February 27

Holy cow! Someone got shot in Edgewood. I don't think that's ever happened before!

Three murders this week in the Ink: Henry Davis, Murriel Chew and an as-yet-unidentified man. Plus more on the thoroughly WTF?! case of Juanita Robinson.

"Attorney In Bus Beating Wants Case Dismissed" Well, duh!

HoCo slugger Kevin Klink got 13 years. His victim's father didn't know how to take Klink's apology.

In the county, Nicholas Weaver was formally charged in the 2002 murder of David Baskin, Jr. Weaver was returned to Baltimore yesterday from New York after waiving an extradition hearing.

A couple of armed gas station robbers were nailed by police after stealing money from a teenager in the Deener.

The cells in their cells provide "extraordinary telephonic opportunity."

A 16-year-old set off an explosive device in his Millersville high school, and now faces felony charges.

15 Years for Parolee's Assault With Dog

At a hearing today, Charles Smith, 23, of the 3100 block of Belmont Ave., pleaded guilty to two counts of second degree assault. Judge Timothy J. Doory sentenced Smith to 15 years in prison, 10 years for one assault and a consecutive five years in prison for the other. Details from the SA's office:

On April 20, 2006 Agent Kimberly Collins and Lt. Robert Thumma were working in their jobs as members of the parole retake warrant task force when they were attempting to serve the parole retake warrant against Smith at his home, 3117 Belmont Ave. Smith was on parole for attempted murder and was in violation. Upon arrival they were met with Smith’s mother who stated her son was home. He came down the steps along with his pit bull and the dog ran out the open door and started running down the street. Smith told the agents the dog was extremely vicious and would only answer to him. Because there were children playing outside, the agents allowed Smith to attempt to retrieve his dog. Smith ran after the dog with Agt. Collins behind him on foot and Lt. Thumma following in a patrol car.

Smith caught the dog, but as Agt. Collins was about to place him under arrest he threw the pit bull through the open window of Lt. Thumma’s patrol car and directly onto Lt. Thumma’s lap. Lt. Thumma was able to get out of the car uninjured, leaving the dog locked inside. Smith, in an attempt to elude capture, ran at and pushed Agt. Collins with such force that her feet went over her head and her head hit the concrete sidewalk. Smith eluded arrest that day and was eventually arrested in November 2006. Agt. Collins sustained a fractured skull and a large hematoma behind her ear and to this day continues to suffer from headaches.

Assistant State’s Attorney Staci Pipkin prosecuted this case.

UPDATE: A source tells us the dog is fine and living with the defendant's mother.

Who's that cop?

From a Sun article by Annie Linskey and Nick Madigan:

The Baltimore Police Department is considering changing a long-standing practice of quickly releasing names of officers who kill or injure citizens ... Under one plan, the officer's name would be released only after investigations by the department's internal investigation division, homicide and the state's attorney's office ...

The article goes on to say that "police officers involved in departmental shootings could become targets themselves." I wonder how many police officers have become targets, compared to the number of witnesses who have been attacked/killed to keep them from testifying?

Additionally, do police officers deserve more privacy than "normal citizens" who are being investigated for possible criminal actions? Should the names of alleged sex offenders not be released unless the person pleads/is found guilty? Does "innocent until proven guilty" only apply to police officers?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

February 26

The latest murder victim was ID'd as 23-year-old Eric Jones, who was shot to death in the living room of a rowhouse on W. North Ave.

Frank Rodney Jones Jr.'s body was found last week in Davidsonville, but his car and his killer are still missing.

Ryan J. Butler Sr. got 50 years for killing his former girlfriend. From Jennifer McMenamin at the Sun:

When DNA analysts examined blood evidence from the Baltimore County townhouse where Anna Marie Bergman was shot to death, they isolated a genetic profile of not only the 20-year-old murder victim. Mixed with her blood, they also found DNA of her 3-year-old son.

"It was probably tears," prosecutor Michelle Samoryk told a judge yesterday at a plea hearing in the case.

In HoCo, Kevin Klink got 13 years for killing Robert Brazell Jr., 18, with a baseball bat.

Samuel and Donna Merryman of HarCo were accused of starving their 8-year-old adopted son to death; they pleaded guilty yesterday to first-degree child abuse.

Is it just me, or does "Tree Top Piru" sound like some long lost Pokemon? You know, maybe Pikachu's thuggish little cousin or something. (There's more about the bust at the Examiner, along with an interview with Rod and a handy glossary.

The feds are investigating BPD Officer Tommy Sanders' fatal shooting of Edward Lamont Hunt.

