Deadly Weapon Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A littering stop for flicking cigarette ashes onto Coastal Highway last weekend led to a deadly weapon arrest when the driver was found in possession of a hatchet.
Last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the midtown area was behind a vehicle in the area of 49th Street and observed the driver with a lit cigarette in his hand extended from the driver’s side window of the vehicle. As the officer followed, he observed the driver, Deonte Spratling, 39, of Salisbury, twice flick the cigarette’s ashes onto the public street, according to police reports.
Due to the littering violation, the officer activated his lights and siren and conducted a traffic stop. The officer collected Spratling’s license and registration for the vehicle and informed him of the reason for the stop. Due to the unsafe location of the stop, the officer had Spratling pull into a nearby parking lot.
The officer reportedly noticed the registration provided did not match the tags on the vehicle he was driving. While Spratling was looking for the correct registration, the officer noticed a black handle protruding from the space between the center console and the front passenger seat, according to police reports.
When asked what the handle belonged to, Spratling told the officer “My hatchet,” according to police reports. The officer asked Spratling to retrieve the hatchet for him and the suspect was easily able to reach between the seat and the center console and remove the Husky brand 1.25-pound hatchet, according to police reports.
When asked why he was carrying a hatchet. Spratling reportedly told the officer he carries it for protection. The officer noted in the report the blade of the hatchet was partially covered with a plastic guard, but the guard was cracked, and the metal blade of the hatchet was exposed. Additional units arrived and Spratling was ordered to exit the vehicle. At that point, he was placed under arrest for possession of the hatchet, considered a concealed deadly weapon.
A background check revealed he was on probation and the officer observed he was outfitted with an electronic ankle monitor. He was charged with possession of a deadly weapon.
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Trespassing Arrest At Hotel
OCEAN CITY — A Virginia man was arrested last weekend after getting evicted from a midtown hotel property and refusing to leave.
Around 10:45 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the midtown area was approached by a security guard from a nearby hotel. The guard advised a male was being disorderly and the hotel wanted the male evicted and trespassed, according to police reports.
The security guard reportedly told the officer he wanted to call the police earlier, however, the suspect, later identified as Trey Jones, 30, of Manassas Park, Va., had left the area before he had a chance to call. The security guard told the officer Jones had been in the bar area of the hotel restaurant and was making the employees feel uncomfortable, according to police reports.
Jones was reportedly making inappropriate comments to female workers. The security guard said he approached Jones and asked him to stop, however, Jones became confrontational, according to police reports. The security guard told police Jones was staying in a room on the third floor and his belongings were still there. The security guard said Jones’ wife and children were welcome to continue to stay at the hotel, but that he wanted Jones evicted and trespassed.
The OCPD officer followed the security guard to the hotel and located Jones in the parking lot, according to police reports. He reportedly showed signs of intoxication. The officer asked Jones what had happened, and he moaned something incoherent about his wife falling out of their room. Jones then said nothing happened and it was all a misunderstanding, according to police reports.
The security guard approached, and in front of the officer gave Jones an indefinite trespassing from the hotel property, according to police reports. The security guard reportedly advised Jones he was being evicted and he was not allowed back on the hotel property. At that point, Jones reportedly became irate and began yelling at the security guard in front of his young children. The OCPD officer attempted to explain what the trespass order meant and he would attempt to help him retrieve his phone and his wallet from the hotel room, but Jones continued to yell incoherently, according to police reports.
The officer reportedly attempted to usher Jones from through the parking lot and off the hotel property, but he would not cooperate. Instead, he took baby steps or stopped walking altogether. He reportedly told the officer he could walk at any pace he wanted as long as he was walking, according to police reports.
After being given multiple chances to walk peacefully off the hotel property, Jones was ultimately arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing.
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Getting Rid Of The Stash
OCEAN CITY — A Delaware man was arrested last week after allegedly driving behind a building to discard his marijuana and cocaine after getting pulled over for a traffic stop.
