Woman Charged With Assault On Three Boys In Play Area

OCEAN CITY — A Keedysville, Md. woman has been formally charged after allegedly assaulting three young boys playing cornhole in a restaurant play area earlier this month.

Brooke Ann Spiker, 23, was charged with three counts of assault on three young boys, including two 9-year-old twins and a 6-year-old, on Thursday, July 5. After police interviewed the alleged victims’ mothers and reviewed surveillance video from the restaurant, a warrant was issued last Saturday for Spiker, who has been charged with three counts of second-degree assault stemming from the incident.

Around 7:55 p.m. on July 5, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to the restaurant at 82nd Street for a reported assault that had occurred. OCPD Communications alerted the responding officers a member of the victims’ family was attempting to follow the suspect, later identified as Spiker, through an adjacent neighborhood.

Upon arrival, OCPD officers met with the victims’ mother, who said her sons were back at the restaurant with friends and that she and her husband were following the suspects so they did not get away. The victims’ mother told police a witness came up to her in the restaurant and told her a woman, later identified as Spiker, was inappropriately touching her children and assaulting them at the cornhole game in the play area.

The mother approached Spiker and confronted her about the allegations, at which point Spiker allegedly cursed at her and her 9-year-old son before leaving the restaurant. The mother told OCPD officers she followed Spiker out of the restaurant and was met by a man in a cut-off shirt, later identified as Kevin Linehan, who told the victim he was an undercover police officer and would handle the situation from there. It later turned out Linehan was Spiker’s husband.

According to police reports, Linehan then allegedly told Spiker to run and hide, which confused the victims’ mother because she believed he was an undercover officer. The victim told police she kept sight of Spiker as she ran and attempted to hide behind bushes and fences as she fled.

OCPD officers arrived on the scene and met with the victim and then returned to the restaurant and met with the three young victims, 9-year-old twin boys and a 6-year-old boy.

One of the twins reportedly told police he and the other two boys were playing cornhole when they were approached by Spiker. The victim told police the “bad drunk lady” came up to them and told them to play with her right now. The nine-year-old boy reportedly told police Spiker was swearing and cursing at him and saying the “F-word” while grabbing him. The 9-year-old boy told police Spiker would not let go of him and gave him a death stare until he agreed to join her team, according to police reports.

The 9-year-old victim told police Spiker was wobbly and tackled him at one point, causing him to strike his head on a table. The victim told police Spiker then allegedly kicked sand in his face. OCPD officers then talked to the 6-year-old boy, who reportedly told police Spiker picked him up and kissed him on the forehead and would not let go of him after he successfully threw a beanbag through the cornhole game, which is about the time the victims’ mother arrived on the scene.

OCPD officers spoke with Linehan, who told them he was a police officer. When asked why if he was a police officer he told Spiker to run and hide, Linehan reportedly told the OCPD officers, “Okay, now you’re trying to twist things. I see what you’re doing. Apparently, it is illegal to play cornhole with little kids.”

When OCPD officers spoke with Spiker, each time they asked her a question she would reportedly look at Linehan, who would nod his head up and down for no or side to side for yes in order to direct her answers to their questions. Eventually, Spiker refused to speak with OCPD officers after Linehan told her to stop talking, according to police reports.

After interviewing the alleged victims and the alleged suspects and filling out the appropriate reports, the OCPD officers left the scene. OCPD detectives returned the next day to view the restaurant’s video surveillance footage of the incident. According to police reports, the video allegedly showed Spiker pushing a small child into a fence, picking up the 6-year-old child and not letting him go as he struggled to free himself, and cornering another 9-year-old boy and pushing him to the ground near the cornhole game in the restaurant’s play area.

Based on all the evidence and testimony, Spiker was ultimately charged with three counts of second-degree assault and a warrant was sworn for her arrest. Last Saturday, OCPD officers served the warrant on Spiker and she was taken into custody. She was later released on recognizance following a bail review last Saturday. A tentative trial date has been set for Aug. 21.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.