Berlin last week, pleaded guilty this week and was fined and placed on probation.
Around 6:45 p.m. last Sept. 28, 2017, Maryland State Police troopers responded to a reported motor vehicle collision on Route 113 near Carey Road. The preliminary investigation revealed a 2000 Chrysler traveling northbound on Route 113 left the roadway, collided with a guardrail and then came to rest in the wood line at the side of the highway.
A witness was driving north on Route 113 when she saw the vehicle approaching from behind at a high rate of speed. The witness said the Chrysler then hit the guardrail and careened across lanes of traffic before coming to rest in the woods. The witness said she stopped to assist and found the stunned driver, later identified as Anthony Roadarmel, 25, of Selbyville, slumped forward with a cigarette still in his mouth.
The witness said Roadarmel appeared to be in shock with a cut on the left side of his head. The witness also observed a band around his forearm and a syringe nearby, indicating he was likely shooting drugs just prior to the collision. Maryland State Police troopers contacted Roadarmel who appeared to be impaired by opiates and was being treated on the scene by EMS.
Roadarmel was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center. MSP troopers responded to PRMC and continued their investigation, during which it was determined he was under the influence of opiates. This week, Roadarmel pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle while so far impaired by drugs that he could not drive safely and was fined $457 and placed on probation for one year.
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Man Gets Probation For Smacking Police Horse
OCEAN CITY — A Hurlock, Md. Man, arrested in September for slapping an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) horse involved in breaking up a large crowd that had gathered in a fast-food restaurant parking lot, was found guilty this week and placed on probation.
Around 10:20 p.m. last Sept. 30, 2017, an OCPD officer was on mounted patrol in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant at 32nd Street assisting other units in breaking up a crowd of around 200 individuals that had gathered to watch the H2Oi event. The OCPD units responded at the request of the restaurant management. As the mounted officer approached the scene, he observed Dajon Pittman, 20, of Hurlock, raise his hand and slap down hard on upper right rear leg of his police horse “Tucker.”
The officer noted in the report he heard a loud smack as Pittman smacked Tucker with his open hand. The officer reported it was clear Pittman was trying to disrupt the OCPD’s efforts to break up the large crowd and to distract the police horse. Pittman was arrested and charged with interfering with a police animal.