Attempted Stabbing
OCEAN CITY — A local man is being held without bond this week on first-degree assault and other charges after attempting to stab a female acquaintance at a downtown bar.
Around 2:15 a.m. last Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to the area of 28th Street for a reported verbal argument. The officer arrived and met with a female victim, who reported she had been in a nearby bar and talking with her friends when she was approached by another acquaintance, identified as Brandon Hudson, 34, of Snow Hill, according to police reports.
The victim reportedly told police Hudson approached her and was very agitated. The victim told police Hudson was making her uncomfortable, so she gathered her belongings and left the area. The victim told police once outside, Hudson followed her to a side parking lot area, displayed a large pocketknife and threatened to stab her, according to police reports.
The victim reportedly told police Hudson lunged at her four times with the knife blade pointed at her and that she feared he was about to kill her. The victim told police Hudson pointed the knife blade at her and he was violent in his actions and was actively trying to stab her, according to police reports.
The victim reportedly told police her friends began to come outside because they could hear her yelling for help. The victim told police after the attempted assault, Hudson walked or ran away from the area, according to police reports. OCPD officers interviewed the victim and several other witnesses, who all positively identified Hudson as the assailant and specifically mentioned him by name, according to police reports.
OCPD officers knew Hudson from prior encounters with the suspect and knew that he frequented the nearby establishment. Officers were able to positively identify Hudson utilizing the victim’s cell phone and coordinating it with information in the department’s database. According to police reports, the victim told officers she feared for her life and that in the moment, she believed the Hudson was going to kill her.
A warrant was sworn for Hudson’s arrest, charging him with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure. He was arrested on Tuesday and was ordered by a District Court Commissioner to be held without bond.
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Assault, Malicious Destruction
OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury woman was arrested last week after allegedly throwing a hotel hallway lamp at her suspected boyfriend and then hitting a security guard with it.
Around 11:45 p.m. last Tuesday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a reported disorderly individual at a hotel at 91st Street. Officers met with the complainant, a female hotel security guard, who advised a heavily intoxicated and disorderly female, later identified as Ebony Collins, 43, of Salisbury, was causing a disturbance in the hotel, according to police reports.
The security guard said a man believed to be Collins’ boyfriend wanted to go to the room where Collins and her children were staying to retrieve his wallet and phone. The security guard reportedly said when the man went to the room and retrieved is belongings, Collins threw a glass bottle at him. According to police reports, it is uncertain if the bottle struck the individual, but the distance between the bottle in the hallway and Collins’ room confirms she threw the bottle.
The security guard advised that after the male retrieved his wallet and phone, Collins followed him down the hallway to the elevator and forcefully grabbed a lamp that was plugged into the wall near the elevator and threw it at the male, according to police reports. The officers observed the lamp’s prongs were still stuck in the socket and the lampshade was torn, according to police reports.
The security guard said when the first elevator arrived at the fifth floor, she sent the male downstairs by himself in it. The security guard told officers she then attempted to grab the lamp from Collins, but she swung the lamp at her and hit her with it, according to police reports. The security guard reportedly had pieces of glass stuck in her hand from Collins hitting her with the lamp, although officers did not observe any obvious injuries to her hand. Collins was ultimately arrested and charged with second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property.
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Assaulted For Social Media Posts
OCEAN CITY — A Philadelphia man was arrested last weekend after allegedly assaulting his wife during an argument over social media posts.
Around 2:35 a.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a Boardwalk hotel at 14th Street for a reported domestic incident. Upon arrival, officers met with a hotel staffer who said a suspect, later identified as George Carr, 49, of Philadelphia, had asked the staffer to call 911 because his wife was irate, according to police reports.
Officers responded to the room in question and interviewed Carr, who reportedly told the officers his wife was angry because another female was responding to his social media post. Carr reportedly told police the only time the argument became physical was when he shoved her to separate his wife from him as he tried to enter the bathroom.
