Murderer on Parole Gets Time for Bank Robbery

George Robert Chaney, a city murderer out on parole, got 188 months federal for a bank robbery he committed a month after he was released.

Lavon Caldwell, age 25, of Baltimore pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Caldwell and co-schemers used fraudulent driver’s licenses at stores to open credit accounts in the names of victims, and then used the temporary credit cards to buy high-priced goods that were then sold for cash.

Police in Colombia say they've arrested a man they call the biggest drug boss in the country, Diego Montoya, allegedly responsible for producing "tons" of cocaine for the US market.

September 10

City police are investigating the "suspicious" deaths of two people whose bodies were found early this morning inside a house in the 3500 block of Elmley Ave in the Belair-Edison neighborhood of Northeast Baltimore.
UPDATE: The Sun has updated the above link to note that it was a male/female murder/suicide in the 3600 block of Elmley Ave. Police identified the female victim as Khonji Walton, 27, and the man was identified as 36-year-old Antonio Clyburn.

An unidentified man was found shot on the 800 block of North Chester Street just before 2 a.m. Saturday. No suspects, no motive.

A 30-year-old woman was shot and died in Dundalk at 5:45 this morning.
UPDATE: She was identified as Lymaris Mejias, 29, a Latina exotic dancer and mother of four who used the stage name Chyna. A neighbor says that she told him she had a lot of enemies.

Baltimore County police are looking for Emory Lamont Lewis, 24, who allegedly shot Felicia Ann Spratley, 22, of Silerton Road, after she ran from him during a fight.

In Woodlawn, "A male in his 20s was shot in the face outside a house in the 1600 block of Kirkwood Road in the West Edmondale community shortly before 9 p.m. yesterday and was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was admitted in critical condition. Police were seeking two males seen running from the scene." Also lots of robbery, burglary and theft in the Blotter.

There's a new home for pregnant nonviolent offenders in Park Heights.

Dept. of Negligent Snack-Food Culture
Dan Rodricks moderates a discussion on crime
Anyway, crappy education, lack of employment opportunities and kids eating Doritos® for breakfast are all blamed ... yet no one has the 'nads to blame the culture and people who see no shame in letting kids drop out of school and serving them Doritos® for breakfast.
We musn't be culturally insensitive!

* New slang alert!
Dorito: [noun] A lazily slipshod and dilatory individual, undeservedly prideful and violence-prone; a person who serves children snack foods for breakfast
"He had to overcome a lot to get to college, his parents are total Doritos."
"You don't want to buy that house, there's a whole bunch of Doritos living next door."

Speaking of Britney Spears, we read an article in out favorite paper a while back that she was addicted to opiate lollipops-- turns out they're for real!

September 9

Two more police-involved shootings today, and unshockingly both were the result of "domestics."

Alleged killer of Detective Troy Lamont Chesley (and alleged carjacker, robber, assailant, etc etc), Brandon Grimes. is seeking to change his plea from "not guilty" to "not criminally responsible" on account of bipolar disorder or a learning disorder or something.

Amazing survival story! Missing student James McCormick had driven his car into a ravine, and was found a week later by a sharp-eyed pregnant passenger!

Wow, there really are more black men in jail than in prison!

While Baltimoreans are annoyed about crime, but apparently not enough so to do anything about it, Annapolitans are freaking.

A happy ending! Detective Ed Burns and David Simon of "The Wire" introduced the real-life Omar Little* to his wife-to-be! Awwwwww! Here's more.
*We're assuming there's at least one major difference...

Sheriff's deputies in Florence, S.C., continued a two-day manhunt mit Hunden in the forest off Interstate 95 today for convicted armed robber Marvin Ray Jordan, who escaped his leg shackles last month at the Courthouse East.