Around 12:30 a.m. last Tuesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the area of 45th Street was passed by a vehicle emanating a strong odor of marijuana. As the officer pulled closer to the vehicle, the odor of marijuana became stronger, according to police reports.
The officer observed the vehicle turn west on Bayshore Drive and conducted a traffic stop. Rather than immediately pull over, the vehicle, driven by Phillip Bratton, 28, of Frankford, Del., turned north into the parking lot of a nearby business, continued driving behind the business and turned east before coming to a stop, according to police reports.
The officer approached Bratton, who showed visible signs of impairment, according to police reports. The officer reportedly observed in plain view in the vehicle a tray containing marijuana and a smoking device in the center console. An assisting officer located two tied-off plastic baggies of suspected cocaine on the ground behind the traffic stop, according to police reports. Officers also located a plastic baggie of marijuana on the ground behind the business behind which Bratton had driven.
According to police reports, it was determined Bratton had driven around behind the business to discard the alleged cocaine and marijuana prior to pulling over for the traffic stop. Bratton at that point was arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired.
When questioned during the booking process, Bratton admitted driving behind the business to possessing the cocaine and marijuana, and that he threw it from the vehicle when he drove around the business after the initial officer had activated his emergency lights. He was charged with possession, obstructing an investigation and driving while impaired.
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Disorderly Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A Sykesville, Md. man was arrested last week after allegedly causing a commotion downtown during a routine traffic stop.
Around 9:50 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers conducted a traffic stop in the area of St. Louis Avenue. During the course of the investigation, OCPD officers observed marijuana inside the vehicle, according to police reports.
The occupants were asked to exit the vehicle as the investigation continued. One of the occupants, identified as Thomas Robey, 26, of Sykesville, Md. reportedly became verbally aggressive. Robey spoke in a loud tone while using profanity.
According to police reports, Robey’s actions caused citizens from nearby houses to exit their residences to observe the commotion. Robey was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.
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Time Served For Embezzling
OCEAN CITY — A foreign seasonal worker, arrested in August after a paper trail revealed he was reopening restaurant checks paid for in cash and issuing comps and pocketing the money, pleaded guilty to one count of theft last week and was sentenced to 23 days, or the time he served while awaiting trial.
On Aug. 29, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers began investigating a theft investigation at a midtown restaurant. OCPD officers met with the restaurant’s managers, who reported an employee, a J-1 student worker from Romania, later identified as Marius Chira, 23, of Ocean City, had been allegedly stealing money from the restaurant. The managers explained it was Chira’s second season working at the restaurant.
The managers reportedly explained Chira’s last day of work was scheduled for the coming days and Chira was returning to Romania within the week. A manager advised officers he recently received a call from a customer who reported the amount she was charged at the restaurant did not match the amount on her receipt. Chira had been the customer’s server and the manager began reviewing her sales receipts.
The manager advised officers beginning in July, there was an excessive number of complimentary meals, or comps, provided by Chira to her customers, according to police reports. The manager explained the restaurant seldom issues a comp for a customer’s meal and rarely issues a comp for an entire check.
The manager reportedly explained a manager’s approval is needed to comp any portion of a customer’s check, much less an entire check. A review of Chira’s receipts showed checks that had been opened by Chira and later comped using a different manager’s four-digit code. A check with the other manager revealed she had not authorized any of the comps on Chira’s receipts.
According to police reports, a check of Chira’s receipts revealed several checks that had been paid for with cash had been later re-opened by Chira and comped using the other manager’s four-digit code, essentially allowing Chira to pocket the cash. All in all, the comped cash checks totaled nearly $3,400.
On August 30, OCPD officers interviewed Chira at the restaurant. Chira admitted he had seen the other manager’s four-digit code and remembered it. Chira admitted using the code to reopen checks that had been paid in cash and keeping the money. Chira told police he was leaving Ocean City and would return to his native Romania within a week. Chira was arrested and charged with multiple counts of theft and embezzlement. Last week, Chira pleaded guilty to one count of theft under $1,500 and was sentenced to 23 days, or the time he served while awaiting trial.