Baltimore Crime Beat

Crime Beat has moved

2011-12-05T12:53:28Z

We've moved!

The Crime Beat is now on a new platform. Our hold home is still available if you want to reminisce, but for new features please come over to the new place.

We still have all your favorite features, including the crime and homicide maps, links to your favorite places. In short, we're still your one-stop shop for everything crime in Baltimore and beyond.

Police, ATF offering reward in molotov cocktail incidents

2011-12-02T21:00:33Z

Baltimore Police and the Baltimore field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are offering a $5,000 reward for tips in a series of recent attacks in which makeshift firebombs have been thrown against homes, causing minor damage but raising concerns.

Since Sept. 13, there have been 13 incidents in which Molotov cocktails have been thrown at homes, largely in the area of Liberty Heights and Wabash avenues. The most recent occurred Nov. 16, and police believe the attacks are random.

Detectives will be canvassing Northwest Baltimore handing out fliers in hopes of generating information that could lead to an arrest, officials said. It reads, "Help make Baltimore safer. If you see something say something."

"Luckily, no one has been significantly injured, but we are not taking any chances," said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

The tip line is 1-888-ATF-FIRE.

For more on the firebombings, click here for a Nov. 15 story written by The Sun's Peter Hermann.

Baltimore County man pleads guilty to hoarding explosives

2011-12-02T12:22:13Z

Baltimore County police investigating a man who shot a child in the leg with a pellet gun in February got a surprise when they searched his apartment in Owings Mills -- a pile of guns, ammunition, bombs, fuses and metal pipes.

In addition to bomb making materials, police said they found books with titles such as "The Anarchist Cookbook," "Blaster's Handbook," "The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives," "Improvised Radio Detonation Techniques," "The Do-It-Yourself Gunpowder Cookbook," "Home-Built Claymore Mines," and "Ragnar's Homemade Detonators -- How to Make 'Em, How to Salvage 'Em, How to Detonate 'Em."

Timothy Ray Berry, 28, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Thursday to possession of firearms and explosives and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 1. Here's what police said they found in his apartment:

The BB gun used in the assault, a loaded 9mm handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun, 3 boxes of ammunition, handcuffs, brass knuckles, other BB guns and airsoft pistols and a stun gun. Police also observed "several improvised explosive devices, including: C-4 explosive material; and a clear plastic container with gray powder and a M-800 pyrotechnic device inside, secured with a white lid with a burnt hole in the center."

Authorities searched the apartment a second time and said they found "items commonly used in the production of illegal improvised explosives, including, among other things: containers of potassium nitrate and potassium chlorate, smokeless shotgun powder, model rocket igniters and motors, pool chemicals, various fuse materials, PVC and metal pipe of varying lengths and pipe fittings."

Police also said they found "numerous books related to firearm and the manufacture of illegal improvised explosives. Berry had underlined and starred book titles including, “Clear Your Record & Own a Gun,” and “How to Lose Your X-Wife Forever.” Berry’s computer was also seized and a subsequent forensic analysis revealed that less than a month before, Berry had searched online for how to make homemade C-4, and how to fabricate tags for Maryland license plates."

The Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement that on March 1, "following Berry’s arrest and detention on state charges related to child abuse, reckless endangerment, and gun possession, and with knowledge of the imminent federal investigation, Berry called another individual from jail and instructed that person to “burn” the “other books” and to get rid of “anything that looks like it could be suspect...”

Two men rob bank in Fulton

2011-12-02T12:13:36Z

Two masked men, one implying he had a gun, robbed a SunTrust Bank Thursday afternoon in Fulton, according to Howard County police.

One of the men walked into the bank branch about 3:30 p.m. in the 7400 block of Maple Lawn Boulevard, and announced a robbery to the teller. Police said the other man stayed outside.

The men got away with an undetermined amount of money, according to police, who said there was one customer inside at the time of the holdup. Anyone with information is asked to call 410-313-STOP. Callers may remain anonymous.

Some Baltimore County cops retire with half-milliion dollar payouts

2011-12-02T12:00:29Z

Worried about your pension? Not some Baltimore County police commanders. The Sun's Alison Knezevich reports today that some are retiring with lump sum payments of $500,000, in addition to yearly pensions in the six figures.

It's all because of a unique retirement program designed to keep top cops on the force a little bit longer. The city did the same thing for police and firefighters, but the payouts weren't nearly as high, and leaders disbanded the program several years ago calling it an unaffordable luxury.

Alison writes:

Deferred Retirement Option Programs allow employees who delay retirement to receive the one-time payments when they leave, in exchange for smaller annual pensions. County officials said the county must contribute $7.5 million to its pension fund this year for the program, according to an actuarial analysis.

