According to police, the suspect was near the scene of the attack, and police claim he tried to run from them. The young man has been charged with aggravated assault.
]]> When he was apprehended, he was allegedly carrying a claw hammer in a bag. Police believe that the woman was struck with that hammer.Authorities are considering the possibility that this suspect may be behind several attacks that bear similarities to this one. Those three attacks occurred in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, near where the most recent attack happened.
A couple of days before the most recent assault, a 66-year-old man was found in an alley on the 800 block of Emerson Street NW. He was suffering from head wounds that he eventually died from. A 53-year-old man was found with head wounds on Georgia Avenue NW the next morning. Later the same day, a 37-year-old woman had received serious head injuries in an attack on the 5600 block of Ninth Street NW.
All of the victims had been walking alone when they were attacked. Police stated that each of the assaults occurred without warning. After apprehending the 19-year-old male, an official with the D.C. police said that she felt more confident.
But it's important to remember that nothing is proven. No one actually saw any of the attacks happen, and the man may not have actually been running from police.
Source: Washington Post, "Man arrested in hammer assault; police probe link to Petworth attacks," Maggie Fazeli Fard and Clarence Williams, April 27, 2012
]]>Two brothers, 21 and 24, were allegedly patrolling an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood on the aforementioned date. According to the supposed victim, two men approached him in a red car while he was heading to a bus stop. The teen reported that he was at his grandmother's house and was walking to the bus stop to go to a doctor's appointment.
]]> Allegedly, the two men in the vehicle told the teenager that he was not supposed to be there. According to an assistant state's attorney, the teenager armed himself with a wooden board after this exchange. The vehicle soon returned and an altercation ensued. The assistant state's attorney added that the teen dropped the board before he was allegedly grabbed by one of the brothers and hit over the head with a walkie-talkie by the other.According to a recording of an emergency call made by the teenager, he told the operator that he was hit over the head with a radio. The teen refused to testify in his trial, however, and the suspects' attorney objected to the tape being played in court. The defendants weren't able to confront their accuser, but the judge allowed the tape to be played anyway.
The two brothers have been charged with carrying a deadly weapon, false imprisonment and second-degree assault.
Comparisons to the high-profile case of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman have been made. Due to this, the brothers made a motion that they later withdrew, asking for their trial to be moved because a fair trial would be hard to achieve. Instead of a jury, a bench trial was chosen. It's important to avoid jumping to conclusions in a case such as this, however. Not all the facts are known, and we can't just take the account of one person against two others, especially when one refuses to testify.
Source: Associated Press, "Black teen who authorities say was beaten in Md. neighborhood watch case refuses to testify," Sarah Brumfield, April 25, 2012
]]>In addition, 20-inch tires and rims were allegedly removed from four vehicles during the theft. The 16 rims and tires were valued at $14,349. The heist occurred in August 2011, and one of the men allegedly involved will soon be heading to jail.
]]> The 20-year-old man from Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possessing an instrument of crime in connection with a theft and a felony charge of conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking. He was sentenced to jail for six to 23 months.All three vehicles were recovered by the authorities but the rims and tires were not. Each of the four men will be required to repay a portion of the value of those lost goods if convicted.
The four suspects are facing charges in multiple jurisdictions. Authorities believe that the group was stealing the vehicles based on an idea from a movie. The group allegedly made use of a U-Haul truck to transport the rims and tires while choosing roads without tolls so they could transport the stolen vehicles and items back to Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Another suspect -- a 21-year-old man from Maryland -- pleaded guilty prior to the 20-year-old's plea but has yet to be sentenced. A 23-year-old man allegedly involved in the theft is awaiting court actions while the final suspect is currently being prosecuted. Both men are from Maryland, as well. They should be prepared for the other suspects to testify against them. A plea deal often hinges on helping the prosecution convict other suspects.
Source: The Times Herald, "Limerick vehicle heist ends in plea," Carl Hessler Jr., April 18, 2012
]]>Recently, the four major carriers -- Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon -- have come together with the FCC and law enforcement to create a plan to stop the theft of cellphones. According to reports, the plan involves a central database that will be used to track stolen cellphones. Once reported stolen, a cellphone will no longer be usable through its provider.
]]> To prevent people from tampering with stolen devices, Congress is considering making the tampering a federal crime. Officials are worried that people will be able to edit the unique identifiers of stolen phones to avoid the blocking process, allowing them to use the original provider or perhaps another in place of it.The chairman of the FCC said that it is far too easy for a stolen phone to be resold on the black market. The database and potential legislation will make this process much harder.
Many smartphone users are on their phones regularly. They may use the device to make financial transactions, which could lead to identity theft when their phones are stolen. To combat this, cellphone providers plan to educate consumers on how to delete personal information, track a device's whereabouts and remotely lock a phone.
