October 19

At about 2 a.m. an officer in the Southern found a man shot to death in the driver's seat of a Ford Explorer in the 4200 block of Audrey Ave., and
The shooting reported here yesterday on Walbrook Avenue turned out to be a fatal one, and two suspects were apprehended after a car chase.
(But if the shootee is dead, how can we know they didn't consent to the shooting? After all, sadomasochists sometimes like that kind of thing... Thanks Galt)

A man walked into Lowell Liquors in the 3200 block of Woodland Ave. (near Park Heights Avenue) last night and shot three men ages 19, 20 and 29. The 19-year-old was treated and released, conditions of the other three are unknown.

Police are still looking for Emory Lewis, left, wanted for the September 8 murder of Felicia Spratley.

Nationwide, "the Supreme Court’s decision to review the constitutionality of lethal injection procedures has slowed the annual number of executions to the lowest level in a decade."

Dwayne Price, 18, was charged yesterday in connection with the rapes of an 88-year-old cancer patient and a 73-year-old woman in South Baltimore in September of 2005.

Four federal child pornography cases have led to the indictments of Larry Cordell of Frederick and Stephen Michael Gayer of Baltimore, a guilty plea from John Ray Manning of McHenry and a 30-year sentence for Fabrice Snowden of Edgewood.

Parking tickets are big business for the city! Says Janis, "In current fiscal year 2008, the city expects to write $12 million worth of tickets and collect $8 million in fines."

Speaking of big business... OC ho's busted
(wow all these online ho's could keep a department busy! <-don't open that link at work)

Lt. Col. William H. Steele of AAC was found not guilty of aiding the enemy by loaning an unmonitored cell phone to an inmate in Iraq, but was found guilty of unauthorized possession of classified documents, behavior unbecoming an officer and failing to obey an order. More details here.

Remember MoCo cracker-hater Quinton Thomas, whose "REAL TALK" to a wrong address got him convicted of the fatal shooting of Stephen W. Kelley? He was sentenced to life without parole.

Quote of the Day

Anne Arundel judge Paul Harris dropped domestic violence charges against a man who punched a woman in the face in front of an officer because, he said, he couldn't be sure that she didn't consent to the beating. "'You have very rare cases. Sadomasichists sometimes like to be beat up,' he said."
(Thanks JB)
UPDATE: More details in the Sun story.

There was a shooting at Walbrook & McKean Avenues on the West Side.

October 18

Baltimore soldier Jerrell Hill, charged with shooting five people in a gang-related dispute last month, could be freed from an Oklahoma jail today, as Baltimore city prosecutors intend drop the case.

e first Kopera-related appeal (or the first one we know about) has come up and was denied.

In the county, sentencing was postponed for John A. Miller IV, convicted of killing 17-year-old Shen Poehlman. Miller withdrew his guilty plea, "effectively firing the public defenders who have represented him."

"For the second time in six days, a convicted sex offender was found to be accidentally left off the state's public registry Web site after his release from jail." But the Capitol won't say who he is "to protect the victims." Meanwhile Baltimore police say "Anne Arundel County is on the hook" for omitting rapist Eugene Waller, AAC says they notified the city that he lived here, but the city was unable to locate him.

Hey "Wire" fans, a nice long article on David Simon in this week's New Yorker. Spoilers: The fifth season is definitely the last, and "will be about 'perception versus reality'—in particular, what kind of reality newspapers can capture and what they can’t."
(More interesting David Simon-related reading: "Who Gets to Tell a Black Story?" the tale of Simon and Charles Dutton's experience on The Corner, from the NYT's "Race in America" series)

Boy Trouble

A 17-year-old boy was shot in Edgewood.

County police are looking for Daniel Joseph Tasker, a disabled 13-year-old boy who ran away from home.

A carjacker, an identity thief, a "Silver Spring Stabber" and a tax protester met their fates at the Garmatz courthouse.

Unsurprisingly, the Justice Department is prosecuting fewer organized crime, environmental and bankruptcy fraud cases and is going for terrorism and perverts instead.

October 17

Dismaying Stats from YPR: "Of the 320 adults charged with gun crimes through September 15th, 2007, 120, or 38- percent, were already on probation. Many had suspended sentences, including 24 charged with armed robbery, attempted robbery, or carjacking. Six were charged with attempted murder; 15 more with assault. Of the 50 gun-crime suspects so far this year with the greatest number of prior convictions, more than a quarter would not have been at large the day they were caught with a gun, but for suspended prior sentences."

Galt reports,
"The body found in the trunk of a burning car is now a homicide.
So is Andre Bryant."

"Crystal Nikkita Newby, 21, of the 2900 block of Southland Ave. is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Qasim Kabah at his home in the 2500 block of Terra Firma Road." The two were fighting over the sale of an assault weapon.

More dangerous than Iraq indeed: An 18-year-old Baltimore soldier, Jerrell Hill of the 5600 block of Lothian Road, was detained this week at an Army base in Oklahoma after city detectives accused him in the gang-related shooting of five people in the Barclay neighborhood last month. He's awaiting extradition.

Today the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Omar McGee, 18, of the 3400 block of Dupont Avenue for first-degree murder and deadly weapon. Court documents allege on August 9, 2007 Omar McGee was identified as the person responsible for a shooting incident in the 3400 block of Dupont Avenue. Troy Richardson, 30, was found in the middle of the unit block suffering from several gunshot wounds. He succumbed to his injuries at Sinai Hospital the same day. An arraignment is scheduled for November 9, 2007 before Judge Martin P. Welch, Room 228 Courthouse East.

Two Towson U. football players were busted for marijuana, and TU sororities are in trouble for posting pictures of underage drinking on Facebook. And worst of all, Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Teri Hall says:

"Ironic that we have all these women doing things that they shouldn't have been doing as part of sorority recruitment and they post them on Facebook for everybody to see."

No lady, that's stupid. You have a doctorate and work in education but don't know the meaning of ironic-- THAT is ironic!

Bogus tickets?! The parking division is more evil than we even knew! Dixon says the inspector general is going to investigate.
QTD from Jaclyn Schwarz: “They’re always blaming the people who live here. My house was broken into, and they said it was my fault for not having the correct lock. It’s a very difficult city.”

Oricil to see Can from Inside

At a hearing yesterday, Judge Barry G. Williams found Kenneth Ellis, 27, of Bowie, MD guilty of violating his probation. Judge Williams sentenced Ellis to three years in prison, consecutive to a seven-year prison term he is currently serving following a Baltimore County assault conviction in August 2007. On June 20, 2006 Ellis, also known as “Oricl,” pled guilty to six counts of malicious destruction of property. Judge Williams sentenced him to a suspended three-year prison term, 18 months probation and 500 hours of community service. Ellis was a prolific “tagger” spray painting the name Oricl on property across the city. As part of his original sentence, he was to work with Department of Public Works Crews to clean up the graffiti. The assault conviction in August and the fact that Ellis completed just 32 of the 500 hours triggered today’s violation of probation hearing in city Circuit Court. Says the SA's office, yesterday's "hearing highlights the continued emphasis on the identification and prosecution of repeat offenders in Baltimore on supervised parole or probation who commit a new offense or technical violation."

Man, Pregnant Woman Shot

A double shooting in the 2600 block of Quantico Avenue killed a man and put a nine-months pregnant woman in serious condition.

Another grade-school boy trucked to the hoosegow! Eight-year-old Eric Turner was arrested after stabbing a classmate with a comb at Woodhome Elementary (near Harford & Taylor Aves). JZ:

"The situation depends largely on one's point of view. Did Turner slip and fall into a classmate while holding a comb, or did he stab the classmate with a comb while fighting in the hall?"

