Cops And Courts – October 26, 2018

Cops And Courts – October 26, 2018

Room Break-In Leads To Burglary Charges

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City woman last weekend was charged with first-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into rooms in a residence she shared with others and stealing cash.

Around 12:30 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a residence at 7th Street for a reported burglary. The officer met with two victims, one reported over $500 in cash had been stolen from a bookbag and another reported her wallet containing an unknown amount of cash, credit cards and identification had been stolen.

Both victims told police they suspected a former roommate, identified as Tatiana Foreman, 32, of Ocean City, according to police reports. The male victim told police he subleased a bedroom and access to some common areas in the residence to Foreman for a week, but when Foreman did not respect the rules of the house, she was asked to leave. Foreman agreed to leave and turned a key into the male resident, but the male victim never checked to ensure it was actually a key to the residence, which would later turn out to be a key piece of evidence in the case.

Foreman moved most of her belongings out of the residence last Friday, but the male victim never told the female victim that Foreman had moved out and turned in her key. Around 9;15 p.m. last Friday night, the female victim was in her room and heard Foreman enter the residence. The female victim then left the residence and returned with a male victim hours later.

The victims provided police with a basic outline of the living conditions. Both the male and female victims had their own bedrooms and shared one bathroom. Foreman had her own bedroom and bathroom in the area she subleased from the other residents and none of the residents ever entered each other’s space.

While the OCPD officer interviewed the victims outside the residence, they told police Foreman was still in her area of the house. The officer knocked on the door to Foreman’s room and she agreed to talk with police. According to police reports, Foreman denied stealing any items and consented to a search of her former bedroom. A search of Foreman’s bedroom turned up nothing of evidentiary value, but a search of her bathroom revealed a black plastic bag under the sink containing the female victim’s wallet and an amount of cash consistent with the amount reported stolen by the male victim. One of the $100 bills even had a smiley face drawn on it, as was first reported by the male victim.

As a result, Foreman was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and other counts.

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Disorderly Arrest After Downtown Disturbance

OCEAN CITY — A Cambridge man was arrested on disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace charges last weekend after allegedly causing a disturbance outside a downtown bar.

Around 1:20 a.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was patrolling in the area of Wicomico Street when he heard a loud, verbal argument outside a bar on the corner. The officer approached the area and observed a suspect later identified as Tyrell Cornish, 35, of Cambridge, screaming expletives at another man on the street. According to police reports, when the other man, who was not being aggressive, attempted to walk past Cornish, he would step in front of him and block his path.

As the officer approached, the other man went back inside the bar and Cornish turned his attention on the police officer. According to police reports, Cornish screamed at the police officer with his face just six inches from the OCPD officer’s face, which caused a crowd to gather. The officer told Cornish to stop yelling at him and asked him to walk away from the area with him so he could diffuse the situation.

However, Cornish continued to yell at the officer and would not comply with the officer’s orders, according to police reports. At that point, the officer put his hand on Cornish’s side and attempted to escort him away from the area in an attempt to diffuse the situation, but Cornish told the officer to get off him and that he wasn’t allowed to touch him and then grabbed the officer’s wrist and squeezed tightly, according to police reports.

At that point, Cornish was detained. One of Cornish’s friends came out of the bar and told Cornish to just relax and do what the officer instructed, but he could not be dissuaded. Cornish was ultimately handcuffed, but he twisted and turned his body to resist. He was ultimately charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest.

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Sleeping Off Party Leads To Drug Charges

OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury man was arrested on drug possession charges last weekend after police found him sleeping off a party from the night before in an illegal parking space.

Around 8:45 a.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a residence on Jamestown Road for a reported suspicious vehicle. The caller told police a vehicle was illegally parked in one of the residence’s two designated parking spaces. OCPD officers made contact with the suspect, later identified as Jacory Combs, 26, of Salisbury, who was asleep in the vehicle.

According to police reports, Combs told police he had been at a party the night before and pulled into the parking space to sleep. Combs told police he did not live at the residence and had no other reason for parking there. During the interaction, one OCPD officer noticed a red plastic cup on the floor behind the passenger seat containing suspected marijuana.

The search also revealed a rolled-up $100 bill in the center console with white powder on it and wrapped up inside of it. OCPD officers determined it was powder cocaine. Combs was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and possession of over 10 grams of marijuana.

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Jail For Drug Possession

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man arrested in September on assault and drug possession charges pleaded guilty this week to the latter and was sentenced to 32 days in jail.

Around 1 p.m. on Sept. 8, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a reported domestic assault in progress in the area of 32nd Street. When officers arrived on the scene, the assault was no longer active. OCPD officers first met with the alleged suspect, identified as Paul Kelly, 31, of Ocean City, who acknowledged a short argument took place over the victim’s cell phone, but at no point did the argument become physical.

However, the alleged victim told police a different version of the events. The victim told police she did not want Kelly to handle her cell phone because he had broken phones in the past out of anger. The victim told police Kelly attempted to take the phone by force, but was unsuccessful.

According to police reports, the victim told police Kelly then stood behind her and put her in a “choke hold,” which restricted her breathing. An inspection of the victim revealed a two-inch abrasion on her neck consistent with a choking incident, according to police reports. At that point, Kelly was advised he was under arrest for the alleged assault.

During a search incident to the arrest, OCPD officers located on Kelly’s person a packet of Alprazolam, or generic Xanax. The packet contained a total of seven complete tablets and two partial tablets. Last week, Kelly pleaded guilty to possession of CDS and was sentenced to 32 days in jail. As a result of the plea, the assault charges against him were placed on the stet, or inactive, docket.