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.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

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:

Continue reading "Howard County man charged in break-ins at school, church" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 6:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

A Guatemalan national has pleaded guilty in Howard County Circuit Court to two counts of attempted first-degree murder for setting a house on fire in Elkridge that was occupied by his estranged wife and 10 other people.

Santiago Adalpho Gonzalez-Miner, of the 6300 block of Forrest Avenue in Elkridge, could go to prison for up to 20 years when he is sentenced in January. Prosecutors said that a second defendant, Edvin Giovanni Ceron-Eyes, has a pre-trial motions hearing scheduled for next month.

The plea agreement filed by the Howard County State's Attorney's Office contains some riveting plot lines and describes how the occupants made harrowing escapes:

Continue reading "Howard County man pleads guilty to burning down home of estranged wife" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 6:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Howard County police are searching for two robbers who held up different banks on Monday -- a PNC Bank branch in the 15900 block of Old Frederick Road in Woodbine, the other at a Wells Fargo Bank in the 9200 block of Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City.

Police said of the Woodbine robbery:

"A man had approached the teller and demanded money. The suspect did not display or imply a weapon, and the teller refused to comply. The suspect fled the bank on foot toward Lisbon Shopping Center. No money was obtained, and no one was injured in the incident.

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 50 years old, 6 feet tall, medium build, curly gray hair, wearing a black ski mask, black and red striped shirt and blue jeans."

Police said of the Ellicott City robbery:

"Two men entered the lobby, displayed guns and demanded customers get on the floor. One of the suspects jumped over the counter and removed money from the drawers while the other suspect stayed in the lobby. The suspects fled in a vehicle. No one was injured in the incident.

The suspects are described as males of unknown race wearing all black clothing and dark glasses. The first suspect was a slim build and athletic. The second suspect was approximately 5’10” to 6’ with a medium build."

Anyone with information is urged to call 410-313-STOP.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

A Howard County teenager shot and critically wounded by Howard County police officers had told authorities before that he wanted to be shot. On a standoff with police in early October, authorities said he told an officer to shoot him -- "just do it" and "make it quick."

Here's an account of the shooting by The Sun's Andrea F. Siegel:

The shooting of a teenager by six Howard County police officers comes several weeks after he told officers to shoot him and "make it quick," and was his third incident with local police in two months, department officials said Tuesday.

"He's had some psychological problems, but he's never hurt anyone but himself," said Kenneth Nichols, whose son, Jeffrey Dustin Nichols, 19, suffered eight gunshot wounds Monday. He was in critical condition Tuesday at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center.
 
Kenneth Nichols said his son was a whiz in math and science, and had been a student at the Community College of Baltimore County. He said his son took this semester off to focus on personal issues, and had recently been hospitalized. Now, he said, "I just pray he makes it."

Read here for the complete story, including names of the six police officers involved in the shooting.

Howard County police released a new statement on the shooting Wednesday morning, saying that the teen had on prior occasions threatened officers with a knife and was cutting himself. Police also said that in the latest shooting he was armed with a pellet gun that looked like a real gun.

Here is the statement:

Continue reading "Teen shot by Howard County officers wanted to be shot before" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County, Police shootings
        

For the second time in as many weeks, a patient at the Clifton T. Perkins psychiatric hospital has been charged with killing another patient. It's the third such killing in the past 13 months.

Earlier this week, health advocates pressed for increased staffing and monitoring of patients after a man who killed his psychiatrist five years ago in Bethesda killed a patient. State officials promised to investigate (read story here).

Last year, a sex offender killed another patient, and investigators found that staff had been sleeping on the job and didn't routinely check rooms. Now, Maryland State Police are back at the hospital investigating other killing.

Here are more details from a police statement:

Continue reading "Police investigate another slaying at Perkins Hospital" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Halloween is traditionally the time when police departments check up on sex offenders, and warn those on the sex offender registration that  handing out candy to kids most likely violates the conditions of their release.

Howard County police just checked up on its 91 offenders, and accounted for all but one.

He's identified as James Lincoln Spivey, 47, of no fixed address. Police said there's a warrant for him. Court records show him being arrested three times this year, once in Western Maryland for drinking in public, for which he got 90 days in jail. His mug shot is shown here.

“We wanted to do this sweep before Halloween to make sure we know where our sex offenders are
living,” Howard County Police Chief William McMahon said in a statement. “We recommend that parents check the sex offender registry before taking their children trick-or-treating.”

Maryland's sex offender registry says Spivey was convicted of a sex offense in 1991 in New Jersey. No other details were available.

Check Maryland's sex offender registry.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

The teenager from Ellicott City who is charged with using the Internet to solicit money for a convicted terrorist who called herself "Jihad Jane" pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. The hearing was brief; a trial date was set for December.

Attorneys for the Mount Hebron High School graduate, in interviews outside the courtroom, portrayed their client, Mohammad Massan Khalid as a stellar student with a family described as the "true American immigrant story."

They said federal prosecutors misconstrued the emails they intercepted on Internet chat boards but noted their client's life has been destroyed. He withdrew from Johns Hopkins University, where he had a full scholarship this fall. He was arrested in secret when he was 17 years old; the charges were unsealed last week, after he had turned 18.

Federal prosecutors have outlined an indictment that alleges Khalid tried to raise money to help fund a holy war in Europe. More on the prosecution's case in today's story. He is being detained in federal custody until his trial, one of the country's youngest terror suspects.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 6:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Courts and the justice system, Crime elsewhere, Howard County
        

A man found not criminally responsilble in the killing of his psychiatrist has been charged with murder in the death of his roommate at a state mental hospital, according to Maryland State Police.

The victim, David Rico-NOyola, is accused in the death of his mother in 2008 in Anne Arundel County. The suspect, Vitaly Davydov, beat his Rockville psychiatrist to death after thinking the man treating him wanted to be killed, according to the Washington Post.

Police said hospital staff had checked on the room 30 minutes before Friday afternoon's killing. It's the second time one patient has been accused of killing another at the hospital. El Soundani El-Wahhabi, 51, is charged with murder in the Sept. 25, 2010 death of Susan Sachs, who was found dead in her bed.

After that case, employees at the maximum security psychiatric hosptial were criticized. Here is what was said in a report on that strangulation, which occurred in 2010 and was described as the first slaying at the institution in its 50 year history:

Video surveillance showed that as the killing unfolded, one staff member was sitting on a couch on the ward with no view of patients' rooms, another was seated at the nursing station but did not make any movement, and a third was not seen at all, the report said.

"We were disappointed to find out that staff were clearly inattentive on the job that night, and, since learning of the problem, the Department has taken prompt and thorough action," wrote Wendy Kronmiller, the assistant secretary for regulatory affairs at the health department, in an e-mail Friday. "While we believe this was an isolated occurrence, the report is disturbing — our facilities and staff are responsible for meeting needs of patients, during the day and at night."

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

An 18-year-old teenager from Ellicott City was indicted Thursday on charges that he helped a suspected terrorist who called herself "Jihad Jane." Federal authorities had charged the youth in secret earlier this year, one of the few juveniles held in federal custody.

He was 17 when he was first arrested, and 15 when authorities said he committed criminal acts. The teen's attorney denies the allegations; an arraignment is scheduled for Monday in Philadelphia for the now 18-year-old.

The Sun's Tricia Bishop reports:

Mohammad Hassan Khalid, a Pakistani citizen and Maryland resident who graduated from Mount Hebron High School this year, is accused of using the Internet to recruit people and solicit funds for a violent jihadist war in South Asia and Europe.

He was indicted alongside Ali Charaf Damache, a 46-year-old Algerian man living in Ireland, and allegedly acted under the direction of Colleen R. LaRose, who dubbed herself "Jihad Jane" online, according to the indictment. LaRose, 47, pleaded guilty in February to conspiring to provide terrorist support and kill in a foreign country, attempted identity theft and making false statements to federal investigators.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 5:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

From Howard County Police:

Howard County police are releasing photos of an attempted robbery in which a man tried to get cash from a woman at an ATM machine. The woman was at the ATM around 1 p.m. on Oct. 10 with her 4-year-old child.

The victim reported she was alone in the ATM vestibule with her child at a Bank of America in the
9200 block of Old Annapolis Rd. She told police that a man approached with an unknown weapon in his hand and demanded money.

The woman saw a cab pull up to the bank; she pointed to it and shouted to the man that the police were there. The suspect walked out of the bank and the woman ran outside with her child. No one was injured and no money was stolen. The cab was unrelated to the robbery. Police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect in these photos to contact police at 410-313-STOP.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

The South Side Brims, the Bloods gang taken down by the feds on Thursday, worked from one end of the state to the other. Authorities allege a broad scheme that stretched from the Eastern Shore to Western Maryland.

As The Sun's Justin Fenton wrote today, court documents describe a virtual modern-day tutorial in gangs. Along with the allegations of murder, revenge killings, drug running and gun use, federal prosecutors say members used YouTube, Facebook and text messaging to communicate and to boast.

It's a colorful rendition.

They kept meticulous notes and lists of members, including phone numbers, broken down by geographic region. Those who were locked up were called "G-Wall Homies." Those on the street were "G-World Homies."

Alleged gang members threw dues into a kitty to pay expenses, such as bail, firearms and legal bills. They had the Brim Association Blood Application, a list of signs and signals, and the Brim's Concept of War. Many had multiple nicknames -- Squeaky, Redrum, Platinum, Diamond,
Trigger, Ransom, Blaze, Breezy Brim.

Targets were "on the menu." Members went on Facebook, openly talking about their affiliation and posting pictures of meetings.

Leaders, called "hats," had "round table" discussions, once the feds say, to plan on how to gently recruit two members from a rival gang without inciting a war.

They had First Lady's," one of whom kept the books in Salisbury.

The feds said one text message from a First Lady: "Bang Bang Brim Gang Hat Til I Die."

Posted by Peter Hermann at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Anne Arundel County, Courts and the justice system, Crime elsewhere, Howard County
        

[Note: Embedded video does not appear to be a Maryland Bloods member but was linked to on a Frederick South Side Brim member's YouTube account]

Read the full indictment here.

