SNOW HILL — The second of five individuals arrested in connection with a stabbing incident on the Boardwalk in June pleaded guilty last week to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 years in jail, all but six of which were then suspended.
On June 9 between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to two serious assaults on the Boardwalk including one at 11th Street and one at 15th Street. In the 15th Street incident, the victim was stabbed in the back. OCPD officers determined the same group of individuals were responsible for both assaults.
One of the suspects, later identified as Marquis Demby, 22, of Lincoln, Del., was apprehended soon after the incident at 15th Street. A knife used in the stabbing incident was recovered during his arrest. Demby was charged with first-degree assault and other counts. Last month, Demby pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Last week, a second suspect, Davione Cephas, 20, of Cambridge, also pleaded guilty to second-degree assault for his role in the incident. Cephas was sentenced to 10 years, with all but six years suspended. He was also placed on supervised probation for three years upon his release.
The OCPD Major Crimes Unit continued the investigation and using City Watch surveillance images obtained from Boardwalk cameras were able to capture images of additional suspects in the two incidents. The images were released to the public via social media and local media outlets and OCPD detectives received numerous citizen tips.
Working with allied law enforcement agencies throughout the Eastern Shore, the other suspects in the two Boardwalk assault incidents were ultimately identified and arrested. The other four suspects are still awaiting adjudication in their cases next year. They are identified as Marcus Butler, 27, of Cambridge, Md., who has been charged with first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment; Orlando Nichols, Jr., 20, of Cambridge, who has been charged with first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment; and Xavier Spence, 19, of Cambridge, who has been charged with first- and second-degree assault, dangerous weapon with intent to injure, and reckless endangerment.
