Saturday, November 5, 2005

November 5

An arrest has been made for the 1992 murders of Vanessa and Bianca Price. Darryl E. Green evaded capture for 13 years by assuming someone else's identity.

Antoine Adams, 32, got life in prison for his third murder, Penelope Medina. He is awaiting trial for the shooting death of Justin Gaglione. And rape, murder and robbery in the blotter also.

Fletcher Worrell, 58, has been implicated by DNA in at least 24 unsolved rapes in Maryland and New Jersey. Police believe he could be the "Silver Spring Rapist" wh attacked 21 women between 1987 and 1991. No word on when or if he'll face trial here.

A woman walking on a footpath in Halethorpe was assaulted and raped by a shortish white guy with green eyes in a hoodie.

An MTA bus driver was shot with a pellet gun.

Scary NJ fugitive Rakeen Baskerville was arrested in Edgewood. Police say he's part of a drug gang called Et-Hak, and he's wanted for murder, among other offenses.

Reginald Simms Jr. of Glen Burnie had one craptacular Sunday: he was shot in a cab, then arrested at the hospital on two unrelated felony warrants.

Probation officer Yolanda Johnson got 18 months in prison and three years' probation for extorting money from the drunk drivers she was supposed to be supervising.

Friday, November 4, 2005

November 4

Gov. Ehrlich has signed the death warrant for Wesley Eugene Baker. If Baker is put to death the week of December 5, he will be MD's fifth state-sponsored execution since the death penalty was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 1976. Baker was sentenced to die by lethal injection for the 1991 murder of Jane Tyson. Baker's appeals were rejected, but Baker got lucky when Glendening issued the death penalty moratorium in 2002.

The October 25 shooting death of Davon Eady, 30, was ruled a homicide. Also David Callahan, 37, was arrested and charged in the death of Gregory Morrison, 35.
Chace
Police are seeking murder suspect Daryl Chace (right).

The attempted murder trial of Rodney Hall, 19, Anthony Torrence, 50, William Johnson, 30, and Cameron Knuckles, 15, is scheduled to begin Monday before Judge Sylvester Cox. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted the defendants on May 20 for attempted first-degree murder, assault and handgun counts. Court documents allege that on April 20 the defendants tied up with duct tape and demanded money from a victim. The victim was shot twice in the chest, once in the right leg, twice in the left leg and once in the left arm.

Brian L. McCarty Jr. of Essex pled guilty to first-degree assault. He stabbed Christopher Tipton, 22, six times during a fight in Ocean City. Amazingly, Tipton survived.

The attempted murder trial of William Floyd Crudup, 25, is scheduled to begin Monday before Judge John M. Glynn. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Crudup on April 18 for the shootings of Baltimore City Police officers Andrew Lane and Joseph Banks. Court documents allege that Crudup shot the two plain- clothes officers in the 3200 block of Elmley Avenue on March 12 2005. The officers had pursued Crudup in an attempt to arrest him for allegedly selling narcotics.

Michael Hughes, who got three years for shooting McKinley Johnson over a can of Spam in 1974, will face charges of stabbing a man on a Boston bus when he returns.

Suspect Richard Bassett, 68, is under arrest for attempting to kidnap a girl in Glen Burnie.

A rabbi and a Special Ed teacher lost their jobs after being featured in a Dateline NBC story about men who try to solicit sex with minors online. And another PG County teacher is in trouble, 36-year-old Pascal Brazey was arrested for raping a 14-year-old student.

Wow, eighty Texas Hold 'Em players were arrested in Pigtown.

In Harford County, police were called in to quell pandemonium when a handbag riot broke out.

Three Hopkins students were arrested last Saturday for serving an 18-year-old police cadet alcohol at a party.

Thursday, November 3, 2005

November 3

A Baltimore City jury convicted Martinez Brown, 26, for the first-degree murder of Kelvin Knight, 18. The jury also convicted Brown of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. In the early morning hours of December 7, 2003 the victim, Kelvin Knight, was ordering take-out from New Land Chinese Carry Out at the corner of Montford and Biddle Streets in East Baltimore when he observed Brown arguing with a woman. Upon hearing the victim laugh, Brown turned to the victim and said, "Do you think I am playing?" He then pulled out a handgun, put it to the victim's forehead, and shot him three times in the head and once in the chest. As Brown ran from the scene after the murder, an eyewitness disabled him by striking him with his car, thereby allowing police to arrest him at the scene. Another eyewitness identified him at the scene.The jury returned its verdicts late yesterday after deliberating for approximately 90 minutes and hearing three days of testimony. Judge Wanda K. Heard ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and scheduled sentencing for January 18, 2006.

An unidentified man in his 20's was shot in the Park Heights area last night.

In Towson, 21-year-old T.U. student Benjamin R. Birch was arrested for stabbing 19-year-old Basha Jordan outside of a Halloween party.

The trial of Joseph DiAngelo, 51, for first-degree assault, witness intimidation and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault is scheduled to begin at 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge Shirley M. Watts. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted DiAngelo April 5. Court documents allege DiAngelo hired two individuals to conduct a home invasion/assault on a witness in a pending assault case. The hired individuals entered the home armed with table legs to assault the victim/witness, who killed one of the individuals. The other, surviving home-invading assaulter, William Morton, pled guilty in September to burglary.