Two years after police found a gang roster in a Frederick motel room, federal authorities announced Thursday a racketeering indictment charging 35 alleged Bloods gang members with murder, kidnapping and other crimes from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore — a move they said had "dismantled" the gang.

Authorities say cells of the South Side Brims coordinated gang activity across the state and region, and court documents offer a tutorial on how modern criminal organizations operate, including posting photos and messages on Facebook, and uploading initiation videos on YouTube.

Those indicted are accused of at least one murder in Baltimore, an attempted murder in Wicomico County, a home invasion in Howard County, a kidnapping in Frederick, and witness intimidation in Allegany County, among a host of other alleged crimes.

"Gangs represent the most significant violent crime challenge we face throughout the state of Maryland," said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, flanked at a Baltimore news conference by police officials from across the state. "We hope these gang indictments send a message to gang members and prospective gang members to get out while you can."

Frederick police chief Kim C. Dine said the case was "extremely significant" for his city, which he said has been conducting gang outreach work in recent years but is not immune to the spreading of gangs. "Sixteen of these gangsters are from Frederick, and it will have a huge impact on the city of Frederick and quality of life," he said.

The alleged leader of the gang was identified as Andre Ricardo Roach, a 34-year-old Prince George's County native. Known as "Redrum," he's accused of leading the gang since 2005 from behind bars at the North Branch Correctional Institute in Cumberland, where he is serving a 50-year sentence for second-degree murder.

Here's an article from the Frederick News Post from March in which a county detective told citizens that the South Side Brims were among several active sets there. 

The list of people charged is after the jump:

Continue reading "Feds indict members of Bloods gang subset" »

Posted by Justin Fenton at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Crime elsewhere, Gangs, Howard County, Witness intimidation
        

A woman who had been charged with abducting a baby she was babysitting in Columbia has been freed of all charges after Howard County police determined the suspect had once been a long-time partner of the mother.

Police also said that the woman had participated in raising the child and that she and the mother had shared parental responsibilities. Here is a statement from Howard County Police:

Continue reading "Woman charged with abducting child released" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 5:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Howard County
        

UPDATE NO. 2: Howard County police have apprehended a woman for abducting a friend’s child overnight in Columbia. Tiara Monique-Williams was arrested in Suitland, Md., at the home of a relative around 2 p.m. today, without incident. She will be charged with child abduction.

UPDATE FROM HOWARD COUNTY POLICE: The baby in this case, Kayden King-Gayman, was just located unharmed in Suitland, Md.  She was found at the home of a relative of the suspect, Tiara Monique-Williams. Monique-Williams has not been located, but police are actively searching for her. The relative will not face charges.

Howard County police say a woman watching a 16-month-old baby abducted the child from a Columbia home.

Authorities are searching for the woman, a friend of the baby's mother, who is identified as Tiara Monique-Williams, 23. Police said she was babysitting Kayden King-Gayman, at the mother's house in the 9400 block of Ridge View Drive.

The incident was reported to police around midnight. Howard County police said Monique-Williams, is driving an unknown-type vehicle, and may be in or near Prince George's County, near Washington.

She is described as a black female, 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 107 pounds. She has a light brown complexion, long black hair and was last seen wearing it in a pony tail. Police did not have a description of her clothing.

The baby is described as a black female wearing a sleeper garment of unknown color.

Anyone with information should call 911.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Howard County
        

Remember Gerard Mungo Jr.?

He's the 7-year-old who was arrested four years ago while sitting on an idling dirt bike in front of his East Baltimore rowhouse. Police cuffed the child, took him to a station and shackled him to a bench before taking him to juvenile detention.

The case attracted national attention, was debated in the media, earned a rebuke and an apology to the family from the mayor and a hefty lawsuit by the boy's family. A jury last year awarded the parents nothing, even though the judge found two officers had illegally arrested the boy because they didn't witness the incident.

Gerard is at left with his mother in this picture taken by The Sun's Kenneth K. Lam.

The family appealed arguing a Baltimore judge improperly moved the trial out of the city, citing negative publicity against the police officers, and that they couldn't get a fair trial in Howard County because the racial mix is far lower than in the city.

Maryland's second-highest court, the Court of Special Appeals, rejected both arguments in an opinion issued Friday. The court ruled that moving the proceedings to Howard was proper, and that the family got a fair trial.

Read the court's full opinion here.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Courts and the justice system, East Baltimore, Howard County
        

Howard County police employed the use of two teenagers under the legal drinking age to test whether stores would sell them alcohol. Five establishments failed, and will face hearings before the liquor board.

Nine passed, and got letters of thanks from the police chief. Police say it works this way:

As part of the test, two volunteers, ages 19 and 17, working with police entered the establishments and attempted to purchase alcohol. At the five liquor stores in violation, the clerks never asked the volunteers for their driver’s licenses. The clerks completed the transactions despite the volunteers being underage.

Continue reading "Liquor stores hit by undercover alcohol sting in Howard" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 5:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

Howard County police said they found the couple who on Monday robbed a Jessup pharmacy at gunpoint and stole prescription medication.

They towed the getaway car to the police station. Then they said they suspect said there was fake bomb inside the vehicle.

Not taking any changes, the cops call the bomb squad. Police said the device was found, and it indeed was a hoax. Authorities said the suspects had thought about using it in the robbery. More details below from a Howard County Police statement:

Continue reading "Man holds up store in Jessup, then police find fake bomb" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Howard County Police say they have charged a 23-year-old man with the 2007 killing of his twin brother.

Wael Ali was arrested Thursday in Cobb County, Ga., where he was being held on charges that he killed brother Wasel Ali in August 2007, police said.

[At right, a picture of the Ali brothers in a photo taken from Facebook]

"This arrest demonstrates that our detectives never give up on a case," said Police Chief William McMahon in a statement. "Our cold case unit has continued this investigation to ensure justice would be served in this tragic murder."

Wasel Ali went missing on Aug. 22, after being last seen with his brother at the Mall in Columbia. Police said Wael Ali had called a friend a half hour later, frantic and crying, saying his brother had gone missing.

Wael Ali sought people to search for his brother's body. On Aug. 27, Wasel Ali's body was found on a secluded dirt path in the woods behind the 12000 block of Green Meadow Drive in Columbia, an area that Wael Ali had told friends that he had already searched.

An autopsy showed that Wasel Ali died as a result of a neck injury.

Posted by Justin Fenton at 5:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

UPDATE: Howard County police say that Anthony Parker, who was wanted for first-degree murder in a fatal stabbing in Columbia, has surrendered.

Howard County Police have identified a man who was fatally stabbed in a Columbia parking lot Tuesday afternoon, and a man has been charged with his murder, The Sun's Liz F. Kay reports.

Anthony Patrick Parker, 53, is charged with first-degree murder. Witnesses told investigators that Parker and Phillip Edward Wise, 46, were fighting among a group of people in a parking lot in the 5500 block of Harper's Farm Road at 4:30 p.m Tuesday, police said.

Witnesses said that Parker, who has no fixed address, then drove off in a van with several other people, according to investigators. The vehicle, with blood on the front fender, was found parked on Columbia Road, police said.

The homicide was the second reported in Columbia within less than 24 hours. A Baltimore bail bondswoman, Nichole Bernadette McNair, 42, was shot in the 8700 block of Hayshed Lane in the village of Long Reach at about 10 p.m. Monday, according to police. She was pronounced dead at Howard County General Hospital

Posted by Justin Fenton at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Howard County police have arrested a client of a bail bondswoman and charged him with killing her when she met him to collect money. Police said they found paperwork in the victim's car detailing the suspect's case file and pieces of the woman's cell phone in the woods.

The arrest brings a quick closure to Howard County's fourth killing this year -- equaling the total for all of last year. A man was fatally stabbed on Wednesday, giving the county an unusual two killings in a single day.

In the case of the bail bondwoman, police said Nichole Bernadette McNair was shot on Hayshed Lane in the village of Long Reach when she met up with the suspect, identified as Dominique Davon McDonald.

McDonald has several criminal cases still active, but court records show that he is scheduled for trial on Sept. 30 on handgun charges in Howard County. The bail bond firm listed in the records is the same one that employes the victim.

For more details, here's copy of a statement from Howard County Police:

Continue reading "Howard police arrest client in slaying of bailbonds worker" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Howard County
        

In the span of one day, two slayings in Columbia equalled Howard County's homicide total for last year. A bailbonds woman was shot in the village of Long Reach and Tuesday afternoon a man was stabbed in an apartment on Harpers Farm Road.

The killings were the county's third and fourth of 2011. Four people were killed in all of last year in Howard County. Motives for the killings are unclear, and police report no suspects in either one. The bailbonds woman had been involved in a domestic abuse case, but police were also looking into whether her killing was connected to her job.

Read here for more details.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

The woman who was shot in Columbia's Long Reach neighborhood Monday night has died, and Howard County police have identified the victim as an employee of a bail bond company.

There is no indication yet whether her job had anything to do with her death. Court records show she was charged with assault in May but that prosecutors dropped the case. Court records show that at least one company she worked for on North Point Boulevard and is tied to the Tillman family, one of the largest bail businesses in the city.

In July, the elder Milton Tillman was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for tax fraud; his son, Milton Tillman III was sentenced to one year in prison and allowed to run the family business. The elder Tillman owned a Odell's, a once notorious nightclub in the city.

Here is a statement from Howard County Police:

Continue reading "Woman shot in Columbia dies; worked for bail bondsman" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

A woman was found shot in Columbia shortly after 10 p.m. Monday, Howard County police are reporting.

After receiving 911 calls that reported hearing at least one gunshot, responding officers found the woman in the 8700 block of Hayshed Lane in the village of Long Reach, police said in a statement. Police have not identified the woman, who was taken to Howard County General Hospital in critical condition.

According to the statement, police believe that a car found still running at the scene was driven by the woman; they do not know what she was doing there.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 8:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

He called police to report a burglary, and ended up convicted of armed drug trafficking. Maybe he should've moved the drugs from his toilet before dialing 911.