There was some hostage action in Cherry Hill yesterday.

"Dennis" is (allegedly) a dirty, dirty man.

Bully Be Gone!

Lamarr Harris needs to take some lessons from Terrance Washington, who is still on the loose and probably not getting skull drunk.

Ew, gang rape in a Federalsburg Junior League baseball dugout.

Dang, That's a Lotta Gang

Here's the DOJ press release about the 28 indicted "Tree Top Piru" gang members. The indictment includes allegations of five murders, witness intimidation, drug trafficking, RICO violations and poor punctuation.

February 25

Feels like old times. We had five shootings last night and this morning, two of which were fatal. A man was killed and a woman was injured in the 700 block of W. North Ave., a 23-year-old man died last night after being shot five times at the beautiful corner of N. Milton Ave. and E. Chase St., a gunman opened fire in a corner grocery on N. Gilmor St. and hit one man, and a 70-year-old man was injured during a home invasion last night in the 3500 block of W. Forest Park Ave.

Julie B. takes a look at some of the realities of dealing with domestic violence in the city. For instance

Shenera Norris told a Baltimore judge that she did not want prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against her boyfriend - a man accused of battering her and threatening to kill her with a butcher knife. ... So last May, the cases against Dale Rodney Jones were suspended. On Feb. 15, police said, Jones stabbed Norris, 31, to death. Still holding the knife after the attack in Norris' apartment building, Jones, 48, was shot to death by a police officer.

When demons talk, S.T. Nelson listens.

In the Southeastern, it's fake cops vs. real cops. Also, a whole bunch of people got stabbed.

If you see a blue '98 Land Rover with Maryland tags 01573M6, the dude driving it might kill you.

The infinitely wise City Council is going after dirt bikes.

The infinitely inept Dept. of Transportation is still being troubled by fake parking tickets.

Somebody is really pissed at mailboxes in HarCo.

Annapolis PD chief Joseph Johnson is interviewed in The Examiner.

All of the young (alleged) sex criminals aren't in the city; some of them were busy raping a 12-year-old girl in Federalsburg.

Weekend

Friday, Governor Martin O'Malley announced yesterday a coordinated federal state and local crime fighting effort ... for Annapolis!

Baltimore City Solicitor George A. Nilson: we want more work!

The MD senate has made it a misdemeanor for educators, human services workers, police officers or health care practitioners who have reason to believe a child has been abused to not report the evidence to authorities.

Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin are still against Rod Rosenstein's judgeship. It's a cautionary tale: learn to do a job well, then you'll get stuck with it forever!

What the?! Educators complain of truant preschoolers.

Billy Murphy on Billy Murphy: defending a real Clay Davis would be "in the seven-figure range."

Evening: Addicts, Drunks, a Geezer & a Cuckold

Party's over, gramps! U.S. Marshalls nabbed an 81-year-old man who escaped a MD prison in 1965!
More from Annie Linskey.

Calvert Hall College: sex-abuse lawsuits could bankrupt us

In AAC, an off-duty Baltimore police officer thwarted a would-be armed robber who pointed a BB-gun rifle at pharmacists and demanded methadone at a Glen Burnie Walgreens last night.

What happens in the "OC" off-season? Some crazy parking lot fights, drug use and drunks kicking cops (don't try that at home!).

PGC: Cops are warning women to beware the Craigslist rapist.

MoCo: "A divided Court of Appeals has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of an allegedly cuckolded husband, even though prosecutors essentially vouched before trial that he did not fire the fatal shots."

Thugs on The Wire, Part VII

"White people would never name a gang 'Bloods.' White people would name it 'Goldman Sachs.'"

[Thanks Lucid!]

Girl Admits to Bus Beating

A 14-year-old girl admitted Thursday in juvenile court that she was "involved" in the attack on Sarah Kreager. She was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, ordered to undergo an evaluation and counseling, to attend school every day and arrive on time, not speak publicly about the incident and to write a letter of apology to Kreager. Prosecutors said Kreager's left eye may be permanently damaged.
The Sun has excerpts from ASA Alfred Guillaume's statements yesterday, names juvenile who was allegedly spit on as Nakita McDaniels.

Convicted murderer and rape suspect Charles Carroll will be released from jail this month.

Murder victims Cumberland Richardson Jr. and Murriel Chew were named, plus a man shot in the legs on Wednesday in the blotter.

The officer who shot Edward Hunt told homicide detectives he feared for his life.

In the county, Rodney Moore, one of four men accused of shooting an African immigrant for his iPod, was convicted of a gun crime.