Or, was this the last straw for school officials who'd talked to his family more than once, only to have them excuse and defend his behavior? Mysteries upon mysteries...
(ps. the boy arrested for sitting on the mini-bike, Gerard Mungo Jr., was 7, for what it's worth, and unlike Stabby was just sitting around!)

At a hearing today Charles Brockington, 47, ("rims guy") of the 4000 block of Cedardale Road pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. Under terms of the plea agreement, announced in open court, Brockington faces a maximum of 10 years in prison suspending all but five years without the possibility of parole. Judge John Kaye Allison scheduled sentencing for December 17, 2007. Here's the JZ story. (thanks PP)

Four MDers were sentenced in a scheme to transport hundreds (hundreds?!) of illegal-alien prostitutes to the state.

From SA's office (edited): Today, after one day of deliberation, a jury returned a verdict of guilty on the charges of possession with possession and intent to distribute heroin in the case of Kennard Miles, 22, of the 700 block of Lakewood Drive. Miles was arrested as a result of a Baltimore City Police Department investigation focusing on the 2500 block of Monument Street, the 600 and 700 blocks of N. Rose St., and the 700 block of N. Luzerne Ave. On 6/30/06, Miles was observed receiving a black bag by an officer operating a pole camera focused on the 700 block of N. Luzerne Ave. The officer informed a waiting arrest team of the transaction. Miles fled the arrest team, and during the foot pursuit, Miles threw the black bag into a garage on 900 block of Lakewood Ave. The bag was recovered, and Miles was apprehended. The bag was found to contain 636 gelatin capsules of heroin. The trial, which lasted two days, began on October 10 and concluded on October 12 before Judge David Ross. The case was prosecuted by LaRai Forrest. Sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2007 at 9:30am.

Fun fact! Odds of being arrested during a drug transaction, according to David Kennedy: less than 1 in 15,000.

The Sun has choice quotes from supersassy Baltimore County District Judge Bruce S. Lamdin. Here are the original stories by Van Smith of the CP from last month and six months ago.

Crime Farther Afield

Sad to hear about the possible murder of Dean Johnson of Dean & the Weenies fame in NY.
Here he is below singing one of the most brilliant songs of all time.



Also in the news... drunk Frednecks steal oversize keys

13th and 14th October

Short on details, but, surprise surprise, there's been another murder: 1700 block of Latrobe Street, shot in the head. Depending on whether or not the guy from the 12th died, this guy is either #245 or #246. I think.

The use of potentially excessive force to protect the well-being of a police cruiser becomes the 28th police-involved shooting in the City this year.

It's been thirty-years since Marvin Mandel's indictment, but, um, don't we have better things to worry about? Guess not.

"[M]iscommunication and possible equipment misuse" is the verdict in the Baltimore City Fire Department's report on the death of firefighter Allan M. Roberts on 10 October of last year. I have to admit, at first, I thought this story was about Racheal Wilson.

Rodney Curtis and Darien Watson, sentenced to hard time for a Joplin Street attack last year -- forty years Curtis, life for Watson. Here's my question: Curtis got "all but fifteen years suspended", Watson "all but five." What. The. Fuck? Seriously.

Ahh, here's a little white-collar-crime for a blue-collar-crime city.

Now that Baltimore's got a police commissioner -- and we've all got our fingers crossed that he's going to be great (but we'll settle for 'good') -- the City's Police Department is formalizing its new command staff. Anthony E. Barksdale is now the deputy commissioner of operations; Deborah A. Owens as deputy commissioner of the department's administrative bureau; John Skinner to chief of patrol, and others.

The trial of the guy who did the 2006 New Year's Day slaying of Ronny Martin is over, and here's hoping his family can try to put this behind them: Anthony Dickson, convicted. His sentencing is scheduled for December 7th, and here's hoping he goes the way of the U.S. Pacific Fleet: torpedoed and sunk. Most likely, he'll get sentenced to five years with all but a week suspended. Because this is Baltimore!

A tale of a pervert attempting to be perverted and the girl not-too-stupid-enough to fall for it, near the high school I graduated from. The article calls it 'Atholton', but anyone who has ever gone there calls it 'Assleton.'

STUPIDEST HEADLINE EVER: "Baltimore Police Search For Murderer." WHAT? Shouldn't it be: "Baltimore Police Search For Many Many Many Murderers." ????!!!!

The headline does say it all: "Failed by the system -- taken by the streets" regarding the life of The Sun's #211* - Davon Qualls.
(*Baltimore Crime's count puts him at #219)

Here's a fuzzy-wuzzy for this late Baltimore Crime entry: hats off to John Itati in his 2:16:24 win of the Baltimore City Marathon. It's nice to know the city's spiking homicide rate isn't scaring everybody away from Bodymore.

October 12

#244 seems to be an as-yet unidentified man shot to death in a barbershop in the 1100 block of West Baltimore Street.

You'd think once we moved away from paper files in favor of computerized shiznits, we'd stop losing people "in the system", but that's exactly what happened, and what allowed Eugene Waller another opportunity to 'slip through the cracks' (a figurative metaphor while also, unfortunately, a far too literal one considering the guy is a twice-convicted rapist).

What's the saying, the Early Bird Gets The Worm? In Baltimore, it should be changed to 'The Early Riser Gets The Bullet.' Ouch. It's unknown whether or not he's going on the body count list (yet).

An anonymous call to "shoot up" a Carroll County school gets schools throughout the area locked-down.

I don't blame the guy for carrying a gun -- after all, he's just as likely to be assaulted by a parent upset his kid didn't get to play as he is to be the victim of a random act of violence -- but the Feds don't share that view: Aaron McCrown, a 31-year old youth football coach, charged with illegally carrying a firearm because he's a convicted felon. Convicted of what? Possession with intent to distribute. How'd he get a job as a youth coach?

Gary Watson's release ... oh, just fucking brilliant.

Spotted!

... New Commissioner Fred Bealefeld III at the David M. Kennedy lecture.
I think he really cares!

October 11

A man was shot in the buttocks on Mosher Street for no apparent reason.

Dixon: our prisons are country clubs!

If you didn't go to the Block earlier this year, you missed hooch-swilling 15-year-olds, back-room "intimate interactions," plenty of drugs and a Foxy Lady named Lot of Bottom.

The Post serves up a TV-news-worthy lede: "The question has vexed us all: Where did I leave my cellphone? Consider the added anxiety, then, of having misplaced it near a murder scene -- a murder scene authorities suspect you created. Allegations made public this week suggest that James F. Swann put himself exactly in that bind. The 32-year-old is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Oct. 3 shooting in Waldorf of Joseph G. Hickman..."

JZ: Rap and Fling Latest in Long String

"A woman was dragged from a bench and rapped at the Nursery Road Rail Station Tuesday afternoon ... After a few minutes she advised, all of a sudden he just grabbed her and forced her into a wooded area ... [she] managed to break free telling officers she swam to the Patpasco River back to the train station ... Officers say [the suspect] also flung to the Patpasco River where officers finally found him. Police say this is just the latest of a long string of similar arrest."
UPDATE: WJZ fixed all of the entertaining typos! :(
(For more grody details, read the Sun story!)

More on the NE district domestic-violence pilot project from the Wretched's Brendan Kearney and Luke Broadwater at the Examiner. Who wrote it better?

A Baltimore County judge Tuesday sentenced high school teacher Christian Liverman, right, to one year of probation after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a 16-year-old girl in his classroom.

Two gun felons and a thieving NIH employee met their fates in US District Court.