Three Years for Kaufman's Brick-Basher

This morning Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced Steven Carr, 38, of the 3800 block of Hillsdale Road, to 15 years in prison, suspending all but three years. Said the SA's office, in their no-nonsense style:

Carr pled guilty to robbery with a deadly weapon May 11, 2007 for assaulting mayoral candidate A. Robert Kaufman in the head with a brick, taking money from Mr. Kaufman on December 6, 2006 at Mr. Kaufman’s home on North Hilton Street. Judge Heard ordered that the sentence run concurrent to the two years that Carr is currently serving for violating probation on a previous CDS case. The court also ordered that Carr be placed on probation for five years following his release from prison, during which time he is to complete his GED, and complete his licensing as an electrician. He will also be provided with drug and alcohol treatment, if necessary, along with an anger management counseling. At the hearing, Mr. Kaufman spoke at length about his concerns for Mr. Carr, and the city in general. He expressed his wishes that Mr. Kaufman receive rehabilitation and counseling during his incarceration in the hopes that Mr. Carr will “become a productive member of society.” Judge Heard said that she was very moved by both Mr. Kaufman’s and Mr. Carr’s comments. The State had asked for a prison term of 20 years suspend all but 10 years. Assistant State’s Attorney and General Trial Division Chief Lawrence Doan prosecuted this case.

September 7

AAC police are asking for the public's help to find 6-year-old Colin Jackson, left, kidnapped by his non-custodial parent. They're believed to be in a 1992 Chevrolet Blazer, with Maryland tags A184479.

Blarf! It's the BCrime diet plan... every time you have an appetite, read this article about Richard Lewis Marks' 30+ years of pedophilia. Hork! Heave!

A stolen-car chase yesterday ended with police shooting out one of the car's windows on Pratt Street; the driver was arrested. This is intuguing: "an electronic scanning device mounted on the police vehicle indicated that [the car had] been stolen." So futuristic!

An 18-year-old arrested for murder and a Woodlawn home-invasion robbery in the Blotter.

Kenneth Beauchamp of Dundalk, wanted in the murder of Patrick Pearce III of Rosedale, was arrested in Ohio.

WYPR: "Crime Anxiety Grips Three Baltimore Neighborhoods"
(only three? Finally some good news!)

Ellicott City gallery owner/Ponzi schemer Thomas H. Akins got 6 1/2 years in the federal pen for his "Art Investment Program."

Politics
Janis: when it comes to elections, voter turnout is what counts. In '06 MD's turnout was 47.3 percent, not much worse than the US average. Wonder what it is in the city? One Oz Bengur says "a third," but doesn't source that number.

PPark Double Shooter Indicted for Murder

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Shawn Dickey, 21, of the 400 block of N. Collington Avenue on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first degree murder. Court documents allege Shawn Dickey is responsible for a double shooting in the 2300 block of E. Fayette Street and Patterson Park on May 22, 2007. Alexander Rose and another person were on the corner of Patterson Park and Fayette Street when Dickey began shooting at the two people. The surviving victim was able to run away despite suffering a gunshot to the leg. Rose succumbed to his injuries at Johns Hopkins Hospital. An arraignment is scheduled for October 2, 2007 before Judge Lynn K. Stewart, Room 215, Mitchell Courthouse. Assistant State’s Attorney Joshua Felsen will prosecute this case.

Guilty Plea but No Jail for Shanda Harris

At a hearing today, Shanda R. Harris, 41, of the 3100 block of Lawnview Avenue pled guilty to one count of reckless endangerment and three counts of child in need of assistance (CINA) or contributing to the negligence of a child. Judge John M. Glynn sentenced Harris to eight years in prison suspending all but the time she already served from October 5, 2006 through March 26, 2007, and also sentenced her to three years' probation and set special conditions: that she complete drug and alcohol abuse treatment, psychiatric treatment and parenting classes. Between July 1, 2005 and July 30, 2006 Harris allowed convicted child sex offender Melvin Jones access to her four children after being notified that he was in fact a registered child sex offender. Assistant State’s Attorney and Felony Family Violence Division Chief Julie Drake will prosecuted this case.

September 6

Fox's Jeff Barnes reported last night that the man shot in an auto-parts store on Belvedere Avenue died, and a suspect fled in a silver Mercedes, plate 9CT H64.

From yesterday: A foul-smelling (alleged) sex offender with a collection of knockout drugs was discovered hiding in the closet of two Dundalk kids.

More on murder vitims Jasmine Borum and her grandmother Pauline.
WMAR reports that neighbors believe the grandmother was caught in the way of someone after Jasmine, but

'[Jasmine's] dead and gone why drag her name through the mud,' says [neighbor Marcus] Lynch. Only because other residents believe her record may explain why someone would kill a 60 year grandmother and her granddaughter inside their home and in a neighborhood, everyone agrees was quiet full of families, full of children.

A 20-year-old man walking in the 1500 block of Cliftview Ave. about 12:30 a.m. and was shot in the back and lived; Troy Spencer, 33, was arrested for shooting two people; stolen American cars in the Blotter.

