No Brotherly Love
OCEAN CITY — Two Philadelphia brothers were arrested last weekend after allegedly tackling a man on the beach following an incident near 49th Street.
Around 1:20 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to the area of 49th Street in reference to a disorderly group of people. While officers were arriving at the scene, Ocean City Communications advised there were two males involved in the incident walking north on Coastal Highway.
OCPD officers located one of the males, who was reportedly talking on his phone. The male could be overheard telling someone over the phone he had been punched in the face and had gotten out of the area, according to police reports.
While the officers were talking with the male victim, two other men, later identified as Neil Horner, 32, of Philadelphia, and Patrick Horner, 28, of Philadelphia, ran toward the male victim, according to police reports. When the victim saw the two Horner brothers running toward him, he fled toward the beach.
While the officer was observing, Neil and Patrick Horner tackled the victim to the ground. The victim could not lift his face out of the sand because Patrick Horner was holding his face down. Meanwhile, Neil Horner was pinning the victim’s torso and legs to the ground, according to police reports.
The officer ordered Neil and Patrick Horner off the victim and the three men separated. Neil Horner and Patrick Horner advised the victim was the friend of another man who had assaulted Neil Horner, and police observed dried blood on Neil Horner’s face, according to police reports.
Neil Horner and Patrick Horner were each arrested and charged with second-degree assault and affray. The victim was also detained as OCPD officers attempted to investigate what had happened leading up to the incident.
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Mother, Son Arrested
OCEAN CITY — A mother and son were arrested last weekend on various charges after allegedly causing a ruckus at a downtown hotel.
Around 9:15 p.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a hotel at 25th Street for a welfare check. OCPD officers met with a man, identified a Brandon Falcone, 21, of Mount Airey, Md., who claimed he had been assaulted. Falcone was bleeding from his mouth and had multiple scrapes on his body and was being treated by Ocean City EMS, according to police reports.
Falcone advised his mother, later identified as Celeste Balsam, 50, of Mount Airey, was with him in Ocean City, according to police reports. It was learned a Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) officer had been dispatched to Old Bridge Road in West Ocean City for a report of an intoxicated male, later identified as Falcone, shedding his clothing, according to police reports.
About a half an hour later, Ocean City EMS was dispatched to the hotel at 25th Street for a report that Falcone was on his bicycle and had fallen. OCPD officers responded and found Falcone shirtless and in an intoxicated state and bleeding from his face. Falcone was reportedly screaming a hotel guests, the EMTs trying to treat him and the OCPD officers that had just arrived while threatening to fight them and spit blood on them, according to police reports.
Falcone admitted to riding the bicycle, which he stole from an unknown owner, according to police reports. The NRP officer who had first encountered Falcone in West Ocean City reported he never saw him with a bicycle. Falcone said he taken the bicycle from the area of 23rd Street after taking an Uber from West Ocean City, according to police reports.
Meanwhile, he continued his expletive-laced tirade toward the officers, according to police reports. He was ultimately arrested for driving while intoxicated on a bicycle, disorderly conduct, theft of the bicycle and failure to obey a lawful order among other counts.
A short time later, Balsam arrived at the scene and began yelling and asking what had happened to her son. OCPD officers advised Balsam that Falcone had claimed to have been assaulted and an investigation was underway, according to police reports.
Balsam reportedly disregarded the officers’ comments and took her phone out and began taking pictures of Falcone’s injuries.
Balsam was reportedly highly intoxicated and slurred her words as she screamed at officers regarding what had happened to her son. She was advised to lower her voice because she was becoming disorderly. Meanwhile, numerous occupants of the hotel came out of their rooms because of the commotion Balsam was creating, according to police reports.
Balsam refused to lower her voice and began recording the incident with her phone, according to police reports. Balsam was ultimately arrested for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
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Drugs, Weapon Bust After OC Traffic Stop
OCEAN CITY — A Bowie, Md. man was arrested last weekend after claiming ownership of crack cocaine and suboxone during a traffic stop.
Around 3:20 a.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the downtown area observed a vehicle with its rear license plate obscured and not illuminated. The officer ultimately pulled the vehicle over on Route 50 at Inlet Isle Lane. The officer identified the front seat passenger as Thomas Hawkins, 43, of Bowie, Md.
In the vehicle was the driver and another man in a rear passenger seat. The officer observed fishing rods and tackle in the vehicle, and Hawkins reportedly told police the men had been fishing near the bridge. According to police reports, the officer detected the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. That resulted in a probable cause search of the vehicle.
In the vehicle, OCPD officers reportedly located a fixed-blade knife in a black sheath, a yellow and clear smoking device with marijuana residue, 19 blue and white packages labeled Suboxone, 14 small plastic bags containing suspected crack cocaine, all within arm’s reach of the front passenger seat where Hawkins was located during the traffic stop.
Each of the vehicle’s occupants were detained and interviewed. Hawkins reportedly told police all of the crack cocaine and suboxone found in the vehicle belonged to him. When asked if he was selling the narcotics, Hawkins said he sometimes sells crack cocaine to make money to purchase other narcotics for his personal use, according to police reports.
Hawkins had claimed ownership of the crack cocaine and the suboxone and that he had brought the narcotics to Ocean City for a one-night fishing trip, according to police reports. Because the amount of narcotics to which Hawkins claimed ownership was sufficient to indicate he was dealing, Hawkins was arrested and charged with possession of controlled dangerous substances with intent to distribute and possession of a deadly weapon.
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Boardwalk Theft Attempt
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested last week after allegedly attempting to steal a bag from another man on the Boardwalk.
Around 12:40 p.m. last Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to the area of Talbot Street and Baltimore Avenue for a reported malicious destruction of property. Ocean City Communications provided a description of the suspect and advised he would be carrying a light blue backpack.
The OCPD officer arrived in the area and located the suspect, identified as Mark White, 40, of Lancaster, Pa. When white observed the officers’ vehicle, he reportedly made a quick and deliberate turn and walked north through the Worcester Street parking lot and crossed Philadelphia Avenue.
OCPD officers eventually stopped White and had him sit on a curb. White asked why he was being detained and he was reportedly told he matched the description of a suspect involved in a destruction of property case on the Boardwalk. White said, “That’s not what happened,” according to police reports.
At first, White told police he was on his way to work and had come from the Inlet. He then changed his story and told officers he had just gotten off a city bus and had not been at the Inlet all day. White denied speaking to anyone on the Boardwalk and gave officers permission to search his backpack, according to police reports.
It was determined White was wanted on an outstanding warrant from Pennsylvania and he was arrested. OCPD officers met with the alleged victim, who reportedly told police he had tied his property to a pole on the Boardwalk and that he had watched White cut a strap on a bag he had purchased for $7 with a knife or a razorblade.
White had been found with a knife on his person. The victim told police White had cut the strap on the bag and attempted to run away. However, White had not cut a second strap and could not steal the bag. When the victim confronted White, he fled the area, which is when the victim called the police. The victim was brought over and positively identified White as the suspect who had damaged his property.
OCPD officers viewed City Watch surveillance footage and observed White using a sawing motion to cut the strap of the victim’s bag, according to police reports. White was arrested and charged with theft and malicious destruction of property and the outstanding warrant from Pennsylvania.