"Police called it one of the county's worst animal cruelty cases of all time.
But veteran District Court Judge Robert C. Wilcox said the investigation of the alleged Severna Park dogfighting ring is one of the worst examples of police work he's seen."
Meow!

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Carroll Bell, 56, of Philadelphia on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape. Court documents allege on January 25, 1990, a woman, later identified as Beverly Dixon, 31, was found dead and partially nude in an alley in the 2200 block of McCulloh Street. In 2006 evidence was retrieved and tested. On May 15, 2007 the evidence was matched to Carroll Bell. An arraignment is scheduled for April 8, 2008 before Judge Martin P. Welch, Room 228, Courthouse East.

Judge John M. Glynn sentenced Shardae Denise Coles, 21, of the 1300 block of Harlem Avenue, to 20 years in prison. Judge Glynn recommended that Coles be placed in the youthful offender program at Pautuxent Correctional Facility. Coles pled guilty to second-degree murder March 22, 2007. On May 7, 2006 Zion Treyvon Clemmons, 16 months old, was left in the care of Coles while his mother sought drug treatment. While in Coles’ care, Clemmons suffered blunt force trauma which resulted in his death. Coles admitted grabbing Clemmons and hurling him into the edge of a sofa at her apartment at 1305 Harlem Avenue. Assistant State’s Attorney Julie Drake, Chief of the Felony Family Violence Division, prosecuted this case.

October 10

Fed attorney Jason Weinstein explains GUNSTAT, and why some gun cases get The Rod:

"we've asked them [city police?] to track what you'd call 'federally significant convictions,' which are crimes of violence, felony drug crimes, that are the kind of prior offenses which increase your federal time to go above the five-year mandatory in the state court. So, people with two or more 'federally-significant' convictions are people who are looking at more federal time than state time. So, one of the things we do is, every two weeks, we go through and make sure that if there's someone with more than two federal convictions, that we've gotten a referral of that case."

Baltimore's 27th police-involved shooting was some crazy redneck shit! An officer making a traffic stop was dragged by the suspect SUV, until he shot the driver in the neck!

Ink updates include the closing of the cases of Shirley Cooper and Lorado Williams by exception.

Edgewood Grandma to thugs: "I don't give a damn what you think. I'm old-school."

Cops to sex offenders: no hole-in-the-candy-bowl tricks will be tolerated on Halloween!

News of the Weird: Cecil Co. man finds Weasel the Crackhead napping in his bed

October 9

Scandalized headline Du Jour: "Policy calls for shooting victims' arrest"
... but the story goes on to explain, "If the victim was committing a crime when he was shot — such as carrying drugs, possessing a handgun, committing a robbery — parole officials seek a warrant from a judge for his arrest."
Well duh!

The man shot October 5 in the 2300 block of Eutaw Place was identified as 30-year-old Tyrone Blanding.

Joining the populous ranks of Carroll County's sex offenders is Deborah Frock, 38, charged with pimping a teenager to a trucker.

Paul Stella, a 43-year-old Baltimore funeral director, pleaded guilty today to defrauding people who signed up for prepaid funerals out of more than $900,000.

Thomas Walker, age 25, got 20 Rosenstein-years for robbing a van full of clothes with a shotgun (a Mossberg, Model 500A, 12-gauge shotgun, no less, "Intended for use in harsh and dirty conditions, such as waterfowl hunting or combat.")

Events This Week

Tomorrow night C. Love is moderating a "Town Hall Meeting" for "Members of the Hip Hop generation" at the 5 Seasons Restaurant & Lounge at 830 Guilford Avenue from 6-8 p.m.

Wednesday the 10th at 5 p.m., Barack Obama will be at PG Community College with Elijah Cummings and Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler. Guests: $25, Students: $15.

This Thursday the 11th at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium the Friends School Diversity Council is hosting a free chat with David M. Kennedy, Director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control and a professor of anthropology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. His talk will be entitled "Race, Culture and Crime: Facing Facts and Finding Common Ground.”

A good & long interview with Bealefeld aired on MPT tonight ... but the only other chance to see it will be Saturday at 5 a.m. He kind of explained the gun registry: we're doing it because NYC is doing it, being extra-hard on gun offenders is going to be our thing, and the people on the list will basically be one gun charge away from being federally Rodified, so building a tidy case against them will be high priority. That's how I heard it anyway.

Indigenous People's Day

Details of Saturday's murders: Damon Coleman, 35, was the victim shot at around 6 a.m. on the east side of the basketball court in a public housing project in the 1400 block of May Court.
The man shot in the back who died Saturday night on Homestead was identified as Darwin Kelly Jr., 20.

A man was pepper-sprayed and carjacked, police have no suspects.

Wow. Of the four robbers who held up Sgt. Christopher Nyberg in Federal Hill, only one will serve any time. Each had faced life sentences.
Nutrageous!

A man turned himself in to police in Parkville after kidnapping and "roughing up" his ex in North Point. No word on what happened to the children.

An inmate was stabbed to death at around noon in the city detention center.

October 7

WJZ's Adam May reported a murder of a teenager on a basketball court, and a man shot to death in the back in the 1700 block of Homestead Avenue.

A Sun article uses killer Corey McMillon, killer of young father-to-be Jamel St. Clair, (right) as a jump-off point to ask some experts from whence cometh the "killer impulse."
If you're interested in neurolaw, the NYT Magazine article from March, "The Brain on the Stand," covers the issue in much greater depth.
There's also a bit in Scientific American about an experiment by Ernst Fehr ("ultimatum game" guy), this one about punishment aversion.

Not as safe as being in prison...

Apparently, it's dramatically safer to be surrounded by murderers in prison than it is to be surrounded by our neighbors.

In 2005, 56 prisoners were murdered. There are roughly 2 million inmates held in state prisons, meaning that the homicide rate per 100,000 prisoners last year was only 2.8. That number is less than half the rate of New York City (6.6 per 100,000) and an order of magnitude lower than Baltimore (42 per 100,000).

October 6

A murder in the Northwest (no word anywhere on who, where, what time) ended a an entire week without a murder.
Is some new method working, or was it happenstance... or was it The Bealefeld Effect?

More good* news, on Orleans Street last night, an officer shot and wounded a suspect who was firing at another man, probably preventing a homicide. (*wounding is good news if death is the only other option, right?)

"A 24-year-old man who was shot last week was shot a second time about 3 a.m. Thursday while walking down a street in West Baltimore."
Plus a date rape in the Blotter.
(Ed: It would be an interesting project to compare the various crimes on the police map vs. the ones in the Blotter to come up with a percentage of what the Blotter covers. I'll bet with robberies it's like, 1/500th)

Vandals broke into Armistead Gardens Elementary School two nights in a row.

Our carjack-victim readers will be happy to hear that one 19-year-old Calvin Williams got more than 12 years for his role in two NW thefts.

Charles Brockington, the guy who shot the guy over car rims, is free.

In the week following Bealefeld's appointment, various leaders voiced their good cheer and fond wishes. Everyone, that is, but "Doc" Cheatham, who made certain to register his regret about the Commissioner's oystery complexion and suspect heritage in the local tabloid before setting his sights upon Carroll County, where his dear friend the Reverend Al Sharpton was planning to attend a rally to demand that criminal civil rights charges be brought against six detention-school employees who had been implicated the death of Isaiah Simmons III, crushed to unconsciousness one chaotic night at the now-closed Taneytown Bowling Brook Preparatory school.

Fun stats:
Ratio of Baltimore City residents to # of sex offenders: 396 to 1.
Ratio in Taneytown: 218 to 1

A source reports four more t-shirt boys arrested in Hampden, cuffed & sitting on the curb on 36th street yesterday afternoon. Book 'em Kramer!

