Friday, October 28, 2011

Cat mutilator pleads guilty

Ethan Weibman, 20, pleaded guilty to charges related to two cats he mutilated earlier this year. Weibman was busted when he and his girlfriend Jorden Donahue took a beaten, shot cat back to the SPCA... and asked for another cat. This Facebook group went to great pains to copy his profile pictures (lots of weed shots from his Hampshire College days) and contains high levels of seething rage ... rage so conspicuously absent when human children are beaten to death in the city, no?

Buckets of Duckets

Detective Jemell L. Rayam, who TDR reports shot three people in two years, is being sued by the family of his most recent shooting victim. This makes us wonder, how much has the BPD paid out in lawsuits so far this year (and how does that compare to other years)? In March Brendan Kearney tallied up $800,000 in settlements for the first two months of 2011, then in July $100,000 to a 65-year-old man beaten when police thought he was rolling a joint, $30,000 to this guy, then $250,000 for the helicopter-unit whistleblower, $45,000 for a guy who had his arm broken ... Did I miss any? $1.225 million then?

A knife-wielding man hopped in the front seat of a deputy sheriff's cruiser stopped at a traffic light at Walther Avenue and Moravia Road and got himself shot

18-year-old James Johnson was arrested
for the murder of 70-year-old Milton Hill

Another murder at the Perkins hospital-- patient Ragelio Mondragon was killed and one Andre Mayo is charged.

Ppatin will be tickled pink to hear that a HarfCo jury has found Walter Bishop Jr. eligible for the death penalty.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

en fuego!

Mark Cheshire es en fuego! Three press releases from the SAO:
- Life +10 for the killer of Shonte Ellis, shot 16 times while she sat in a parked car outside of The Clubhouse Bar.

- 40 years for Antwane Brown, who shot his neighbor in the back and paralyzed him

- the SAO's office has gotten a grant of $127,984 for a prostitution diversion program. Apparently the city arrests 1,200 prostitutes a year. (Or the same 10 prostitutes every other day.)

The Urbanite publishes mini-essays by prisoners in Michael Corbin's writing class

Accused document thief Barry Landau's assistant (also referred to as his 'associate' or 'young friend' in reports), Jason Savedoff, 24, left, is due in federal court today. Savedoff is from Vancouver and has worked as a model. How he got hooked up with Landau, mommy is dying to know.

Heads up, boozehounds: the state is expanding the ignition interlock system to include DUI first-timers who blow more than .15. Sounds like one of these thingys would be a worthwhile investment. Or just do your drinking and driving in the city, where few police officers can be bothered to haul your drunken ass to central booking.

Two vigils

Fenton reports on the vigil for Marquis Jones, which ended in a stampede of terror fueled by the fact that the killer is still at large, "as is the case in nearly six out of 10 city homicides."

The North Baltimore Patch has a roundup of robberies

Deadline passes, but 'Occupy Baltimore' campers remain, with the mayor restrained yet irritated: "it's not about pitching a tent, it's about getting the work done." (that's what she said... *snicker*).

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The crime beat is tough in Bmore

Even reporters from Scotland have a have a hard time getting the facts from the BPD

Walter Bishop Jr. Guilty

In the murder of William Porter. The Sun's Arthur Hirsch reports that sentencing is scheduled for tomorrow in HarfCo, and Bishop could possibly be the first person sentenced to death since the law was changed to only make eligible cases that involve DNA or videotaped evidence. And the judge (I assume?) has okayed the release of the tape of Bishop describing the murder to a county detective. "I come around the corner, point it, close my eyes and squeeze the trigger."

Afternoon Roundup

A man was rescued after falling into the Inner Harbor at around 2:30 am.

The Federal bribery trial of good 'ol Ulysses Currie is still going, even without Currie actually taking the stand. His trial is expected to go to the jury sometime next week.

An inside scoop into the begining of the lululemon murder trial over in Montgomery County. The Washington Post has someone live tweeting the happenings of the case.