The four major carriers plan to begin disabling stolen phones within the next six months. The central database is slated to be up and running within 18 months. Of course this plan could introduce a host of unintended consequences. What if someone buys a phone that he or she does not know has been reported stolen? Will that person be unfairly held responsible for the theft?
Source: New York Times, "National Database Planned to Combat Cellphone Theft," Edward Wyatt, Apr. 9, 2012
]]>According to authorities, one child held another child's head underwater. In another moment, a boy's head was allegedly being held on a railroad track. Due to these actions, four children were arrested. An 8-year-old boy and three 9-year-old girls were taken into custody by police during school hours, and they have been charged with aggravated assault.
]]> Reports indicate that the students were removed from their classes by school administration and taken to the office, where police were waiting to handcuff them. After being taken to the station, each of them was detained for almost 12 hours in a juvenile detention center.This has many parents arguing over the actions of the authorities. Many believe that what the police chose to do was over the top and unnecessary. Others think that the parents of the children should have been present so that the fight would not have occurred.
The children were arrested nine days after an altercation that supposedly involved them. Police decided to arrest them during school hours, despite the fact that regulations indicate that arrests of students should occur after school hours whenever possible.
According to police, the children who were detained were treated as any other felony suspects would be. But if they did not follow proper procedures when arresting the children, they should be held accountable. Additionally, police should ask what else they can do besides arresting and putting a child in jail to try and improve the situation.
Source: The Baltimore Sun, "Four children arrested, handcuffed after playground fight," Peter Hermann, Mar. 30, 2012
]]>Authorities believe that the group, with roots in South America, would target traveling jewelry salespeople, who are known to often carry large amounts of precious jewelry. Allegedly, the group would commit acts of robbery against these individuals.
]]> The ATF filed an 89-page affidavit in court that accuses the seven individuals -- all from Colombia -- of committing these acts. According to that document, the robberies started in March 2010 and were carried out in seven different states. The alleged ringleader did not participate in the actual robberies, but was supposedly essential to the planning.What he should now worry about is other suspects turning against him. If prosecutors believe he was the ringleader, they will most likely try to get other suspects to testify against him.
In one of these robberies, a traveling salesman was purportedly accosted by members of the group and sustained injuries to his head and hands.
Another robbery occurred in April 2010. Authorities believe the group followed the man as he traveled from Richmond, Virginia, to Virginia Beach to Raleigh, North Carolina. In Raleigh, the salesman was allegedly had approximately $100,000 worth of gems taken from him.
Almost a year later, another salesman was robbed. This theft allegedly cost the man approximately $600,000 in jewelry. According to the affidavit, the ringleader had a long phone conversation with someone who was allegedly involved in that robbery on the same day it occurred.
Source: The Virginian-Pilot, "Local jeweler relieved after arrests in $4.6M theft ring," Tim McGlone, Mar. 27, 2012
]]>According to authorities, troopers in Bel Air, Maryland, arrested seven individuals who had allegedly been driving drunk at the time of their traffic stops. Those arrested varied in age from 23 to 42 years old. Three of them were from Baltimore, while two of them were from Bel Air. The remaining duo was from Edgewood, Maryland, and White Hall, Maryland.
]]> Two others were arrested but were not drinking and driving. One of them, a 24-year-old male from Elkton, Maryland, was charged with urinating in public. The other, a 20-year-old from Aberdeen, Maryland, was charged with possessing a dangerous and controlled substance.The Maryland State Police made more than 240 traffic stops throughout the weekend. Troopers issued 215 warnings and 130 citations, according to a news release issued by the authorities. No fatal or serious accidents were reported, potentially making this one of the safer St. Patrick's Day weekends on record.
A traffic task force was created for the operation. In Harford County, the sheriff's office worked with the Maryland State Police and town police departments. In downtown Bel Air, no arrests or fights were reported, despite many of the bars being busy and celebrators lining the streets throughout the day.
With more holidays such as Memorial Day and Independence Day on the horizon, revelers should be aware that police will be out in force, and they may be overzealous in their attempts to issue as many citations as possible.
Source: Explore Harford, "No serious, fatal accidents on St. Patrick's Day," Kayla Bawroski, Mar. 20, 2012
]]>Another individual was also taken into custody earlier this month. The group of 14 individuals is more than half of the 27 defendants who were named in an indictment from early March. According to the indictment, the suspects have been charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. If they are found guilty, their prison sentences could range from 10 years to life.
