OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested and charged last week with threatening to burn a residence down during an alleged jealous tirade at a downtown residence.
On April 3, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to the 5th Street area for a reported disorderly individual. Before the officers arrived on the scene, they were advised the suspect had left the area in a vehicle and was heading south on Philadelphia Avenue. OCPD officers located the suspect vehicle at Worcester Street and made contact with the occupants, including Frank Jenkins, Jr., 43, of Ocean City, and a female.
Ocean City Communications advised the officer Jenkins had allegedly threatened to burn down the house of the victim who had called 911. According to police reports, the female advised the officers she and Jenkins had just arrived home from 5th Street, where argument but no physical altercation had occurred.
The female reportedly told police she was at a residence on 5th Street visiting a male friend and Jenkins, with whom she was in a relationship, became upset because she was spending time with another man. According to police reports, OCPD officers interviewed Jenkins briefly, who allegedly told police he learned his girlfriend was “with the guys” at 5th Street and that he drove to 5th Street to pick him up and bring her home.
OCPD officers responded to the 5th Street residence and interviewed the male individual who had called 911. The victim told police he was at his residence with the female, whom he had met days earlier, when Jenkins called her. The alleged victim told police he could hear Jenkins through the phone stating he was “on his way up there” and began making death threats against the victim and his girlfriend, according to police reports.
A short time later, Jenkins arrived at the 5th Street residence as advertised and began screaming his girlfriend’s name. According to police reports, the victim stuck his head outside a window and told Jenkins to stop yelling because he was going to wake the neighbors.
According to police reports, Jenkins yelled to the victim “I am going to burn your [expletive deleted] house down.” At that point, the female left with Jenkins and the victim called 911, fearful Jenkins would return and follow up on this threat to burn the house down, according to police reports.
Based on the evidence and testimony, Jenkins was arrested and charged with arson threat and two counts of violating Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) directives related to the ongoing pandemic. After a preliminary hearing, Jenkins was ordered to be held without bond and remained in custody this week.
For Jenkins, the arrest last week was the second this year in Ocean City for a similar incident. On February 1, Jenkins was arrested and charged with first-degree assault for an incident in the downtown area and was out on bail when the alleged arson threat at 5th Street occurred last week.
Around 1:40 p.m. on February 1, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer observed a suspect later identified as Jenkins allegedly striking the rear and passenger side of a vehicle with his hands, according to police reports. The officer observed as the vehicle attempted to leave a downtown apartment complex parking lot and observed two females standing near it attempting to stop Jenkins from hitting it.
As the officer approached the scene, he observed one of the females start to walk away. The officer reportedly observed Jenkins approach the female from the rear and forcibly grab her by the hood of her sweatshirt, causing her body to jerk backwards. The officer intervened and separated the parties. Jenkins has handcuffed and was instructed to sit on the curb.
The officer approached the vehicle and observed a metal golf club on the ground adjacent to it. The officer made contact with the male driver of the vehicle, who was reportedly in extreme pain. The driver informed the officer while he was seated in his vehicle, Jenkins allegedly approached him and struck him numerous times in the left arm with the golf club, according to police reports.
Ocean City paramedics responded to the scene and treated the driver for a possible fractured left forearm and separated left shoulder. The driver refused any further treatment and was not transported to the hospital.
The officer interviewed the female whose hood Jenkins grabbed. The victim told police she had been in a relationship with Jenkins for several months. The victim reportedly told police she had arrived at the apartment complex that afternoon to remove her personal belongings and that an argument ensued with Jenkins, according to police reports.
The female victim told Jenkins allegedly struck the male driver multiple times with the golf club. Jenkins was charged with first- and second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property.