A Howard County police officer is in stable condition after striking a guardrail and flipping his patrol car in order to avoid a deer.

Police have arrested 34-year-old Dionysios Vinias for the armed robbery of a 70-year-old lady at a Glen Burnie Box N' Save. When Mr. Vinias isn't robbing little old ladies he apparently enjoys drawing and the band Tool, according to his Myspace page.

Anne Arundel County police have busted creepy janitor Jason Beatty, 30, for committing some less-than-school-board -approved acts whilst outside a young girls home.

Finally, jury deliberation in the first death penalty case since the implementing of new rules as to what is considered a death-penalty warranting case has begun today.

A tan van

The BPD is ISO a tan van driven by a man who raped a 14-year-old.
Also, whoever wrote this post really needs to learn the difference between a plural and a possessive.

More Sun Layoffs!? Srsly?

A 32-year-old man shot in the face at 1300 block of North Spring Street in East Baltimore last night

The SAO reports that Baltimore City Circuit Court jury convicted Dajuan Marshall yesterday of "conspiracy to murder and participation in a criminal street gang resulting in death" for the 2008 murder of Kenneth Jones. Jones was forced into a trunk, shot in the head with large-caliber handgun and his body dumped in the 4500 block of Bonner Road in Northwest Baltimore. Says the SAO, "Jones was the leader of the Pasadena Denver Lanes Bloods gang, also known by the acronym PDL. At the time of the murder, Jones's PDL was in a dispute with a rival set of Bounty Hunter Bloods known as the Spider Gang, which was headed by Marshall." Twenty-three PDLs were indicted in 2009 on federal racketeering charges.

The Ink summarizes last week's two murders; noting that 23-year-old victim Antoinne Pratt managed to drive himself for four blocks before expiring.

Inside Charm City reports that the Baltimore Sun Media Group is cutting even more positions: 10 in the Patuxent and Homestead groups. As much as I want to support reporting and such, that is a total dick move ($115 million in management bonuses!!). Also note that if you subscribe to the Sun online they make it nearly impossible to cancel your subscription-- you can't do it online, you have to send them a message and then have someone call you to try to talk you out of it first. If you do subscribe online, good idea to use Amex or another credit card that provides consumer protection.

Jack Young is apparently against paying for police settlements, but made an exception for an officer fired after he blew the whistle on waste and mismanagement in the helicopter unit.

MarylandReporter.com alleges a case of quid-pro-quo back-scratchery when it comes to the new alcohol tax, with the $$ to benefit the districts whose representatives voted to support the tax, not where the funds are needed most. (... don't miss the awkward hilarity that is Len Lazarek interviewing Herman Cain.)

Terry Lee Nolley, 47, of Silver Spring pleaded guilty to transporting child pornography and destruction of records; Nolley was the host of a bulletin board called “Country Lounge” that hosted child pornography for the enjoyment of 142 members.

A peeper busted in Glen Burnie

And, finally, Occupy Baltimore has been asked by the mayor's office to have only two people spend the night. (But where are the campers using the bathroom?! Someone please tell me!)

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Victim #170 was ID'd as Sherry Montgomery-Cantey, 43.
County police are ISO a striped-jacket-wearing bank robber responsible for robberies in Towson and Parkville.

BCPD detective Antonio Green is in a hefty lot of trouble for filing some false disability claims.

Speaking of lawmen gone bad, there have been two more guilty pleas in the massive Majestic towing scandal. 25-year-old Jerry Diggs Jr., and 39-year-old Osvaldo Valentine both pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit and committing extortion. Diggs and Valentine both face a max of 25 years when sentenced.

14 years in Federal prison for crack dealing Curtis Bay resident William Bayne.

Over in Howard County, police have busted the mother-daughter tandem of Denia Lyonette Wallace, 35, and Kyresha Shamaya Anderson, 16, for what are now charges of armed robbery after they maced a security officer whilst shoplifting some unknown items.