]]> The indictment asks that any assets used to commit the alleged crimes be forfeited. Any and all proceeds from the criminal actions supposedly committed will be forfeited as well.Authorities claim the drug conspiracy began in September 2010 and continued until this month. The group was purportedly run out of Washington and Temple Hills, Maryland. With a task force that included the FBI, U.S. Park Police, U.S. Marshals Service, Prince George's County, Maryland, police, Maryland State Police, and the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, authorities were able to search more than a dozen locations.
After searching through three sites in Washington and 11 in Maryland, authorities allegedly found five vehicles, cash, marijuana, cocaine, a rifle and weapons.
The suspects vary greatly in age. One man, from District Heights, Maryland, is 26 years old. Another man, from Washington, is 76 years old. The majority of the 13 suspects recently arrested are from Maryland.
It could be fair to question why authorities believe a 76-year-old man would have any part of a drug operation. Sometimes it is possible in sweeping investigations for innocent people to get caught up in them.
Source: WUSA, "13 Arrested in Cocaine Ring Connection," Mar. 12, 2012
]]>The 22-year-old man is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center. A task force known as the United States Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force was searching for the man. Earlier this month, the task force had been informed that the man was in a residence somewhere in the 800-block of Hubbard Street in Cambridge, Maryland, and decided to head to the scene.
]]> The task force -- made up of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Salisbury Police Department, the Cambridge Police Department, the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police -- arrived around 9:30 a.m. Officers were allowed into the residence by a woman, and one of them was shot.According to reports, the shot was fired by the male suspect. The officer, a member of the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office, was wounded in the arm. After escaping from the residence, the officer was taken to the hospital.
Several shots had been fired, supposedly by the suspect, and officers returned shots but no one besides the 29-year-old officer was hit. The man eventually surrendered to the police after two semi-automatic pistols were thrown out of a window and onto the front porch. A dialogue had begun between the authorities and the man, ending the dispute around 1 p.m.
The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit is investigating the situation. The man may be charged with other crimes stemming from the incident. If convicted, he will likely be punished severely. Cooperating with police and fighting charges in court is usually the best option.
Source: Police One, "Md. deputy shot, suspect in custody," Mar. 2, 2012
]]>The 39-year-old man was being investigated over the course of 17 months. Over that period, police allegedly seized more than 280 ounces of liquid PCP from him and two of his supposed associates. More than 5.5 grams of cocaine were also taken during the investigation, as were two handguns and a Mercedes Benz.
]]> In July 2009, more than 420 grams of a PCP mixture were taken from a home purportedly used by the man in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Authorities also found more than $10,000 in cash at the residence.An undercover agent allegedly purchased PCP from the man six different times. Authorities said that the officer purchased nearly 293 grams of a PCP mixture from the suspect.
In April 2010, a police officer stopped the man and one of his associates. That officer claimed to have uncovered more than 400 grams of PCP on the duo.
Man later pleaded guilty to the crimes he was charged with. Due to his three previous convictions, the presiding judge deemed the man a career offender. Sometimes a plea deal can be beneficial, if it appears that the evidence for a conviction is overwhelming.
The other two men involved also pleaded guilty to their charges. One of them, a 36-year-old from Shadyside, Maryland, is still awaiting his sentence. The other, a 29-year-old man, was given three years.
Source: The Washington Post, "Md. man sentenced to 20 years in PCP conspiracy," Matt Zapotosky, Feb. 24, 2012
]]>A 23-year-old male passenger of a PT Cruiser was charged with reckless endangerment and assault in association with the stabbing, along with carrying a dangerous weapon.
]]> A 22-year-old woman was driving the PT Cruiser at the time of the altercation. According to reports, the 44-year-old male driver of the Ford Explorer and one of his passengers exchanged seats at least one time at an intersection along Route 3. The delay led the PT Cruiser passenger to allegedly say something to the Explorer driver. Further up the road, Explorer driver got out of his vehicle and confronted the passenger, who then allegedly stabbed him in the upper body.After the stabbing, the PT Cruiser fled north. After the Explorer driver returned to his vehicle, he caught up with the other vehicle and crashed into it near Churchview Road. Both vehicles ended up in the drainage ditch on the side of the road.
Both men were taken to University of Maryland Shock Trauma. The PT Cruiser driver and two Explorer passengers were transported to other hospitals in the area. None of them had life-threatening injuries.
And now that the passenger has been arrested, he should be allowed to present his side of the incident. If a man approaches you in your car and is acting in a way that's deemed threatening, how should one react?
Source: Baltimore Sun, "Road rage leads to stabbing and two-car crash," Mary Gail Hare, Feb. 21, 2012
]]>All of the deceased were from Maryland. Twenty-five of those honored were women, all of which were killed by their current or former domestic partners. Fourteen men were included as well. Two of them were killed by a former or current girlfriend and one of them was killed by a former girlfriend defending herself. Another was killed by a same-sex partner. The remaining 10 male victims committed suicide after committing or attempting to commit the murder of their domestic partner. Four of the 43 were children.