The Howard County State's Attorney Office says a jury convicted a Laurel man on Thursday. He had called the cops to his apartment in January and told them he returned from a week away to find his place burglarized.

Police, while conducting their investigation, found a bag of marijuana residue in his the bathroom toilet. Police said the man gave consent for officers to search further, and they found a scale. That led them to a search warrant and the seizure of a loaded Ruger handgun, ammunition and bottles of ecstasy.

For more details, here is a statement from prosecutors:

Continue reading "Lesson: lose the drugs before you call the cops" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Courts and the justice system, Howard County
        

It seems forever since last week when a Ravens player broke up a fight at an Inner Harbor restaurant. But now that Irene has blown through, we can return to our other all-consuming interest, and catch up with some crime we may have missed while battling winds and rain.

It didn't take long for the hurricane to pass before the gunmen came out: A 25-year-old man was in critical condition after he was shot in the chest Sunday afternoon by a masked assailant in northwest Baltimore, police said.

Here are some other headlines from the weekend:

* With a tap on his smartphone, University of Maryland student Shiv Krishnamoorthy can instantly alert police as he walks through the dimly lit corners of the College Park campus — and share with them his precise location, plus live video and audio.

* While concern about the economy has grown since the last mayoral election, crime remains the top worry among likely voters in Baltimore's Democratic primary next month. Thirty-nine percent of respondents to The Sun Poll rated crime, criminal justice or drugs as the most important challenge facing the city. That is down from 68 percent four years ago. Twenty-eight percent of the respondents ranked the economy, jobs or high taxes as the biggest challenge.

* A 15-year-old high school honors student in Ellicott City was secretly arrested when federal prosecutors say he went online to solicit money for a woman who called herself "Jihad Jane" and "Fatima LaRose." Authorities say that in Web postings two years ago, the youth "appealed for urgent funds" for the woman suspected of being a terrorist, whose real name is Colleen R. LaRose, 47, of Philadelphia. "I know the sister and by Allah, all money will be transferred to her," he allegedly wrote in a posting.

(Note: The Philadelphia Inquirer broke this story. Here is their first report, and a follow-up that details more of what federal authorities allege the boy had been plotting.)

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Courts and the justice system, Downtown, Howard County, Northwest Baltimore
        

Colts legend Art Donovan hoped that whomever stole his 1958 championship ring 34 years ago "had fun with it." He's happy to have it back, after police got it from a guy selling it on Craigslist, but the 86-year-old Hall of Famer insists "there are more important things than losing a ring."

The ring from the game called the "greatest ever played" somehow made its way back from a Hong Kong hotel room, where it went missing, to a bar in Curtis Bay, where a local man used lottery winnings to buy it for $15,000.

When that man died, the ring went to his ex-wife, and she and her new husband, Charles Ice II, tried to sell the ring on the Internet. Police said Ice's wife told them that her husband insisted he had contacted Donovan and that the player didn't want the ring back because he had collected insurance. 

Not true, says Donovan (picture by The Sun's Kevin Richardson), and police confirmed that an insurance policy was never taken out on the stolen ring. In fact, Donovan never even reported the ring stolen to authorities. Here is the complete police report:

Continue reading "Colts legend happy to have stolen ring back" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

In 1977, during a trip to Japan, Baltimore Colts legend Art Donovan had his 1958 NFL championship ring stolen.

Howard County police have found it.

Police said that they received a tip that the ring was being sold on Craigslist for $20,000 by a seller in Elkridge. Detectives contacted Donovan, who told them about the theft. Detectives posed as buyers and met the seller. They said the ring was engraved with Donovan's name and No. 70 jersey number.

Police said they determined the seller did not know the ring had been stolen, and that he had purchased it from a sports shop many years ago. The seller gave the ring to police and is not facing charges.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Howard County
        

In case you missed out on today's paper, here are some police stories to ponder:

Video of Select Lounge shooting released. This is the January shooting where police officers mistook a colleague for a suspect and fatally shot him outside a nightclub. Watch the shooting.

Roommate testifies that the suspect in the killing of Johns Hopkins researcher Stephen Pitcairn confessed to robbing him in Charles Village.

Annapolis teenager pleads guilty to killing toddler.

Nathan Krasnopoler, the Johns Hopkins University student who was struck and critically injured by a car while riding his bicycle along University Parkway in February, died Wednesday morning. A lawyer for the family said the 83-year-old driver who struck Krasnopoler has agreed to forfeit her license. Read Michael Dresser's Getting There blog.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberating this morning in the case of a man charged with killing an informant in a federal drug case. The victim's statement to the FBI was leaked and posted around his Westport neighborhood.

A series of mall robberies in the city, Anne Arundel and Howard Counties are linked, and also connected to a murder in Baltimore.

A Baltimore drug dealer is sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in a fatal hit and run crash.

A Glen Burnie man was fatally stabbed and his female companion is being held in her death.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Anne Arundel County, Confronting crime, Courts and the justice system, Downtown, Howard County, North Baltimore, Police shootings
        

National Night Out has become a big community event, getting residents and cops together to take back the streets. Below is a list of events in the city and the counties, scheduled for today, Aug. 2

National Night outs:

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

Harford County

Anne Arundel County

Howard County

I could only find one in Carroll County, in Eldersburg. Here is a link to details. If anyone knows of more here, please let me know and I'll post.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, City Hall, Confronting crime, East Baltimore, Howard County, Neighborhoods, North Baltimore, Northeast Baltimore, Northwest Baltimore, South Baltimore, Southeast Baltimore, Southwest Baltimore, West Baltimore
        

Howard County police have made an arrest in an overnight fatal stabbing in the Columbia village of Long Reach, and are investigating the suspicious death of a child in April as a homicide, according to authorities.

The stabbing occurred about 10 p.m. Wednesday night on Airybrick Lane and found a 17-year-old in a hallway suffering from multiple stab wounds. He died at Howard County General Hospital. Police said the victim had been involved in an earlier fight that one of the combatants returned and stabbed the young man.

In the other case, police had responded to a house on Basket Ring Road for a report of a child not breathing. The 3-year-old victim died and the death was ruled suspicious. Police said the medical examiner's office ruled the death a homicide, but a cause of death was not released.

These are the first two homicides in Howard County this year. See a statement from Howard County Police:

Continue reading "Police investigate two homicides in Howard County" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

The man who police said robbed a Howard County gas station took pains to cover his face, but maybe he should put the same thought into his shirt. He was captured in a surveillance photo wearing a police explorer's shirt.

Here is a statement from police:

Howard County police are asking the public’s help to identify a man who robbed a gas station in Columbia and stole numerous lottery tickets, cigarettes and cash. A reward of up to $500 is being offered for information leading to the suspect’s identification and arrest.

Continue reading "Man wearing police explorer shirt sought in robbery" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

When Baltimore police launched an extensive search of Patapsco Valley State Park back in April, looking for Phylicia Barnes, they didn't find her but a member of the civil air patrol did stumble on another body.

Today, Maryland State Police announced that they've identified the body John H. Hagegeorge, a 55-year-old man who had lived in Catonsville. Police said they tracked him down using serial numbers on his artificial knee replacements. An autopsy confirmed that he died of natural causes, wearing several layers of clothing in a makeshift homeless park in the camp. Picture of the search in the park by The Sun's Kim Hairston. Here is complete coverage of the Phylica Barnes case.

Barnes' body was found later in April in the Susquehanna River; she had been missing since December and the subject of one of the police department's most extensive manhunts in memory. Her death has been ruled a homicide, but no arrests have been made:

Here is a statement from State Police on the body being identified:

Continue reading "Body found during Barnes search identified" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Howard County
        

UPDATE: Baltimore police confirm that missing man jumped from a roof at Port Discovery on Friday, and is the victim of a suicide.

UPDATE: Family of missing man says he was found dead in Baltimore. More details coming. 

An urgent bulletin from Howard County police about a missing man:

Howard County police are seeking information about a 22-year-old Ellicott City man who was last seen by his family on June 24. Salmaan Sultan, of the 3500 block of Coventry Court Drive, has not made contact with friends or family since Friday.  He was last seen leaving his house driving a blue, 2008 Hyundai Sonata, with Pa. license plate HFX6044.  Attempts to locate him by cell phone have been unsuccessful.

[The Sun's Don Markus reports that the missing man is a senior at UMBC.]

Police are concerned for Sultan’s welfare.  Friends and family have reported that he may be a danger to himself. Sultan was last seen at the Mall in Columbia Friday around 6 p.m., wearing blue jeans and a red shirt.  He is 6’1” tall, 176 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information about Sultan’s whereabouts should call 911.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 6:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Howard County
        

Howard County police just sent out this announcement:

Howard County police made 24 arrests at two Phish concerts at Merriweather Post Pavilion this weekend and seized three vehicles containing drugs, as well as more than $2,000 in cash. Police also issued 22 alcohol citations for underage drinking.

Investigators focused enforcement efforts on drug distribution and seized controlled dangerous substances including marijuana, hashish, ecstasy, nitrous oxide and methamphetamine. Police also seized three vehicles containing drugs: a 2000 Chevrolet truck, a 2000 SAAB and a Honda motorcycle.

Police work in partnership with Merriweather Post Pavilion to ensure lawful conduct during the concert season. Additional resources were allocated for the Phish concerts, which have historically shown increased drug activity at the venue.

Here's a list of the people arrested:

Continue reading "Howard County police bust concert goers" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

It's not often Crime Beat gets to cross-blog with John McIntyre's You Don't Say blog, this paper's grammar policeman. And actually, this gem comes from Laura Vozzella's Baltimore Insider blog, though McIntyre gets credit for breaking the news in a Tweet:

Howard County police emailed a news release just now that inspired Sun grammar guru John McIntyre to tweet: “I worry about opening this message.”

The subject line reads: "Attached is a copy of a Fatal Press Release in Howard County."

