Minor Neglect, Assault
OCEAN CITY – A late-night visit to a bar led to charges against a woman for leaving her young child alone in a vehicle for over an hour.
On June 25 around 1:15 a.m., Ocean City police were informed by witnesses around 50th Street there was a child left alone inside a vehicle with the windows cracked about an inch. The temperature recorded outside was 70 degrees. Police located a child about 2 to 3 years old in the vehicle. “I could see that the child’s chest was raising and falling and he was not in obvious distress however he was unsupervised and reportedly screaming prior to police arrival,” the police report read. Police were able to gain access to the vehicle and remove the child. A witness told police the child had been alone for at least 20 minutes, but bar personnel reported the vehicle entered the parking shortly after midnight.
After the vehicle was opened, police noticed an odor of urine from the car seat. While the child was being evaluated by paramedics, the mother, Dandy Orozco Castanon, 22, of Alexandria, Va., and another man, who was not the father, returned to the vehicle about 1:44 a.m. from the nearby bar. While speaking with the woman, it was clear to police she was inebriated and was carrying an alcoholic beverage. The woman told police she only left the child to locate her boyfriend, who was celebrating a birthday, before yelling at him and slapping him with her right open hand on the shoulder. The police investigation confirmed it had been at least an hour the child was alone.
During police questioning, other patrons began to film Castanon and police because she was screaming and acting erratically. The entire incident was recorded on body worn camera, according to police records.
Castanon was charged with second-degree assault for hitting her boyfriend, neglecting a minor in parent permanent custody, disorderly conduct and failure to obey a lawful order.
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Assaulting Officers
OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania woman faces assault charges after striking two Ocean City police officers.
On June 22, shortly after midnight, Ocean City police observed Lyla Wallis, 18, of Villanova, Pa., walking on 7th Street with a piece of fence she had picked up from a nearby property. Police observed her soon after picking it up toss the piece of fence onto a condominium building property and continue walking north. Wallis admitted to taking the fence and offered to return it to the original site.
During police questioning, Wallis refused to provide her home address and it was clear to police she was intoxicated. When she was being placed under arrest for theft, Wallis pulled away from the handcuffs and fled the scene north on Baltimore Avenue. Police followed in pursuit, while Wallis failed to comply with orders to stop. The woman ran into a residence that was not her own on Baltimore Avenue through a balcony door and tried to exit through a door to continue evading arrest. Occupants of the home ordered her out of the house, confirming for police it was not where the suspect lived or was staying.
When Wallis exited the home, she was apprehended by police officers who attempted to put her in handcuffs. Wallis again resisted and kicked two officers trying to apprehend her. Wallis was eventually placed in handcuffs, but she continued to scream.
In addition to two second-degree assault charges against the officers, Wallis was charged with theft $100-$1,500 for stealing the fence piece, fourth degree burglary, obstruction and hindering, littering, resisting arrest and a noise violation.
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Weapons Found In Traffic Stop
OCEAN CITY – A traffic stop for speeding led to weapons charges this month.
On June 21, Ocean City police was alerted by Delaware State Police (DSP) to be on the lookout for a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed without taillights from Delaware. DSP reported to Ocean City Police Communications the vehicle had fled from a traffic stop in Delaware. Around 116th Street, police pulled the vehicle over.
When police asked the motorist, Christopher Reardon, 52, of Lewes, whether there were any weapons in his possession, he admitted to having a knife on him. Police found an assisted opening knife in his pants pocket. Reardon’s vehicle was impounded after investigation found it to be unsafe.
An inventory of the vehicle found a pair of metal knuckles concealed inside a sunglass container. The metal knuckles and assisted opening knife are violations under Ocean City’s weapons ordinance.
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Drug, Assault Charges
OCEAN CITY – A Delaware man’s combative actions resulted in police filing drug possession and other charges last weekend.
Ocean City police were tending to an alcohol violation on the Boardwalk and Dorchester Street on June 24 around 12:30 a.m. when Matthew Moesle, 29, of Laurel, Del., refused to obey orders to leave the scene multiple times. Police reports indicate Moesle was intoxicated and attracting attention with his vulgar protests of his friend’s arrest for an alcohol violation.