Such programs, generally used to keep experienced workers on the job, have raised questions around the country as governments debate how much they cost in the long run. Baltimore City's public safety unions sued to try to keep a similar program after the city decided to eliminate it last year. Baltimore County ended the benefit for new public safety hires in 2007, although it still has one for other employees.

Three county police majors left their jobs this year with payouts of more than half a million dollars each, according to the figures. They also have annual pensions exceeding $150,000. Another six police employees — four captains and two lieutenants — left with payments of more than $400,000 each.

Read Alison's complete story.

Read list of DROP payouts.

Man wanted in Canton robberies apprehended

2011-12-01T17:06:17Z

A man being sought by police since the summer in connection with a series of robberies in Canton has been apprehended, according to court records.

Jerry Harcum, 26, was charged Wednesday with handgun-related charges that occurred Tuesday, according to online court records. Harcum was also served with at least three outstanding warrants charging him with robbery: A July 4 armed robbery charge, a July 24 armed robbery charge, and an August 24 robbery charge in Baltimore County.

Police would not provide information on the circumstances of the handgun arrest, though Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III said Wednesday that one of the suspects detained in a series of robberies and carjackings in Baltimore City and Baltimore County Tuesday night had "open robbery warrants."

In August, police said they were stepping up efforts to find Harcum after tying him to at least two robberies in Canton, amid a wave of robberies targeting women and tourists walking late at night in Canton and Fells Point.

November: Lowest homicide count since at least 1970

2011-12-01T16:11:24Z

November in Baltimore saw the lowest number of homicides for that month in at least the past 40 years, with 10 people slain during the month.

The city has never seen fewer than 12 murders in the month of November since 1970. In recent years, 19 were killed in November 2010, 26 in November 2009, and 30 in November 2008.

The relatively low total makes it possible that Baltimore could record less than 200 homicides for the year for the first time since the late 1970s, when the city also had 200,000 more residents.

Murders have been on a decline in Baltimore since late 2007, when Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III was appointed to his post. There were 282 people killed that year, which dropped to 234 the following year and 223 last year. Murder is down across the country, with many cities seeing their lowest totals since the 1960s.

November's victims include 67-year-old Shirley Tyler, who police say was killed by her grandson, and Lakeisha Player, a 26-year-old woman shot in the head in Northeast Baltimore by a man police say was her boyfriend. The boyfriend had previously been charged with taking the vehicle of a runaway teen from Virginia found dead in East Baltimore, and her family hopes the new charges might stimulate new information in their case.

Police also solved the killing of Tavon Toney, on Nov. 22, who they believe was fatally shot during a robbery.

Police report release in Conaway/Meister altercation

2011-12-01T16:08:59Z

A police report documenting last month's altercation between Baltimore Clerk of Courts Frank M. Conaway Sr. and a blogger contradicts the accounts of both men, who could face criminal charges as a special prosecutor continues to deliberate.

Conaway and blogger Adam Meister have given different versions of what happened, and the eyewitness account of police who were driving by offers a third. Police have withheld the report citing the ongoing investigation, but released it Thursday morning after inquiries from the Baltimore Sun.

The report is written as a "common assault," and Conaway's name is redacted because the report lists him as the victim. But a follow-up report for a "handgun violation" says Conaway's gun and ammunition were seized because he had an expired concealed carry permit.

According to the report, officers with the citywide robbery unit were driving through the Ashburton neighborhood when they witnessed a "younger white male screaming at an older black male" on the sidewalk, who they later determined were Meister and Conaway. Police said they next saw the white man "take a fighting stance and attempt to kick the black male with his right foot," according to the report.

The officers said Conaway then swept his rain coat to the side, "displaying a tan leather holster containing a handgun," something both Conaway and Meister deny. The officers made a U-turn and saw the younger man running away, broadcast his description to other units, and stopped to talk to the man with the gun, the report says.

Conaway identified Meister as the man who fled, and said Meister had been banging on the front door of his home while screaming, the report says. Conaway said he followed Meister down the sidewalk and said he exposed the holstered weapon after Meister kicked at him, according to the report.

Conaway has said that he never left his property, and Meister maintains that he never tried to kick Conaway.

City police describe "mini crime spree" of carjackings, robberies

2011-12-01T12:20:05Z

The Sun's Justin Fenton reports:

Three men were arrested in connection with a series of robberies and carjackings that occurred over a four-hour span Tuesday night across Baltimore County and the city, ending when the men crashed their vehicle near the Domino Sugars factory while fleeing police.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III and Baltimore County Chief James W. Johnson, who announced the arrests at a joint news conference Wednesday afternoon, called the robberies a "mini-crime spree" and said police worked together to catch the suspects, who had open warrants and criminal records.

