Burglary Arrest For Squatting
OCEAN CITY — A Delaware man was arrested last weekend on burglary charges after allegedly breaking into a downtown residential unit.
Around 7:20 p.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a residence on Philadelphia Avenue for a reported breaking and entering. The officer met with the owner of the residence, who reported he saw the front door of his residence wide open with two males inside the unit. The owner reportedly told police the two men did not have his permission to be inside the unit and they walked away prior to the officer’s arrival.
The owner told police the two men, including Jacob Harden, 51, of Ocean View, Del., had been in his unit on Feb. 22 without his permission, but because of the extreme cold temperatures, he allowed them to stay in the unit for one night only. The officer located the two men, gave them trespass warnings and released them from the scene.
The officer advised the property owner OCPD officers would complete regular checks of his unit. Around 11:40 p.m. last Friday, an OCPD officer conducted a check of the property and knocked on the door, according to police reports.
Harden reportedly answered the door and was asked to step outside. Harden reportedly told the officer he needed to turn off the stove burners as that was how he was heating the unit. Harden told the officer he spoke with the property owner a week before and the owner gave him permission to stay in the unit for one week, according to police reports.
The officer spoke with the property owner, who reportedly said the only interaction he had ever had with Harden was that night in February when he allowed him to stay in the unit for just one night. He did not corroborate Harden’s story and told police he did not have permission to enter the unit. Harden was arrested and charged with fourth-degree burglary.
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Woman Kicking Door
OCEAN CITY — A Delaware woman was arrested for malicious destruction of property this week after allegedly kicking the door of a condo during a verbal altercation.
Around 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a residence on 123rd Street for a reported assault that had already occurred. The officers met with a male who advised he had been in a verbal altercation with a female, later identified as Jennifer Lichtenberg, 41, of Frankford, Del.
The male told police after the altercation, he shut the door on Lichtenberg, who was not welcome in the residence, according to police reports. A short time later, Lichtenberg reportedly began to aggressively kick the unit’s front door multiple times. The male advised police he told Lichtenberg to stop kicking the door, but she continued nonetheless, according to police reports.
The OCPD officer observed three dents and scuff marks on the front door, indicating it had been kicked. Lichtenberg left the area before police arrived on the scene. About a half-an-hour later, OCPD officers located Lichtenberg at a residence on 144th Street. She told police she had a verbal altercation with the male victim, but denied maliciously defacing the door, according to police reports.
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Traffic Stop Nets Cocaine Busts
OCEAN CITY — Two female suspects were arrested last weekend when cocaine was found in their vehicle during a traffic stop.
Around 2:30 a.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the midtown area observed a vehicle fail to stop at a stop sign at 62nd Street. The officer observed the vehicle travel north before making a U-turn at 65th Street and pulled over the vehicle at 63rd Street.
The officer made contacted the driver, identified as Elizabeth Kendall, 22, of Clayton, Del., who advised she and her passenger, identified as Angela Alexander, 23, of Church Hill, Md., were out getting pizza. Alexander was reportedly asked if there were any weapons or drugs in the vehicle, and Alexander reportedly hesitated and looked at Kendall before replying there were not.
When questioned further, Alexander told officers there was a small baggie of marijuana and that they had smoked some, according to police reports. Alexander was asked to step out of the vehicle and handed officers a clear bag containing marijuana. Kendall was also asked to step out of the vehicle at that point.
During a search, officers reportedly located a red bag containing powder cocaine in the center console. Also in the center console was located an empty baggie and a marijuana pipe. Both were arrested for possession because of their close proximity to the cocaine in the center console, according to police reports.
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Suspended Sentence For Setting Off Fire Alarm
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man, arrested in December for setting off a hotel fire alarm, throwing furniture from the ninth floor to the hotel’s pool deck and assaulting two guests, pleaded guilty this week to setting off a false alarm and was sentenced to 180 days, all of which was then suspended.
Around 10:35 p.m. on Dec. 8, Ocean City police 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.
Rudash pleaded guilty to setting off a false fire alarm and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, all of which was suspended. He was placed on supervised probation for two years.
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Domestic Assault Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested on first-degree assault and other charges last weekend after allegedly strangling his pregnant girlfriend and threatening to burn her house down.
Around 9:10 a.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a hotel room at 33rd Street for a reported domestic assault that had just occurred. Upon arrival, officers met with a female victim who advised her boyfriend, identified as Jordan Lescalleet, 23, of Greencastle, Pa., and strangled her and punched her in the stomach, according to police reports.
The victim, who was nine weeks pregnant at the time of the assault with Lescalleet’s child, said Lescalleet had pushed her five-year-old son into a table in order to forcefully place him in a chair, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told police she was in the bathroom when she heard her five-year-old crying. The victim’s six-year-old came into the bathroom and told the victim Lescalleet had picked up the five-year-old up by his arms and pushed him into a table, striking the child’s back, according to police reports.
OCPD officer observed visible signs of injury on the five-year-old, according to police reports. The victim told Lescalleet to leave the unit and he refused. The victim eventually grabbed Lescalleet by his hair and smacked at him to get him to leave the hotel room, but he continued to refuse, according to police reports.
When the victim threatened to leave Lescalleet in Ocean City, he reportedly threatened to burn down her house in West Virginia where she lives with her three children if she left him in Ocean City. Lescalleet then pressed his extended arm against the victim’s upper chest and lower neck area and pushed her backward. Lescalleet then punched the victim in the stomach and got behind her and put her in a choke-hold, according to police reports.
Lescalleet denied the assault and told police he was joking about threatening to burn the victim’s house down. He was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault and threat of arson.