Moesle’s actions escalated to the point police placed him under arrest for disorderly conduct. Moesle resisted arrest and called the officer offensive names repeatedly before pushing the officer with both hands in the chest multiple times. The police officer took Moesle to the ground, but the suspect continued to battle with officers, screaming obscenities the entire time.
Once Moesle was placed in handcuffs finally, police found two doses of Suboxone films in his pants pocket.
Moesle was charged with disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, second-degree assault and possession of CDS of Schedule III (suboxone).
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Late-Night Assault
OCEAN CITY – A late-night assault led to multiple charges against a Delaware man last weekend.
Around 2:14 a.m. on June 24, Ocean City police were alerted to an assault that occurred outside a restaurant around 56th Street. Witness statements and video surveillance showed Brian Boyer, 29, of Rehoboth Beach, Del., instigating a fight with other individuals. Video shows Boyer punch a man three times in the face in a pouring rain, resulting in the victim dropping the pizza he was carrying. The suspect fled the scene north after assaulting the individual. Witnesses told police Boyer referenced being in possession of a gun during the assault.
Police located Boyer two blocks from the assault, but the suspect would not obey orders to stand still for questioning. At one point, a police officer grabbed Boyer to keep him on the site, and Boyer slapped his arm away. Boyer’s girlfriend was also assaulted during the exchange during her attempts to quell the situation.
Boyer was ultimately subdued and arrested. He was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, obstructing and hindering a police officer, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.
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Electric Scooter On Boards
OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man’s use of a scooter on the Boardwalk landed him in jail last Saturday afternoon.
On June 24, around 12:30 p.m., two Ocean City police officers were on bike patrol on the Boardwalk when it was observed a male, later identified as Elijah Gonzalez, 20, of Middletown, Pa., operating an electric scooter at a high rate of speed on the Boardwalk. A police officer attempted to stop Gonzalez on the scooter around Caroline Street and the Boardwalk, but he refused to stop and rode north, ignoring voice commands to “get off the scooter” for safety reasons, according to charging documents. Electric scooters are not permitted on the Boardwalk. According to the police report, “The Boardwalk was crowded with pedestrian traffic and the Boardwalk Tram was in operation.”
Police followed Gonzalez to address the ordinance violation, but he turned at N. Division Street to head west before crashing his scooter on the concrete pad near the Boardwalk Arch. The bike officers were able to catch up with Gonzalez, who would not comply with orders to sit down. When handcuffs were attempted to be applied to Gonzalez, he immediately became more combative and resistive.
While Gonzalez was being tended to by police, he was asked for identification. Saying he would retrieve it from his pants pocket, Gonzalez stood up and was able to remove his left wrist from the handcuff and fled the scene. Three hours later, Gonzalez was located near the attempted site of the arrest at N. Division Street and Baltimore Avenue.
Gonzalez is charged with obstructing and hindering, refusing to provide proper identification, intentionally resisting arrest and fleeing custody after being arrested.
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Public’s Assistance Sought
SNOW HILL – The Snow Hill Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating a wanted individual as well as information in an active investigation.
Maquia Tene Briddell
The Snow Hill Police Department currently holds active warrants for Maquia Tene Briddell, 41, who is wanted on an active arrest warrant after being charged with first-, third- and fourth-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit home invasion.
Anyone with any information about Briddell’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Snow Hill Police Department at 410-632-2444.
Additionally, Snow Hill police officers are seeking information on a home invasion last month on Maple Street around 4:30 p.m. Information provided by the victim indicated there was a knock on the door and observed an adult female and female juvenile attempting to sell cookies. As the victim had a conversation with the female, a male was observed enter the open front door of the home. The male suspect then assaulted the victim and threatened the victim with a hammer. The suspect then fled from the residence after robbing the victim of his wallet, cell phone and money.
Officers were able to obtain a suspect description from the victim. Law enforcement then responded to a Ross Street address in Snow Hill and located the suspect, Craig Lamont Jackson, who was identified by the victim as the person who had entered his home and assaulted him. Jackson was placed under arrest without incident and charged with home invasion, first-, third- and fourth-degree burglary, armed robbery, first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and theft under $1,500.
Jackson was taken before a judicial officer and held without bond pending a bail review in District Court. The Snow Hill Police Department was assisted by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Worcester County Bureau of Investigation, and Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information on the above referenced case is asked to contact the Snow Hill Police Department at 410-632-2444.