Couple Arrested For Hotel Fracas
OCEAN CITY — A Maryland couple was arrested on various charges last week after allegedly causing a scene at a midtown hotel.
Around 11:50 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a hotel at 66th Street to assist hotel staff with an eviction. The responding officers met with the hotel manager, who reportedly told police she had walked past a room on the eighth floor and heard aggressive yelling and arguing. The officers made contact with the male occupant of the room, identified as Tavon Anderson, 29, of Hyattsville, Md., who told police he was staying in the room with his girlfriend, identified as Bridgette Bailey, 22, of Mount Ranier, Md.
Anderson reportedly told police he and Bailey had been consuming large amounts of alcohol and began to aggressively argue. Anderson told police he began to pack his bags to leave the hotel. Bailey was interviewed and told police a similar version of the events leading up to their arrival.
OCPD officers and the hotel manager advised Anderson not to leave the hotel because of his level of intoxication. The OCPD officers then left the room, but as they were heading to the elevators, the hotel manager ran toward them and advised Anderson and Bailey were arguing again.
As the officers re-entered the room, they observed Anderson screaming at Bailey, who was allegedly cowering in the corner of the balcony. According to police reports, Bailey appeared to be scared and told the officers “I just want you to come in and make him go.”
The hotel manager issued a trespass warning to Anderson, who ultimately refused to leave the property and was placed under arrest. While the officers were escorting Anderson to the elevators, Bailey approached them aggressively and demanded they release him. According to police reports, as the elevator doors were closing, Bailey forced them back open, pushed one OCPD officer to the side of the elevator and grabbed onto Anderson.
At that point, Bailey was also arrested for second-degree assault on an officer and obstructing and hindering. When an officer attempted to handcuff her, she allegedly pulled her arms away in an attempt to avoid being taken into custody.
Once Anderson and Bailey were escorted out of the hotel and onto the public sidewalk, they reportedly began arguing again, screaming profanities and attracting the attention of a crowd of people who had gathered at the scene. Bailey was charged with second-degree assault, obstructing and hindering, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. Anderson was also charged with second-degree assault, trespassing, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.
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Drugs, Weapon Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested on drug and weapons charges last week after a routine traffic stop.
Around 11:55 p.m. last Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the downtown area observed a vehicle traveling on Philadelphia Avenue with its rear tail lamps completely dark. The officer reportedly pulled alongside the vehicle and observed its headlights were on. The officer also observed the driver, identified as Alexander Fisher, 27, of Lititz, Pa., to be rigid and staring straight ahead.
The officer slowed down to double-check if the vehicle’s tail lights were still not working and eventually pulled Fisher over. Fisher reportedly pulled into a downtown gas station and got out of the vehicle as if he was going to pump gas. The officer noted the open gas cap was on the driver’s side of the vehicle, while the gas pumps were on the passenger side.
Fisher was ordered back into the vehicle and complied by providing his license and registration. While speaking with Fisher about the traffic violations, the officer observed a smoking device with marijuana residue in it in the driver’s door pocket.
During a subsequent search of the vehicle, the officer located two Alprazolam pills in a plastic baggie, one white sheet of paper with black stripes wrapped in tin foil identified as LSD. When asked about the paper, Fisher reportedly told the officer it was just trash. Fisher later told the officer he uses the LSD for leg pain because he broke two femurs. During a search of Fisher’s person incident to his arrest on drug possession charges, the officer located a fixed-blade knife and additional charges were tacked on.
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Guilty Verdicts In Handgun Case
OCEAN CITY — A Bridgeville, Del. man, arrested last November after allegedly pulling a gun on his girlfriend during an argument in a vehicle with her young children inside, was found not guilty last week on the first-degree assault charge, but was found guilty on weapons charges.
Around 9 p.m. last Nov. 22, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to the area of a hotel at 66th Street for a reported woman attempting to walk across the street with her children, who were crying, according to police reports. OCPD officers met with the visibly upset female victim, who told police she had been in an argument with her boyfriend, later identified as Sawndale Auguste, now 26, of Bridgeville, while they were returning from a family outing for pizza along with her two children, ages four and eight.
The victim reportedly told police the argument with Auguste turned physical when he grabbed her by the throat in a choke-hold while she was driving. When the vehicle came to a stop, the victim’s two children were able to get out and run away. The victim was able to eventually get out of the vehicle and run after her children.
According to police reports, Auguste then slid over to the driver’s seat and attempted to drive away, but the victim stood in front of the vehicle because she did not want Auguste to drive because he had been drinking, according to police reports. A witness nearby later told police Auguste screamed “get the [expletive deleted] out of the way or I’ll run you over,” according to police reports.
OCPD officers interviewed the eight-year-old child, who reportedly told police Auguste had put the victim in a headlock while she was driving. The young witness told police Auguste then grabbed a pistol and pointed it at the victim’s leg while threatening to kill her, according to police reports. The young witness told police he became scared when Auguste allegedly racked the slide on the handgun, which is when he and his sister ran away from the vehicle.
When interviewed again, the victim reportedly told police Auguste had produced a silver and black handgun and racked the slide. After gaining a consent to search the victim’s vehicle, OCPD officers located a 9-milimeter handgun in the center console.
A search of Auguste’s person revealed a 9mm caliber bullet in his pants pocket matching the type of ammunition found in the handgun. The pistol was loaded with four rounds in the chamber, according to police reports.
Witnesses at the hotel corroborated the victim’s story about her children running from the vehicle and the victim standing in front of it to prevent Auguste from running away. Based on all of the evidence and the victim and witness testimony, Auguste was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault, possession of a handgun in the commission of a felony, reckless endangerment and multiple other counts related to the stolen handgun. Last week, a Worcester County jury found Auguste guilty of possession of an illegal firearm and illegal possession of ammunition. Sentencing has been set for Oct. 30.
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Guilty Plea For Weed Sale
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man, arrested last August on marijuana distribution charges after allegedly selling weed to an undercover Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) on multiple occasions, pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to six months in jail.
Back on Aug. 28, 2019, an undercover OCPD officer made arrangements to purchase an ounce of marijuana from a suspected dealer, identified as Perrin McNeill, 37, of Ocean City. The officer contacted McNeill, who reportedly agreed to meet the officer in the parking lot of an uptown hotel at 3:30 p.m. McNeill arrived at the appointed time and made the transaction with the undercover officer, exchanging one ounce of marijuana for $280, according to police reports.
On Sept. 12, the undercover OCPD officer again made arrangements to purchase one ounce of marijuana. This time, the appointed time and place for the transaction was a north-end movie theater parking lot. According to police reports, McNeill arrived in his white Jaguar and approached the officer in his vehicle carrying a Crown Royal bag.
McNeill produced an ounce of marijuana from a plastic baggie within the cloth bag and exchanged it for $280 in cash from the officer. McNeill was allowed to leave as the officer continued to build a case against him.
A week later, the same OCPD officer observed McNeill operating his vehicle in the area of a pharmacy and convenience store near 120th Street and Coastal Highway. The officer requested uniformed officers to the area to take McNeill into custody. He was arrested and charged with multiple counts of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. Last week, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to six months.