Fight Causes Accident
OCEAN CITY — Two local people were charged with affray last weekend after an alleged fight on a downtown street caused a motor vehicle accident.
Around 3:30 p.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a reported two-vehicle accident on Philadelphia Avenue in the area of North Division Street. During the investigation, it was determined the drivers involved in the vehicle crash were distracted by an intoxicated male and female actively fighting, punching each other and wrestling on the public sidewalk along Philadelphia Avenue
Occupants in the involved vehicles told police they were distracted by the melee, which contributed to the crash. OCPD officers observed the alleged combatants, identified as Donald Parrish, Jr., 47, of no fixed address, and Rebecca Cakar, 46, of Ocean City, were still in the area and continued to fight and wrestle on the ground in the general vicinity of the accident.
OCPD officers reported several other vehicles passing through the area slow down to watch the altercation. Parrish and Cakar were ordered to stop fighting and they complied briefly before resuming their fight, according to police reports. Another OCPD officer obtained surveillance video from the area which showed Cakar and Parrish fighting on the sidewalk before, during and after the two-vehicle crash. Based on the evidence, Parrish and Cakar were arrested and charged with affray and disturbing the peace.
For Parrish, it was his second arrest in two days. Last Friday, Parrish was riding a municipal bus and refused to get off at the north-end terminal at 144th Street. When an OCPD officer arrived, Parrish got off the bus and told police he was going to sleep at the terminal. At that point, he was arrested for trespassing. During a search incident to the arrest, officers found him in possession of several pills and a box cutter.
x
Pedestrian Nearly Struck
OCEAN CITY — A Parkville, Md. man was arrested on intoxicated endangerment and multiple pedestrian-related charges last weekend after allegedly stumbling back and forth across Coastal Highway in the north end of town.
Around 1:50 a.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer on patrol in the area of 120th Street observed a man, later identified as Erin Patrick Sullivan, 49, of Parkville, stumbling down the sidewalk while yelling and shouting something indiscernible to himself or maybe the sky, according to police reports. The officer observed as Sullivan crossed Coastal Highway once while not in a crosswalk and against a red pedestrian signal.
Sullivan then reportedly crossed Coastal Highway again, not in a crosswalk, and was nearly struck by an SUV that missed him by less than a foot. According to police reports, Sullivan continued to cross the highway completely oblivious to the fact he was nearly struck by the SUV. When he reached the other side, he allegedly raised his hands above his head and back shouting again to no one in particular.
At that point, the OCPD officer arrested Sullivan for intoxicated endangerment and numerous pedestrian violations. While still on scene, Sullivan launched into an expletive-laced tirade against the arresting officer, according to police reports.
x
Suspended Sentence For Assault
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man, arrested in August on multiple charges after allegedly bursting through the door of a unit at a downtown hotel and attacking several victims including juveniles, pleaded guilty this week and was sentenced to 90 days, all of which was suspended.
Around 10:50 p.m. last Aug. 22, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer on bike patrol in the downtown area was dispatched to a hotel at 7th Street for a reported burglary in progress. When the officer arrived on the scene, he was rushed in the back door of the unit in question by some of the occupants and observed two women trying to restrain a suspect later identified as Erick Manzo-Baca, 24, of Bridgeport, Pa., on the floor near the front door.
The officer asked the women to stand aside and was able to take Manzo-Baca into custody after a brief struggle during which the suspect resisted. The officer removed Manzo-Baca from the unit and attempted to identify him.
When the officer asked Manzo-Baca where he was from, he responded “Mexico” according to police reports. When the officer asked the suspect for his first name, he again responded “Mexico.” When the officer asked the suspect for his last name, he again screamed Mexico and when the officer asked for the suspect’s date of birth he also screamed Mexico, according to police reports.
OCPD officer interviewed one of the female victims who told police she was staying in the hotel with her family when she heard someone pounding on the front door. When the victim opened the front door, Manzo-Baca pushed her back, forcing his way into the unit, and began assaulting her and her family members.
The victim told police Manzo-Baca had punched her several times in the chest and torso. He also punched another female victim multiple times. Manzo-Baca also allegedly punched a male juvenile and a female juvenile, and scratched the female juvenile when he attempted to pick her up and throw her to the floor.
Manzo-Baca was taken into custody and was charged with multiple counts of assault, burglary and trespassing. On Monday, Manzo-Baca pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault and trespassing and was sentenced to 90 days, all of which was suspended. He was also placed on probation for one year.
x
Guilty Plea In Thefts
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean View man, arrested in October on multiple counts after being found in possession of numerous items stolen from vehicles during a routine traffic stop, pleaded guilty this week to theft.
Around 12:40 a.m. last Oct. 9, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers pulled over a vehicle in the area of 33rd Street for not having its headlights activated. The officer made contact with the driver, identified as Zane Richard, 18, of Ocean View, Del., who told police he had been visiting his uncle.
While interviewing Richard, the OCPD officer noticed several items in the rear seat of his vehicle including a women’s purse and two watches in plastic baggies. When questioned about the purse, Richard admitted they were stolen and at that point the suspect was detained. Richard agreed to speak with the officer and admitted entering a Cadillac in the area of 33rd Street and taking the purse, a Louis Vuitton valued at $1,800.
Richard also admitted entering other vehicles in the same area, but said he had not stolen any items from those vehicles. OCPD officers responded to the area and found at least three other vehicles had been tampered with. Based on the evidence, Richard was arrested and charged with multiple counts of rogue and vagabond. On Monday, Richard pleaded guilty to one count of theft from $1,500 to under $25,000. Sentencing was deferred until June.
x
Debit Card Fraud Suspect Pleads Guilty
OCEAN CITY — A Baltimore man, arrested on theft and credit card fraud charges in August after allegedly utilizing a Pennsylvania woman’s debit card to run up hundreds of dollars in fraudulent charges in Ocean City, pleaded guilty last week to theft.
Last Aug. 23, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer spoke with a Pennsylvania woman who reported her debit card had been compromised and was being used in numerous places in the Ocean City area. The victim told police she physically had the debit card in her possession in Pennsylvania and that she had not been in Ocean City for several years.
The biggest fraudulent charge on her account was a hotel room in Ocean City for over $770. Also on her account were fraudulent charges from a retail store and a convenience store in Ocean City. While the officer was taking the victim’s report, other OCPD officers responded to a call for service at the same hotel at which the victim’s debit card information had been used. The call for service was regarding the occupants of one room being evicted for smoking marijuana and also for renting the room with an unauthorized debit card.
OCPD officers responded to the hotel and learned the hotel’s asset protection department had determined the room had been rented with an unauthorized debit card that ultimately matched the victim’s card information. A short time later, OCPD officers located one of the three occupants of the room rented with the victim’s debit card information identified as Honore Mbaye, 19, of Baltimore.
Mbaye was arrested and transported to the Public Safety Building for processing. During an interview, Mbaye told police he had rented the room with two other men for one night, but made another charge using the victim’s debit card information for a second night. Based on the evidence and the suspect’s own testimony, Mbaye was charged with theft, defrauding the hotel and using the victim’s debit card without her consent. Last week, Mbaye pleaded guilty to one count of theft under $1,000.