License Plate Reader Picks Up Stolen Car
OCEAN CITY — A local woman and a Florida man were arrested on auto theft and other charges last weekend after an automated license plate reader (LPR) picked up the allegedly stolen vehicle’s tags coming across the Route 90 bridge.
Around 10:15 p.m. last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer on patrol received a notification from the LPR system that a potentially stolen vehicle was entering the resort from eastbound Route 90. The officer responded to the area and located a vehicle with Florida tags matching the information provided by the LPR at the red light at the foot of the Route 90 bridge.
The officer observed the vehicle head straight through the light and into the parking lot of a restaurant at 62nd Street. The officer called for backup and a high-risk stop of the vehicle was conducted in the parking lot. The driver, later identified as Latoria Vann, 37, of Berlin, got out of the driver’s side, while the passenger, identified as Dallas Davis, 42, of Sarasota, Fla., got out of the passenger’s side.
Vann and Davis were detained while OCPD officers checked the vehicle identification number, which confirmed the vehicle was reported stolen in Delaware. Davis told police the vehicle was registered to his ex-girlfriend who lived in Laurel, Del. and that she had let him use it. Davis said he had an argument with his ex-girlfriend and the couple broke up. Davis also told OCPD officers the ex-girlfriend never asked for the vehicle back and that he was only asked to continue to pay insurance on it.
OCPD officers contacted the Delaware State Police who confirmed the victim had reported the vehicle stolen about a week earlier. When the victim learned Davis did not have a valid driver’s license, she asked for the vehicle back. When Davis didn’t return the vehicle, the victim reported it stolen. At that point, Davis was arrested and charged with motor vehicle theft and other counts.
Meanwhile, Vann told OCPD officers she had been seeing Davis off and on for about a month-and-a-half. Vann told police Davis came over to her residence in Berlin to take her out to dinner and that she asked to drive the vehicle because “she liked the rims on it.” A background check revealed Vann’s driver’s license was suspended. She was also arrested and charged with auto theft and other counts.
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Bride Arrested For Hit-And-Run
OCEAN CITY — A Boonsboro, Md. woman was arrested on drunk-driving and making a false statement charges last week after allegedly hitting another vehicle from behind and the walking away from the scene.
Around 9:45 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD0 officer on patrol in the area of 130th Street responded to a reported rear-end collision on Coastal Highway. The investigation revealed a vehicle driven by Michelle Wiles, 41, of Boonsboro, Md., failed to control speed and collided with another vehicle stopped at a red traffic signal at 127th Street.
The victim told police the collision took place at 127th Street, and when Wiles did not stop immediately, he followed her to 130th Street and Assawoman Drive. The victim told police at that point Wiles got out of her driver’s seat, apologized and offered to pay for the damage done to his vehicle.
When the victim told Wiles he was going to call the police, she left the scene on foot, according to police reports. Wiles was ultimately located in the area of 129th Street and Wight Street. When officers spoke with Wiles, she denied driving a vehicle and denied being in a collision. Wiles told police she had gotten married earlier that day and was simply trying to get home, according to police reports.
The victim was brought over and positively identified Wiles as the driver of the vehicle that had rear-ended him. During the officer’s interaction with Wiles, he noticed an odor of alcoholic beverage and she showed signs of intoxication. Wiles was administered a battery of field sobriety tests which she did not complete to the officer’s satisfaction. She was arrested and charged with leaving the scene, driving while impaired and making a false statement to an officer.
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Married Couple Arrested
OCEAN CITY — An Olney, Md. couple was arrested last week on different charges including indecent exposure for the husband and disorderly conduct for the wife, among others.
Around 12:30 a.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) bicycle officer was patrolling on the Boardwalk in the area of Talbot Street when he observed security staff at a bar removing an individual later identified as David Spear, 50, of Olney, from the premises. While the officer observed, Spear allegedly stepped onto the Boardwalk, turned toward the bar and raised the middle finger of both of his hands in the direction of the security staff.
Spear also launched into a tirade of expletives directed at the bar security staff. OCPD officers approached Spear and told him he needed to stop yelling and that he could be arrested if he didn’t cease his actions. According to police reports, Spear sat down on a Boardwalk bench at that point and continued to yell expletives at passersby that had nothing to do with the bar incident.