Posted by Peter Hermann at 8:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Crime humor, Howard County
        

A statement from Howard County police:

Howard County police are working to identify a woman who assaulted and robbed a customer at an area bar last week. Detectives are releasing a video of the suspect assaulting the victim and offering a reward of up to $500 for information leading to her identity and arrest.

The robbery occurred on May 29 at approximately 2 a.m. at Second Chance Saloon in the 5800 block of Robert Oliver Place in Columbia.

The victim, a 27-year-old female, was walking into the bar when the suspect struck her and stole her purse. Police do not believe the victim knew the suspect and do not believe there was any communication between the two before the robbery.

The victim was treated at the scene for minor injuries to her face.

The suspect is described as a black female; approximately 230 pounds; approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall; dark brown hair in a pony tail; wearing a short-sleeved yellow shirt and short black skirt or shorts.

Anyone with information about the suspect’s identity or her whereabouts is asked to call the Stop Crime Tip Line at 410-313-STOP. Callers may remain anonymous.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

The Sun's Nick Madigan writes:

Although Shaft S. Hunter evidently took very seriously his job as a Maryland state trooper, he always hailed his supervising officer with the same impish greeting.

"Hey, Sarge, what's crackalackin'?" Hunter would say, according to the supervisor, Sgt. Dwayne Lightsey, now retired. Photo at left is from today's funera, by The Sun's Kenneth K. Lam.

"He was full of energy," Lightsey said. "Too much energy."

The recollection was one of a litany of remembrances — many of them humorous, others bitterly sad — at Hunter's funeral service Friday, a week after he was killed in an accident on Interstate 95 in Howard County. The 39-year-old trooper's six children — the youngest 4 years old, the eldest 19 — sat with relatives in the front pews of the New Antioch Baptist Church in Randallstown as the memories rolled by.

"Do you believe I get paid for this?" Hunter's youngest brother, Shaun, recalled the trooper saying during a ride-along in his patrol car some years ago. "I'd do this for free. Don't tell anyone!"

See Nick Madigan's full story.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Designer drugs designed to look like benign "bath salts" are the newest narcotic, and they're available legally in shops and over the Internete. Still, federal authorities are cracking down, going after people for improperly packaging and labeling the material.

Feds earlier this week raided a storage facility in of all places New Market and seized to barrells of white powder that is marketed as bath salts and gives a high similar to cocaine. The Sun's Jessica Anderston takes us inside a bust in Howard County that led to a broader investigation. Picture at left is a stock image from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

And health officials warn that these new synthetic drugs are dangerous. Eight midshipmen got expelled earlier this year after being found with synthetic marijuana. Here Jessica write about visiiting a "head shop" in Towson:

Continue reading ""Bath salts" new designer drug craze" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Crime elsewhere, Howard County
        

The Maryland State Police have announced a scholarship fund to help the children of Trooper Shaft Hunter, who died this past weekend in a car accident in Howard County. Here is a statement from police:

THE HUNTER CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Donations can be made at any M&T Bank in Maryland.  Or, they may be mailed to: M&T Bank, 207 Bowie Road, Laurel, MD  20707. All donations will be used to provide for the education of TFC Hunter’s six children. His children range in age from 4-19. 

The Hunter family and the members of the Maryland State Police are grateful for the support of citizens across the state that has been shown during this difficult time. The kindness of so many has been deeply appreciated.

Hunter's funeral is tomorow, and there is a viewing tonight. Here are details, and a warning about traffic for what is expected to be a long motorcade:  
 

Continue reading "Scholarship set up for trooper's children" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore County, Howard County
        

Howard County police are seeking a man who walked into a Susquehanna Bank branch in Columbia on Tuesday and demanded money. Police said the robbery occurred about 3:15 p.m. at the branch, in the 8800 block of Columbia 100 Parkway.

"A teller gave the suspect an undislcosed amount of cash, and the suspect fled in an unknown direction of travel," police said in a statment. "At the time of the robbery, one customer and several employees were present. No one was injured."

Police are releasing surveillance footage of the suspect and are offering up to $2,500 for information. The suspect is described as a white male, medium build, wearing a black hat, sunglasses, black hooded sweatshirt with a white zipper and white drawstrings and dark shorts.

Anyone with information should call police at 410-313-STOP. Callers may remain anonymous.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 6:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

From Tricia Bishop and Scott Calvert:

An on-duty Maryland State Trooper who might have been pursuing a speeding motorcycle was killed early Saturday in a crash on Interstate 95 in Howard County, according to police, who said the cruiser slammed into the back of a tractor trailer.

Police identified the trooper as Shaft S. Hunter, 39, an 11-year veteran and the father of six. The incident occurred about 2:40 a.m. on the highway shoulder south of Route 32. The trooper was pronounced dead on the scene.

A witness told police that a marked cruiser had been pursuing a fast-moving motorcycle shortly before Hunter’s car plowed into the truck. While Hunter had not radioed to his barrack that he was pursuing the motorcycle, the police statement said “that is not unusual when a trooper is in the initial moments of a traffic stop.”

Police said Hunter had been wearing his seatbelt.

The driver of the tractor trailer, Albert Sandino, 46 of Covina, Calif., told police he was headed from Aberdeen to Virginia with a load of household bleach when he pulled over to check for directions to his destination. Sandino was not injured.

The crash occurred near a rest area entrance ramp. Southbound lanes of I-95 at Route 32 were closed for several hours.

For more details:

Continue reading "Trooper killed in crash was father of six; might have been chasing motorcycle" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Breaking news, Howard County
        

This just in from Maryland State Police:

An on-duty Maryland state trooper was killed early this morning in a traffic crash on southbound I-95 in Howard County. 

The crash occurred about 2:40 a.m. on southbound I-95, south of Rt. 32, near the entrance ramp to the rest area.  The trooper was pronounced dead at the scene.  Maryland State Police officials continue to notify family members of the fallen trooper. 

Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Terrence B. Sheridan will provide the trooper’s name and information from the preliminary investigation at a media briefing later this morning.  The briefing will be held at 10:00 a.m. today at the Maryland State Police Waterloo Barrack, 7777 Washington Blvd., Jessup, Md. Take I-95 to Rt. 175 east.  Rt. 175 east to Rt. 1.  Make a left on Rt. 1. Barrack is located on the right. 

Due to the crash investigation, all lanes of southbound I-95 have been closed at Rt. 32.  State Highway Administration personnel are on the scene and have established detours around the area.  The interstate is expected to be closed until about 8:00 a.m.  Northbound I-95 is open and traffic is unaffected.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Howard County
        

The Sun's Don Markus reports:

Ravens linebacker Sergio Kindle is expected to plead guilty Tuesday to a drunk driving charge during a hearing in Howard County District Court.

Kindle, who missed what would have been his rookie season in 2010 after fracturing his skull when he fell down the steps at a friend's Texas home prior to training camp, was arrested shortly after 4 a.m. on Dec. 26 when police said they noticed Kindle's Cadillac driving erratically on Route 1 in Laurel.

According to charging documents, Kindle was clocked at 70 mph in a 55 mph zone, swerving between lanes and coming too close to cars in front of him. After his car was stopped at the entrance of Route 32, officers said they noticed that his eyes were glassy and his speech was slurred. Kindle said that he had "a couple of drinks" at a club in Washington, according to the documents.

Read more on Kindle and the charges.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

The case of the man found dead in a basement closet along with his unharmed 5-year-old son has gotten stranger.

Reporter Don Markus reports today that Howard County police found drugs on the man, but no signs of trauma, meaning they're awaiting results of an autopsy to determine how he died. He apparently broke into the vacant family home in Jessup last week after assaulting his father.

Police searched the house on Wednesday but reported finding nothing, though family members complain officers failed to force open a closet door. A relatative checking the house on Saturday found the body and the boy, who was treated for dehyrdation.

"He was looking lost and scared, and he said that his daddy is dead," relative Barbara Wise said. "He said that his daddy and his pop-pop had an argument."

Howard County police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said that police do not know if the man was alive when the house was searched by police last week, but "there was no sound, no smell, no indication that the little boy was in there."

Posted by Peter Hermann at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Police in Howard County are investigating a bizzare case involving what appears to be linked to a tragic domestic dispute. Many details are not yet known, but here's what we reported in today's paper, in a story by Jessica Anderson:

Continue reading "Body of man found with boy in Howard County" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Howard County police said a 19-year-old Columbia man was critically injured in a shooting Monday night in an Ellicott City neighborhood.

Police were called to the 3600 block of Mount Ida Dr. at about 11:10 p.m. and found Terrell William Young suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Young was transported by MedEvac to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was listed in critical condition, police said. Police said they believe Young was visiting the neighborhood with an acquaintance when a man fired shots at him in the parking lot of a townhome community. Young doesn't have any criminal record himself, according to electronic court records - only a few traffic tickets.

Police are offering a reward of $500 for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information was asked to call police at 410-313-STOP. Callers can remain anonymous.

Posted by Justin Fenton at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Howard County
        

City police and about 200 of their colleagues spent Saturday searching Patapsco Valley State Park for Phylicia Barnes, the 17-year-old who disappeared from her half-sister's Northwest Baltimore apartment in December.

Searchers found a body, but not of Barnes, and some assorted animal bones. All in all, it was a frustrating day that left police without any new clues in the girl's disappearance. "We are very much back at square one," a police spokesman said.

The search for Barnes has been one of the most extensive in years. A task force of six homicide detectives continues to work around the clock, and authorities are staffing a 24-hour hot line. But a flood of 200 tips that poured into the center in the first two months have slowed to just five in the past month.

The hot line number is 855-223-0033.

These photos of the today's search were taken by The Sun's Kim Hairston. Here's a list of some of the agencies that helped out on Saturday:

Continue reading "Searching the park for Phylicia Barnes" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

Baltimore police on Saturday closed part of Patapsco Valley State Park as they launched a new, intensive search for a teenage girl who went missing in December and whose disappearance has baffled detectives who have worked for months without finding any clues.