More on the first-day murder mistrial of Frank Rainey Jr.: apparently a police witness testified that Rainey said he had killed three other people (which is considered evidence of previous crimes and is, thus, inadmissible).

City Officers Angela Choi and Michael Maurice were assaulted during a car stop in the Western and treated at Shock Trauma for a broken arm apiece. Also at Shock Trauma last night was Frederick officer Nicole Swailes, injured when a traffic accident when a perp sped through a red light.

Gary Mitchell, 34, got nine years and two months for robbing a Wachovia bank branch in Catonsville.

The attempted murder, armed robbery trials of Dale Fauntleroy, 21, is scheduled to begin 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge Watts, 406 Mitchell Courthouse. Fauntleroy's claim to fame is being shot twice by police in one year. Said Police Spokesman Matt Jablow to the Sun last year: "For any other city and for any other criminal justice system, this would be unbelievable. For ours, unfortunately, it's not."

As Governor Ehrlich goes to Capitol Hill to crow about Maryland's treatment for non-violent drug offenders, there's a two-year wait list for treatment. Says a judge, "most judges have come to the conclusion that ordering the [state health] department to obtain treatment is an exercise in futility." Adds a puzzled public defender, "I'm not sure if [Ehrlich] is aware that a program in his administration is not working."

Just before his scheduled trial was to begin, Darryll Purefoy, 34, of Liberty Road in Randallstown, pled guilty to sexual child abuse, second-degree rape and second-degree sexual child abuse. Judge Shirley M. Watts sentenced Purefoy to 15 years in prison, consecutive to a prison term he is already serving from a conviction in Baltimore County.

At a hearing today Stanley Short, 46, pled guilty to sexual abuse of a minor and third-degree sex offense before Judge Watts.
Watts sentenced Short to 15 years suspend all but five years for sexual abuse of minor and five years for a third-degree sex offense, concurrent. Short also received five years' probation. On July 16 Short sexually abused a nine-year-old child.

In Allegheny County, Steve Garrison, 53, was arrested for more than 40 counts of possessing child pornography.

Care for Some Torts? Dept.:
At least nine people have been charged with accounting fraud at U.S. Foodservice.

Judge Motz: if you own a bar and your bouncer kicks out some drunk chick and she sues you, your insurance company doesn't have to pay for it.

Wednesday, November 2, 2005

November 2

An unidentified man was stabbed to death in the Southwestern.

jerome owensPolice are seeking Jerome Owens, 26, left, for a string of convenience-store robberies. Tip: if you're going to go around robbing people, don't get a tattoo on your face.

Once again it's murder ink Wednesday. Five murders this week have bright the grim number to 225.

An abducted four-year-old boy was found walking along Liberty Road. The three suspects are still at large.

In BoCo, Jeffrey A. Ziegler, 29, pled guilty to the hit-and-run killing of William M. Ruffin, 42. Witnesses say Ziegler pulled over, got out of the car, then got back in and sped off.

In Harford County, opening statements begin today in the trial of Frank Vernon Rainey Jr., accused of murdering his "girlfriend" Crystal Marie Busta, 26, when she attempted to end the relationship. Update: A mistrial was declared and a new date will be set.

The Supreme Court is taking on Maryland v. Blake, at issue is whether or not Miranda violations can be remedied after the fact.

Shawn Blake, 19, was arrested for killing Kelvin Robertson, 25, last July.

An arrest was made for the killing of former BCity police officer Stanley Reaves. Thomas Alexander Porter, 30, was found in White Plains.

Two women, Carol Lee, 42 and Mary Atti, 48, pled guilty to running meth labs in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Alvin Kotz, 70, got three years for running a gambling operation out of Timpano's Italian Chop House in Rockville.

MD Company W.R. Grace is facing tens of thousands of lawsuits from Montana natives poisioned by its mine and ore-sorting plant.

In Frederick County, someone stole $75k worth of rare bull semen.

Tuesday, November 1, 2005

November 1

An unnamed man was shot to death in Northwood.

A man was shot in the legs in the Southern, and in North Point double girl-on-girl stabbing action. Also in the blotter, four streetwalkers plying their trades were arrested near Patterson Park by one Officer Ogle.

There was an early-morning stabbing near Towson University.

Drunk, licenseless Charles Kirk Jr, 48, was arrested for the fatal hit-and-run of Sanjay Shetty at York and Bosley Roads on Saturday.

The family of Lamont Kennedy is asking for the public's help in finding the hit-and-run driver who killed him on Russell Street October 8.

Apparently one can be convicted of cocaine posession and distribution even if you don't posess any or distribute it-- being a lookout is enough.

Lots of stolen cars and armed stick-ups this week in the Northern.

Trials tomorrow:
The murder and attempted murder trial Emanuel Young, 24. Young is charged in three separate shooting incidents - five people were shot, one fatally. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Young July 21, 2003 for the April 13, 2003 first-degree murder of Marcus Gordon, 20, in the 3000 block of Oakley Avenue. Two other men were wounded. Young was also indicted for the attempted murder of a 40-year old man who was shot June 11, 2003 in the 2300 block of West Fayette Street, as well as the attempted murder of a 21-year old female who was shot June 13, 2003 in the 2900 block of Oakley Avenue.

