Cops & Courts – January 21, 2022

Loaded Handgun Found

OCEAN CITY — A Baltimore man was arrested on weapons charges last week after a loaded handgun was found among other things in the vehicle in which he was riding as a passenger.

Around 9:30 p.m. last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the area of 99th Street reportedly observed a Ford van traveling northbound on Coastal Highway going 53 mph in a 40 mph zone. The officer conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver and his passenger, identified as Kenneth Perholtz, 53, of Baltimore.

According to police reports, the officer detected the odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The officer asked the driver and Perholtz to step out of the vehicle and OCPD officers conducted a search of the passenger compartment, according to police reports.

During the search, OCPD officers reportedly located multiple containers of loose marijuana, along with various smoking devices and other paraphernalia. Officers also located a wooden baton concealed behind the front passenger seat, along with an assisted-opening knife in the driver door pocket, according to police reports.

In the rear passenger seat, OCPD officers reportedly located a loaded Smith and Wesson revolver in a duffle bag along with some folded clothes. At that point, Perholtz and the driver were detained in handcuffs. Perholtz reportedly agreed to speak with the officers and said he knew nothing about any drugs or weapons in the vehicle. He did, however, admit the green duffle bag containing the loaded handgun belonged to him, according to police reports.

When questioned directly about the handgun, Perholtz told the officers “I forgot about that,” according to police reports. Perholtz reportedly told police he had a concealed carry permit, but it had expired in 2011. The handgun was a .357 magnum revolver with all five cylinders loaded with hollow point ammunition. There was a speed loader containing five more rounds located near the revolver. Perholtz was arrested and charged with knowingly transporting a loaded handgun and other weapons charges, along with open container violation for the open can of beer found in the vehicle.

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Lobby Squatter Arrested

OCEAN CITY — A Mardela Springs, Md. man was arrested last weekend after allegedly ignoring requests for him to leave a midtown hotel after a night auditor allowed him to sit in the hotel lobby for about an hour.

Around 12:15 a.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a hotel at 43rd Street for a reported disorderly male. The officer arrived and met with the night auditor who advised around an hour earlier, a suspect known to police as Dennard Murray, Sr., 64, of Mardela Springs, staggered into the hotel.

Murray reportedly told the officer he could not afford to rent a room and that he just wanted to sit in the lobby. The night auditor allowed Murray to use the lobby as a shelter for roughly one hour, according to police reports.

Over an hour later, the night auditor approached Murray and repeatedly asked him to leave if he was not going to rent a room. Each time the auditor asked Murray to leave, Murray would say “why don’t you [expletive deleted] call the cops,” according to police reports.

The officer approached Murray, who was exhibiting obvious signs of intoxication, according to police reports. The night auditor issued an indefinite trespass warning to Murray in the officer’s presence. The officer explained the trespass warning and advised Murray if he did not vacate the premised and remained on the property, he would be arrested, according to police reports.

Murray then launched into an expletive-laced tirade at the officer and the night auditor, who was visibly disturbed, according to police reports. At that point, Murray was arrested for trespassing and disorderly conduct. Murray was transported to the Public Safety Building for processing.

About an hour later, Murray reportedly requested to be evaluated by Emergency Medical Services. When asked what his medical complaint was, Murray repeatedly told police “I just want to go to the [expletive deleted] hospital,” according to police reports.

Ocean City EMS arrived to evaluate Murray and asked him about his medical complaint. Murray ignored them and refused to be evaluated. Ocean City EMS determined Murray did not have any visible injuries and did not appear to be in any pain, according to police reports. As a result, an additional charge of knowingly making a false call for an ambulance by making a false medical complaint was tacked on.

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Brother Arrested For Assaulting Sister

OCEAN CITY — A Florida man was arrested on assault charges last weekend after allegedly scrapping with his sister and nearly breaking her leg during a domestic incident at an uptown residence.

Around 7:20 p.m. last Sunday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a residence on Rusty Anchor Road to assist Ocean City EMS with a woman with a possible broken leg. Upon arrival, the officer observed the female victim on the couch with her left leg elevated.

The victim reportedly told the officer she had been in an altercation with her brother, identified as John McLaughlin, 66, of Juno Beach, Fla. The victim, a registered nurse, told police she was treating her mother, who was in hospice care in a back bedroom of the adjacent unit, according to police reports.

According to police reports, the victim told officers McLaughlin had become agitated because he believed the victim was attempting to wake her up. The victim told police she came out of the bedroom with her mother and attempted to use the television remote control. The victim reportedly told officers a verbal argument ensued, and the victim then took McLaughlin’s cell phone and threw it out the door.

The victim reportedly attempted to leave when McLaughlin grabbed her by the back of the head and threw her to the ground. McLaughlin reportedly then got on top of the victim and pinned her to the ground, and only got off when the victim told him multiple times while was on her leg that she felt like her leg was going to break. OCPD officers observed the victim’s lower left leg was red and blue and she appeared to be in extreme pain when she moved it, according to police reports.

Officers interviewed McLaughlin, who told police the victim had hit him in the head and poked him in the chest with the remote control. McLaughlin reportedly told police he attempted to grab his cell phone to record the incident when the victim grabbed the phone and threw it out the door and into the back yard. McLaughlin told police he attempted to grab the victim’s sweatshirt on her arm, causing the victim to slip on the wet and slipper deck, according to police reports.

OCPD officers then interviewed the caretaker of the mother, who said she was in a back room when she heard the victim and McLaughlin arguing. The caretaker reportedly told police the argument got so bad she went out into the living room where it was going on and observed the victim throwing McLaughlin’s cell phone out the door.

The caretaker reportedly corroborated the victim’s story about McLaughlin grabbing her by the head and throwing her to the ground. The caretaker also advised the victim pleaded out loud that McLaughlin was putting too much weight on her leg and that she felt it was going to break. Based on all of the evidence and testimony, McLaughlin was arrested and charged with second-degree assault.