However, officers interviewed Carr’s wife, who told a separate version of the incident. The wife told officers she was angry because Carr had been sending kissy face emojis to another woman on social media. The wife told officers during the argument, Carr grabbed her by the head and threw her to the ground, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told police she got up to argue, and again, Carr grabbed her by the head and threw her to the ground.
The victim told police Carr then got on top of her and began to wrap his hands around her neck stating, “I’m going to [expletive deleted] kill you,” according to police reports. Officers did observe injuries to the victim’s neck consistent with her story. Based on the evidence and testimony, Carr was arrested and charged with second-degree assault.
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Loaded Gun At Pool Bar
OCEAN CITY — A Pittsburgh man was arrested last weekend after being found in possession of a loaded handgun at a downtown pool bar.
Around 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched the area of the Boardwalk and 4th Street for a reported man with a gun. Ocean City Communications advised the male was observed in the pool bar area. Communications advised the suspect, later identified as Rod Salka, 39, of Pittsburgh, Pa., had been drinking at the pool bar for about three hours and staff advised they observed a handgun in Salka’s waistband and called 911.
Officers arrived and pool bar staff pointed out Salka, who was leaving the bar, according to police reports. OCPD officers observed Salka to have a bulge in his waistband, which he was holding in place with the shoes he was carrying, according to police reports. The bulge was reportedly covered by Salka’s T-shirt, but officer knew from training weapons are often concealed in a suspect’s waistband.
Salka was detained in handcuffs. OCPD officers located in his waistband a loaded 9-mm handgun. According to police reports, Salka exhibited signs of intoxication and it was determined he had been wearing the handgun while he was in the bar. Salka was arrested and charged with wearing or carrying a firearm.
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Jail For Boardwalk Fight
OCEAN CITY — A Selbyville man, arrested in May after interfering with police officers attempting to attend to an unconscious male involved in a fight on the Boardwalk, was found guilty this week and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Around 1:20 a.m. on May 22, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to the area of Caroline Street and the Boardwalk for a reported fight in progress. Officers arrived and observed a large group of males surrounding a male who was unconscious and bleeding from the head and mouth, according to police reports.
Officers ordered the crowd to move back and allow paramedics to work on the unconscious male, but the unruly crowd was not listening to the officers’ commands. At that point, a male identified as Javontae Hicks, 19, of Selbyville, tried to push past the officers to attempt to see his friend, according to police reports.
An OCPD officer put his arm up to attempt to move Hicks back, Hicks assaulted the officer with his fists as the group looked on, many of whom were recording the altercation with their cell phones.
On Monday, Hicks was found guilty of second-degree assault and resisting arrest and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. He quickly filed an appeal in the case.
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Suspended Sentence
OCEAN CITY — A Willards man, arrested in April for malicious destruction of property, pleaded guilty this week and was sentenced to six months in jail, all of which was suspended.
Around 1:35 a.m. on April 20, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a restaurant and nightclub at 60th Street for a reported malicious destruction of property. Ocean City Communications advised bar security staff had a male suspect detained near the front door.
When OCPD officers arrived, they were flagged down by security staff who advised they were detaining the suspect, later identified as Barry Wien, 61, of Willards, on the opposite side of a footbridge on the property that funnels out to 59th Street.
OCPD officers reportedly observed bar security staff struggling with Wien and responded and secured the suspect in handcuffs. Bar security staff advised they had kicked Wien out of the establishment being too intoxicated and disorderly, according to police reports. Staff reported as Wien crossed the footbridge, he intentionally ripped down a light post and destroyed the light and its wiring in the process, according to police reports.
Wien reportedly told police after he knocked over the light post, he ran because he felt like a wounded animal scared for his life because bar security staff was targeting him, according to police reports. He said his plan was to sneak away and drive his car to leave.
This week, Wien pleaded guilty to malicious destruction of property and was sentenced to six months, all of which was suspended. He was placed on supervised probation for three years and ordered to pay over $1,400 in restitution to the victim.