Multiple Arrests In Fight
OCEAN CITY — Several arrests were made during a downtown fight involving at least a dozen suspects early last Friday morning.
Around 2:10 a.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to the area of Wicomico Street and Baltimore Avenue for a large fight in progress. During the incident, one OCPD officer observed a suspect later identified as Anthony Mabry, 23, of Pittsburgh, Pa., enter the fray and begin kicking a man while he was on the ground, according to police reports.
The OCPD officer reportedly grabbed Mabry’s arm and told him he was under arrest. Mabry reportedly backpedaled away from the officer, who was forced to tackle the suspect to the ground. While Mabry was on the ground, he reportedly clenched his fists as if he was preparing to punch the officer, but the officer punched Mabry twice in the face and he was subdued. Mabry was arrested and charged with assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
During the same incident, OCPD officers observed a suspect involved in the fight, later identified as Joseph Pote, 31, of Philadelphia, battling with Zachary Strobele, 32, of Bristol, Pa. Strobele was also reportedly fighting with two other suspects in the case identified as Wesley Wallace-Watson and Marcelis Somerville, 23, of Clements, Md., according to police reports. Each of those suspects were charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
Wallace-Watson had additional charges tacked on when he battled with OCPD officers attempting to arrest him. As one OCPD officer arrived on scene, he observed Wallace-Watson allegedly standing over another OCPD officer attempting to arrest one of the combatants on the ground.
The OCPD officer ordered Wallace-Watson to back away from the arrest scene, but the suspect reportedly did not comply and assumed a fighting posture against the officer. Wallace-Watson launched into a string of expletives against the OCPD officers and continued to battle them, according to police reports.
OCPD officers were able to get Wallace-Watson to the ground, but he continued to resist. One of the OCPD officers was eventually forced to use his taser on the suspect, but it had little effect. Ultimately, Wallace-Watson was subdued and taken into custody. He was charged with assault, assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.
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Indecent Porch Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A New York man was arrested on multiple charges last week after a bizarre series of events that began with him allegedly defecating on his friend’s porch.
Around 9:40 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the downtown area was dispatched to St. Louis Avenue for a reported disorderly individual who had allegedly defecated on a porch. While in route, an OCPD officer located the suspect, later identified as Ryan Courtwright, 27, of Manlius, N.Y. talking to a group of females. Courtwright appeared to be intoxicated and when he saw OCPD officers arriving on the scene, he quickly began to flee the area, according to police reports.
When an officer attempted asked Courtwright to stop so he could talk to him, the suspect reportedly said “Nah,” and kept on walking. The officer put his hand on Courtwright’s shoulder in an effort to stop him, but he shrugged it off and kept on walking. Another OCPD officer blocked the suspect’s path and Courtwright was detained.
When officers attempted to arrest Courtwright, he reportedly resisted and struggled with police, hitting on officer in the arm in the process. He was ultimately taken to the ground, but continued to resist, according to police reports. OCPD officers spoke with the group of females with whom Courtwright had been speaking when they arrived on the scene.
The group of females told police he was acting weird and that they were “really creeped out by him,” according to police reports. One female in the group told the officers she was getting ready to call the police before they arrived when they did.
OCPD officers went to a residence on St. Louis Avenue to interview the original complainant who had initiated the call. The victim reportedly told police he and Courtwright used to be good friends, but Courtwright got intoxicated and began to argue with him.
The victim told the officers he had asked Courtwright repeatedly to leave the residence and put all of his belongings out on the porch. When the victim went outside to see if Courtwright had gone and taken his belongings, he noticed a fresh pile of feces on his wooden deck, according to police reports. Courtwright’s parting gift damaged at least one and as many as four boards on the wooden deck.
The victim told police Courtwright came up to him from behind and pushed him before running away from the property. Courtwright was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, resisting arrest and malicious destruction of property.
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Vehicles Hit With Glass Bottles
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested on multiple counts of malicious destruction of property last weekend after allegedly throwing glass liquor bottles at vehicles on the street below his residence.