Tidell Harris' Killers get Three Lifetimes

At a sentencing hearing today Judge Robert Kershaw sentenced Elliott McClain, 31, of the 5200 block of St. Charles Ave. to two consecutive life prison terms plus a consecutive 25 years. A City jury convicted him July 27, 2007 of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and handgun counts. Today’s sentence in the maximum amount of prison time Judge Kershaw could have imposed.

On June 1, 2004 at approximately 1:00 a.m. in the 600 block of Hazel Street, McClain and co-defendant Kevin Fletcher approach the victim, Tidell Harris, on the street. They each pulled a gun. Fifteen shots were fired and Harris is hit five times, twice in the chest and three in the face and head and is pronounced dead at the scene.

Fletcher confessed and had a plea deal (life, suspend all but 25 years in prison) in which he was to testify against McClain. However, he refused to testify in January when called to the stand during a pretrial motions hearing, and Judge John M. Glynn sentenced Fletcher to life in prison plus 20 years. Fletcher and his mother had contact with McClain while awaiting trial and Fletcher requested protective custody at the Baltimore City Detention Center. Fletcher did testify in McClain’s trial but his court testimony was inconsistent with his taped police confession, which was played in court. Authorities have not located Fletcher’s mother.

Assistant State’s Attorney Tonya LaPolla of the FIVE Division prosecuted this case.
-- ASA's office

October 5

Is it possible that we'll have had no murders in a whole week?
The last was 24-year-old Jason Fortune.

The Sun has Bealefeld video:
"I haven't signed a contract. I haven't even seen such a document yet. You might find that hard to believe." Not really!
He also discloses his salary ($120,000 + $8 a day), says "I'm not ashamed to say I've taken something from [Commissioner Norris]."
So far so good!
If you can't get enough of that Bealefeld stuff, WBAL has a heckofalotta audio.

QtD: "Incidents are going to happen, but that happens at any bar or tavern." -- bar manager Omar Smith, whose establishment racked up incidents of mice, roaches, underage drinking, violating a health department order, a drug-dealing manager, three murders in two years and a broken-bottle assault before the liquor board revoked the Top Shelf's Liquor license

Wow, today is almost all good news!
I declare Friday October 5 the City's best news day of the whole year!

Even the Blotter is sedate! A carjacking, but it was in Cockeysville!

Aren't you glad you don't live in the county?

In HoCo, a crazy cat lady must pay $10k in restitution.

In Charles County, a 71-year-old man, Joseph Gilford Hickman, was shot dead on the porch of his townhouse.

MoCo's got a widening scandal, officers charged with double-dipping: 10 officers who allegedly took freelance jobs while still on the clock with the county. Four face felony charges, and six have pleaded guilty to misconduct so far.

Teens Trussed in Playground Bust!

Spotted at about 3:30 p.m.: seven white t-shirt teenagers getting busted at the playground in the 3400 block of Elm Avenue in Hampden.

October 4

Elliott McClain, 31, was sentenced yesterday to two life sentences plus 25 years in prison for the murder of Tidell Harris, 23, on Hazel Street in Curtis Bay in 2004.

Broadwater has the September murder roundup.
"said University of Baltimore criminologist Jeffrey Ian Ross, 'obviously, there’s a disconnect and there’s a failure in the criminal justice system.'"
This suspended-sentence nonsense does seem to be a huge problem-- why do we allow suspended sentences, and what would it take to make judges cut that shit out?

The fine print: An adult male was listed in serious but stable condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center after he was shot in the face about 2 p.m. yesterday in the 2400 block of Wilkens Ave.; a man was stabbed in the 1700 block of Cherry Hill Road about 8 p.m. Monday; in Essex police are seeking a gunman who forced his way into a house in the 1200 block of Punjab Drive about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday and chased a man, 18, and a woman, 21, throughout the dwelling while firing a gun.

In spite of a front-page Washington Post story refuting the proliferation of human trafficking, Jessamy's holding a press conference to announce she and Gansler are launching a task force to tackle the non-problem.

Rumors Squashed: There was no, I repeat, no murder in Hampden yesterday! There was, apparently, some blood-like viscous liquid found in front of the Golden West Cafe on 36th street. This somehow spiraled into a rumor about some kind of thrill-kill gang/ serial vigilante going around shanking druggies! Not true-- no battered corpse has been found in Hampden for almost an entire two weeks (that we know of).
But thanks for writing, tipsters!

It's Official!

After letting the city go 76 days without a Police Commissioner and making some noise about DC's Charles Ramsey (apparently the only other candidate), the mayor has appointed Frederick H. Bealefeld III to the job.
Pretending to agree with her cockamamie gun registry plan must have been the final test!
Now let's hope he gets to rounding up some officers and lets that dog of a notion crawl off to die a quiet death!

Pervert!

WMAR has video of Stephen Gayer being taken away by the Feds while neighbors jeer. ("We're not clear yet why the FBI was involved with this arrest." That's because taking lurid pictures of naked little girls is a federal crime, Jenny!)

And yesterday, Matthew Justin Perry, 28, of Edgewood, Maryland, pled guilty to receipt of child pornography. Roddy J. locks perverts away!

..and smack dealers! Javon Brewer, age 26, got 198 months for peddling "Chocolate City" and "Hypnotic" brands.

NYT: "For Baltimore, Housing Slump Slows a Revival"

Public Art

Bealefeld, Frederick H. III, and Dixon, Sheila, "90 Days in Waverly," 2007
Gift of the John Galt Collection
BCR 2007.1480360728

Ooof!

In a major ballkick to the State's Attorney's office, a Baltimore jury today acquitted the owners of a city bail bond company who were being tried on obstruction of justice and perjury charges after only 90 minutes of deliberations on 21 counts following two weeks of testimony.
Rumor has it that 4 Aces Bail Bonds is a front for one of BMore's largest drug organizations.

VJayJay Day

Compare coverage of the Roland Park rape (Four stories in the Sun, six in the Examiner) with the 80 words given to a rape in the SE.
(Or, for that matter, the extended coverage of the stolen tomato.)

The Court of Appeals is trying to decide whether consensual sex can become rape if a woman says no in the middle of the act.

WYPR: Martha's Place, a drug recovery house for women, is "changing lives in one drug-infested Baltimore community."

Perv of the Day: Stephen Gayer of Parkville, who apparently has been violating Sex Childs for years.

Galt has more stories in comments.

October 2

In a court order dated August 24, 2007 and received October 1, 2007 by prosecutors in the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, Judge Marcella A. Holland has denied James Thompson’s Petition for Post Conviction Relief and a Motion for a New Trial. The Post Conviction hearing was held on June 27, 2007 before J. Holland. In 1988, Thompson was convicted of the August 2, 1987 murder of Colleen Willar. Thompson was sentenced to life in prison. In the ruling of August 24, 2007 Judge Holland states:

“The DNA evidence does not remove the Petitioner from the scene of the crime. The DNA evidence does eliminate the Petitioner from being the ultimate rapist. Yet, even in the Petitioner’s testimony at the trial of James Owens, he never claims to be the actual murderer or rapist. His claim was that he stood by as the event occurred. Since the DNA evidence does not show that the Petitioner is innocent of the underlying crime of burglary, coupled with his confession stating that he burglarized the house as the victim was murdered, this Court does not concur with the Petitioner that the DNA evidence exculpates him of the primary crime of which he is accused – felony murder. This Court denies the Petitioner’s Motion for a New Trial.”

