Arrest In Hotel Ruckus
OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man was arrested last week after allegedly setting off a hotel fire alarm, throwing furniture from the ninth floor to the hotel’s pool deck and assaulting two guests.
Around 10:35 p.m. last Wednesday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a hotel at 32nd Street for a reported individual removing and discharging a fire extinguisher on the ninth floor. Ocean City Communications advised the Ocean City Fire Department had also been dispatched because a fire alarm had been activated.
OCPD officers met with a hotel maintenance employee who reportedly advised he had been in the hotel lobby when he observed furniture being thrown onto the pool deck. The employee reported two tables, one chair and a balcony screen door had been thrown onto the pool deck and went upstairs to investigate.
The employee reported encountering the suspect, later identified as Noah Rudash, 23, of Mount Morris, Pa., on the ninth floor. Rudash had removed a fire extinguisher and discharged it at the hotel employee, but the employee was not hit with any of the chemicals, according to police reports.
Officers heard the fire alarm sounding throughout the hotel. Officers went to the ninth floor and observed the box from which the fire extinguisher had been removed. The plastic box had been broken in order to remove the fire extinguisher and there was powder covering the wall around the box, the door to the stairway and the stairs, according to police reports.
Around 10:50 p.m., an OCPD officer was approached by two individuals who reported they had been assaulted by Rudash. The couple had exited the hotel via a stairwell because of the fire alarm and the female was allegedly grabbed by Rudash, who said, “You’re not going anywhere,” according to police reports.
The male in the couple then grabbed Rudash and performed an arm-bar takedown on him. Rudash retreated up the stairs and threw a “wet floor” sign at the male victim, striking him. A short time later, Ocean City Communications reported a second fire alarm had been activated in the hotel. OCPD officers located Rudash on the 12th floor sitting on a bench outside of the elevators. Rudash had white powder on his clothing and a fresh abrasion on his upper arm, according to police reports.
Rudash was detained in handcuffs at that point. He reportedly told police he was in his hotel room with his fiancé and her daughter when he heard a gunshot, according to police reports. Rudash told police he went out of the room to investigate and encountered a man with a pistol. According to police reports, Rudash told the officers he punched the unknown man in the face, but could not tell police where the man was then.
When asked about the furniture and the fire extinguisher, Rudash acted as if he did not know what the officers were talking about, according to police reports. The couple was brought up and reportedly identified Rudash as the man who had assaulted them. Rudash was arrested at that point and charged with malicious destruction of property, assault, and causing a false fire alarm.
Woman Refuses To Exit Vehicle Being Towed
OCEAN CITY – A Bivalve, Md. woman was arrested last weekend for obstructing and hindering after allegedly refusing to exit a vehicle police were attempting to two following an alleged drunk-driving stop.
Around 12:10 a.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the area of 59th Street observed a vehicle without its headlights on. The officer stopped the vehicle and made contact with the driver, who reportedly told police he was picking up the female passenger, identified as Taylor Hammond, 27, of Bivalve, Md. The driver reportedly told police he had not been drinking any alcohol, but he refused to submit to any field sobriety tests and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired and driving under the influence.
Hammond reportedly told police there was no sober driver within 20 minutes to drive the vehicle home, so officers told her it was going to be towed. Hammond reportedly became angry and rolled up her window and locked the doors. The tow truck arrived a short time later and Hammond needed to exit the vehicle to complete the tow form and allow the vehicle to be towed to the impound lot.
Hammond reportedly refused to exit the vehicle and was told if she did not comply, she would be arrested for hindering. She reportedly kept the windows up and the doors locked, and when police asked her again to exit the vehicle, she shook her head from side to side and mouthed the word no, according to police reports. A short time later, Hammond did exit the vehicle and she was arrested and charged with obstructing and hindering.
Passed Out In Apartment
OCEAN CITY – A Crofton, Md. woman was arrested last weekend after allegedly passing out uninvited in a downtown apartment.
Around 6:15 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a residence on Wicomico Street for a reported unconscious female on the floor of an apartment. Upon arrival, the officer met with the renter of the apartment, who advised he did not know the female or how she got into his locked apartment. The officer observed the female, later identified as Marissa Poliks, 23, of Crofton, Md., on the floor unconscious with her pants pulled down below her knees, according to police reports.
The officer was reportedly able to wake Poliks up and learned she had been the subject of a missing person call for service about an hour earlier. Poliks’ friends told police she had left a nearby bar located below the apartment in order to find a bathroom and had not returned. Poliks exhibited signs of intoxication, but she was able to stand up and fix her pants, according to police reports.
Poliks reportedly seemed unbothered by the fact she was in someone else’s apartment without permission. Video surveillance reportedly showed Poliks sitting on a wall near the parking lot before going over the wall and walking up the steps to the apartment and entering a door that led to the stairs. She was arrested and charged with fourth-degree burglary and trespassing.
Parking Lot Assault Alleged
OCEAN CITY – A Georgetown, Del. man was arrested last weekend after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend in a midtown nightclub parking lot.
Around 2:05 a.m. last Sunday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to the area of 49th Street for a reported 911 call. Ocean City Communications advised hearing a female saying get off me and male saying get out of my car during the call. The OCPD officer responded to the parking lot and observed a female crying. The officer asked the female if she had placed the 911 call and she acknowledged that she had, according to police reports.
The female victim had a laceration on her lower lip. The victim told police she and her boyfriend, later identified as Keith Wicks, Sr., 58, of Georgetown, Del., had been arguing inside a nearby nightclub. The victim said when the couple got to their vehicle, the argument turned physical with Wicks striking her in the face and causing the laceration to her lip.
The victim reportedly told police Wicks then drove off, running over her foot in the process.
Wicks reportedly called the victim while she was speaking with the police. The officers heard Wicks ask on speaker phone if the victim was with the police, which led officers to believe he was still in the area and could likely see them speaking with the victim. An OCPD officer asked for the phone to speak with Wicks in order to have him come back to speak with them, or for them to go where he was.
Wicks reportedly told the officer over the phone he had been in an argument with the victim, but nothing more. He reportedly denied anything physical occurred and that he did not want any involvement with police before hanging up. The victim provided police with a description of Wicks, what he was wearing at the time and that his Chevrolet Impala had Delaware tags that said “WICKY” on them, according to police reports.
An OCPD officers observed a male matching Wicks’ description about 100 feet from their location and walked toward him. At first, Wicks began to walk away at a fast pace, but eventually complied with the officers’ orders to stop and sit down on the curb, according to police reports.
Wicks reportedly told police the victim had been hitting him inside the nightclub and they left and went to the car. Wicks reportedly told police the victim had struck and scratched him while in the car and he pushed the victim out of the vehicle in order to defend himself. Wicks did have a scratch on his ear, but continued to assert nothing physical had happened, according to police reports.
Wicks reportedly told police he was trying to drive away as the victim was attempting to smash his windshield. In the police reports, officers noted Wicks had been telling two inconsistent stories about the incident, during one of which he reported nothing physical had happened, and the other that included him being scratched by the victim as he was pushing her out of the vehicle,
Wicks continued to deny causing the victim’s bloodied lip, however. Based on the evidence and testimony, OCPD officer determined Wicks was the primary aggressor and he was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.