Indecent Exposure, Assault
OCEAN CITY – A local man is facing multiple charges after an afternoon flashing of private parts to a group followed by an attempted whipping of one of the victims.
On Aug. 28, around 3 p.m., Ocean City police officers were dispatched to 9th Street and Baltimore Avenue for a report of 30 people assaulting a man. Around the same time a call came in for an indecent exposure on 10th Street involving a man exposing his penis to children and swinging a large leather whip at a group of adults.
Shortly after the initial call, another officer noticed a bicyclist nearly fitting the description of the suspect from the indecent exposure. Despite emergency lights and sirens being activated, Carter Derickson Jr., 57, of Ocean City, continued to ride his bike northbound. Police were able to stop Derickson, who began immediately yelling at the responding officer.
When asked to provide identification, Derickson told the cop his ID was in his bookbag, which contained a black Husky claw hammer as well as large leather bull whip. Inside a pair of shorts in the bag were two spring-assisted opening knives not permitted in Ocean City.
Meanwhile, while Derickson was detained, other officers interviewed two victims of the alleged indecent exposure. The victims reported Derickson pulled down his pants and showed his private parts four times to them and their children who were on a condominium balcony. When the male victim went downstairs to talk with Derickson about his behavior, the suspect reportedly began swinging his whip at him. Police were able to obtain a short video confirming the indecent exposure.
Derickson was charged with two counts of indecent exposure, second-degree assault, carrying a dangerous weapon (leather whip) with intent and purpose to injure, carrying a dangerous weapon (claw hammer) with intent and purpose to injure and two counts of possession of a spring-assisted opening knife prohibited by city code.
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Burglary Attempted
OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man was charged with burglary and trespassing after breaking a window to a hotel room.
On Sept. 1, around 9 p.m., a uniformed Ocean City bike officer responded to a report of glass being shattered around 6th Street and a shirtless male walking with blood on his hands. Trayvon Woodard, 25, of Lancaster, Pa., was identified as the suspect. Woodard’s arm and hand were cut, and he showed signs of being intoxicated. Woodard admitted to police he had consumed multiple shots of alcohol throughout the day. Woodard repeatedly tried to touch the police officers with his bloody hands. When asked to refrain, Woodard became loud and threatened the officers.
The caller who called in the incident told police he heard “three loud thuds followed by glass shattering,” according to the police report. Police investigation found the shattered glass was a unit’s window at a nearby hotel that had been destroyed. Droplets of blood were found on the unit’s damaged as well as the door and nearby spots. Shards of glass were also discovered in the suspect’s right arm. The injuries required stitches at AGH, where Woodard screamed profanities around children in the emergency room.
Woodard was charged with fourth-degree burglary, malicious destruction of property and trespassing.
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Assault, Malicious Destruction
OCEAN CITY – A Maryland man’s actions in a hotel room with a woman he had just met led to indecent exposure, sexual assault and malicious destruction charges.
Ocean City police initiated an assault investigation on Aug. 26 when a woman reported meeting a man, later identified as David Topper, 49, of Frostburg, at a hotel. The victim and Topper had met on a dating app, “Seeking Arrangements.” After meeting in the hotel lobby, Topper and the woman went to his room.
Once inside the room, Topper made advancements on the victim, who informed him she was not interested in anything physical. The woman told police Topper inappropriately touched her body parts repeatedly and attempted to force oral sex at one point after he exposed himself. When the unwanted contact would not stop, the woman tried to leave the hotel room but Topper refused to stop blocking the door. The woman was eventually able to leave the room and Topper followed her to her vehicle.
According to the victim, Topper began punching and kicking her vehicle, breaking the driver’s side window. Police noted several dents to the vehicle. Approximately $1,000 in damage to the vehicle was estimated.
When police questioned Topper, he denied meeting the woman and any involvement in anything inappropriate. Topper was placed under arrest for fourth degree sex offense, second degree assault, indecent exposure and malicious destruction of property.
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First-Degree Assault
OCEAN CITY – A first-degree assault charge has been filed against a local man after a domestic abuse investigation.
On Sept. 4, around 5:30 a.m., Ocean City police responded to a residence on Trimper Avenue for a domestic dispute. A neighbor told police he could hear a man screaming obscenities, making threats and physically assaulting a woman inside the unit. The witness told police he heard Gary Duncan, 40, of Ocean City, scream, “I’m gonna kill you tonight,” among other threats.
Police arrived on the scene and could hear Duncan, “yelling and actively beating a female,” according to the police report. Police told Duncan repeatedly to exit the unit but he refused. Duncan did eventually come outside in an aggressive fashion. Police reportedly pointed their weapons at Duncan out of fear for their safety. Duncan then barricaded himself inside the unit.
Members of the Ocean City Police Department’s Quick Response Team were called to the scene, breaching the door and placing Duncan under arrest. Once Duncan was removed from the unit, police located the female hiding blankets in a bedroom. The victim had blood coming from her nose and her face was severely beaten with one eye swollen shut. The woman had multiple open lacerations on her face and several abrasions on her body. EMS advised the visible injuries as well as a large cut on her stomach were life threatening if not treated immediately.
Duncan was charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, obstruction and hindering a police officer and reckless endangerment. A database searched found Duncan had previous convictions for assaults.
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Weapons Charges
OCEAN CITY – A man driving without a license and insurance resulted in police last week locating two hidden weapons inside the vehicle.
On Aug. 31, around 1 a.m., Ocean City police observed a 2005 Cadillac STS with Virginia registration traveling west without headlines on along 60th Street. A MVA registration check found the vehicle was registered to a resident of Salisbury. It was also discovered the registered owner was Messiah McMillan, whose privilege to drive had been suspended three times. Police pulled the vehicle over, and McMillan exited his vehicle to talk with police.
Police asked McMillan why his vehicle was registered in Virginia and not Maryland. McMillan said his vehicle would not pass Maryland inspection. McMillan was later found to be wanted for a failure to appear the day before on Aug. 30.
An inventory of McMillan’s vehicle resulted in no insurance information being found. A black, replica revolver firearm was located between the driver’s seat and the center console. Police also found am eight-inch knife concealed between the passenger seat and the center console.
In addition to driving with a suspended license and other traffic offenses, McMillan was charged with carrying a concealed deadly weapon and transporting a gun replica within a vehicle.