Read full details here.

Bealefeld said there didn't appear to be any specific impetus for such a rapid series of crimes. "Just bad guys with guns," Bealefeld said. Their names were not disclosed as police continued to investigate and show photo lineups to victims.

"Last night's series of robberies punctuates that a few people are committing most of our violent crime in the Baltimore metropolitan area," Johnson said. "We've worked hard in Baltimore County and the city to build a partnership and relationships that reduce crime and make citizens in the metropolitan area safe."

Police pursue stolen truck cab down BW Parkway

2011-12-01T12:12:30Z

The driver of a stolen tractor-trailer cab led city police on a chase down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway Wednesday night, ending in Prince George's County. The pursuit began after people in South Baltimore called 911 to report the truck going through residential neighborhoods.

"Upon noticing police, the driver refused to stop," police said in statement. The driver took the cab down the highway and lost control and crashed at Powder Mill Road. Police used Foxtrot, the helicopter, to assist, along with Maryland State Police troopers and U.S. Park Police.

Authorities said the driver faces traffic and theft charges and is wanted by police in Mississippi. No one was hurt and no cars were damaged.

Read details of another police chase in West and Northwest Baltimore.

Could man's murder arrest lead to new clues in McCann case?

2011-11-30T18:11:41Z

A Baltimore man has been arrested in the killing of a 26-year-old Northeast Baltimore woman, a development that parents of a runaway Virginia teen hope may yield new leads in the case of their daughter's mysterious death.

Police say Darnell Kinlaw, 21, confessed to fatally shooting Lakeisha Player inside her home on Nov. 11 and stealing her candy-apple red car, a purchase which friends say had been a point of pride for her. Kinlaw told police that Player was his girlfriend.

The troubled man has a long record, charged eight times with stealing cars and twice with burglary, one case which was filed by his mother who said he broke into the family home and took valuables after being kicked out for stealing.

One of the car theft cases was connected to the 2008 death of Virginia teen Annie McCann, who ran away from home and was found dead in an East Baltimore housing project.

An autopsy determined that Annie, 16, had died from a lethal does of lidocaine from a bottle of Bactine, used to treat pierced ears. Police say the death points to suicide, but her family has rejected that conclusion and say police never did a proper investigation.

The McCanns pressed police to charge Kinlaw and two juveniles for taking Annie's car and driving it to a gas station five blocks away. One of the teens admitted to removing Annie's body from the car and putting near the trash bin. The juveniles were found responsible for the unauthorized use of the car; but charges against Kinlaw were dropped due to lack of evidence.

Annie's father, Daniel McCann, said that he might use the arrest to press authorities to question Kinlaw about more details in his daughter's death. He said he felt police did not question the young man hard enough after charging him with taking his daughter's car.

"He's facing murder one," McCann said. "This might be the time to press him to learn about additional cases. He might be more forthcoming now than he every will be."

Click the "Annie McCann" tab below for previous coverage of her death, or here for the rest of this article.

Man, 29, fatally shot in Carrollton Ridge

2011-11-30T17:34:57Z

A 29-year-old man was fatally shot Wednesday night in Southwest Baltimore's Carrollton Ridge neighborhood, police said.

At the scene, in the 500 block of S. Bentalou St., police lit up the street to search for clues as residents congregated behind police tape. Police said a man dressed in black "attacked" victim Kenneth Davis, of the nearby 2200 block of Wilkens Ave. and shot him in the head and back. He was taken by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, police said.

Police did not provide a motive. Anyone with information was asked to call homicide detectives at 410-396-2100.

Greenmount Avenue faces uncertain times

2011-11-30T12:07:37Z

The shooting call on Greenmount Avenue came out just as kids in costume were hitting the streets on Halloween night. At first, we feared the worst. The victim wasn't out trick or treating, however, but was a retired bus driver caught in a robbery at Yau Brothers in Waverly.

The fourth fatal shooting in the tiny carryout since 2009.

For some merchants trying to turn Greenmount around East 33rd Street into something more upscale than a worn and tattered commercial strip, this latest killing might be the final blow. The owner of Darker Than Blue Cafe is threatening to leave, complaining the city has given up.

But other store and restaurant owners aren't so sure the strip is a lost cause. The city police focused on the area last year, after a security guard for the Afro-American was gunned down in Yau Brothers during another robbery. While proprietors question the city's last commitment, they say want to stay and give it a try.

