OCEAN CITY – A
Westminster man faces first-degree assault and other charges this week after
allegedly scooping up a woman walking on 49th Street and running
with her at a full sprint before tossing her onto a crowded Coastal Highway.
At around 2 a.m. on
Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer observed a man, later
identified as Steven B. Barnett, 20, approach a group of several women walking
eastbound on the street. Without warning or provocation, Barnett allegedly
picked up one of the women and began running toward Coastal Highway with her in
his arms.
According to police
reports, Barnett carried the woman as if he was cradling her to the center of
the bus lane on the southbound side of Coastal Highway. Barnett was allegedly
running at full speed as he carried the victim onto the highway before throwing
her forward. The officer observed Barnett flee the scene after tossing the
female victim into the crowded roadway.
A crowd reportedly
gathered around the victim who was still lying in the highway. According to
police reports, traffic was flowing heavily on Coastal Highway in the area, but
the victim’s family members were able to carry her from the roadway before any
vehicles reached her.
When the officer arrived
on scene, he noted the victim appeared to be injured with her ankle swollen and
disfigured, according to police reports. The victim told the officer she
believed her ankle was broken, and the officer concluded she would not have
been able to get out of the way of oncoming traffic without the help of her
family.
Meanwhile, the victim’s
sister told the officer she did not know Barnett prior to the incident, nor had
any of the family members or individuals in the group. The victim’s sister led
the officer in the direction Barnett had fled to no avail. However, when the
officer returned to the scene, he observed Barnett talking to a different OCPD
officer.
The victim later told
police Barnett appeared intoxicated when he picked her up suddenly, and while
she repeatedly shouted at him to put her down, he continued to run toward the
highway and told her he was going to “throw her in the street.”
The victim confirmed to
police she had never met Barnett and had no prior contact with him that night.
Barnett was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault and
reckless endangerment. He was released later on Wednesday after posting a
$10,000 bond.