"A small group of protesters gathered outside Baltimore police headquarters Monday night to call attention to police brutality in the city, invoking the spirit of the Jena 6 rallies. 'We’re here for justice,' said Fenyanga Muhammad, who was shot four times by police after they mistook a Popsicle stick in his mouth for drugs."
(Matt Jablow disputed this account at the time, claiming that shots were only fired after Muhammad tried to grab an officer's gun. Charges are still pending against Muhammad, government name Donnie Ray Chestnut. Thanks galt)

The good news: "A growing number of police departments across Maryland are adopting a domestic violence program that uses a series of pointed questions to identify those most at risk of being killed."
Domestic violence is the leading cause of death for African-American women aged 15–34. So far in the Baltimore area, only the city's Northeast District uses the lethality assessment.

An NYT Op-Ed piece opines that the links above are related to each other, Isiah Thomas and OJ. What do you think?

Judge: The Baltimore police department "must return the personal laptop computer seized from a lieutenant suspected of using it to send offensive e-mails through the department’s network during working hours."

Nutjobs Farther Afield
Bobby Collins, 32, of Brooklyn, N.Y. "made hundreds of crank calls to Maryland police agencies because he was angry over a two-year-old speeding ticket he received while in the state."

Judge Barbara Jung convicted dog groomer Celeste Rainone of animal cruelty and mutilation in the Feb. 17 death of a poodle.

WSJ invokes Royal "we": "Every state has its problems, but we're especially glad this month that we don't live in Maryland." (subscribers only)

October 1

We've got some new laws-- including No Parole for Pervs and the the country's first statewide Living-Wage law (there are cities with laws though).

Assault with box-cutter, two assaults with brick, a stolen tomato in the Blotter.

Police are looking for a hit-and-run driver in a Saturn who struck a police van, causing it to flip on 83 at around midnight last night.

"Justice Department statistics show that the number of inmates in federal and state prisons age 55 and older shot up 33 percent from 2000 to 2005 ... That's faster than the 9 percent growth overall."

State Delegate Pat McDonough, a Republican who represents portions of Baltimore and Harford counties, wants to make MD less hospitable to illegal workers.

Burbs
In AAC, parents of a 5-year-old boy, Connor Freed, who drowned in an Anne Arundel County pool, won a $4 million judgment against the pool’s management company.

In DC, a job fair for ex-cons.

The Post has an update on the Samuel Sheinbein case: In 1996 in MoCo Sheinbein murdered Alfredo Enrique Tello Jr., 19, apparently just for kicks, then fled to Israel.

Off-Topic
The bad news: 20% of two-year-olds watch more than two hours of TV a day! The good news: the resulting brain damage may be reversible.

It's fun to collect typos: "Md. spending on sprawl curb not monitered, report finds" (Sun front page)

Consider skipping the ground beef for while. 21.7 million pounds of it may contain poop germs. Grody!
And it gets worse: "Topps said it believes that the vast majority of the recalled product has been consumed."
Blargh!

September 30

What the?! The conviction of Melissa Burch Harton has been overturned by the Court of Appeals! You'll recall Harton and her friend Natasha Bacchus Magee went out drinking Tickle Me Elmos, a fight ensued, and Harton strangled her former friend and fellow Loyola grad student to death.

"But officer, I drive a Volvo station wagon and have two young homeys enrolled in youth soccer leagues!" NYT reporter Solomon Moore on the hazards of reporting while black. (There's one problem no Sun or Examiner crime reporter would have!)

In Philadelphia, the Police Commissioner has called for 10,000 volunteers to patrol city blocks.

September 29

Jason Fortune, 24, was shot to death in the 800 block of N. Fremont Ave.
No suspects, no motive, just like Dixon and the still-unfilled Police Commissioner position. (42 days and counting!)

Good news Dept.: someone has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder for the brutal flattening of senior citizen Charles Erdman (#60).

A toddler kidnapped in New Jersey was rescued at the Baltimore Travel Plaza after police tracked down the cell-phone of his loopy babysitter, Shelvon Torrence (left).

In the city, stupid Pit Bull legislation lopes on.
(thanks for the links galt!)

Web site SpeedTrap.org can abet your hotfootin' all over town!

Fleeing to the suburbs isn't all it's cracked up to be! In ACC, "A 19-year-old Pasadena man was arrested Wednesday after police charged him with possessing fake drugs that looked like crack cocaine." (How could that be a crime?)

AAC's College Creek Terrace is some kind of evil vortex!
A man was stabbed six times in the back by a stranger there (see story below "fake drugs") this week, and on the same street last week a girl was attacked with a barbecue grill.

Fifteen-year sentences for guns and drugs; a guilty plea from Dundalk perv Robert Paul Layton; a witness to the Remington halfway-house murders got 53 years for bank robbery; 13 years were handed down for carjacking and as usual a load of $ fraud: all in a day's work for federal prosecutors & arranged smartly on a page for your reading pleasure.

"Chain of drug allegations is full of links to Orioles"

Murder Conviction for West Belvedere Shooting

A Baltimore City jury convicted Mark Lee Johnson, 26, of the 2600 block of Quantico Avenue, today of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and two counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. The jury heard three days of testimony and deliberated approximately nine hours over two days before reaching a verdict. Judge John N. Prevas scheduled sentencing for November 19, 2007. Johnson faces a maximum of 80 years in prison, 30 years for second degree murder, 30 years for attempted second degree murder and 20 years for the handgun counts. Details:

On January 22, 2006 at approximately 3:30 PM in the 3300 block of West Belvedere Avenue, Johnson approached Antwoine Armstead, 21, and Andre Gibbs, 22 as they were getting into a parked car. Johnson walked to the passenger side of the car and shot Armstead multiple times. Gibbs ran from the car and Johnson shot at him as he ran across West Belvedere Avenue. Armstead suffered seven gunshot wounds and was taken to Sinai hospital where he died a short time later.

Assistant State’s Attorney Joshua Felsen of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

Indictments in Christopher Clark Murder

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted both Brandon Green, 22, and Jerome Whitaker, 23, of the 3300 block of Ramona Avenue for first-degree murder, attempted murder and handgun charges. Antonio Santifer, 19, of the 3100 block of Cliftmont Avenue was indicted on handgun charges.

Court documents allege that on March 13, 2007 Christopher Clark, 18, was caught in a crossfire, and sustained a gunshot wound to the torso in the 3100 block of Cliftmont Avenue. Allegedly, Clark was shot in the crossfire when an unknown male appeared from an alley, and fired a handgun at Santifer, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of his residence. Santifer was struck and taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital. The two other suspects, later identified as Jerome Whitaker and Brandon Green, were also wounded and treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Clark died from his injuries at Johns Hopkins Hospital the same day.

Life Plus Three Years for Murder & Drugs

At a hearing today, Judge John C. Themelis sentenced Kenneth Mahai of Parkville, MD to life in prison plus three years consecutive for first-degree murder and a weapons count. A Baltimore City jury convicted Mahai August 10, 2007.

On October 21, 2005 the victim, Jermaine Morrison, was released from jail after having served 18 months for Possession with Intent to Distribute Illegal Narcotics in the 1700 block of Nome Street. While Morrison was in jail, the defendant, Kenneth Mahai, began selling drugs in that area. On October 25, 2005, at approximately noon, the two men got into an argument about who had the “right” to sell their illegal narcotics in the 1700 block of Nome Street (now Manor Avenue). As Morrison started to walk down Nome Street, Mahai followed him, confronted him a second time, and stabbed him two times in the chest and once in the arm. Morrison stumbled from the scene and collapsed around the corner on the 1700 block of Malvern. He eventually succumbed to his injuries at Bayview Medical Center.

