Motel Ruckus Leads To Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania woman was arrested last week after allegedly causing a ruckus at a downtown motel.
Last Thursday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a Boardwalk motel for a reported 911 call hang-up. OCPD officers met with a female identified as Erin Lawyer, 28, of Shippensburg, Pa., who had stepped on shards of glass in her motel room and sliced her foot open, according to police reports.
Because of her level of intoxication, Lawyer did not treat her wound and consequently bled on the carpet, the bed and the elevator, causing motel staff to decide to evict her and her boyfriend, according to police reports.
While OCPD officers observed, Lawyer and her boyfriend began to pack their belongings. Two private-sector security guards were also present, and as Lawyer and her boyfriend collected their things, the couple became disorderly more and more as time passed, according to police reports, with Lawyer reportedly yelling racial slurs at one of the security guards.
Lawyer and her boyfriend eventually packed their belongings and were issued an indefinite trespass warning for the motel property. When a motel employee issued a trespass warning, Lawyer reportedly swung her arms at the employee as if she wanted to assault her, according to police reports.
Lawyer was ordered off the property, but refused to move. After being told three times to pick up her belongings and move to the public sidewalk, Lawyer eventually walked westbound. She crossed Washington Lane onto a parking lot belonging to the motel. Meanwhile, a group of people had gathered to watch the commotion, according to police reports.
Lawyer was eventually placed under arrest for trespassing. Lawyer reportedly resisted being placed in handcuffs. OCPD officers ultimately had to use a leg sweep to get Lawyer on the ground. Once on the ground, Lawyer continued to thrash around and scream racial expletives toward the officers and the security staff.
By this point, Lawyer’s foot was bleeding heavily again. Ocean City EMS arrived and transported Lawyer to Atlantic General Hospital. Once at the hospital, Lawyer continued to scream expletives and racial slurs to the dismay of hospital staff, according to police reports.
Lawyer was ultimately charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, failure to obey a lawful order and trespassing.
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Burglary Arrest For Break-In
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested last weekend after allegedly barging into a midtown condo uninvited.
Shortly after 1 a.m. last Sunday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a residence on 46th Street for a reported breaking and entering that had already occurred. Ocean City Communications advised a muscular, shirtless male with tattoos had entered his unit without permission prior to the officers’ arrival.
OCPD officers arrived in the area and observed a male suspect matching the description later identified as Nico Smolec, 34, of Greensburg, Pa., pulling on a locked door at a condo building on 45th Street. Smolec was taken into custody on suspicion of breaking and entering at the residence on 46th Street.
OCPD officers met with the victim, who reported he was sitting on his couch at his residence when Smolec entered his unit uninvited. The victim told police he got up and shoved Smolec and told him to leave or he was going to call the police. Smolec did exit the unit, but sat on a chair on the front porch for a while before leaving.
OCPD officers shortly thereafter found him trying a door handle at another condo nearby. Smolec was arrested and charged with fourth-degree burglary and trespassing.
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Woman Lies To Police About Collision Driver
OCEAN CITY — A Delaware woman was arrested for obstructing and hindering last weekend after allegedly falsely telling police she was the driver in a two-vehicle collision.
Around 11:50 p.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to the area of 139th Street for a reported motor vehicle collision. OCPD officers observed the occupants of both vehicles involved standing near the collision site.
One male driver told police he was attempting to make a U-turn at 139th Street when an oncoming vehicle collided with his vehicle, according to police reports. An OCPD officer approached the group by the other vehicle involved and asked who was driving. The driver identified herself as Sara Carrow, 22, of Townsend, Del., according to police reports.
Carrow reportedly told officers her head was hurting from striking it during the collision. Carrow reportedly told officers she was definitely driving, but did not remember how she hit her head, according to police reports. She reportedly told officers she believed she injured her head by colliding with one of the other occupants in the vehicle.
However, OCPD officers observed a large crack in the windshield on the passenger side of the vehicle. That led officers to believe Carrow was not driving the vehicle at the time of the collision, because of the location of the windshield crack. No other occupants of the vehicle complained of head injuries, according to police reports.
Meanwhile, another occupant of the vehicle claimed he was driving at the time of the collision. According to police reports, OCPD officers spent over an hour at the scene trying to determine who was driving the vehicle at the time of the collision. When told she was wasting the officers’ time by continuing to insist she was driving the vehicle at the time of the collision, Carrow reportedly told officers she did not care. She was ultimately arrested and charged with obstructing and hindering an investigation and providing a false statement to police officers.
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Jail Time In Assault, Loaded Handgun Case
OCEAN CITY — A Maryland man was arrested in June after fleeing from a resort police officer and later found to have a loaded handgun in his vehicle pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Around 1:40 a.m. on June 8, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was patrolling in the area of St. Louis Avenue downtown when a vehicle parked near the public works department complex was observed with several people inside and the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. The officer approached the vehicle and tapped on the window, as the driver, later identified as Jihad Martinez, 19, of Accokeek, Md., looked directly at him, according to police reports.
Martinez then put the vehicle in gear and sped away, driving over the officer’s foot in the process. The vehicle drove north on St. Louis Avenue at a high rate of speed as the officer ordered it to stop, according to police reports. The officer gave chase to the vehicle on his bicycle, and the vehicle stopped at 6th Street. Several occupants of the vehicle fled the area on foot and dispersed in different directions.
The officer made contact with Martinez, who reportedly told police he did not know it was a police officer when someone approached the parked vehicle. Martinez reportedly told police he got scared and drove away, not knowing it was a police officer who tapped on the vehicle’s window. At that point, Martinez was arrested for second-degree assault and fleeing and eluding.
Martinez reportedly told the officer there was a bag of marijuana in the vehicle. During a subsequent search, OCPD officers located inside a cereal box a revolver with six bullets in the chamber. Martinez was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time he was stopped, but denied ownership of the loaded handgun, according to police reports. In addition to the initial assault and fleeing and eluding charges, possession of a handgun by a minor were tacked on. Last Friday, Martinez pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
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Hydrant Flushing Planned
OCEAN CITY — The Town of Ocean City’s Public Works Department will begin conducting the fall hydrant flushing of the water system beginning Sunday, Oct. 24. The hydrant flushing, which is done bi-annually, will progress from south to north, beginning on South 1st Street and covering several blocks per day.
Currently, public works personnel are scheduled to perform the hydrant flushing throughout the late evening hours and into the early morning hours; however, circumstances may require those times to change. Residents and businesses are reminded that after flushing there may be a slight discoloration of the water. This is not harmful and will dissipate after a short time. If you wish to clear your pipes, run cold water for several minutes until the water runs clear.
The completion of this project is expected to be done by the afternoon on Thursday, Oct. 28. For questions or concerns about the hydrant flushing in your area, please contact the Public Works Water Department at 410-524-8388.