]]> All of them lost their lives between July 2010 and June 2011. Twenty-three of the deaths were caused from a firearm. Knives were involved in 10 of the homicides. One lost his or her life by strangulation, two by asphyxiation and four by physical force. Two others have unknown causes.According to the state's lieutenant governor, domestic abuse knows no boundaries, as its effects are wide and they are strong. If someone is arrested on domestic violence charges, they could face serious criminal penalties along with a tarnished reputation in the community.
The lieutenant governor said that members of the audience should do their best to support anti-domestic violence programs and should reach out to loved ones they suspect are being victimized.
But what's also important to remember in domestic violence incidents is that false accusations can be made. Or instead of repeatedly arresting someone who may have a problem with violence, it may be better to help treat the person. Domestic violence is no doubt a serious matter, but it's also important to have all the facts in a case.
Source: Gazette.Net, "43 domestic violence victims remembered in Annapolis," Danielle E. Gaines, Feb. 14, 2012
]]>In January 2009, the man was arrested for allegedly being involved in a botched drug deal that resulted in the death of a 58-year-old woman from Baltimore County. The woman was an innocent bystander who was shot by a stray bullet and killed. The man did not shoot the gun that killed the woman, yet he was charged and convicted of second-degree murder, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute marijuana. He received a 35-year prison sentence for his supposed crimes.
]]> But according to the second-highest court in the state, the man did not distribute the marijuana that he purchased. Due to this, his conspiracy conviction was dropped. And without a conspiracy conviction, he could no longer be held accountable for the death of the woman.The three-judge panel also stated that the 31-year-old cannot be retried. The case may be appealed to the state Supreme Court if the attorney general's office chooses to pursue a retrial.
On the day of the incident, the man allegedly attempted to purchase four pounds of marijuana from a 28-year-old man. The first man used fake money to make the purchase, which caused the seller to begin firing his gun at the buyer. The seller was convicted of murder and other charges and was sentenced to 95 years in prison.
The buyer's other conviction -- possession of marijuana with intent to distribute -- still stands. His 35-year sentence has been shortened to five years and he will likely be released in the coming years as he has been in custody since January 2009.
But with no proof that the buyer was going to turn around and sell the marijuana, there is no proof that he was conspiring to distribute the drug. And there was no basis to try him with murder. The outcome shows why the appeals process is so valuable.
Source: The Baltimore Sun, "Appeals court overturns murder conviction over drug charge," Peter Hermann, Feb. 6, 2012
]]>Officers claimed they stopped Hill because he was driving unsafely, and they suspected him of drunk driving. They reported watching him swerve, shift directions and make a lane change without signaling. The police report stated that immediately upon stopping Hill, officers claimed he smelled strongly of alcohol and his eyes were red and watery.
]]> When police questioned Hill after stopping him, Hill told police that he had only had three beers that evening. However, the reporting officer noted that Hill's speech was abnormally slow and that he was slurring his words.The officers who stopped Hill requested that Hill take a field sobriety test. The police report stated that Hill had trouble keeping his balance. As time passed, Hill stopped cooperating with police and ended up refusing to take the sobriety tests.
Hill has one prior arrest for DUI in 2008, while he was working as an assistant coach at the University of Kansas. Kansas suspended Hill for one game after the arrest.
University of Maryland basketball coach Mark Turgeon told reporters that Maryland would suspend Hill immediately for two games as a result of the arrest. He also reported the team would investigate the matter to see if the team needed to take further action.
Source: The Washington Times: "UPDATED: Maryland's Hill arrested for DUI (with police report information)," Patrick Stevens, Jan. 20, 2012.
]]>The young man was charged with both first- and second-degree assault in the wake of an apparent road rage incident earlier this month. Another driver told police that someone had taken a rifle from the car he was driving and pointed it at the man after a dispute on the road in Rockville, Maryland. The police had little trouble apprehending the man because the other motorist gave authorities a description of the armed man and his vehicle, as well as the license plate number of that vehicle.
]]> People might expect that someone accused of pointing a gun at another person would be charged with a crime. However, it might be surprising that the man was charged with assault even though he did not act on his alleged threat of violence. However, in a nutshell, that's what assault is: a crime that causes a person to anticipate violence or understand that they are being threatened.Unless there is physical contact, which is the use of actual force, then the crime would be charged as assault rather than as assault and battery. In any case, however, assault by itself is a serious crime to be charged with, and the accused man will face serious consequences if he is ultimately convicted.
Source: MyFoxDC, "Md. Man Accused of Showing Gun in Road-Rage Act," Feb. 16, 2012
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