Around 11:40 a.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to the area of 24th Street for reported cases of malicious destruction of property. On arrival, the officer observed broken glass all along the street and on top of numerous vehicles parked along the street. Amid the broken glass were multiple Twisted Tea labels and liquor bottle labels, according to police reports.
The officer met with one victim, who reportedly told police he vehicle had been hit with glass bottles sometime between midnight and 8 a.m. The officer observed multiple broken glass bottle surrounding the victim’s vehicle along with a dent and scratches on the vehicle’s doors. The victim estimated the damage at $2,000.
The officer met with another victim whose vehicle was surrounded by broken glass. The victim’s vehicle had a dent in the roof and dents and scratches on the side. She also estimated the damage at around $2,000. Yet another victim’s vehicle was surrounded by broken glass on the street and its roof was nearly covered with broke glass entirely. There were scratches and dents in the vehicle’s roof. A fourth victim reported a similar situation with cracks in the rear window and a dent and scratches in the trunk. That victim estimated her damage at around $2,500.
Witnesses on the scene reported they heard a suspect later identified as Quinlin Murphy, 23, of Lake Ariel, Pa., and another man yelling “hit that car,” and “hit the cars” as they threw glass bottles at the vehicles on the street below from a fourth-floor balcony. Another witness reportedly told police her neighbors in the unit next to hers had been throwing beer cans and vehicles and pedestrians in the street the night before. She also told police Murphy and the other occupant of the room had multiple bottles of liquor and Twisted Tea.
OCPD officers went to the fourth-floor unit and located Murphy. According to police reports, Murphy told the officers he had been the one throwing glass bottles at vehicles and that her continued to throw bottles at vehicles throughout the night. Murphy was arrested and charged with malicious destruction of property and malicious destruction of property scheme.
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Parking Lot Scrap Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A New York man was arrested last week after allegedly getting into a shoving match with his girlfriend and swiping the key fob that remotely started her vehicle to prevent her from leaving.
Around 2:20 p.m. last Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was patrolling near the Public Safety Building at 65th Street observed a couple arguing in the parking lot. The officer reportedly observed the couple taking turns pushing each other in the shoulder as they continued to argue.
At one point, the male in the couple, identified as Jonathan Rodriguez, 40, of the Bronx, N.Y., shoved the female causing her to stumble backwards, according to police reports. The female then walked toward her parked vehicle. The female victim got on the vehicle, started it and began to back out of a parking space.
Rodriguez reportedly opened the driver’s side door forcibly and stepped inside the vehicle in an attempt to prevent the victim from leaving. Rodriguez then opened the rear driver’s side door and removed a one-year-old child from a car seat and started walking east through the parking lot, according to police reports.
The OCPD officer ordered Rodriguez to come back and he returned with the child. While the officer was speaking with the victim, Rodriguez was observed rummaging through the center-console area of the vehicle. He quickly left the area and began walking east through the parking lot again.
The victim then realized her vehicle would not start and determined Rodriguez must have taken the key fob that remotely starts the vehicle. The OCPD officer followed Rodriguez to a nearby store parking lot, but was unable to find the key fob. According to police reports, the officer believed Rodriguez likely threw the key fob or otherwise concealed it somewhere along his path to prevent the victim from leaving.
When questioned, Rodriguez reportedly told the officer he had not been driving so he had no idea where the key fob was. Rodriguez was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and theft.
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Stumbling In Traffic
OCEAN CITY — A Delaware man was arrested last weekend after stumbling into traffic and nearly getting hit by a vehicle.
Around 2 a.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was assisting with crowd control during a fight near a downtown bar when he was approached by an individual later identified as Clinton Austin, 22, of Wilmington, Del. The officer was standing in the bus lane near the nightclub and Austin reportedly demanded the officer get out of the street.
Austin was advised to move along, but instead launched into an expletive-laced tirade toward the police as he stumbled in the bus lane. Austin swerved into a lane of traffic and was nearly struck by a vehicle, which had to slam on its brakes to avoid hitting him. Austin was arrested and charged with intoxicated endangerment and disturbing the peace.