In AAC, Ronald Francis Dawson II will serve two months for killing TJ Watson in an alleged drug deal gone bad.

Mother-of-the-year Shanda Harris won't get a plea deal.

Who Knew? Dept:
Apparently, Remington isn't an abyss of drugs and violence.

"Implementing Park Heights Revitalization A Tall Order"

Missing persons:
PGC Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating missing 18-year-old Julian Carlos McCormick, last seen Saturday Sept. 1 leaving his dorm at Bowie State University in his Blue-Silver 2003 Honda Civic with Maryland temporary tag # 83870A.

More on the Karen Kamsch mystery.

Crime Alert! Fake BGE Men

"Fartsy" wrote:
"I live in Pigtown and we have a guy who's going around robbing houses in broad daylight. He's described as a black male, and VERY tall...like 6'5" or so, and he wears a construction vest and gloves."

I called the SW district to confirm, and the very nice officer who picked up the phone said that what police have seen a lot of lately, in the SW and city-wide, is an uptick in reports of the scam of men posing as workers from BGE, sometimes complete with a very-real looking uniform and badge. Sometimes they scam people by saying that they owe money on their bills and the power's going to be shut off that minute if they don't pay, other times they just flat-out shove their way in and rob the house after someone opens the door.
Of course, he says, BGE doesn't collect cash door-to-door, and they don't show up unannounced, so if you see an unexpected "BGE man" or other utility-person type knocking on your door, don't open the door, and call the police!

UPDATE: Says Fartsy, "No, it's not one of the phony BGE men! This guy just kicks in doors and windows -- he doesn't bother with knocking and pretending to be a phony BGE man. One of our neighbors was stabbed multiple times and has a collapsed lung (or had, I haven't gotten an update lately on the guy's condition). The phony BGE guy is a different crook."

Jezum crow!

This Just In: WBAL Reportage Lazy, Hype-Driven

OMG, what little lying weasels!
Looking for the clip of the Walters' CCTV tape of a mugging I posted a while back, I found this instead from WBAL. Assuming that they found the clip randomly and don't read this site, my YouTube "handle" and a link to send me a message is right there on every clip! Hardly a BIG MYSTERY!
I guess a mugging is too dull, they felt the need to fabricate a hook out of thin air!



How does Jayne Miller stand to hang out with those assclowns?

ps. a Great essay/rant by George Saunders, "The Braindead Megaphone," in this month's GQ, opining the myriad ways in which progressively "dumber" TV news spreads the "disease" of "stupidity, aggression and anxiety."

A very violent blotter, and let's preserve the news of bodily harm for posterity here:

Northeastern
Shooting // An unidentified man was in critical condition at Johns Hopkins Hospital after he was shot in the head, chest and neck about 9 p.m. yesterday in the 2500 block of Garrett Ave. by an unknown assailant.

Stabbing // Two teenage girls were stabbed about 8:45 p.m. yesterday in the 1600 block of Abbotston St. by one of several other females who fled the scene. The victims, one stabbed in the face and the other in the face, chest and back, were treated at an area hospital.

Northwestern
Shooting // Police were seeking a man who shot another man at an auto repair shop in the 4100 block of W. Belvedere Ave. about 9 p.m. yesterday and stole a car. The victim was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. His condition was not available.

Victim named // Police released yesterday the name of the man shot Aug. 29 in the 3100 block of Artaban Place who died the next day at Sinai Hospital. He was Darnell Thomas, 23, of the 3900 block of Piedmont Ave.

Southwestern
Victim named // Police yesterday identified Kahlil Taylor, 23, of the 2700 block of Dunkirk Ave. as the man who was shot Aug. 30 in the 3000 block of Normount Court and died the next day at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Three other males who were shot during the same incident survived. There was no arrest.

Arrest // Tyron Stridiron, 26, of the 4100 block of Glenhunt Road, was arrested Tuesday in the 2600 block of W. Franklin St. on a warrant charging him with attempted murder. Stridiron is charged with shooting another man in the 4100 block of Mountwood Road on June 4.

Southeastern
Victim named // A man fatally shot in the 2000 block of E. Fairmount Ave. on Aug. 31 has been identified as Sean Blackwell, 20, of the 1500 block of E. Madison St. No arrest had been made.

