Cops And Courts – March 29, 2019

Cops And Courts – March 29, 2019

Cab Ride To Drug Market Leads To Arrest

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested on heroin possession charges last week after an undercover Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer allegedly observed him taking a cab to a known distribution location in Delaware.

Around 10:45 a.m. last Thursday, an OCPD officer working in an undercover capacity responded to a condominium on 30th Street after an incident regarding tampering with an automobile was reported. The officer conducted surveillance on the area for most of the day. Around 5:15 p.m., the officer observed Joshua Collins, 24, of Ocean City, exit one of the condo units and enter a taxi cab.

OCPD officers followed the cab as it transported Collins to the area of Polly Branch Road in Selbyville, a known open-air drug market that has been an issue for years, according to police reports. OCPD officers observed the taxi park near a mobile home. When the officers drove by in an unmarked police vehicle, they allegedly observed Collins interacting with an unidentified male.

According to police reports, Collins then got back in the cab, which returned to Ocean City. The investigating officer called for uniformed officers to assist and stop Collins, and he was detained once he got back to his residence. The original officer approached Collins and asked if he could speak with him. According to police reports, the officer asked Collins to walk with him to a less visible location and told him he was not under arrest, but that the officer merely wanted to speak with him.

The officer told Collins he had been watching Collins’ unit because of the report of tampering with an automobile from the night before. According to police reports, Collins denied any involvement with the tampering case. The officer then told Collins he had followed him to Polly Branch Road and that it was no secret what people went there for and asked Collins what he bought, to which he responded “$50 worth,” according to police reports.

A search of Collins revealed at least 13 wax envelops of suspected heroin with various known markings. Collins was ultimately arrested and charged with possession of heroin.

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Street Head Butting

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested on assault and other charges this week after allegedly head-butting a woman, resulting in a wound that required stitches, and later throwing her phone in a pool.

On Monday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer met a woman in the lobby of the Public Safety Building in reference to an alleged assault that had already occurred. The female victim told police a day earlier, she was walking in the area of 23rd Street and Philadelphia Avenue with Jeremy Giordiano, 23, of Ocean City, when an argument ensued.

According to police reports, the victim attempted to leave, but Giordiano allegedly grabbed her arms to prevent her. The victim told police the argument escalated when Giordiano allegedly head-butted her, causing a wound to open above her right eyebrow that required four stitches to close. Giordiano then left the area, according to police reports.

Later that night, the victim met Giordiano again at a midtown hotel and the argument escalated again. According to police reports, during the argument Giordiano allegedly took the victim’s cell phone from her and threw it in the hotel pool. Based on the victim’s testimony and the evidence, Giordiano was charged with second-degree assault, false imprisonment and malicious destruction of property for the alleged incidents this week.

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Domestic Dispute Leads To Broken Hotel Door

OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania woman was arrested for malicious destruction of property after allegedly destroying a door frame at a midtown hotel during a domestic incident.

Around 3:20 a.m. last Sunday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a midtown in response to a 911 call. According to police reports, a male caller reported a woman had been hitting him and throwing drinks at him and was currently banging on the hotel room door while he had locked himself in the bathroom.

When police arrived, they found Karen Miller, 65, of Pennbrook, Pa., in the hallway of the hotel with all her belongings on the floor. OCPD officers observed the door frame of the room to be broken and separated. Miller also exhibited signs of intoxication, according to police reports.

When police asked Miller what had happened, she began shouting in the hallway to the point other guests were coming out of their rooms and she was asked to lower her voice, according to police reports. Once calmed down, Miller told police she had been in an argument with the male in the room and he had locked her out.

Miller told police she began shouting for the male inside to let her back in. When asked if she had used her body to damage the door, Miller admitted that she had, according to police reports. The door was valued at over $200. She was charged with malicious destruction of property and intoxicated endangerment.

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Hotel Assault Plea

OCEAN CITY — A Delaware man, arrested in January after assaulting a female at an uptown hotel and shoving the hotel manager who attempted to intercede on her behalf, pleaded guilty last week to second-degree assault.

