Assault In Taxi
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested on assault and other charges last week after allegedly punching another local man sitting in a taxi cab in the face.
Around 10 p.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was patrolling in the area of South 1st Street when he heard two men yelling at each other. One of the men, later identified as Michael Alampi, 46, of Ocean City, was walking about 50 feet ahead of the other man and turned to confront the man and yelled words to the effect he was going to beat him up, according to police reports.
Alampi was told to stop and speak with the officer, but ignored the order and continued to walk away, according to police reports. Meanwhile, the second man ran back and told the officer he had been assaulted. The victim told police Alampi was sitting in his vehicle, while the victim was sitting in the passenger seat of a taxi on Wicomico Street.
The victim reportedly told police the taxi was blocking the path of Alampi’s vehicle and Alampi got out, walked over to the cab and punched the victim in the mouth with a closed fist. Alampi was stopped and told police different versions of the story. First, Alampi denied any involvement in the alleged fight, but ultimately admitted hitting the victim. According to police reports, Alampi’s version of the events changed multiple times.
The victim told police Alampi had knocked out his two front teeth. The officer inspected the victim and determined his two front lower teeth were loose and appeared to be falling out. Based on the evidence and testimony, Alampi was arrested and charged with assault and disorderly conduct.
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Egging Cars Starts Early
OCEAN CITY — Halloween pranks apparently started early for two individuals arrested last week on multiple malicious destruction of property charges after throwing eggs at as many as 10 vehicles in the midtown area.
Last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to the area of 43rd Street for a reported malicious destruction of property incident. The officer met with a witness who told police she was in her apartment when she heard a loud commotion in the street. The witness went to her balcony and observed a male wearing just shorts and no shirt and a woman in a black dress throwing eggs at vehicles in the street, according to police reports.
The witness told the officer she observed the two suspects then enter a nearby residence on 43rd Street. OCPD officers were searching the area for suspects when they observed a male matching the description provided by the witness, later identified through his passport as Emir Kapetanovic, 20, of Ocean City, exit a residence on 43rd Street.
OCPD officers questioned Kapetanovic about what he had been up to that night the suspect reportedly told police he was just packing up and getting ready to leave in the morning. According to police reports, the officers questioned Kapetanovic why he had been throwing eggs at cars and he just shrugged and smirked. Kapetanovic also told police officers it was childish of him to throw eggs at cars and that he had been good all summer until this incident, according to police reports.
OCPD officers went to the residence from whence Kapetanovic had exited and located two females including Selma Halilbegovic, 22, of Ocean City. When asked why she had been throwing eggs at vehicles, Halilbegovic reportedly told police she did not know why. She did, however, tell police the other female in the unit was not involved in the incident.
OCPD officers identified at least 10 vehicles on 43rd Street that had visible egg damage. There were also visible signs of egg shells and yolks on the street near the vehicles. The estimated damage to each vehicle ranged from $500 to $999, according to police reports.
Kapetanovic and Halilbegovic were each arrested and charged with multiple counts of malicious destruction of property under $1,000. OCPD officers determined they were not eligible for release because they stated they were leaving the country the next day and would not return for trial, which has been set in both cases for November 15.
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30 Days For Assault Spree
OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury woman, arrested in June on multiple charges after allegedly causing a ruckus in a parking lot and then assaulting the officers attempting to take her into custody, pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to 30 days.
Around 11:25 p.m. on June 15, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a nightclub parking lot on 50th Street for a reported assault that had just occurred. Upon arrival, the OCPD officer observed nightclub security staff holding a female, later identified as Aitana Satchell, 22, of Salisbury, down on the ground.
According to police reports, Satchell was screaming for the security staffers to let her go, attracting the attention of passersby in the parking lot. When the officer instructed bar security to let Satchell up, she allegedly launched into an expletive-laced tirade toward the officers and bar staffers. OCPD officers learned Satchell had allegedly assaulted the nightclub security supervisor.
The supervisor said he responded to the parking lot area for the aftermath of an apparent fight that had occurred and found Satchell bleeding from the nose. When the security officer approached Satchell to see if she was okay, she allegedly slapped him in the face with an open hand.
At that point, Satchell was placed under arrest for second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. When asked how she got a bloody nose, Satchell reportedly told police she had been in an altercation somewhere in the parking lot.
OCPD officers asked Satchell if she wanted to be treated by Ocean City EMS and she indicated she did. Ocean City EMS responded and informed OCPD officers they would be transporting Satchell to Atlantic General Hospital for treatment of her injuries.
An OCPD officer rode in the ambulance with Satchell while another followed in a patrol vehicle. At AGH, hospital staff reportedly attempted to treat Satchell, but she refused to cooperate, answer any questions or receive any treatment and she was discharged. While an OCPD officer escorted Satchell from the hospital, she allegedly began to scream at the officer and everyone else in the area. According to police reports, Satchell spit saliva in the officer’s eye.