Authorities cautioned that they do not have any specific tips as to the whereabouts of Phylicia Barnes that led them to this sprawling, 16,000-acre park located in both Howard and Baltimore counties north of Ellicott City.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said only that their “investigation led them to the park,” a woodland and nature preserve that includes 32 miles of river and 170 miles of trails, attracting hikers, fishermen, nature enthusiasts and picnickers.

While a task force of six homicide detectives continues to work the case exclusively, Saturday’s search is the biggest public show of force since January, when police searched a well in a shed behind a Southwest Baltimore apartment building.

Continue reading "Police begin search for missing teen in Patapsco State Park " »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 6:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Confronting crime, Howard County, Northwest Baltimore
        

A jewelry store robbery in Howard County may be linked to others in Baltimore and Annapolis, as well as to the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old who was killed a day after his car was identified as the getaway vehicle in a robbery at the Columbia Mall.

Howard County detectives on Monday arrested three Baltimore men and charged them in an armed robbery last week that netted more than $300,000 in high-end watches. Mall security officers saw the license plate of the getaway car, a Mitsubishi Diamante that was traced to Derek Jones, an aspiring rapper seen at right from this picture on his web site.

But the day after the robbery, Jones was fatally shot in the head as he left a barber shop in West Baltimore in the 1200 block of Winchester St. It was just hours after he had been questioned by county detectives, officials confirmed.

County police announced the robbery arrests Tuesday, but there was no mention in charging documents of Jones beyond describing his vehicle. Sherry Llewellyn, a spokeswoman for the Howard County police, said county detectives had been investigating Jones’ possible involvement in the robbery but said that police were not prepared to charge him at the time of his death.

City homicide detectives were “not prepared to comment” on how the robbery might play into the murder investigation, Baltimore Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

Jones was a rapper named “Nu-Boy” and “D. Jones,” and had produced an album in late 2008 that was sold at local Best Buy stores. Street life was prominent in his music – album covers are splashed with images of guns and bullets. A song released last fall featured the chorus, “Air ‘em out” with the sounds of guns firing and the clinking of bullet casings hitting the ground.

But a follow-up album, his site promised, was to be called “American Dream,” and discussed “his emergence from the bitter realities” of life in Baltimore that comprised his first album. “It was his wish to give the world more of himself as a person, and less of the tragic images he experienced day to day living in Baltimore,” it reads.

Posted by Justin Fenton at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Anne Arundel County, Howard County, West Baltimore
        

Howard County police announced the arrests of three men who robbed a jewelry store at the Columbia Mall, taking $300,000 worth of high-end watches. Police are investigating whether the same suspects are responsible for other holdups at malls in Baltimore and in Annapolis.

Police are crediting a tipster with helping lead detectives in the case.

In September, armed men held up jewelry stores at Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore in a series of attacks. In March, two armed men robbed a jewelry store at Westfield Annapolis Mall, getting awa with more than $100,000 in watches and necklaces.

Here are more details from Howard County Police:

Continue reading "Howard County police make arrest in jewelry robbery at mall" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

UPDATE, 2 PM: County police sent out a statement from Howard County chief William J. McMahon: "Lechter has been a probationary officer since August 2010. ... Lechter has been suspended pending an investigation, which includes immediate suspension of his police powers and no contact with the public. No other HCPD officers were involved in the incident."

"The actions described in these charges, if accurate, do not meet the expectations set for members of the Howard County Police Department. As Chief of Police, I have been briefed and ordered an internal investigation immediately. I have reached out to Commissioner Bealefeld to express my concern about Lechter's alleged involvement in this incident."

A Howard County police officer was arrested early this morning in Southeast Baltimore after police say he punched a female officer in the head then yelled, "I'm a cop!" as officers placed him in handcuffs.

According to court records, officers were attempting to disperse a crowd at Canton Square in the 2900 block of ODonnell St. at 2 a.m. when someone yelled "[Expletive] the police," who the city officer believed to be Casey Robert Lechter, an off-duty Howard County police officer. Another man, Kary Williams, said he was the person who made the statement, and the city officer told him to leave the area, according to records.

Williams refused, and the city officer told him he was under arrest, records show. While she was placing handcuffs on him, Lechter punched her in the head from behind and pushed her away, records show. Police records say a private citizen grabbed Lechter and pinned him against a parked vehicle as additional officers arrived at the scene to help.

Continue reading "Howard Co. officer arrested for assaulting city officer" »

Posted by Justin Fenton at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Howard County, Southeast Baltimore
        

Three men, one armed with a handgun, robbed a jewelry store at the Columbia Mall Wednesday afternoon, getting away with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, according to Howard County police.

Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The robbery occurred shortly before 1 p.m. at Edward Arthur Jewelers. Police released the following descriptions:

The first suspect is described as a black male wearing a green plaid shirt and a black Vancouver Grizzlies cap with a teal brim. A second suspect is described as a black male wearing a
black and gray jacket and a black Cincinnati Reds cap with a red brim. A third suspect is described as a black male wearing a gray jacket and a white Chicago Bulls cap with a black
brim.

In September, armed men held up jewelry stores at Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore in a series of attacks. In March, two armed men robbed a jewelry store at Westfield Annapolis Mall, getting awa with more than $100,000 in watches and necklaces.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Howard County
        

Fresh off the battlefield and fresh out of the police academy, Thaddeus Allen survived two tours in Iraq only to narrowly miss getting seriously injured or worse when a suspected drunk driver slammed into his cruiser on I-95.

It was just his third time out in a cruiser. He and his training officer had stopped behind a woman who ran out of gas just north of the Washington Beltway. The driver of a Ford Taurus hit the back of Allen's police car, forcing him and his partner to leap over Jersey wall. The woman wasn't hurt, and the driver of the Taurus was charged with drunk driving.

"We were taught that one of our biggest enemies are the other cars on the road," Allen said this week as he recounted his harrowing tale. "Most people don't move over or pay any attention, especially the drunks."

Read more for on the crash and Allens' reaction, and on how car accidents typically claim more lives of police officers than do gunfire.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Confronting crime, Crime elsewhere, Howard County
        

Maybe the suspect in a series of Howard County burglaries (four linked to suspects arrested this week are on the map above) shouldn't have tried pawning a 1971 high school class ring engraved with the victim's initials

Police looking through pawn shop records quickly spotted it, and then traced property taken in three other break-ins in the western part of the county.

Doris Dodge told me that more than $3,700 worth of jewelry was taken during the February break-in of her rental home, but what she really wants back is the ring. It had sentimental value, she said. Now, with a husband-wife team in custody, she and other victims are hoping that at least some of their prized possessions will eventually be returned.

And police are working at several other burglaries to see if they can be linked to the suspects, who live in Mount Airy. Read more details on the case and the arrests. Read the Howard County Police news release on the case.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

Continuing reforms to Baltimore's response to sexual assaults will be steered by a full-time coordinator who for the past six years has overseen residential programs at Howard County's domestic violence center.

Heather Brantner began Monday as coordinator of the Sexual Assault Response Team, a committee of police, prosecutors, medical providers and women's advocates given new purpose after The Baltimore Sun reported last year that the city for years led the country in the percentage of rape cases deemed "unfounded" by detectives.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake ordered an audit that found more than half of the cases investigated over a 20-month period had been misclassified. Officials also identified several other areas for improvement, which Brantner will manage in the newly created position.

Sexual assault and domestic violence "are often intertwined, and I think that coming from a victim-centered approach, I can bring a lot from those past experiences," Brantner said.

Read more here.

Posted by Justin Fenton at 7:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: City Hall, Howard County
        

The commander of the Baltimore Police Department’s homicide unit will not face criminal charges or be ticketed for abandoning his unmarked cruiser on the side of Interstate 95 after he slid off a rain-slicked road last Sunday, according to the Maryland State Police.

Maj. Terrrence P. McLarney had been suspended after the March 6 incident. A city police spokesman said the commander is now back on partial duty — allowed to run the administrative functions of his 70-detective office, but without his police powers.

Maj. David Engel has been temporarily named the unit’s “operational commander.” McLarney, a 34-year veteran, still faces an administrative review to determine whether he violated departmental rules when he failed to report the accident.

Continue reading "Homicide commander cleared in accident" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County, Top brass
        

The Baltimore police commander who heads the homicide unit was suspended today after he abandoned his unmarked cruiser on the side of I-95 near Route 32 in Howard County, city police confirmed. The suspension is described as routine and required because of the active investigation.

Maj. Terrence P. McLarney apparently ran off an exit ramp in Sunday night's rain storm. State Police said his car went into a ditch and there was minor damage to the front bumper. Another motorists called police to report seeing the vehicle off the road.

Why McLarney left the scene and how he got home remains a mystery at this time. City police said they suspended him with pay pending the outcome of the Maryland State Police investigation, and then they'll launch a internal investigation of their own.

More details later on The Sun's web site and in print on Tuesday.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Breaking news, Howard County, Top brass
        

From the Ravens Insider blog:

Sergio Kindle's court case for driving under the influence has been postponed because of a scheduling conflict involving his attorney, according to a clerk at the Howard County District Court. No new date has been set yet. He was originally scheduled to appear in court tomorrow.

Kindle was stopped by police just after 4 a.m. on Dec. 26 after an officer observed his vehicle weaving on Route 1 in Savage, police said. According to court records, Kindle smelled of alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. He told an officer that he was driving home from a club in DC with friends and had "had a few drinks," records show.

Posted by Justin Fenton at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Howard County police chased a bank robbery suspect wearing a long blond wig on Wednesday and retrieved an envelope containing cash from the bank, according to authorities.

Police said they charged Dallas Kenneth Jacobs, 44, of Hanover, with robbery and other charges. Police said the holdup occurred at the Sandy Spring Bank on Lisbon Center Drive shortly before 11 a.m.

From Howard County Police:

Bank employees told police the suspect had entered the bank, approached a teller and displayed a note demanding cash. The suspect did not show or imply a weapon. The teller complied, and the suspect fled. Employees followed the suspect to the parking lot and described his vehicle to police as a bright yellow Jeep Wrangler. The suspect was described as wearing a red hat, long blond wig, leather jacket and jeans.

