OCEAN CITY — A Delaware man, wanted on a first-degree assault warrant from an incident in the resort in December, was arrested last weekend after a license plate reader on the Route 90 bridge alerted police.
Around 1 p.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers received a license plate reader (LPR) ping in reference to a suspect wanted on a warrant for an alleged first-degree assault from December. Ocean City Communications advised the suspect, identified as Matthew Moesle, 27, of Laurel, Del., was driving eastbound on Route 90.
An officer located the suspect’s vehicle heading northbound around 77th Street and confirmed Moesle was the driver who was wanted on the first-degree assault warrant from the incident in December. OCPD officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop of the vehicle around 112th Street and Coastal Highway with their weapons drawn, according to police reports.
OCPD officers ordered Moesle to get out of the vehicle and it was determined there was a young child inside. Communications confirmed the active first-degree assault warrant and Moesle was arrested, according to police reports.
During a search of the vehicle, officers located a plastic bag containing a glass jar in which was a white powder residue. Moesle reportedly told police he had been given the jar by another individual and was unaware there was anything in it, according to police reports.
Moesle was arrested and the child was transported to the Public Safety Building and Child Protective Services were contacted. The child was later released to his mother. During a search of his person during the booking process, Moesle was found to be in possession of heroin, according to police reports.
Moesle was charged with possession of heroin and child neglect for the immediate incident. He was also served the warrant for the alleged first-degree assault incident in December. According to police reports from the incident, around 8:45 a.m. on Dec. 16, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a residence at 103rd Street for a reported domestic assault that had already occurred.
The officers met with a female victim who reported she had been assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, identified as Moesle, who had reportedly left after the assault and was no longer at the unit. The victim reportedly told police she had moved to the unit recently to get away from Moesle. The victim and Moesle had been in a relationship and had a child together, according to police reports. The victim told police Moesle showed up at the unit stating he had baby supplies, but when he arrived he did not have anything, according to police reports.
The victim reportedly told police Moesle then passed out in a bedroom, and she let him sleep because she did not want to get into a fight with him. When the baby woke up in the morning, Moesle also woke up, according to police reports. When the victim told Moesle he had to leave, he reportedly became angry and grabbed the victim by the front of her neck and attempted to push her into a wall.
The victim told police she was able to get away from Moesle and went to a bedroom to find her phone so she could call the police, according to police reports. Moesle entered the room knowing she had called 911 and grabbed the phone and threw it against the wall, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told officers the couple fought over the phone and she ended up getting pushed to the floor.
Moesle left after the altercation and officers were not able to immediately locate him. Based on the victim’s statements, a warrant was sworn out for his arrest. When the LPR pinged on his vehicle last weekend, Moesle was taken into custody and charged with first-degree assault and other counts related to the heroin possession and child neglect.