OCPD officers told Spear he needed to leave the area and just go home for the night. OCPD officers observed as Spear left the Boardwalk and walked down Talbot Street with his wife, later identified as Jacqueline Spear, 54, also of Olney. OCPD officers watched as David Spear urinated on the public sidewalk on Talbot Street. Spear then turned toward the OCPD officers and continued to urinate, exposing himself to police and others in the area. At that point, David Spear was arrested for indecent exposure.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline Spear became outraged at the sight of her husband being arrested, according to police reports. OCPD officers warned Jacqueline Spear to stand back, but she repeatedly ignored the orders and continued to approach the rear of the transport vehicle. OCPD officers escorted Jacqueline Spear to the opposite sidewalk to explain what was going on with her husband, but she could not be calmed down and continued to shout expletives and slurs at the officers. At that point, she was taken into custody.
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Boardwalk Assault Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A local man was arrested on assault and other charges last week after allegedly falling asleep in his wheelchair in the middle of the Boardwalk and then resisting arrest and slapping at officers attempting to detain him.
Last Sunday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers encountered an individual they had known through numerous prior interactions identified as Raymond Smith, 63, of Ocean City, asleep in his wheelchair in the middle of the Boardwalk. Officers noticed Smith had an open can of beer tucked between his arm and side.
OCPD officers awakened Smith and told him he was under arrest for having an open container. As officers attempted to place handcuffs on Smith, he reportedly resisted and launched a series of expletives at the police, drawing the attention of several onlookers passing by, according to police reports.
When OCPD officers attempted to move Smith and his wheelchair off the Boardwalk, he continued to move around. For example, he would put his legs down to prevent the chair from rolling forward. At one point, Smith purposely fell out of his wheelchair and laid on the ground. As officers approached Smith, he swatted at them in a sideways motion.
OCPD officers were eventually able to regain control of Smith and reapplied handcuffs. The officers got Smith back in his chair and he requested and ambulance. When asked why he needed an ambulance, Smith launched a series of expletives at the officers and slurs at the officers, according to police reports. Smith told police his knee was hurting and Ocean City EMS was requested.
When Ocean City EMS arrived, Smith continued his tirade in their direction. Smith was ultimately subdued. A search of his record revealed he had been arrested 11 times for liquor law and disorderly conduct violations in recent months.
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Skateboarding Leads To Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A Delaware man was arrested for resisting arrest and other charges last weekend after running from Ocean City police who had stopped him for skateboarding on the Boardwalk.
Around 8:15 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer on patrol on the Boardwalk observed a suspect, later identified as Shawn Shannon, 24, of Smyrna, Del., skateboarding at a high rate of speed down the Boardwalk and weaving in and out of pedestrians on a busy Sunfest weekend Friday night in violation of a municipal ordinance. The officer caught up to Shannon at South Division Street and warned him it was illegal to skateboard on the Boardwalk during that hour of the day.
At that point, the officer was only going to give Shannon a cease and desist order and identify him for a skateboarding violation. As the officer was speaking with Shannon, the suspect ran east on South Division Street and flipped the officer his middle finger and continued to run south on the Boardwalk, according to police reports.
At that point, the officer broadcasted a description of Shannon to other OCPD officers and retrieved his police bike to attempt to locate the suspect. The officer noted in his report although he only intended to give Shannon a citation at that point, the suspect’s action led him to believe he could possibly be a wanted individual.
About five minutes later, the officer observed Shannon walking north on the Boardwalk with his mother. As the officer was speaking with Shannon’s mother, another OCPD officer attempted to handcuff Shannon. According to police reports, Shannon resisted arrest and did not allow officers to handcuff him. Shannon was eventually handcuffed after nearly a minute, during which time a large crowd had begun to gather, many of whom were recording the incident with their cell phones.
According to police reports, Shannon yelled at the officers he would have listened to them earlier if “you didn’t come at me with that Trump 101 [expletive deleted].”
Shannon was ultimately arrested and charged with resisting arrest and failure to obey a police officer. He was also issued a municipal citation for skateboarding on the Boardwalk.