Officers set up on I-70 and soon spotted a vehicle matching the description traveling eastbound. An officer attempted to stop the vehicle utilizing lights and sirens, but the suspect refused to stop and led police on a pursuit onto Md. 32 eastbound.

After a brief pursuit, the vehicle came to a stop, and the suspect was taken into custody without incident. Officers searched the vehicle and seized the clothing described by bank employees, as well as an envelope containing cash from the bank.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Howard County
        

Updates on two cases, two different jurisdictions:

-Charges dropped against JROTC instructor, teacher in Howard County: During a trial, which ended in a hung jury, it was revealed that Charles Ray Moore's accuser had changed her story, and that handprints belonging to the young woman and traces of semen that did not match Moore's DNA were found by police technicians in the storage room, reports The Sun's Don Markus. Prosecutors said they had no plan to retry Moore after a November mistrial on charges of fourth-degree sex offense and having sex with a minor student in his authority.

Posted by Justin Fenton at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Courts and the justice system, Howard County
        

Howard County police are seeking help identifying a man found Friday wandering a highway ramp near U.S. 29 and Interstate 70:

Posted by Peter Hermann at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

SNOWWWWWWWWWW! !

That's stating the obvious, I know, but it comes via Twitter, courtesy of the Baltimore Fire Department firefighters union #734. It's my way of passing along the latest public safety news!

Not to be outdone, Baltimore police put this up on Twitter: "DRIVING ADVISORY: Winter weather conditions are making area roads very slick. Please drive with care and consider staying home."

Of course, the rank and file firefighters and paramedics would be remiss if they didn't also remind you, again via Twitter, that the city continues to close fire companies to save money. So along with storm news, you get this:

Units closed to save money today are Engine 5 & Engine 8. Engine 43 is closed for maintenance. Use caution walking & driving in winter weather.

Engine 8 operates from a firehouse in the 1500 block of West LaFayette Avenue. The house also has a truck and a medic which are operational Engine 5 is out of the Roman Kaminski station in the 2100 block of Eastern Ave.

But enough politics. The last Twitter from Baltimore police was last night, with a man shot in the back in the 800 block of Lennox St. No word yet on his condition. Meanwhile, Liz F. Kay is reporting that the snow you see this morning is "just a teaser" of what we'll see later today and tonight.

Check out the rest of The Baltimore Sun for more snow news, including accidents and road conditions, and closing information. Or better yet, head to Frank Roylance's Maryland Weather blog, Let's see if the adage prove true -- more snow equals less crime.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Breaking news, Carroll County, Downtown, East Baltimore, Howard County, North Baltimore, Northeast Baltimore, Northwest Baltimore, Southeast Baltimore, Southwest Baltimore, West Baltimore
        

A former Howard County police chief who rant he department from 1969 to 1975, has died. G. Russell Walters died Jan. 13 at the age of 92. The agency announced his death this afternoon. Before going to to lead the Howard force, he spent 23 years in the Maryland State Police.

"Chief Walters made important changes to the agency that we can still see today,” Howard County Police Chief William McMahon said in a statement. “We are saddened by his death.  Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family from the entire Howard County Police family.”

In 1998, he ran for Howard County Sheriff, but lost. He was the lone Democratic candidate. He's pictured here during that campaign in a photo by The Sun's Doug Kapustin.

More from the police statement:

Continue reading "Former Howard County police chief dies" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

A 30-year-old man dubbed the "preppy burglar" because of his collared shirt and glasses has pleaded guilty to breaking into houses in Howard and Montgomery counties. His crimes got wide-spread attention because one of the break-ins was captured on a home-security camera (see video here).

Jeremy Matthew Hall, of Silver Spring, was sentenced to serve 18 months in jail. His attorney told me he admitted to his crimes and made restitution. In one instance, he was able to retrieve two valuable guitars from the people he had sold them to and return them to the owner. The two men shook hands.

“I feel that the criminal law in this case was used by the lawyers to do substantial good, by virtue of this unusual restitution effort," Hall's attorney, Thomas L. Heeney told me.

Howard County resident David Irick had returned home one day last year to discover a break-n. He turned on his video from surveillance cameras he installed and saw the suspect knocking on his door and then emerging carrying computer equipment.

Hall was dressed in a collared shirt with rolled up sleeves and a red tie. Police at the time surmised that he dressed that way so that he would appear to be a door-to-door salesman or somebody conducting survey. Heeney told me his client was dressed up only because that's how he dressed for work (he wouldn't tell me where he had worked).

In court on Jan. 7, Hall made a full confession and said he had been addicted to prescription medication. "I have brought shame to my family, my community and to myself," he said.

Here is his statement from court:

Continue reading "Preppy burglar pleads guilty" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Confronting crime, Courts and the justice system, Crime elsewhere, Howard County
        

A tip about animals living in poor conditions in a Columbia house led Howard County Police to finding 64 rabbits roaming free.

Charges haven't filed but police said they plan on making a return visit to the home, occupied by a woman and her adult son, to determine whether the house is fit for habitation. They described as filled with debris, and that here even may be more rabbits hiding in the clutter.

Most of the rabbits could be made available for adoption. Photo at left is from the Howard County Police Department.Details for anyone interested in a rabbit are below in a statement from Howard County Police:

Continue reading "Howard County police rescue rabbits" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

Howard County police are searching for two men who robbed Columbia Bank Thursday afternoon at gunpoint.

Authorities said the holdup occurred about 2:45 p.m. at the bank in in the 10400 block of Little Patuxent Parkway. "A teller gave the suspects an undetermined amount of cash and both suspects fled the bank," police said.

There is a reward of up to $500 being offered for information.

The suspects are described as:

#1 - black male, approximately 5’10” tall, under 200 lbs., dark complexion, wearing a tan jacket with fur around the hood and sunglasses

#2 - black male, approximately 5’10” tall, under 200 lbs, medium to dark complexion, wearing a navy blue jacket and dark colored ski mask

Posted by Peter Hermann at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

General Growth Properties, which runs the major malls in the area, including Harborplace, Towson Town Center and The Mall in Columbia, are bringing in K-9 security dogs to help keep people safe over the holidays.

Pictured here is a German Sheperd named Bruno and security guard Dave Merow patrolling the Columbia Mall. The photo is by The Sun's Gene Sweeney Jr.

While General Growth officials said no single crime or incident prompted the use of the K-9 unit, the new security plan comes after several high-profile crimes at Mondawmin this summer, including a robbery in which a gunman escaped with $100,000 worth of watches and jewelry from Elite Gold & Diamond.

K-9 security is a growing trend in the retail industry as mall operators have become increasingly concerned about crime. This is the first time General Growth has deployed K-9s in the Baltimore area, but the company has already installed K-9 units in Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore County, Confronting crime, Howard County
        

Howard County police are looking for help in a year-old slaying during a Halloween party. In May, the Howard County Times broke new details of the case by reviewing investigative documents. Reporter Luke Broadwater wrote (full story here):

Witnesses to a fatal shooting at a Halloween party last year at a $1.6 million Columbia mansion described a chaotic scene in which at least four fights broke out, party-goers passed guns through windows to avoid security and a bottle was cracked over a young man’s head.

The documents, based on interviews with more than 100 witnesses, paint a chaotic scene. But they also help explain why prosecutors say they were forced to drop murder and attempted murder charges against two young men initially accused in the crime.

Though 164 people were interviewed by police, no one at the party immediately named as the gunman 23-year-old Devon Dixon, of Elkridge, the man police initially accused of the murder of Aaron Brice, 19, of Silver Spring and attempted murder of Nathaniel Quick, 22, of Columbia. The only person who identified Dixon as the gunman was a confidential informant, the documents show.

Continue reading "Halloween slaying still unsolved in Howard County" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Here's a quick update on some violence reported this morning:

Howard County Police are searching for a man who, while being escorted from an Ellicott City restaurant Wednesday night, stabbed a security officer in the neck. Officers were called just after 10 p.m. to the La Palapa Grill in the 8300 block of Main Street where security guard Brian Johnson, 44, of Rockville was stabbed with an unknown sharp object, police said.

Baltimore detectives are still working to identify a man was fatally shot in the back in West Baltimore on Thursday morning, according to Baltimore Police. The shooting was reported at 2:58 a.m. in the 200 block of South Woodyear St., in the New Southwest/Mount Clare neighborhood, police said.

For more information on Baltimore slayings, check out the city homicide map.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore County, Howard County, West Baltimore
        

The Baltimore State's Attorney's Office has secured two life sentences and a conviction in three separate murder cases in recent days. Here are the details:

Judge M. Brooke Murdock sentenced Marquise Evans, 24, of the 1100 block of Gorsuch Avenue today to life plus 20 years in prison. A Baltimore jury convicted Evans August 5, 2010 of first-degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence after a four day trial and 1 ½ hours of deliberation.  

On December 19, 2008, in the 1400 block of Homestead Street, Thaddeus McCauley Jr. was found suffering from two gunshot wounds and died shortly thereafter. Found in the immediate vicinity of the victim’s body was his cell phone and a small bag of marijuana. Detectives learned that the victim was a marijuana dealer and just prior to his death the victim received multiple calls from a number affiliated with a home in Columbia, MD.  

Further investigation revealed that friends of Evans placed those calls to McCauley.  Testimony revealed that Evans wanted to visit his friends in Columbia, MD but did not have enough money to pay for a ride.  Evans suggested to his friends, testimony revealed, that they purchase marijuana and arranged a three-way conference call between Evans, his friends and McCauley’s cell phone number.

A short time after this call, testimony revealed that Evans called his friends telling them he had money and marijuana and the friends drove to Baltimore, picked him up, and went back to Columbia.  While at the house in Columbia, Evans passed out and his friends discovered he was suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg.  They took him to Howard County Hospital where medical personnel treated the wound and also notified Howard County Police.

