Assault, Theft Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A New Jersey woman was arrested last weekend after an alleged altercation with her girlfriend near a midtown hotel.
Around 9:30 p.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to the area of 47th Street for a reported domestic assault. The officer arrived and met with a female victim, who was reportedly crying and visibly upset with blood and a laceration on her lip, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told the officer her girlfriend, identified as Jammie Dudley, 30, of Brick, N.J., had assaulted her.
The victim told police Dudley had also damaged the windshield of her car and left the area with many of the victim’s belongings, according to police reports. The officer observed the victim’s vehicle and saw a fist-sized crack down the middle with cracks emanating from the impact area.
The victim reportedly told police she and Dudley just arrived that day and went to a midtown bar before checking into their hotel. The victim told the officer she and Dudley got into an argument when Dudley did not want to leave the nightclub. The victim had numerous injuries including bite marks on her left forearm and scratches on her chest along with the laceration near her mouth.
The officer obtained video footage of the incident from a nightclub surveillance camera. According to police reports, Dudley is seen in the video slamming the vehicle’s door and banging on the windshield. Dudley then walked around the vehicle and opened the door where the victim was seated before jumping inside and grabbing the victim, according to police reports.
While the victim was sitting on the ground near the vehicle, Dudley reportedly grabbed the victim by the hair and began to pull her toward her. The victim fell to the ground and the altercation continued before Dudley grabbed her belongings and walked away, according to police reports.
An off-duty Maryland State Police trooper in the area observed Dudley enter his unmarked vehicle and attempt to place her belongings in the rear seat, according to police reports. The OCPD officer interviewed Dudley, who refuted the victim’s account of the incident. Even after the officer told Dudley he had observed the altercation on surveillance video, she refused to recant her story and told the officer the victim inflicted her injuries on herself, according to police reports.
A search of Dudley revealed property belonging to the victim. She was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, theft and malicious destruction of property.
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Family Scrap Leads To Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A Pittsburgh man was arrested last weekend after allegedly scrapping with his girlfriend and her father before being found with a loaded handgun in his vehicle.
Around 12:50 a.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to the area of 3rd Street and Baltimore Avenue for a reported domestic assault. Ocean City Communications advised the caller could be heard screaming from the parking lot. Ocean City Communications also advised there was possibly a gun involved.
Upon arrival, OCPD officers located a suspect later identified as Robert Crawford, 26, of Pittsburgh, Pa., pacing frantically in the parking lot, according to police reports. An officer pointed his conductive electrical weapon, or taser, at Crawford and ordered him to the ground, to which he complied.
Crawford was detained and protested being put into handcuffs, according to police reports. He reportedly told police he was innocent and was the victim in the incident. Crawford told police he and his girlfriend had been arguing in a bar to the point they had been kicked out. They returned to where they were staying and the victim’s father and brother locked him out before throwing him to the ground and hitting him, according to police reports.
The officer went to the room on the second floor and observed bloody footprints on the floor outside of the room. The officer interviewed the victim’s father, who told police his daughter had called him and told him she and Crawford had a really bad argument, according to police reports.
When the couple returned to the room, the father prevented Crawford from coming in. Crawford then shoved the father and elbowed him in the head, according to police reports.
The father told police he pushed Crawford to the ground in self-defense and fell on top of him. The victim’s father reportedly told police Crawford then began punching and kicking him. The victim’s father’s forehead was bleeding and he had multiple scrapes to his arms and legs, according to police reports.
The victim’s father reportedly told police Crawford had a handgun and had been shooting it on the beach the night before. He said he was concerned Crawford would use the gun against him or his daughter.
OCPD officers interviewed the victim’s brother, who reportedly told police they were walking back from a bar when Crawford and his sister were arguing. The brother told police he was able to get his sister into their room and lock Crawford out. The brother corroborated the story about their father scrapping with Crawford.
OCPD officers interviewed the victim about the gun. She advised the .40-caliber handgun was located in the trunk of the vehicle in a side panel, according to police reports. The officers were able to locate the gun. Crawford was arrested and charged with multiple counts of second-degree assault, possession of a loaded handgun and discharging a weapon within city limits.
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Foot Chase Leads To Arrest
OCEAN CITY — An Elkton, Md. man was arrested last week after leading resort police on a foot chase in the downtown area before charging at an officer to the point he had to be tased.
Around 11:55 p.m. last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the downtown area was dispatched to a motel for a reported disorderly couple. The officer arrived and observed a male suspect later identified as Travis Button, 34, of Elkton, run across the motel parking lot and jump a fence.
The officer observed Button hide under the truck in a parking lot before running and hopping a fence again. Button ran through the downtown area, jumping fences on various properties, according to police reports. Button reportedly hid behind a restaurant air conditioning compressor when the officer located him.
According to police reports, Button charged toward the officer with his hands in a fighting stance. The officer pulled out his conductive electrical weapon, or taser, and discharged it at Button, striking him in the abdomen, according to police reports. Button reportedly reached the officer and grabbed his radio microphone, ripping it off his chest. In the process, Button allegedly pushed the officer backwards. The officer then tased Button a second time and he ran spinning in circles, according to police reports. Button was arrested and charged with multiple counts of trespassing, second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property.
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Jail For Hotel Assault
OCEAN CITY — An Elkton, Md. man, arrested in February on numerous charges after assaulting his fiancé and scrapping with hotel security staffers during a domestic incident at a midtown hotel, pleaded guilty this week to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months, all but two of which were then suspended.
Around 11 p.m. on Feb. 20, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a hotel at 45th Street for a reported domestic incident. Ocean City Communications advised there was a female crying on the ground and the suspect, later identified as Justin Hitchens, 25, of Elkton, Md., was trying to fight hotel security staffers.
Upon arrival, officers met with the hotel manager, who reportedly advised Hitchens and the female victim had been arguing and became physical inside the hotel lobby bar. The manager reportedly told the officer she advised a security guard to follow the couple to their room on the second floor.
Security staff followed the couple to their room and could hear Hitchens allegedly assaulting the female victim, according to police reports. One security guard entered the room and reportedly saw Hitchens standing over the victim while continuing to yell at her. When the security staffer attempted to separate Hitchens from the victim, Hitchens reportedly pushed him away.
Two security guards attempted to subdue Hitchens, who reportedly began kicking them both. Hitchens then choked one of the security guards and struck him on the left side of his mouth, according to police reports. When another security guard attempted to detain Hitchens until police arrived, Hitchens struck him in the left jaw with a closed fist, according to police reports.
OCPD officers arrived at the room on the second floor and observed Hitchens pinning one of the security guards against the wall while choking him. OCPD officers ordered Hitchens to stop choking the security guard. When they attempted to arrest Hitchens, the suspect reportedly flailed his arms and attempted to walk away, according to police reports.
Hitchens reportedly kicked one of the officers while being placed in handcuffs. While Hitches was being detained, he reportedly continued to yell profanities, causing other hotel guests to come out of their rooms to see what was going on, according to
police reports. The female victim, who was Hitchens’ fiancé, had a contusion and laceration on her eye and a laceration on he right pointer finger.
Hitchens was ultimately charged with one count of first-degree assault for choking one of the security guards, three counts of second-degree assault against the female victim and each of the security guards, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months, all but two of which were suspended. He was also placed on supervised probation for three years upon his release.