OCEAN CITY — A Glen Burnie man was arrested last weekend after allegedly wrecking a downtown store and assaulting the owner and landlord.
Around 8:45 p.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a downtown hemp shop for a reported assault and malicious destruction of property that had occurred. OCPD officers located a suspect and identified him as Jonathan Gorman, 31.
The store owner and the property owner approached OCPD officers and advised Gorman had destroyed the shop and assaulted them, according to police reports. The victims reportedly told officers they followed Gorman until police arrived. Officers went back to the store and observed bracelets on the floor, liquid spilled on the floor near the entrance and a cell phone with a smashed screen on the counter, according to police reports.
The store owner reportedly told police Gorman had entered the store carrying an open cup of beer accompanied by a female. The store owner told Gorman no food or drinks were allowed in the store, at which point Gorman spilled his cup of beer on the floor. When the store owner asked Gorman and the female to leave, Gorman began screaming and cursing at her, according to police reports.
The store owner called 911 on her cell phone, but Gorman slapped it out of her hands and onto the floor, causing the screen to shatter, according to police reports. Gorman then reportedly began throwing bracelets from the shelves onto the ground and attempted to leave the store with bracelets, according to police reports.
The store owner reportedly attempted to stop Gorman from leaving, but Gorman grabbed her and threw her onto the ground inside the store, according to police reports. The store owner got up and approached Gorman, who was now outside the store, and he punched her in the face and threw her to the ground a second time. At that point, the property owner came to her aid and tackled Gorman to the ground.
OCPD officers interviewed the landlord, who reportedly told police he heard screaming coming from the store and saw the store owner get thrown out of her business and onto the ground by Gorman. The landlord also observed Gorman punch the store owner in the face, according to police reports.
The landlord reportedly came to the store owner’s aid and pulled Gorman away from her. While the landlord was holding Gorman back, Gorman punched him in the face as well. During the ensuing altercation, a witness separated the landlord and Gorman, who began walking north on Baltimore Avenue, which is when police arrived. Gorman was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property.
