Midtown Assault Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A local woman was arrested on second-degree assault charges last week after allegedly striking her live-in girlfriend multiple times during an argument at a midtown residence.
Around 10:40 a.m. last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a residence on 72nd Street for a reported assault that had already occurred. According to police reports, the officer met with a female victim who advised she and her girlfriend had been in a verbal argument that morning. The victim reportedly told police her girlfriend, identified as Latoshia Hines, 37, of Ocean City, was about to leave the room in anger when the victim called her a name.
According to police reports, Hines came back into the room and struck the victim in the left cheek with a closed fist. When the victim fell on the bed, Hines allegedly jumped on top of her and struck her several more times, according to police reports. Hines also attempted to bite the victim on her left cheek.
The officer reportedly observed redness and swelling on the left side of the victim’s face, consistent with her version of the events. The officer spoke with Hines, who did not deny striking the victim, according to police reports. Hines reportedly told police her relationship with the victim had become strained in recent months and their confrontations have become physical in the past. Hines was arrested and charged with second-degree assault.
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Hotel Disturbance Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A Glen Burnie woman was arrested on multiple charges last week after allegedly causing a disturbance at a downtown hotel.
Around 2:30 a.m. last Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to the hotel for a reported disorderly individual. Ocean City Communications advised a woman later identified as Angela Morgan, 55, has returned to the hotel with her daughter and her daughter’s fiancé after drinking at a downtown bar.
An Uber took the trio back to the hotel where Morgan became irate and upset for unknown reasons, according to police reports. Morgan began yelling outside, drawing the attention of other hotel guests. The OCPD officer arrived and located the daughter and fiancé standing by their vehicle. Both agreed to speak with the officer independently and each provided a similar version of the events, according to police reports.
The couple reportedly told police they were staying with Morgan at the hotel and were planning on leaving later that same morning. When Morgan began yelling, her daughter called the police because she feared the disturbance would upset other guests and would lead to their eviction from the hotel, according to police reports.
The OCPD officer approached the unit on the fourth floor and Morgan came to the door. As the officer attempted to speak with Morgan, she would constantly interrupt with various expletive-laced phrases, according to police reports. The officer reportedly told Morgan her daughter did not want her to leave, but rather wanted her to lower her voice and go to bed, and to stop creating a public disturbance.
Morgan reportedly grabbed her bag full of clothes and informed the officer she was leaving. Morgan reportedly told the officer she would rather by “stranded on the streets,” than stay in the unit. The officer gave Morgan a lawful order to lower her voice or she would be subject to the town’s noise ordinance and informed her she could leave the unit.
According to police reports, the officer observed Morgan as she crossed Baltimore Avenue and sit in the bus shelter at 3rd Street. The officer returned to the daughter and her fiancé and told them of Morgan’s decision. The daughter and fiancé reportedly told the officer they were going to stay in their vehicle until they were sober enough to drive back to Anne Arundel County, according to police reports.
Meanwhile, the officer reportedly observed Morgan run down the hotel stairway and run toward the couple’s vehicle where she began yelling again. As the officer approached Morgan, she attempted to walk back up the steps to elude the officer. She was ultimately arrested for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, failure to obey a lawful order, intoxicated public disturbance and a noise violation.
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Weapons Recovered During Stop
OCEAN CITY — A Baltimore woman was arrested last week on weapons charges after resort police allegedly located a knife, brass knuckles and a baton in her purse during a traffic stop.
Around 12:35 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were conducting a traffic stop on a vehicle parked in front of a hotel at 25th Street. The driver was not able to produce her vehicle’s registration and a background check revealed the vehicle was not insured. As officers were speaking with the driver, they detected a strong odor of raw marijuana coming from the passenger compartment.
OCPD officers identified the rear passenger-side occupant as Maude Branch, 31, of Baltimore. On the rear passenger seat, the officers located a black purse, which they had observed Branch wearing around her shoulder during the initial stop. Inside the purse, OCPD officers reportedly located a three-inch fixed-blade knife in a sheath, a baton that extended to approximately three-feet long and a pair of silver brass knuckles. Based on the evidence recovered in her purse, Branch was arrested for carrying and possessing concealed dangerous weapons.
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Drug Possession Charges
OCEAN CITY — A North Carolina man was arrested on drug possession charges last week following a traffic stop in north Ocean City.
Around 10:45 p.m. last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the area of 123rd Street observed a vehicle roll through a red traffic signal and continue northbound at a high rate of speed. According to police reports, when the driver, later identified as Riley McGee, 35, of Raleigh, N.C., observed the officer, he made an abrupt lane change across three lanes and turned onto 125th Street.
McGee reportedly did not stop initially, continued east and attempted to back his vehicle into a parking spot and exit the vehicle, stating “I’m just trying to park my car,” according to police reports. The officer advised McGee why he was being stopped and asked for his license and registration. While speaking with McGee, the officer reportedly observed a box of Narcan in the driver’s side door.
A registration check revealed the vehicle’s registration had expired in February and the vehicle was no longer registered. As per protocol, the officer called for the unregistered vehicle to be towed. An inventory of the vehicle’s contents revealed a metal spoon with cocaine residue, a glass smoking device with cocaine residue and a plastic pipe with cocaine residue. McGee was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and possession of paraphernalia.
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Probation For Hotel Fracas
OCEAN CITY — A Maryland couple, arrested in October after causing a scene at a midtown hotel, each pleaded guilty to separate charges this week and each was placed on probation for one year.
Around 11:50 p.m. last Oct. 16, 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. This week, Anderson pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and was granted probation before judgment and placed on probation for one year. Bailey pleaded guilty to obstructing and hindering, also received probation before judgment and was placed on probation for one year.