Continue reading "Baltimore prosecutors get murder convictions" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Confronting crime, Courts and the justice system, Howard County
        

After a short article appeared on a crackdown by Howard County police of people illegally parking in handicap spaces, a reader sent in a picture of a cop allegedly violating the very law her agency was targeting.

The reader noted that the officer had parked her marked cruiser in a handicapped space at a Barnes & Noble and was seen drinking coffee.

The Columbia Flier and the Howard County Times published the picture and sought comment from a Howard County police spokeswoman, who said the officer had responded to the Ellicott City store after workers there chased out a suspected thief. The officer was writing a report.

But the spokeswoman noted that officers are allowed to park in such spaces only in an emergency. While the officer was on official business -- she can drink coffee and write a report -- this wasn't exactly an emergency and she did have other alternatives.

It would've been better had she parked anywhere else in the lot other than using a handicapped space.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Confronting crime, Howard County
        

Continue reading "Cost of doing business?" »

Posted by Justin Fenton at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore County, Howard County
        

The killing of one patient allegedly by another patient at the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center for the criminally insane raises lots of questions. Baltimore Sun reporter Yeganeh June Torbati describes a state audit that shows a history of violence at the facility.

But even more troubling is how the suspect, El Soudani El-Wahhabi, a convicted killer and sexual predator, had been housed on the same floor with women. He is charged with killing Susan Sachs, whose body was found Sunday morning face down in her bed with a string around her neck.

El-Wahhabi had been to Perkins before, when he was deemed unfit for trial after he was charged with sexually assaulting his sister-in-law while he was wearing lingerie. While at Perkins that time, he was convicted of assaulting a guard. In 1995, he killed a woman during a struggle in which part of his tongue was bitten off (the piece was found at the crime scene, linking him to the death).

Workers at Perkins told Torbati that the suspect had not threatened anyone in years but why take the chance with someone with that kind of history. Sachs had been convicted of a killing several years ago in Chevy Chase.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Breaking news, Courts and the justice system, Howard County
        

A patient at the Clifton T. Perkins mental hospital in Jessup is being charged with murder after another patient was found dead in her room Sunday morning with a string tied around her neck, state police investigators said.

Maryland State Police are expected to charge El Soundani El-Wahhabi, also known as Saladin Taylor, in the death of Susan Sachs, 45, also a patient at Perkins.

Sachs was found face down in her bed about 8:30 a.m. by a nurse who went to check on her after she didn't show up for breakfast. Doctors at the hospital determined that she was dead.

El-Wahhabi and Sachs had rooms in the same hallway at the hospital, investigators said. Both had been admitted to the hospital as sentencing for previous murders.

Continue reading "State mental hosital patient accused of killing fellow patient" »

Posted by Justin Fenton at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Howard County
        

The man charged with being the "preppy burglar" because of he was caught on video allegedly breaking into a Howard County house wearing dress clothes and a tie has been charged with a second burglary in Montgomery County.

Court records show that shortly after Jeremy Matthew Hall, 30, of Silver Spring, was released on $15,000 bail in Howard County, he was arrested by Montgomery County police. He was released this morning from that jurisdiction on $7,500 bail.

I'm awaiting details from Montgomery County. Charging documents filed in the Howard County case show that he is charged with breaking into a house on Browns Bridge Road and stealing a Sony boom box, a black stereo receiver and a black safe containing personal documents.

Police released a video of the man breaking into the house and hours later they got a tip from someone who knew the suspect. Hall also has an extensive driving record for speeding and in 2001 was found guilty in an excessive noise complaint.

Here are more details from the Montgomery County Police Department:

Continue reading "More charges for "preppy burglar" -- UPDATE" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Crime elsewhere, Howard County
        

Howard County police just announced they arrested the so-called "preppy burglar" who they caught on video breaking into a house earlier this month. Police said they arrested him at his home after getting a tip from soneone who saw the story on television.

To watch the video.

He's identified as Jeremy Matthew Hall, 30, of Silo Way in Silver Spring. Police said he is facing burglary, theft and destruction of property charges. Police gave him his nickname because he was dressed in a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, gray dress pants and a red tie.

We're doing some background checking to see who this man is what he does for a living.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 6:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Breaking news, Howard County
        

Howard County police are seeking a bespectacled man dressed in a shirt and tie caught breaking into a house. Be sure to watch the video -- it shows the burglary in progress. The cops have dubbed him the "preppy burglar."

Posted by Peter Hermann at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Breaking news, Howard County
        

The Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention is giving victims of crime a chance to speak out. This is another in a series of forums being held around the state -- the first was on the Eastern Shore.

Tonight's is in Howard County. Officials say they've been surprised by the candid remarks and suggestions being made. Here is the information about tonight's event:

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Confronting crime, Howard County, Top brass
        

At first, the man with the gunshot wound to his leg claimed he had been shot in Columbia. That seemed plausible since we had walked into the emergency room at a Howard County hospital. Then authorities thought he had shot himself.

But police quickly that the man had actually been shot in Baltimore, and that he mght've shot himself while also shooting another person on Gorsuch Avenue back in 2008. On Monday, a jury convicted the "victim" of first-degree murder and he's due to be sentneced in October.

Here are the details from the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office:

Continue reading "Shooting victim becomes murder suspect" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Confronting crime, Courts and the justice system, Howard County
        

As promised, here are some details on Howard County for National Night Out on Tuesday:

Continue reading "Howard County National Night Out" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Confronting crime, Howard County
        

A slew of crime news from the Baltimore region today:

-Baltimore County police officers shot and killed a man while breaking up an East Coast money counterfeiting ring, according to authorities. The Sun's Brent Jones reports that the shooting occurred during a raid at a Pikesville hotel on Reisterstown Road.

Details are still scant, but it appears the cops exchanged gunfire with at least one of the suspects. Two others were arrested. More details are here. 

-A woman who was knocked out from a punch to the face by a Howard County police officer is speaking out, saying the incident was "like domestic abuse."

"To hit me with a closed fist, that is uncalled for, that's like domestic abuse," said Rita Christine Anderson, of Columbia. "I feel like I was violated as a woman to be punched like that."

Read more from the Howard County Times' Kellie Woodhouse. 

-Harford County authorities are also searching for 20-year-old Baltimore County man Rakin Raid Muhammad in connection with a weekend slaying in downtown Bel Air, the first in that town in four years.

In 2007, when Muhammad was 17, he faced attempted first-degree murder, assault and related charges for "violently and repeatedly" striking a 44-year-old man with a baseball bat and kicking him; he was left paralyzed from the waist down after a brawl. Among the charges was a little-used gang statute passed by the state legislature in recent years.

Muhammad pleaded guilty to a single count of second-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 years with all but three and a half years suspended.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore County, Breaking news, Harford County, Howard County
        

It all started innocently enough.

State prison officials sent six female inmates, described as non-violent, to a Howard County horse farm to clear pasture for abused animals. The inmates were all nearing thier release dates and had met all the criteria for the coveted work-release.

In the photo by The Sun's Ken Lam, Ziggy, a former Arabber horse, munches on Hay as Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Gary Maynard, left, announces a partnership with Days End Farm Horse Rescue in which female inmates will be working on the farm doing landscaping with the eventual goal of caring for the rescued horses.

Only someone in the prison system forgot to tell the neighbors and the parents of the young volunteers that the inmates were coming, and understandable outrage followed and the program was put on indefinite hold. Then people started to wonder about the inmates themselves -- were they reall "non-violent"?

In today's crime scenes column, I try to answser that question. It's not as easy it may seem. One inmate I focused on, because she was the lead of a feature story on the program, a story that triggered the uproar, was in for second-degree assault on her boyfriend (complete story here).

Here's a bit about what I learned:

Continue reading "Horse farm and "non-violent" offenders" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Howard County, Prisons
        

It was one of those feel-good programs that come across reporters' desks nearly every day. This was from the state prison system: "Restorative Justice Benefits Women Inmates and Starving Horses."

A mix of crime and feel-good animal stories. Inmates helping abused horses at the Days EndFarm Horse Rescue in Howard County. A can't miss!

In this photo by The Sun's Kenneth K. Lam, Nelson Myers, left, a correctional officer, helps some of the inmates and volunteers unload bales of hay for the abused horses that. State prison inmates delivered 220 bales of hay from the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to Days End Farm.

Here's what the news release said:

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services today added yet another to its growing list of unique restorative justice inmate initiatives, putting a work crew comprised of female inmates at Howard County’s Days End Farm Horse Rescue. The inmates, from the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCI-W) in Jessup, will begin with grounds maintenance and landscaping, and eventually move into equine care. “What we try to do with these restorative justice programs is not only give inmates skills and the chance to pay back the society they’ve harmed, but meaningful projects that really do make a difference in the lives of people -- and in this case, horses,” said DPSCS Secretary Gary Maynard.

Only state prison officials forgot to tell the neighbors of the horse farm, as well as the young volunteers who work there. Now, state officials have shut down the program, according to a story by The Baltimore Sun's Larry Carson.

The prisoners were four to six women, non-violent offenders who were close to being released. A little bit of communication and this all probably could've been avoided. The prisoners need to transition from jail to real life and the Days End Farm Horse Rescue needs help caring for help with the 70 abused and neglected horses in their care. The farm just took in a dozen more horses from a farm seized in Garrett County.

Here is more from state prison officials and some of the projects performed by inmates:

Continue reading "What were they thinking? Horse farms and inmates?" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Confronting crime, Howard County, Prisons
        

Howard County police announced that they had made arrests in 11 residential burglaries. Here is their statement:

Howard County police have charged four people for a series of 11 residential apartment burglaries in Columbia. The suspects targeted apartments in the 5200 to 5600 blocks of Columbia Road from May 5 through June 29. In all of the cases, the burglaries occurred during daytime hours and showed no signs of forced entry or minimal signs of force. More than $50,000 worth of property was stolen in the incidents, including cash, jewelry, laptops, video game systems, mp3 players, cameras and cell phones.