The State indicted this case twice, once in April 2006 and a second time this year. In December 2006, the State dismissed all charges against Mahai after a witness central to the State’s prosecution was confronted and threatened by an associate of the defendant. Law enforcement was unable to locate that witness and it was learned that the witness fled Maryland to New Jersey. With the assistance of Cumberland County, New Jersey’s Prosecutor’s Office, the State continued to search for the witness, and, after the witness was located, the State indicted Mahai a second time for this murder.

Assistant State’s Attorney E. Wesley Adams prosecuted the case.

September 28

A 43-year-old man was shot in the face in the 2700 block of Tivoly Ave., near Clifton Park in the Coldstream Homestead Montebello neighborhood. His condition is unknown.

Blotter: Police identified Richard Ray, 27, of the 3700 block of Woodbine Ave. as the man stabbed about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday during an argument with another man in the 5200 block of Fairlawn Ave. (not to be confused with Keith Ray found in Wyman Park); Alfred Smith, 56, of the 900 block of N. Arlington Ave. in West Baltimore was identified as the man stabbed about 10 a.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of Appleton St.; an arrest for the murder of Davon Qualls, 17,; a man shot in the foot; a man and woman stabbed in the County.

BMore Civics Essay Questions:

Why did thee Tivoly Ave guy above get his own story, but other assault victims were lumped into the Blotter?

What should the government do for disabled people with rage problems?

Are iPods causing a nationwide crime wave?

"Gov. Martin O'Malley indicated yesterday that he will propose spending $169 million less on public education next year than required under law."
Why would a governor be more beholden to developers than pro-education constituents, though voting education supporters outnumber developers by a factor of thousands?
Do you think his or her plans to run for higher office in the future could affect these priorities?
Why or why not?

"The good news!: "A man determined not to be the victim of a robbery in downtown Baltimore wrestled a gun away from his attacker [Calvin Ray] and shot him three times, city police said."
QTD: "If you want to survive in this town, you need to be good on your feet.” -- community activist David Briggs
(Sorry I almost missed that fab story!).

Reginald Smith, 22, was murdered on a Randallstown playground (or parking lot) apparently by a city resident.

Burn!
"Baltimore County police say a Pikesville man assaulted and robbed an armored truck courier outside an Overlea bank, but the driver of a getaway car took off with the cash and left him behind."

In the County, a guy got 30 years for writing two rubber checks.

Angela Green, a Maryland Transportation Authority Police officer, was indicted along with her boyfriend on September 21 on charges they dealt crack cocaine from the Curtis Bay home they shared.

The death of Robert Rutledge, 40, has been ruled a homicide. Rutledge died of blunt force trauma to the head; he was found injured in an alley in the 2800 block of Parkwood Ave. on the 20th and died two days later at Shock Trauma.

September 27

Brian Fish's last duty as a prosecutor before joining Immigration and Customs Enforcement was the plea agreement in the Melvin Jones case. Fish prosecuted the "Don Papa" Blake case and the "DJ Tommy" bench trial, and we hear he's having goodbye drinks tonight at Mick O'Shea's. So if you're down that way, go thank the tall bald guy for his service!

The man found in Wyman Park was identified as Keith Ray, 24, who apparently died of a bullet wound to the head.
And another man stabbed to death on the street! "Police responding to a report of an injured man in the 600 block of N. Brice St. about 10 a.m. found the man bleeding from at least one stab wound. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he died a short time later."

And yet another! A man was stabbed in an alley and died last week, also near Druid Hill Park. "Robert Rutledge, 40, of the 1900 block of Ridgehill Ave., was found injured in an alley in the 2800 block of Parkwood Ave. and died two days later at Maryland Shock Trauma Center." Nice to get the news a week later that some stabby lunatic is on the loose!

"James Watkins claims he and others in Hope Village apartments in East Baltimore were harassed — and some detained — after they tried to record Baltimore police using excessive force."

The extra 'e' is for extra pee: Norris Ford of Dundalk will pay a $ettlement for harassing female employees... and secretly filming them while they were in the bathroom!

New drug slang: "boog suge" (as in booger sugar?)

Another Fake BGE Guy!

"It was 2:45pm Wednesday in a quiet dead end block lined with American flags and flower beds, when a stranger with bad intentions lurked the southwest neighborhood. ... robbers are getting bold and desperate – and they’re willing to try anything. This victim has learned her lesson."

An officer was injured when a fleeing suspect rammed his cruiser, then hit a house around Greenmount Avenue and 25th Street. (Thanks galt)

In Bel Air, the woman who gave a toddler his mom's methadone and didn't call medics was found guilty of manslaughter. She claims she thought the synthentic opiate cocktail was actually "strawberry juice."
(Which actually does exist, it turns out... Trader Joe's sells it!)

Jemini Jones beat two sets of rape charges, now the FOP says our tax $ should pay his legal bills.

September 26

A demented 79-year-old man murdered his 81-year-old wife, Virginia Jones, then died before police could charge him.

A man was stabbed to death on the street at 6:30 p.m. in the 5200 block of Fairlawn Ave.

Fox news reported that another mystery body has been found in the Northern, this one in Wyman Park near the 700 block of Wyman Park Drive. No reports online however. Nobody tell this douche!
(Thanks non -- I turned on non comments in your honor.)

The Ink covers murders from September 10-23 with names and details.

The good news! City police have new schedule, and it'll be the "first time in 50 years that police won't be working six days on, two days off. Instead they will change to a four-day workweek with longer hour shifts." They also get a 5% pay raise. Progress!

Joseph McInnis Jr., 39, of the 3500 block of Elmley Ave. in Northeast Baltimore has been charged with first-degree rape in the 1984 incident and first-degree murder in a 1987 killing after being linked with DNA. And early release for a former cop who liked to "groom" young boys.

The ACLU is suing the MD State police for withholding records related to a racial profiling lawsuit.

Bmore living tip: don't leave cash money in your car.

In AAC murder charges were dropped against Lamal Wise, 18, after a witness Dontay Williams was murdered.

25 Years for First-Degree Murder

At a hearing late today Timothy Izzard, 50, of the 3000 block of Lanvale St. pled guilty to first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon (an unknown sharp object). Judge Althea Handy sentenced Izzard to life in prison with all but 25 years suspended. (Meaning he'll potenially be eligible for parole in 18 years and 9 months). The gory details:

At 9:30 a.m. December 23, 2006 Izzard was driving Freddie Thornton’s car and crashed it in Anne Arundel County and attempted to identify himself as the victim using the victim’s identification. After admitting to police he was not Thornton he was found to be a suspended driver and police issued Izzard traffic tickets and released him. At approximately noon the same day a citizen found the dead body of Freddie Thornton, 69, in Leakin Park. He had been stabbed 37 times and was wearing only his boxer shorts. Baltimore police identify Izzard as the suspect and arrest him December 27, 2006. Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Phelps, of the Homicide Division, prosecuted this case.

September 25

What a weaselly papist!
"As Maryland gays mourned Tuesday’s high court ruling upholding a ban on same-sex marriage, some said they were equally stunned and upset by the remarks of Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley, who in private, had repeatedly assured plaintiffs in the case that he supports gay unions. After this week’s ruling, O’Malley said he backs civil unions as a compromise. Further, he invoked his Catholic religious beliefs, in a reference to 'the sacraments.'"

Cue banjos: a shooting suspect led police on a chase that ended in Herring Run Park.


Awww! Colin Jackson, the Crofton boy who was kidnapped by his "father" was reunited with his mom after a librarian in Swain County, NC, recognized him.

Remember this story? Vernon Brown and his cousin, Learnold Jones, robbed a Perry Hll Super Fresh, Jones fled to a nearby shed, then shot Officer David Garner, and was shot and killed himself. Now Brown has pled guilty in exchange for various charges being dropped.