The OCPD officer transported Satchell to the Public Safety Building for booking and she continued to scream. During the booking process, Satchell allegedly assaulted two OCPD public safety aides. She was charged with multiple counts of assault. Last week, she pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
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Probation For Assault
OCEAN CITY — A New Castle, Del. woman, arrested in September after punching her mother in the face multiple times during a domestic dispute, pleaded guilty this week and was placed on supervised probation for one year.
Around 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 13, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to an apartment building at 23rd Street for reported domestic dispute. The officer met with a female suspect identified as Amelia Hall, 24, of New Castle, with whom the officer was familiar from separate incidents earlier in the same night. During one of those incidents, Hall had been observed arguing on the public sidewalk in the area of 36th Street and Coastal Highway.
According to police reports, the officer met with Hall’s mother and observed a large bruise about four inches in diameter on the victim’s face. Also according to police reports, the victim had applied copious amounts of make-up in an attempt to cover the injury sustained.
The victim told police she and Hall got into an argument as they walked along Coastal Highway near 33rd Street and that Hall had punched her several times with a closed fist. According to police reports, the victim also had bruises and scratches on her chest consistent with being punched.
When interviewed, Hall reportedly told police she had gotten into an argument with her mother at a nearby nightclub and when her mother said some things she didn’t like, Hall “swung on her” a couple of times. Hall was ultimately arrested and charged with second-degree assault. On Wednesday, Hall pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was placed on supervised probation for one year.
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Hit-And-Run Probation
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City woman, charged in July with drunk-driving and hit-and-run after running into a car at a grocery store parking lot and leaving the scene, was granted probation before judgment last week and was placed on probation for three years.
Around 5:50 p.m. on July 25, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a residence on Penguin Drive to meet with individuals involved in a reported hit-and-run collision. According to police reports, the collision had occurred at a grocery store parking lot at 31st Street. A female suspect, later identified as Margaret Pazel, 54, of Ocean City, reportedly drove into the parking lot and struck a vehicle.
Pazel then reportedly went into the store, but did not acknowledge the struck vehicle’s owner, who was also inside the store. Pazel then made her purchases and left the store. When confronted outside, Pazel reportedly told the victim she had to drive home to retrieve her cell phone to get her insurance information, according to police reports.
The victims told police they approached Pazel when she came back out of the store, but she was confrontational and left the area. The victims followed Pazel to Penguin Drive, which is where OCPD officers responded to the incident. According to police reports, Pazel’s vehicle and the victims’ vehicle had damage consistent with the victim’s version of the events.
According to police reports, Pazel exhibited signs of being intoxicated. She admitted driving to her residence from the grocery store in order to get her phone to provide insurance information, which is why she left the scene. While the OCPD officer was getting information from the victims, he observed Pazel attempt to walk past another OCPD officer to enter her residence.
However, the officer blocked her path and raised his arms to prevent her from leaving the area. According to police reports, Pazel ran into the officer’s arms and began screaming “help, help, police brutality.” By now a crowd of passersby and people on balconies began to gather to watch the incident unfold. Last week, Pazel was granted probation before judgment on a driving under the influence per se count and was placed on supervised probation for three years.
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Stolen Vehicle, Weapons Case Forwarded To Circuit
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man, arrested on a slew of charges on July 4 following a domestic dispute after which he allegedly took the victim’s new car, had his case forwarded to Circuit Court this week.
Around 6:45 a.m. on July 4, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a reported domestic incident at a hotel on 31st Street. OCPD officers met with the female victim who told police the suspect, later identified as Stephen Hillegas, 49, of Oley, Pa., had a history of carrying weapons although she was uncertain if he had any weapons on his person during the incident.
After a brief search of the area, Hillegas and the victim’s vehicle were located on a fast-food restaurant parking lot just a few blocks away. OCPD officers caught up to Hillegas at a shopping center on the opposite side of the highway and took him into custody. Back at the hotel, OCPD officers interviewed the victim, who told police Hillegas was her ex and that he had been banging on the hotel door attempting to gain entrance.
Back at the fast-food restaurant, OCPD officers searched the vehicle with the owner’s consent and found a plastic bag containing powder cocaine concealed in a cigarette package. They also located two more baggies with cocaine residue behind the driver’s seat. OCPD officers located .22 caliber handgun in a duffle bag in the trunk that was loaded with one round in the cylinder. The search also turned up another 9mm handgun in the bag, which was not loaded, along with a loaded magazine.
In addition, a criminal background check revealed a history of prior arrests for reckless endangerments, escape, terroristic threats, assault and drug charges. He was arrested and charged with multiple weapons charges including possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, unlawful motor vehicle taking, possession of cocaine and disorderly conduct. Hillegas was scheduled to appear for trial this week, but requested a jury trial, forwarding his case to Circuit Court.