All four suspects live together in an apartment at 5629 Columbia Road. They are:

* Antwan Terrill Moorman, 21, and Madeline Rose Asbell, 19, both charged with 11 counts each of
first-, third- and fourth-degree burglary and theft; fourth-degree burglary; two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance; and possession of drug paraphernalia
• Steven William Souder, 21, charged with 11 counts each of first-degree burglary and theft
• Lori Marie Chilcoat, 26, charged with 11 counts each of conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary and theft.

For more details:

Continue reading "Howard police make arrests in burglaries" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Breaking news, Howard County
        

Howard County police say they arrested 17 people, seized three vehicles with drugs and got $10,000 at two weekend Phish concerts at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia. Here is their statement:

Investigators focused enforcement efforts on drug distribution and seized controlled dangerous substances including marijuana, ecstasy and psilocybin mushrooms. Police work in partnership with Merriweather Post Pavilion to ensure lawful conduct during the concert season.

Additional resources were allocated for the Phish concerts, which have historically shown increased drug activity at the venue. Police seized:

Continue reading "Cops bust 17 at concert" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Breaking news, Howard County
        

Davon James Hall was given a chance. Sentenced to a halfway house after being convicted on federal robbery charges, federal prosecutors say Hall went on to continue stealing. He was charged in eight robberies in Linthicum, Glen Burnie, Timonium, and Columbia, sticking up hotels and an EZ Storage facility with an imitation gun and making off with more than $2,000 cash total.The robberies occurred over a span of less than three months in the summer of 2009.

Hall, 25, isn't getting off so easy this time. Today, U.S. District Court Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced him to 20 years in federal prison for assault with intent to commit robbery of United States property using a dangerous weapon and eight counts of interfering with commerce by robbery.

Posted by Justin Fenton at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Courts and the justice system, Howard County
        

Howard County police are now reporting five people shot in three unrelated shootings in Laurel. Authorities are planning a news briefing later this morning.

Here are some early details from police:

Howard County police are investigating three unrelated, non-fatal shooting incidents that occurred overnight. Five victims are being treated for injuries. Four are serious, one is in critical condition. Police are offering a reward of up to $1,500 for information in any of the cases.

The first incident occurred at 7:45 p.m. April 6 in the 5400 block of Broadwater Lane in Clarksville.  Detectives believe the suspects and victims may have known one another. They are looking into whether drugs may have been involved in the case. The victim, an adult male, and two friends agreed to meet a man on Broadwater Lane. During the meeting, an additional car pulled up and two masked suspects, one male and one female, both armed with guns, exited the car and demanded money from the victim and his friends. They took cash and shot the victim in the leg. He was transported to University Hospital in serious condition.

The second incident occurred at 12:51 a.m. in the 9100 block of Hitching Post Lane in Laurel.  Three male teens were walking along the roadway and were approached by an unknown suspect wearing a mask who fired shots, striking two of the teens.  One teen was struck in the face and is in serious condition, the other was struck in the back and is critical.  Both are at Shock Trauma. The third teen was not injured.

The third incident occurred at 12:53 a.m. in the 100 block of Alma Avenue in Laurel and is unrelated to the shooting in Laurel minutes earlier. Two groups of people were shouting at each other between a motel and a mobile home park. A fight broke out and two people were shot in the legs. Both are in serious condition at Shock Trauma.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Breaking news, Howard County
        

Baltimore police were Twittering into overtime Tuesday night and this morning with a bunch of shootings -- including a triple in which one man died -- and several gun arrests. The spate of shootings in the city came a day after police announced that murders this year are down 33 percent when compared to the first quarter of last year, a 33-year low.

The fatal shooting occurred about 11:30 p.m. in Northeast Baltimore in the 2200 block of Fleetwood Ave., near the old Northern High School. 

A 25-year-old man who had been shot in the body was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. A 24-year-old man went to Johns Hopkins Hospital with a gunshot wound to the back. And a 45-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his arm was taken to Sinai Hospital.

Continue reading "Shootings, in Baltimore, Laurel; assault rifle seized in Mount Vernon" »

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Breaking news, Howard County, Northeast Baltimore
        

Police are searching for a man who held up an Ellicott City bank on Saturday. The picture's a bit blurry, but I've included it anway.

Here's the statement from Howard County Police:

Police seek public’s help to identify bank robber Reward of up to $2,500 offered for information leading to an arrest Howard County police are asking the public’s help in identifying a robber who struck an Ellicott City bank on Saturday.

Police received a call at approximately 10:50 a.m. for a robbery at Howard Bank in the 10100 block of Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City. The lone suspect entered the bank and approached a teller. He gave the teller a note that implied he was armed with a gun and demanded cash. The teller complied with the demands, and the suspect fled with cash.
At the time of the robbery, there were three employees in the bank and no customers. No one
was injured.

The suspect is described as a white male in his early 20s; 5 feet, 8 inches tall; very thin; wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, a gray baseball cap with a black bill and thick black gloves.
A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information that leads to the suspect’s identification and arrest.

Police ask anyone with information to call 410-313-STOP. Callers may remain anonymous.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

Heavily armed tactical police in Prince George's County raid more homes than any other law enforcement agency in the state, according to newly released data from the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention.

In the last six months of 2009, police there conducted 195 tactical entries, 105 involving crime deemed nonserious felonies and misdemeanors. That's compared with 84 such raids in Baltimore (at left, a scene from a barricade in East Baltimore in 2007) over the same time period, 63 in Baltimore County, 16 in Harford, 22 in Carroll and 27 in Howard.

Lawmakers in Annapolis required police accross Maryland to submit the data after a mayor of Berwyn Heights was hancuffed by sheriffs deputies who burst into his home with automatic weapons and shot his two dogs. Drug dealers had sent packages of marijuana to unsuspecting homeowners and waited until postal carriers left them on front porches, with the hopes of intercepting them before the owners came home. Police had intercepted the package sent to Mayor Cheye Calvo's house and suspected he was the actual recipient. He was cleared of any wrongdoing.

But police agencies steadfastly stood by their tactics. Calvo has sued Prince George's County, arguing that police there routinely use SWAT team tactics on even the most routine of raids, and that the raid on his house could've been avoided with a little prior investigation. Calvo told me he believes the numbers given to the state back his claim.

Unfortunately all we have are spreadsheets. There is no narrative, so what we don't know is even on routine raids whether police believe the targets had guns. For those interested in revewing some of the raw data:

Baltimore City; Baltimore County; Anne Arundel County; Howard County; Prince George's County

A Prince George's County police spokeswoman told me that even in cases where minor crimes are alleged, most are for drugs, and police assume there are weapons. That makes a tactical entry necessary.

But the argument still is that police, since the Sept. 11 attacks, have armed themselves like never before and are increasingly using military-style tactics that amount to paramilitary like operations to arrest people wanted on crimes that involve small amounts of drugs. Calvo said police last year raided a house in his neighborhood looking for someone wanted for writing bad checks.

The statistics compiled on police raids give a broad picture of how the tactic is used in Maryland. Of the 806 raids conducted in the six-month period, more than 94 percent stemmed from search or arrest warrants. Most of the others came as the result of a barricade situation.

Police forced their way into 545 houses, seized property in 633 of the raids, made arrests 485 times and discharged their weapons five times. In the six months studied, seven civilians were hurt but none killed, and two animals were injured and two killed.

Baltimore police listed raid sites by ZIP code, with the most, 22, in Northwest Baltimore, followed by 14 in parts of East and Northeast Baltimore. There were nine in Waverly, four in Govans and five in Highlandtown.

In Baltimore County, police conducted the most raids in Halethorpe (nine), Dundalk (eight) and seven each in Essex and Middle River. Howard County police conducted the most raids in Columbia, 13. Anne Arundel County authorities performed the most raids in Glen Burnie, 20, with eight in Brooklyn Park and six in Laurel.

Posted by Peter Hermann at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Confronting crime, East Baltimore, Howard County, Northeast Baltimore, South Baltimore, Southeast Baltimore, West Baltimore
        

Peter Hermann today explored why out of four recent child abductions, only two triggered the statewide "Amber Alert." If you were watching the Olympics or other programming on Friday night, your TV was interrupted with an unavoidable minute-long alert that a girl had been abducted from Cecil County. Another was issued the next day in relation with an abduction of a Prince George's County girl.  But there were two other abductions during that time span, which did not trigger an Ambert Alert. The apparent reason is the involvement of a vehicle, and an available description of that vehicle. Since part of the Amber Alert is to have the description put up on highway signs, the lack of a vehicle apparently is a make-or-break element for broadcasting a description, even though the Amber Alert is so much more than a highway alert system.

Posted by Justin Fenton at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Crime elsewhere, Howard County, South Baltimore
        

What would you do to rid your streets and driveway of all this white stuff? Howard County police say a 40-year-old Columbia man stole a front-loader and used it to clear driveways. Officers tracked down the stolen machinery using Lo-Jack, and it was Lo-Jack officials who alerted me to this quirky tale. It was actually the second time Lo-Jack foiled such a theft in the region, according to Jeremy Warnick, a corporate communications manager with the company. It took police more than four hours to track down and confirm the information.

Here's the e-mail Warnick sent me:

On Tuesday, February 9, detectives with the Howard County Auto Theft unit used their Police Tracking Computers to follow the LoJack signal emitting from a stolen 2004 Caterpillar Skid Steer.  Working in cooperation with Anne Arundle County detectives, they were led to a residential neighborhood off of Rt. 198 outside of Laurel, Maryland.  A suspect was arrested after admitting to using the stolen Skid Steer to plow driveways.  The Caterpillar was returned in tact to its rightful owner. 

On Monday, February 8, LoJack helped authorities in Spotsylvania County, Virginia recover a stolen 2003 John Deere Skid Steer (Front End Loader).  An arrest warrant has been issued on a male in his 20s, who used the stolen Skid Steer to plow multiple driveways in a Fredericksburg neighborhood.  The John Deere was impounded and returned to its original owner. 

Front loaders are apparently a hot item. After this story ran, I received an email from Baltimore County contractor Wayne Edwards, who said he also had a piece of equipment stolen.

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Posted by Justin Fenton at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Baltimore County, Howard County