A Russian teen pled guilty to an identity theft scheme.

If you've been following the whole Keith Washington story in PGC, the latest revelation is that he was "placed on restricted duty for more than a year in the mid-1990s after doctors and department officials determined that his inability to handle the stress of regular police work made him a potential danger."

Stomach-turning pervs In Hagtown dept: John Quebedeaux, 34, was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl while she was sleeping.

Stop the presses! This just in!:

Baltimore Sun Report
On a recent weekday, Wit Kosicki enjoyed the view of Evitts Mountain as his wife received a massage inside the Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort.

September 24

"Mayor Sheila Dixon's former campaign chairman, Dale Clark, has pleaded guilty in Anne Arundel County to three counts of willful failure to file income tax returns for 2002, 2003, and 2004 ... Clark first made news in the ethics probe surrounding the mayor. His company billed nearly $600,000 to the city without a contract. Dixon's office has admitted to a major oversight in that matter."

The Hampden dead body was a white guy killed by blunt-force trauma. #225 according to the Sun, #234 to those who know better.

Not again: Three inmates at the city Detention Center were stabbed during a fight yesterday.

Crazed Rednecks!! Dept
Essexer Perry Webb, 18, was arrested in Bowleys Quarters for "gunplay" outside of a Wal-Mart that sent a woman to the hospital.

Melville Mason, 29, scored drugs, took city police on a ride to Sykesville, rammed a cruiser, was tear-gassed at grandma's, wound up arrested. All in a day's work y'all!

Biters! The Examiner's "Baltimore Police Blotter" compiles crime stories from local media reports.

The good news from the Wally Jay:

the majority of law-school graduates are suffering from a supply-and-demand imbalance that's suppressing pay and job growth. The result: Graduates who don't score at the top of their class are struggling to find well-paying jobs to make payments on law-school debts that can exceed $100,000. Some are taking temporary contract work, reviewing documents for as little as $20 an hour, without benefits ... A slack in demand appears to be part of the problem. The legal sector, after more than tripling in inflation-adjusted growth between 1970 and 1987, has grown at an average annual inflation-adjusted rate of 1.2% since 1988.

There's always an opening in the State's Attorney's Office, kids!

September 23

Another dead body was found in Hampden. Should it go on the list?
...and we still haven't discovered the identity or cause of death of the other Hampden body found on July 30 (see #217).

How neglected are MD's juvenile justice facilities? "teenagers sleeping in shallow plastic bins on hallway floors"

A big bust in the SW netted guns that were coming in from Sykesville in exchange for crack.
Love that "fresh from the teleprompter" style!
Quote Of The Day: "The mayor has to get a handle on whatever she gone do.” -- Nadine Spann from the SW

Runner-up: "This was not a stupid Baltimore City jury.” -- defense attorney Linwood Hedgepeth on the aquittal of Zukael Stephens

HedOTD: "MD Teen Hate In Sikh Beatings?" - WBALz

In Columbia, HoCo, Christopher Scott Meckles, 45, shot his domestic partner, Inez Smith, in the knee.

More details on George Jenkins' guilty verdict (this was the guy who got five years for attempted murder, and shot his vitcim's brother, Demithrius Nushon Spears, upon release), this is a noteworthy story because it's a revision from the 8/21 featuring the first crime-story correction I have ever seen in the Sun-- very unusual.

A man robbed of $10.25 in the Western, a man attcked and kicked in the head in the Southern, stolen stuff, plus Pizza Hut employees robbed by a man with a wooden pole in the Blotter.

The good news: there's less human trafficking and sex slavery in the US than Dateline NBC might have led you to believe. Bad news, there have still been 1,362 victims in the past seven years. The only case in MD since 2003 was Javier Miguel Ramirez of Hyattsville, accused of pimping a 15-year-old girl.

This stupidity again: County Councilman Vince Gardina wants a bill to require that pit bulls to be kept in wire-mesh enclosures and muzzled when in public. Why this is stupid, let us count the ways:
1. any dog can be dangerous; in 2000 a California a baby was mauled to death by a Pomeranian,
2. according to the CDC, the deadliest dog attacks are actually carried out by Rottweilers and
3. A dog's breed can be impossible to prove (are we going to only allow AKC certified housepets?) making any breed-specific legislation unenforceable. Q.E.D.

September 22

Monae Gorham, shot eight years ago at age 16, has died from her injuries.

The men shot and killed last Sunday "in broad daylight as an afternoon church service was getting out" were id'd as Channing Myrick, 26, and Deion Morris, 23.
Reddy: "Northeast Baltimore overall has had 29 homicides this year, compared with 13 at this time last year."

A federal judge in Maryland unsealed a grand jury indictment yesterday charging Steven Abiodun Sodipo, age 51, of Forest Hill, and Callixtus Onigbo Nwaehiri, age 49, of Jarrettsville, with illegally selling 9,936,075 pills or dosage units of hydrocodone (aka Vicodin) over the Internet, and other charges.

What the?! "Reported chlamydia cases in Maryland jumped by 57 percent from 1997 to 2006." The city is, of course, the state's crotch-rot capital.

Charges Dropped Against Chaz Ricks, Zukael T. Stephens

DNA testing has excluded the once-alleged Roland Park rapist.

Zukael T. Stephens, charged with beating transgender activist Marcus Rogers to death and then setting his Mid-Town Belvedere apartment on fire, was acquitted yesterday by a jury of all charges. Stephens had previously been released when a prosecutor mistakenly dropped all charges.*

20 Years for Cold-Blooded Murder

At a hearing today, Judge Barry Williams sentenced Joshua Mills, 21, of the 2500 block of Winchester Street to 20 years in prison for the second-degree murder of Antwon Torain. Mills pled guilty January 30, 2007. Details:

On March 23, 2007 Judge Williams sentenced co-defendants Farrakhan Jenkins, 22, of the 700 block of Payson Street, and Tavon Coleman, 20, of the 500 block of North Brice Street, to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit first degree murder for their roles in the murder of Mr. Torain. The murder occurred on November 27, 2005 in the area of the 700 block of N. Payson Street. The victim had locked himself out of his car and asked the defendants for help in getting into his car. The defendants instead tried to sell the victim drugs. As a result of this conversation, the defendants got into an argument with the victim. Jenkins grabbed the victim and Coleman said something to the effect of “shoot the victim.” Mills responded to this request by shooting the victim in the head and the neck. The victim died of these gunshot wounds.

Assistant State’s Attorney Sam Yee of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

Weinstein, Prevas = as Annoyed as Everyone Else

"A WYPR review of law-enforcement records shows that many accused killers have already been convicted of violent crimes, and got out on suspended sentences. Of last year's 180 accused killers, a majority were guilty: Murder One, second degree murder, manslaughter, or lesser crimes. Many, however, still had parts of their sentences suspended. Jason Weinstein, the U.S. attorney's Violent Crimes chief, thinks that defeats the purpose of law enforcement."

This is why Rod's hot: "A federal grand jury indicted 39 defendants in an international money laundering case that includes one person accused of concealing terrorist financing."

Friday 21 September

It should be the astonishing part -- but, of course, it isn't -- but this is the second time that George Jenkins "has been convicted of shooting a member of the same family." The second time? Too bad he wasn't already in jail, but he's going now: sentencing on Nov 8th after "guilty verdicts of first-degree murder and use of a handgun in a crime of violence, prosecutors said."

Thomas J Grant's fate, up in the air yesterday, is settled today: guilty.

Marvin "Escapee" Jordan is back in Maryland today after being extradited from South Carolina. Y'know, for a guy who is good at escaping, he really needs to concentrate on his mad "not being found" skillz.