The murder trial of Terrence Wynn, 21, and Christopher Minor, 21, is scheduled to begin tomorrow before Judge John M. Glynn. The BCGJ indicted Wynn and Minor September 23, 2004 for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Court documents allege that on August 30, 2004 Wynn and Minor shot to death Marshall Giles, 15, inside a home in the 3200 block of Lyndale Avenue.

The City Council is considering letting the city evict businesses and homeowners who violate noise ordinances twice in a one-year period. Quote of they day by Gene Carson, 71: "they just want to see how loud they can squeal."

Islam Abu Alrub, 39, got six years for embezzling $4.6 million from an Arbutus furniture company.

Baltimore City's own Stephanie L. Royster, Deputy State's Attorney and Chief of Staff and a 15-year veteran of the BC State's Attorney's Office, was named today to the Baltimore City Circuit Court by the governor. Also appointed was Barry Williams, 45. Unlike his more famous namesake, this Williams currently serves as special litigation counsel in the criminal section of the U.S. Department of Justice. He's a former law clerk for Judges Robert M. Bell and Arrie W. Davis and is a graduate of the University of Virginia (GO WAHOOS!) and earned his law degree at the University of Maryland School of Law.

Monday, October 31, 2005

October 31

Daryl Davis, 28, died eight hours after being shot in West Baltimore.

Robbery, burglary, robbery in the Blotter.

Wayne Wheeler, found guilty of murder in PG County, had his conviction overturned by the Court of Special Appeals, who found his right to a speedy trial was violated.

The honor system works! Troy Gross, who strolled out of Central Booking, strolled back in.

Cops to parents: while engrossed in the traditional fit of razor-in-the-apple paranoia, don't forget to panic about about the perverts!

Someone stole $100k worth of bling from Arundel Mills Mall.

Now the MD state bar's joined Judge Holland, CCouncil member Rikki Spector, court clerks and actually just about everybody in asking O'Malley, if you can use $305 million in public money to build a hotel, why don't we have a safe courthouse that dosn't smell like dirty feet and old salami?

A 15-year-old girl was arrested for trying to slash a boy, then a police officer in Waldorf.

Two more Nigerians have been sentenced in the BWI mail-fraud case.

Last Friday's football-game-thigh-shooting incident was determined to be an accident.

Cigarettes, purses, side mirrors and a sign that said "I'm beautiful inside" stolen in the beckoning bucolic backwater of Carroll County. Awww, there's even a town called Mayberry! But it wasn't so quiet... see Crybaby Bridge.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

October 30

Friday a BC Grand Jury indicted William Langley, 48, of Parkville in connection to the shooting death of Nae Chun Pak, 46. Court documents allege that on October 3, 2005 in the 600 block of Cherry Hill Road Langley and Pak got into an altercation about a food order that Langley had placed in the victim's carry out store. Langley was returned his money and left the store, only to return a short time later and fatally shot Pak in the head.

A former Baltimore City police officer, Stanley Cornell Reaves, was killed in the line of duty in Norfolk, VA.

Warning, depressing, disheartening tale: charges were dropped against a guy who shot murder witness Benjamin H. Paige.

Dontae Nicholas, 24, is being held without bail for first-degree murder in the death of Montrell Williams, 21.

At a hearing Friday, Timothy Hawkins, 33, pled guilty to second-degree murder. Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced him to 22 years in prison, consecutive to a 45 year term Hawkins is currently serving. On May 11, 2003 Hawkins stabbed to death Latonia Shuler, 35, of the 400 block of South Augusta Avenue. Police discovered her body at the unit block alley, South Culver Street. A Baltimore City jury convicted Hawkins of second-degree murder on January 19, 2005 for the September 5, 2003 stabbing death of Durri Emmannuel, 27, of the 3900 block of Chatham Road. Police discovered her body in the parking lot of Windsor Mill Elementary School.

The attempted murder trial of Johnnie Hawkins started last week.

Is there a Baltimore drug connection to the shooting death of Jam Master Jay? This guy says yes, his relatives say no.

A Glen Burnie teenager shot a 17-year-old girl in the thigh at a football game.

In Annapolis, a 17-year-old drew a gun on his friends, and someone robbed Bubba the Clown.

troy grossTroy Gross, left, is the third escapee this week. How did the robbery suspect get out of Central Booking? Says a Corrections Dept. spokesman, he "apparently walked out of the facility." I guess as opposed to, say, using a rocket-propelled jet-pack.

Ralph Marion Debaufre Jr. was arrested for the attempted abduction of a woman in Columbia.

Don't smoke pot in Hagerstown-- they'll make you do community service.

I was way off with the war figures. "Only" 29 Marylanders have been killed in Iraq. While we're counting, 2011 Americans have died (higher than Vietnam* three years in) and between 26,000 and 30,000 Iraqi civillians.

*Vietnam's final U.S. casualties totalled 58,209.