Cops & Courts – December 25, 2020

Cops & Courts – December 25, 2020

Investigation Nets Drug Bust

OCEAN CITY — A local man was arrested on drug distribution charges last week after a months-long investigation that began in September.

An Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) detective, who was sworn as a fully-vested officer of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, initiated an investigation into a male suspect reportedly selling drugs in the area of 9th Street and the Boardwalk in September. Through the investigation, the detective was able to identify the suspect as Peter Demarie III, 41, of Ocean City, and also identified the suspect’s vehicle.

While conducting surveillance, the officer reportedly observed Demarie making multiple trips back and forth between his vehicle and the Boardwalk. The officer also reportedly observed Demarie was working at a Boardwalk piercing establishment. On Oct. 15, two OCPD officers were working in an undercover capacity on the Boardwalk when Demarie allegedly motioned them over to the store and entered a conversation into the various piercing options the store was currently offering.

According to police reports, the officers told Demarie they weren’t interested in piercings, but did agree to purchase a pair of sunglasses for $20. During the sunglasses purchase, Demarie reportedly offered to sell a marijuana vape cartridge to the officers, telling the officers it was pure marijuana he was offering for sale.

Demarie reportedly told the officers he had brand new cartridges in his vehicle and he would go to retrieve them. One of the officers asked Demarie if he had any “girl” for sale, referring to a street slang term for marijuana. Demarie reportedly told the officers he would have some cocaine for sale the next day, but that he had to go to Baltimore to get it, according to police reports.

At that point, the OCPD detectives completed the sale of the marijuana THC cartridges for $60. That hand-to-hand transaction was recorded audibly and visually. On Dec. 7, the OCPD detective contacted Demarie via text message and made arrangements to purchase $160 worth of powder cocaine from him the following day on Dec. 8. The next day, the OCPD detective arrived at the appointed time and place at a grocery store parking lot in Ocean Pines.

According to police reports, Demarie walked toward the undercover officer’s vehicle and entered the passenger side door. The detective produced $160 to purchase the plastic baggie of powder cocaine and the transaction was completed. According to police reports, in addition to the cocaine, Demarie informed the officer he also had heroin, Adderall and medical marijuana for sale.

Last Thursday, OCPD detectives located Demarie sleeping in his vehicle in the parking lot of a condominium on 60th Street and took him into custody, charging him with CDS distribution.

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Burglary Suspect Arrested

OCEAN CITY — A Berlin man was arrested last week after allegedly entering the home of a resort resident without being invited.

Around 11:40 p.m. last Sunday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to the area of Sparrow Lane for a reported suspicious individual. The complainant reportedly told police the suspect, later identified as John Mason, 40, of Berlin, was banging on his door, and when he opened it, Mason acted as if he knew the victim.

The OCPD officer located Mason walking on nearby Bayshore Drive, and after asking the suspect why he was in the neighborhood, Mason could not provide and answer but was free to leave.

However, the officer knew there had been crimes committed in the neighborhood recently, and continued to observe Mason from a distance. The officer reportedly observed Mason enter the property of a condo complex despite “no trespassing” signs that were posted. OCPD officers were contacted by a female witness who asked the officers if they were looking for the “man in the black coat,” according to police reports.

The female witness told police a man matching Mason’s description had been walking around the neighborhood all day. While OCPD officers were speaking with the female witness, they were informed of other alleged suspicious activity at a residence on Bayshore Drive involving Mason.

The OCPD officers responded and observed Mason on the porch of the residence and screaming at another man. The other man told police he lived two doors down from his elderly parents. The male witness told police he got a notification from the ring camera that Mason was allegedly at the door of his parents’ house.

The male witness ran to his parents’ house and allegedly found Mason inside the residence. The male witness reportedly told police his mother had never seen Mason before, but he “acted friendly like he knew her and even knew her first name.” The male witness told reportedly told police Mason was continuously muttering incoherent statements and was not making sense.

The OCPD officers observed the ring camera footage and watched Mason walk up to the victim’s door, pull out a key ring with multiple keys and begin trying keys in the door, according to police reports. When none of the keys opened the door, Mason allegedly rang the doorbell and the male witness’s elderly mother opened the door. Mason then opened the storm door and pushed past the male witness’s mother as if he was welcome in the home. Mason was arrested and charged with breaking and entering and trespassing.

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Apartment Break-In Arrest

OCEAN CITY — A local woman was arrested on first-degree burglary and multiple other counts last week after allegedly breaking into a downtown apartment.

Around 12:50 p.m. last Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a downtown apartment building for a reported trespassing. The officer made contact with a female witness who advised a suspect later identified as Rebecca Cakar, 48, of no fixed address, had been on the property just prior to the officer’s arrival. The witness advised Cakar had previously been issued a trespass warning for the property.

While the officer was on scene, another male witness approached and advised the officer Cakar had allegedly burglarized the same unit in the apartment building back on November 26. The witness told police Cakar had entered the unit through an open window, and the officer observed that the window had been forced open.

The witness told police on November 26, he approached Cakar inside the unit and found her rifling through some of the possessions of the renter of the unit, who was not present. The witness said he believed Cakar was looking for the renter’s cell phone, but instead stole a pack of cigarettes and a couple of dollars in change.

The officer determined Cakar was not on the list of any renters in the apartment building and had been trespassed from the property on different occasions. Based on the evidence and testimony, Cakar was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary, theft, malicious destruction of property and trespassing.

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Parking Lot Shooting

POCOMOKE — A Virginia man is awaiting extradition to Worcester County after allegedly shooting another man in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in Pocomoke last Wednesday.

Around 4:20 p.m. last Wednesday, Pocomoke Police responded to a KFC-Taco Bell restaurant on Newtowne Blvd. for a reported shooting that occurred in the parking lot. Officers arrived and late located a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg. The victim was transported to TidalHealth Peninsula Regional for treatment of injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) was brought in to assume the investigations. WCBI detectives later learned an argument ensued in the drive-through at the restaurant’s parking lot when the victim and the suspect encountered each other.

The suspect was identified as Thomas Fulmer, Jr., 28, of Chincoteague. Fulmer has been charged in connection with the crime. Fulmer was later located and taken into custody in Virginia, where he is being held pending extradition.