Matricide(!!!!) in Calvert!!!! Stuffed her "ill" mother into the trunk of her car ... and didn't take her to the hospital? And y'know, why not like, the front seat or something? (I wonder how long it took police to crack her story? Thirty seconds?) This is the second murder for the year for Calvert County. I wonder if they even have homicide detectives. Maybe they have one. He relaxes in a big leather recliner at the station reading Elmore Leonard paperbacks and drinking giant mugs of slightly warm milk and dreaming of the day when the secretary will lean in the door and tell him that he's got a murder on his hands (because, lately, all she does is ask him if he can run out and pick up lunch for everybody, because he's got nothing else better to do except age).

What's with all the motorcycle deaths lately? This one in Lutherville, at the intersection of Rork and Ridgely Road. (I think ABC2 meant "York", as I am unaware of a 'Rork' road anywhere...)

That hit-and-run driver who killed Anthony Blake has been arrested, although not yet identified. UPDATE: He's now ID'd as 38-year-old William Lentz of Orpington Road.

Zukael T. Stephens, 29, had been on trial on charges of the first degree murder of Marcus Rogers (a transgender activist) and arson from October 11th of last year in a 7th floor apartment down on St. Paul. I say "had been" because the jury acquitted Stephens of all charges.

Wanted for a sexual assault against a 14-year old girl in Ellicott City last month, a forty-two year old kid toucher, Fermin Mejia, was arrested in North Carolina by Federal Marshal Fugitive hunters.

Thursday, Night

Annapolis police are looking for a man presumed dangerous following an assault Wednesday night. He's armed with -- of all things -- a barbeque grill. (What, he couldn't get his hands on a gun?)

An irresponsible driver -- really, is there another kind of driver around these parts? -- pulled a hit and run and killed Anthony Banks in Woodlawn. "Police say the driver didn't offer any help or call police before leaving the scene." Maybe, when the driver is behind bars, the prison guards will fail to offer help or call backup when he's screaming while being ass raped. Hey, it's a thought.

It's like something out of James Bond, except I'm sure that Double-Oh Seven would never ever actually come to Maryland.

Onaje Adarryl Harris and George Surgeon have been identified by police as suspects in the shotgun shooting of a twenty-four year old man last week. Harris was arrested yesterday, and I'm wondering if Surgeon was running around Baltimore this morning with his shotgun loaded with birdshot?

There's an O's fan protest set for Monday. Presumeably, they're out to show their anger at the team's rather lousy record. Meanwhile, old cynical me wonders how many of them showed up to vote in the city primary September 11th, how many plan to show up to vote in the city elections in November, and how many care more about Wild Bill Hagy's death than they do for the sykrocketing murder rate.

Update: Johns Gone Wild!

After posting this link to the "Baltimore Sex Guide," blogger AngerHangover has enjoyed torrents of e-mail abuse from "Johns" (most of which isn't posted) and makes a very good point about the "victimless crime" argument:

The prostitution problem is a major quality of life problem for regular people who have it infecting their blocks. It also present a big safety issue as well. People don't consider that johns do get out of their cars and do knock on the wrong door (mine), as do aggressive drug dealers looking to collect debt from these prostitutes. I'd really hate for some tragic event to occur in order for some light to be shed on the "victimless crime" problem.

ps. another site also tells you how to find drugs! (Via Carol Ott's blog)

Twelve Years for Computer Thief

At a hearing today, Judge Lynn K. Stewart sentenced Gregg Wakefield, 37, of the 2400 block of Pickering Drive, to 12 years in prison. Wakefield pled guilty July 11, 2007 to two counts of second-degree burglary. Judge Stewart ordered that the 12-years be served consecutively to a three-year sentence Wakefield received on a fraud violation of probation last month. Wakefield also faces three-years for a violation of probation for a case pending in Baltimore County. Details:

In May and December 2006, Wakefield, an employee of Prime Net - an IT contractor for Johns Hopkins Hospital, crawled through the vents of the Weinberg cancer building to gain access to the main computer room. He disconnected and stole network equipment taking the building’s computer network down on both occasions. Total loss for Johns Hopkins Hospital was approximately $113,000. Wakefield then sold the equipment over the internet for approximately $18,000. Surveillance video recorded Wakefield as he went into and left the building and his photo was posted on the hospital campus. Prime Net cooperated with investigators after realizing he was involved and turned him in.

Thursday, 20 September

We're now at #232 -- an-as-yet unidentified man beaten to death on his 40th birthday. His friend, also attacked, is expected to survive.

A seventy year old man (shot in the back by some coward) remains in critical condition. (Note: since when does BCPD have 'agents'?)

A shooting, a robbery, and a synagogue.

WARNING! DICK CHENEY IS ON THE LOOSE IN BALTIMORE! WARNING! Ok, ok, I couldn't resist. Actually, a mass-shooting (five people!) by someone with a shotgun loaded with birdshot (no fatalities). Certainly, Mr. Cheney's M.O.

His DNA "wouldn't let him" get away any longer, and twenty-eight years later, Thomas J. Grant's fate is in the hands of the jury on the question of his guilt regarding the death of Sheila Bazemore Rascoe.

That Liberian child rapist in MoCo is set to be deported.

Mayor Sheila Dixon was in New York City yesterday -- no doubt feeling very safe, since, after all, it's a much safer city than Balmer -- talking to her counterpart there about firearms and joining NY's gun-lawsuit.

More crime at the University of Maryland College Park, this time, a "brazen carjacking" at Easton Hall.

Last -- certainly not least! True irony has to be a john posting on a website dedicated to swapping stories and info of streetwalkers 'I say to the citizens of Baltimore City Lk 23:34 "forgive them, they know not what they do"' regarding the morality of Baltimore City. Um. Look in a mirror much? If I were a vice-cop, I'd be trolling through (Warning: Unsafe for Home OR Work!) this website to hunt johns coming into the city for a little action. It's a quality of life issue and, I suppose, a minor one compared to the murder rate, but if there's one thing certain, it's that Baltimore could use some improvement in its "quality of life." C'mon johns, really: Lefty Lisa and Righty Rosie are safer and cheaper than streetwalkers. Plus, LL & RR come with those great gifts of "no need for a get out of jail" *or!* "How do I explain to my wife how she got six STDs?" cards. (Website found courtesy of the greater Baltimore blogosphere.)

UPDATES:

Three people -- two Frederickians and a Gaithersburgan -- stewing in jail for the 2005 murder of David Lee (also of Frederick), who "was shot to death in July 2005 to keep him silent." Keep him silent? Silent about what? Damn uninformative article! More info at the Frederick News-Post.

Witnesses: 0; Intimidators: yet another

This just in from the powers that be:

Judge Robert Kershaw declared a mistrial today in the attempted murder and witness intimidation trial of Victor Shuron, 30, of the 2300 block of Seamon Ave., and Yosef Winston-Bey, 27, of the unit block of Dunvale Rd. The jury had been deliberating this case for approximately one day when the court received a note from the jury forewoman stating that one of the jurors "has a concern". The note, discussed in open court, said that as the juror was at the bus stop following court yesterday that the juror saw "two of the men who were in the courtroom during the time of the trial pointed her out and it scared her." She told the court that "she doesn't want to vote on the charges..."

Court documents allege that on November 27, 2006 Shuron got out of a car driven by Winston-Bey in the 2800 block of Greenmount Ave. and shot the victim, a witness in a Baltimore County felony case, as he sat in a car parked in the Waverly Shopping Center.

A new trial date of December 13, 12007 (sic) has been set.

Huh. Sadly, I can't even say that I blame her.

Fucking terrorism, that's what we're dealing with here.