Assault // Police were seeking a known male who fired several shots at two brothers standing in the 300 block of Loney's Lane about 9 p.m. Sunday. The incident was attributed to an attempted robbery of one of the brothers by the gunman several minutes earlier.

Assault // A man, 59, and his nephew were standing the rear yard of a house in the 100 block of E. Barney St. about 2:20 p.m. Sunday, arguing over who would perform a paint job there, when the nephew allegedly struck his uncle with a shovel. The victim was not seriously injured, and no arrest had been made.

...and then there's a whole other page of robberies, drugs and so on.

WTF? A foul-smelling (alleged) sex offender was discovered hiding in the closet of two Dundalk boys.

In AAC, police say they are questioning a 'person of interest' in the 1976 disappearance of 14-year-old Karen Beth Kamsch.

Life Plus 5 for Myron Gladney

Saying that violence involving young people has forced citizens in Baltimore to be confined to their homes and that it gives him no pleasure to sentence young people to long prison terms, Circuit Court Judge John C. Themelis today sentenced Myron Merrill Gladney, 21, to life in prison plus 20 concurrent years on a handgun charge and five consecutive years for witness intimidation. A Baltimore Jury convicted Gladney of attempted first-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and witness intimidation on July 17, 2007. Says the SA's office:

Evidence introduced at trial proved that Gladney approached Stephen Arrington as he waited for a bus in the 3400 block of The Alameda on April 6, 2005 and told him not to come to court. Arrington was scheduled to testify against Gladney’s brother in a homicide trial the next day. Myron Gladney left the area then returned a few minutes later with a handgun and chased Arrington across The Alameda where he eventually shot him in the back.

Arrington eventually did testify in Anthony Gladney’s murder trial however Anthony Gladney was acquitted of murder by a city jury July 20, 2005. Arrington also testified in June and positively identified Myron Gladney as the man who shot him.

Homicide prosecutor and assistant state’s attorney Lisa Phelps prosecuted the case.

September 5

238 words about five victims: Davon Qualls, 17, was shot to death last night in the 2500 block of Garrett Ave. in Northeast Baltimore; two people who were found yesterday in a dwelling in the 6100 block of MacBeth Drive near Chinquapin Parkway in North Baltimore and their deaths are "suspicious," and a woman and a boy were shot in East Baltimore.
WJZ reports that the MacBeth Drive incident was in the 6000 block, and the victims were a grandmother and her neice.
"It seems the women had gun shout wounds to their body's."
UPDATE: "a Sun reporter" says the victims were named as Pauline Borum, 60, and her granddaughter, Jasmine Borum, 17.

We knew that the Tuxedo Park home-invader, Chaz Ricks, had a long-as-your-arm record, but that's just the tip of the incredibly fucked-up iceberg: Bykowicz reports that he also stomped his mother's face, terrorized his neighbor, stabbed his cousin in the eye and shot a nine-year-old.

The Northern District will get its third police chief in as many years; the well-liked Major Michael Pristoop is retiring from the city police department to take a job with the state.

The Murder Ink details intentional homicides from August 27-31.

Who knew? WYPR has a whole "Crime & Violence" department, where one can have various perspectives on the bad news delivered via rich and lilting oratory.

Update: the Notre Dame attempted-abduction story was a total lie, and the crazy bitch who phoned it in now faces gun charges. Says the head of security, "We found a student concocted the story to more or less create a cover story for some behavior that she was involved in earlier in that week involving the same gentleman."

SHOCKING! Says Philadelphia police Capt. Ben Naish of a new stat showing that 91 percent of Baltimore murder victims have criminal records, up from 74 percent 10 years ago.

Police say there's new information in the case of Karen Kamsch, who went missing in the 'Deaner in 1976.

September 4

Bang, bang. An officer responding to a domestic on North Wolfe St. shot and wounded a suspect last night, making the third officer-involved shooting in a week.

Following the Roland Park home invasion, police say Tuxedo Park will get "special attention." The second suspect is still at large.

The victim who put serial rapist Alphonso W. Hill in jail in 1983 imagines the stress his many victims went through before he was charged August 28: "Until a name and a face is attached to that person, anyone could be that person. It could be the person walking down the street, passing you on the sidewalk. Once you know who they are and once you know they have been charged and sentenced, the rape can have a different role in your life. You don't get over it. But you can move on."

Saturday night, someone at the College of Notre Dame called to report that a man had trespassed on campus and tried to abduct a student, triggering the school's first-ever text-message campus security alert.