Around 4:15 a.m. on Jan. 14, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a hotel at 112th Street for a reported domestic assault that had already occurred. Police communications advised the responding officer a male in his late teens had assaulted a female in her late teens and the two left the area in vehicle headed southbound on Coastal Highway. The responding officer met with a front desk staffer who told police he had heard a disturbance from above and viewed surveillance video of a male and female engaged in a physical altercation on the fourth floor.

When the hotel staffer went to the fourth-floor unit, a suspect later identified as John Burch, 18, of Harrington, Del., opened the door and shoved the employee, telling him nothing was wrong, according to police reports. When the hotel staffer followed Burch, he turned around and shoved him again, according to police reports.

OCPD officer viewed the hotel’s surveillance video of the incident and observed the female victim attempt to use the elevator on the fourth floor. The video reportedly showed Burch shove the victim into the elevator door, grab her by the shirt and throw her on the ground before dragging her back toward their room. When the victim broke free and attempted to get back to the elevator, Burch allegedly grabbed her again and dragged her back to the room, striking her in the chest several times, according to police reports.

OCPD officers stopped the vehicle at 78th Street and the female victim corroborated what was observed in the hotel surveillance video. She also had injuries consistent with the alleged attack at the hotel. Burch was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree assault on the female victim and the hotel staffer. Last week, Burch pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault.

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Convenience Store Tirade Results In Guilty Plea

OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man, arrested last month after screaming profanities inside a north-end convenience store, pleaded guilty last week to disorderly conduct.

Around 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 15, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a convenience store at 94th Street for a reportedly disorderly male. A witness in the parking lot told the officer Jorge Farinhas, 40, of Northampton, Pa., had been shouting profanities.

The officer approached Farinhas as he left the store. According to police reports, Farinhas told police he had done nothing wrong and was only at the store to buy cigarettes and scratch-off lottery tickets. According to police reports, Farinhas became confrontational and shouted at the officer in the parking lot.

When a vehicle came into the store’s parking lot, Farinhas began shouting profanities at its occupants to the point they drove away. The officer spoke with the store employee, who reportedly told police Farinhas began shouting as soon as he got in the parking lot and continued his expletive-laced tirade inside the store.

According to police reports, Farinhas continued yelling to the point a female customer in line behind him ran out of the store and called police. Farinhas pleaded guilty last week to disorderly conduct.

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Guilty Plea For Weapons

OCEAN CITY — A Willards man, charged in January with weapons violations, fleeing police and other counts, pleaded guilty last week.

Around 11:15 p.m. on Jan. 19, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to the Gold Coast Mall for a reported suspicious vehicle. OCPD Communications advised the officer a woman had been parked in the mall parking lot when she was approached by a man driving a white truck. The victim told police she became terrified when the man began screaming at her.

The victim provided a description of the suspect and the vehicle, which she reported was last seen heading south on Coastal Highway. A short time later, OCPD officers located the vehicle parked diagonally across two parking spaces in front of a bar at 94th Street. The investigation revealed the vehicle was owned by Nelson Jenkins, 32, of Willards.

About a half an hour later, the OCPD officer observed the vehicle leaving the parking area, spinning wheels and raising a large cloud of smoke in the process. The vehicle then left the parking lot without stopping and drove west on Arctic Avenue. The OCPD officer followed and prepared to make a traffic stop.

According to police reports, the vehicle then turned into a private driveway and Jenkins exited and disappeared from sight. Other OCPD officers arrived to assist. One of the officers noted a large portion of a vinyl fence in the backyard to be broken. OCPD officers utilized a K-9 to track the suspect to no avail.

During an inspection of the vehicle, OCPD officers noted the butt of a rifle inside. OCPD officers gained entry to the vehicle and located a shotgun, a carrying case and a large amount of currency. A background check revealed Jenkins was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Jenkins was later located and charged with weapons violations, traffic violations and attempting to flee police by fleeing on foot. Last week, Jenkins pleaded guilty to attempting to flee police and illegal possession of a rifle.