Greenmount Avenue and East 33rd are crossroads for a diverse community, where Waverly meets Oakenshawe meets Charles Village. There's a widely popular farmers market on Saturdays, the YMCA with ballfields around the corner, an expensive restaurant fusing live jazz with food and an active merchant's association.

There's also places like Yau Brothers that according to one city councilwoman, "attracts homicides." Read the full story here, including video of latest shooting. Some quotes representing divergent viewpoints of the Greenmount Avenue strip:

]]> "Crime was a major issue, and no matter how much we screamed, nobody listened. The city has really let certain neighborhoods go, and this is one of those neighborhoods. ... My discontent is with the city. There is no focus on growth in this area. We thought we had progressive growth here, but the city isn't buying into it."

David Stahl, owner of Pete's Grille:
"I think [police are] overwhelmed. We actually had foot patrols. I felt the city was on top of it and we were safer. But after a number of months, those additional resources vanished and we were left fending for ourselves. I worry about the perception that this area is crime-ridden. We draw from the counties, from Hopkins, from out of state. They're not going to come here at some point."

Ricky Herman, owner of Herman's Discount:
"We're an up-and-coming neighborhood looking to flourish and get away from the negative press and the negative attention. Those of us who are really part of the community, who are really committed, are staying. I'm staying no matter what. ... We're all financially challenged. People just don't have money. But I don't think people are saying they're leaving because someone got shot."

Michael Haynie, president of the Waverly Merchant's Association:
"We want the perception out there that we do care and that we do work together. I do not feel that the city has abandoned us at all. But I do think we have to work with the city. The community has to be as much a part of the process as our city leaders are."

Howard County man charged in break-ins at school, church

2011-11-30T11:55:04Z

A Howard County man has been charged with breaking into a church and a preschool, and is suspected in several other burglaries. Police said he was caught after trying to use a credit card from the school at a drug store.

Authorities also said he stole musical instruments from the church and a camera from the school. Police said they found the digital camera at the suspect's house. Here is a statement with more details from Howard County police:

]]> "Howard County police have charged an Ellicott City man with three commercial burglaries and are
investigating his involvement in additional cases.

Craig Nathaniel Webster, 46, of 3295 Corporate Court in Ellicott City, is charged with two counts of
second-degree burglary, two counts of theft and attempted credit card misuse.

Detectives are investigating a series of burglaries from Oct. 10 to Nov. 23 where five religious institutions and one preschool in Ellicott City were targeted. Webster has been charged with burglarizing Bethel Korean Presbyterian Church on Nov. 11 and La Petite
Academy on Nov. 12 and 23.

Police are investigating his possible involvement in the other cases. Police developed Webster as a suspect after he tried to use a credit card stolen from La Petite Academy at a nearby drug store. Detectives obtained surveillance footage of the transaction and recognized Webster from past interactions.

While investigating the theft of musical instruments from Bethel, police determined Webster had sold the stolen items at a music store over a number of days in October and November. After conducting a search warrant at Webster’s home, police seized a digital camera stolen from La Petite in the second burglary. Police are working to determine if additional suspected stolen property can be tied to other cases.

Webster was arrested Nov. 23 is being held at Howard County Detention center on $125,000 bond.
If any other churches or businesses were burglarized but did not report the incident, please call police at 410-313-2200."

Special prosecutor emerging as option in conflict cases

2011-11-29T23:42:47Z

In the case involving an altercation last week between Baltimore Clerk of Circuit Court Frank M. Conaway Sr. and a blogger, State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein has said his office won't make the decision on whether to file criminal charges or handle any ensuing court proceedings.

That responsibility will instead fall to Steven I. Kroll, a former Baltimore County prosecutor who now works as a coordinator for Maryland's association of state's attorneys. In recent months, Kroll's position has evolved from one that deals with ethics and training issues, to also serving as a special outside counsel for cases in which prosecutors say their offices have a potential conflict of interest.

Kroll will be sworn in, review the case, and, if he determines charges should be filed, will handle the proceedings.

Traditionally, prosecutors often tap neighbors in other jurisdictions to take on the cases in which there's a possible conflict of interest. Eventually, they repay the favor.

But, with prosecutors faced with tightening budgets and a reluctance to ask others to add to their burden, Kroll has presented an alternative. He receives no additional pay for taking on these cases, and makes decisions independently of any prosecutor's office, instead drawing on his 26 years as a Baltimore County prosecutor.

Kroll did not respond to requests for comment, but those who have worked with him say he was eager to return to the courtroom.

"Steven Kroll was a great option," said Wicomico County State's Attorney Matthew Maciardello, who asked Kroll to handle a case involving a supporter of his campaign. "He's ready, willing and able to come down, and nobody can question his integrity or his motives."