"Sod it all, Bobby! Some bloody arsehole nicked four sport-riding-bikes from the gerridge whilst I was kipping!"

Like candidates in your earhole? WYPR has audio and links for just about everyone who's running for anything.

Burbs
Up in Bel Air, 6'7" 550-pound David P. Matarazzo threatened to kill his family with a rock and a folding chair, then died after police squirted him with pepper spray.

More on Edna Gorham Bey, right, felon and self-appointed Queen Doctor Sultana of the United States Moorish-American Nation.

The last episode of "The Wire" is in the can, and the soundstage will be turned into a Wegman's.

Four recent murder victims were id'd:
Aug. 28: Lacy Hazel, 44 (Payson St.)
Aug. 30: Darnell Thomas, 23 (Artaban Place.)
Aug. 30: Kahlil Taylor, 23 (Normount Ct.)
Aug. 31: Sean Blackwell, 20, (Fairmount St.)

Last week's goings-on at the federal courthouse:
The fake child-porn movie that's lured other pedophiles previously snared a 20-year military vet named Steve Miller.

Two months in jail for pro basketball player/ firearms fan Lonny Baxter for convincing his friend to send his other friend some guns via FedEx. Last August, Baxter was arrested by the Secret Service for firing off a .40 caliber Glock handgun into the air near the White House.

Edna Gorham-Bey, the self-proclaimed Sultana of the United States Moorish-American Nation, was found guilty of various counts related to forging postal money orders.

September 3

21-year-old Gary Watts was shot repeatedly and killed last night in a drive-by in the 1300 block of N. Rosedale St.

The Examiner offers up their month-end homicide recap, and Luke B. reports that our murder rate is "insane" (and our politicians are windbags).

Lots of bricks and guns in the Blotter:

A man, 44, and a woman, 30, were seated in the man's car parked in the 3100 block of Baker St. about 10 p.m. Saturday when someone threw a brick through the car's window that struck the man in the head. Police said when the woman got out of the car, she yelled out, "The money is in the console!" With that, the injured driver attempted to flee and was shot in the left arm. Police said the woman, who apparently set up the incident, joined several men and was being sought. The wounded driver ran to the 1300 block of N. Rosedale St., where police were investigating a fatal shooting [the murder of Gary Watts, above], and was taken by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Police are ISO 57-year-old Kenneth Beauchamp, left, for the Rosedale murder of Patrick Pearce III.

Interesting poll results: while crime is the biggest issue to Baltimoreans who respond to telephone polls, the majority say that in their neighborhoods, it's "not much of a problem at all."

Arthur Lee Edmondson Jr., the city "officer who shot and killed a man during a struggle for his service weapon on a Northwest Baltimore street early Thursday had previously shot four people, including one man fatally in 1994, according to department records."

September 2

A 16-year-old in McElderry Park crashed his bicycle as he was fleeing police, pointed a stolen Army gun at the cops, and got shot in the shoulder by undercover police.

Remember our collective outrage over the Dawsons? This is what it got us.

Criminologists who study Baltimore say apathy, alienation and cynicism have taken root. People have seen the criminal justice system fail to arrest and lock up criminals, allowing gangs to proliferate. They have seen politicians announce crime-fighting plans with great fanfare, only to have results fall short of the rhetoric.

At the same time, many of the positive forces of cohesion from the past have disappeared. Libraries have closed. Neighborhood associations have weakened. The number of recreation centers in the city has dropped from 145 in 1980 to 43 today. ... The violence considered routine in the city's most desperate neighborhoods is spreading to places once assumed to be safe.

Residents of Charles Village are assaulted and mugged on the street. A Roland Park woman is raped and robbed in her home. Near Patterson Park, a young man is beaten into a coma while walking home from Canton. ... After such well-publicized incidents of crime this summer... even people committed to the city are talking about getting out. They're disillusioned... after five police commissioners in eight years and no clear direction from the city when it comes to fighting crime.

"I think the entire city is under siege," [Warren] Brown said.

Rough stuff. And yet the status-quo Mayoral candidate leads the polls. Why?

This guy's quote about a new anti-panhandling bill ("It's a stress for me. I'm like, 'Do I have any spare change? If I don't, are they going to be upset?'") sounds a lot like The Onion article titled, "Man With Friend With Cancer 'Going Through A Rough Time'."