OCEAN CITY — Three suspects were charged last week with multiple counts of theft after allegedly rummaging through vehicles and using stolen credit cards on a shopping spree around the resort area.
Around 7 a.m. last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a complaint from a victim who reported someone had rummaged through her unlocked vehicle and had stolen her credit card. The credit card had been used without her authorization at a convenience store on 83rd Street and was charged over $400.
The officer went to the convenience store and reviewed surveillance video footage of three male suspects purchasing several pre-paid Visa gift cards using a credit card before leaving on foot. The OCPD officer continued the investigation.
Around 11:15 p.m., another OCPD officer responded to a condo parking lot at 93rd Street for reports of several other vehicle break-ins involving at least three separate victims. One victim told police $800 in cash along with three credit or debit cards had been stolen from his vehicle. The victim told police his credit cards had been used at a Royal Farms store, a motel and a bicycle rental business. In addition, that victim’s cards had been used in West Ocean City at Nike, Staples and Bed, Bath and Beyond. The total initial amount charged to the victim’s credit cards was over $2,400.
A second victim reported three of his credit cards had been stolen from his vehicle and had been used at Royal Farms to the tune of over $700. Another couple reported to police their vehicle had been rummaged through, but nothing had been taken. However, one of those victims was able to provide police with video surveillance showing two males walk past a condo unit around 5:25 a.m. wearing the same clothing as the suspects in the surveillance video in the original case.
OCPD officers went to the scooter rental company and learned a suspect, identified as Julian Davidson, 23, of Clinton, Md., had rented a scoot couple and paid $363 with a credit card belonging to one of the victims. Another suspect, identified a Darrian Tabbs, 24, of Washington, D.C., was listed as a passenger on the rental agreement.
OCPD officers next went to the motel and learned an “Alonta” Tabbs had rented a room for around $110 using one of the credit cards reported stolen. Police were able to obtain vehicle information including a tag number connected to Davidson from the motel.
OCPD officers learned three suspects including Davidson, Tabbs and a third man identified as Kenneth Walker, 23, of Washington, D.C., had been stopped and detained earlier that morning on Bering Road after it had been reported they were going into driveways and looking into cars, according to police reports.
Around 1:20 p.m. last Thursday, an OCPD officer was in the area of the scooter rental business when he observed the suspects’ vehicle in an adjacent parking lot and detained them. One of the original investigating officers responded and identified Davidson, Tabbs and Walker as the suspects in the earlier surveillance video.
During a search of Walker, OCPD officers located two small bags of powder cocaine. In Walker’s rear pocket officers located two credit cards belonging to one of the victims. In the vehicle, OCPD officers located several pre-paid gift cards with receipts from that day’s date along with new, still-in-the-box athletic shoes and clothing from an outlet store in West Ocean City. Each of the suspects were charged with multiple counts of credit card theft.
