OCEAN CITY — A potentially dangerous situation early Thursday morning was averted when resort police broke up a large crowd downtown, making three arrests on weapons and other charges.
Around 12:20 a.m. June 10, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers on bike patrol in the area of 7th Street and Philadelphia Avenue observed a large, disorderly crowd of around 20-30 people gathered in the roadway. OCPD officers reportedly observed an argument between several people in the crowd and another group near a vehicle parked in the travel portion of the roadway.
OCPD officers began to disperse the crowd and approached the vehicle to investigate the incident. When the officers approached the vehicle, they observed the rear passenger, later identified as Lazarius Smith, 19, of Baltimore, loading a magazine into a semi-automatic handgun. Smith was removed from the vehicle and detained without incident, according to police reports.
As OCPD officers were in the process of disarming Smith, another suspect, identified as Jacob Anderson, 19, of Manchester, Pa., approached them and attempted to interfere with the arrest. Anderson became disorderly and hostile toward the officers on the scene, according to police reports. Anderson was placed under arrest without further incident.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Cherish Glenn, 18, of Westminster, Md., complied with the officers’ orders to exit the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, OCPD officers located two polymer handguns and two fully-loaded extended magazines. The investigation determined Anderson and Smith had placed the guns inside the vehicle before the officers arrived. According to police reports, due to the attentiveness of officers patrolling the Boardwalk in that area, the incident was quelled without escalating further.
Smith was charged with a loaded handgun on his person, a handgun in a vehicle and possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held without bond. Anderson was charged with obstructing and hindering, resisting or interfering with an arrest, two counts of second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, reckless endangerment, and similar weapons charges as Smith.
As of late Thursday, Anderson was awaiting an appearance before a District Court Commissioner. Glenn was charged with carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle and possession of a firearm or ammunition. She was seen by a District Court Commissioner and released on recognizance.