Yet another murder-suicide in Maryland. It appears a murder-suicide has occurred in Rockville at the National Lutheran Communities & Services assisted living home.

Thomas Anthony Hubbard, 52, is facing serious time in the Federal clink for committing an Upper Marlboro sub shop robbery using a gun and a fake bomb. This is Hubbard's 3rd conviction and 4th arrest for robbery since 1991, so don't be surprised if a hefty sentence is imposed.

Finally, In Harford County, police are frantically searching for the creepers in a black work van who attempted to kidnap a 14-year-old boy off the street.

170

Police tweeted last night: "900 Blk E. 41st St. (Northern District-Pen Lucy Community), 5:22pm, adult female shot. Homicide detectives investigating." then "UPDATE: 41st Street incident is now a homicide, caused by blunt force trauma and not a shooting."

A Baltimore City Circuit Court jury awarded $18.5 million to the family and estate of Philip Parker Jr., killed by inmate Kevin Johns on a prison bus.

The NYT reports that in spite of being in bankruptcy, the Tribune Company executive bonuses could equal $115 million over three years. Kind of makes one feel like a jackass for paying for the digital subscription after all.

And the city has decided to "disperse" Occupy Baltimore on October 26th, reports the group's web site

Monday, October 24, 2011

"Do it and let them gasp"

A 38-year-old man was shot to death in the 2200 block of Linden Ave.

And Fenton Tweets that there was a homicide Friday night in the 2800 blk S. Woodbrook Ave.

A nonfatal shooting on the East side

After 50 years with no murders, two in 13 months at the Perkins Homes (MD's hospital for the criminally insane). The alleged perp, Vitaly Davydov, pleaded guilty in the fatal beating of Rockville psychiatrist Wayne S. Fenton during an office visit in 2007.

The SAO's office reports that a Baltimore City Circuit Court jury convicted Lendelle C. Sanchez for the first-degree murder of Thomas Mouzon Jr. on Friday.

The final two suspects in the Gilmor Homes drug network have pleaded guilty, and they're a father and son team, Dione "Sticks" Fauntleroy Jr. and his father, Dione "Big Man" Fauntleroy Sr. Junior's grandpa, William Herring, also pleaded guilty for his part in the cocaine-dealing conspiracy last month, making for three generations in the big house, reported Fenton. Boy of Baraka Romesh Vance has also pleaded guilty in the case.

Clients up, funding down at Legal Aid

Two 40-somethings have been arrested for an 8-month-long bank robbery spree in PA. And Baltimorean Jenerette Dixon, 37, was exiled (exiled!) to prison for 20 years for his part in robbing the Harbor Bank next to the Charleston restaurant.

Judge Sylvester Cox ruled that Philip Parker Jr.'s family can't claim malice, limiting the amount of damages they can sue for in the prison-bus-slaying case. On Thursday, guards testified that they turned the lights on in the bus twice but didn't notice anything amiss.

A microwave, a toaster and something called a "chorus bag" stolen in the Northern

This story is from last month but I just saw it: a lawsuit is accusing Kennedy Krieger of knowingly exposing children to lead dust(!) for a research study. Not in 1932, but in the 1990s. Dang.

And here, have two pedophiles, one who directed nude girls to perform "various gymnastic exercises", another a 65-year-old with 1,483 images and 32 videos on his hard drive. Meanwhile, the 'hacktivist' group Anonymous has been targeting servers that host child pornography and uploading clips of "To Catch a Predator." Heh.

Comcast and Verizon have been ordered to release the names of customers accused of illegally distributing copies of "Cuties 2" and "Illegal Ass 2" over BitTorrent. In July, a student at Perdue sued to try to block the release of his/her name from a subpoena.

Down in MoCo, trial for what the WaPo is calling the "Lululemon Killing" starts today. Fittingly, the lululemon athletica inc.'s site's most recent blog post urges visitors to "DO THE CRAZY THING. The hard-to-imagine-but-somehow-you-did thing. Do it and let them gasp."