More on the Anthony McCarthy story: the alleged victim stayed in McCarthy's home "for a few nights." According to Olesker, "McCarthy declared himself 'guilty of stupidity, and nothing more.'"

"Weeping and wailing and organ music": WYPR on the (not very enlightening) lessons learned from their series, "The Toll."

Baltimore City firefighter unions are asking a court to stop the mayor's order that firefighters must retake promotional exams following suspicions of cheating.

"Dixon said she is putting in place new security procedures for the March 15 retest, including assigned seating, new test monitors, increased standards for subject matter experts and restricted access to old tests."

Here's an idea-- how about changing the test questions?!

Jurors rejoice: the courts are closed today!

Themelis Sentences Probation Violators

From the SA's office (edited a bit for typos and clarity):

Garfield Redd, DOB 8/15/70 was originally convicted of assault in the first degree and assault in the second degree against two individuals. He was sentenced in the assault second degree to 5 years' incarceration and on the [first-degree] assault to 18 years with 10 years suspended [and] 5 years' probation upon his release by the Honorable John C. Themelis. While incarcerated, the defendant was found guilty of assault in the first degree [of] stabbing another inmate. Based on this new offense, a violation of probation hearing was conducted and the defendant was found to have violated his probation and sentenced to the balance of the time of 10 years.

Anthony James, DOB 11/4/63, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute a CDS [Controlled Dangerous Substance?] on 4/9/03. He was sentenced to 10 years, suspended, and placed on five years' probation by the Honorable John C. Themelis. On 2/20/08, Anthony James appeared for his violation of probation hearing [and] was found to have violated his probation after he was found guilty of a new offense of distribution of a CDS. He was sentenced to 9 years 6 months on his violation of probation. Sentencing is still pending for the new offense.

On 1/4/07, Malik Carter, DOB 10/11/77, appeared before the Honorable John C. Themelis and was found guilty of possession of a CDS. He was sentenced to 4 years, suspend all but time served, and placed on 2 years' probation. At the time that the defendant was sentenced he was on parole for another narcotics charge.* His plea resulted in his parole being revoked. Mr. Carter was referred to the home detention unit however he escaped from that unit on or about 5/7/07. This violated his probation and Judge Themelis imposed a sentence of 3 years and 6 months for violating his probation.

Hernandus Moody, DOB 1/12/58, was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute a CDS on 2/16/06. He was sentenced to 10 years with 8 years suspended and placed on 3 years' probation upon his release by the Honorable John C. Themelis. He was released from incarceration on 12/29/06.* Mr. Moody was subsequently arrested on 5/31/07 for distribution of a CDS and subsequently found guilty of that offense on 10/24/07. This resulted in an allegation against Mr. Moody violating his probation. A hearing was conducted on 2/20/08 in which he was found to have violated his probation and was sentenced to 7 years.

Darrell Britt, DOB 5/7/08, was convicted of robbery on 5/3/07. He was sentenced to 6 years with 5 years 6 months suspended and placed on 5 years probation by the Honorable John C. Themelis. On 2/20/08 a violation of probation hearing was conducted were he was found to have violated his probation by testing positive for narcotics and failing to go to drug treatment. As a result of this violation he was sentenced to 4 years incarceration with a recommendation for drug treatment within the department of corrections.

*WTF?!?!?!

Middle East Murder

A man was shot to death last night in the Middle East. (The Sun has the murder at 1100 N. Chester, other reports say the 100 block.)

25-year-old John Linton, who admitted watching an associate push an 18-year-old Abdul Rahim Azzie into the Patapsco River in South Baltimore and "then fatally beat him in the head with a stick as the victim tried to stay afloat" pleaded guilty Tuesday to assault and conspiracy to commit assault.

Sun: legislators are hard at work on bad jokes, dumb laws and cake.
They do other stuff too, though, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee is working to abolish drug-sentencing minimums, and today they're talking about a few other things.

What's the opposite of sex with a 14-year-old?
Whatever it might be, that's what the DC police stand for.

Questions to ponder, from my new favorite blog: "Why Aren't There More Old Criminals?"

Guilty Plea for Murder of Darren Mebane

...from the SA's office, edited for style...

Lorenzo Speight, 33, of the 700 block of Mt. Holley St., pleaded guilty yesterday to first degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. Under terms of the plea agreement, announced in open court, Speight faces a prison sentence of "life suspend all but 30 years" when Judge W. Michel Pierson sentences him February 28, 2008.

On October 18, 2007 at approximately 2:20 p.m. in the 1800 block of Walbrook Ave. Baltimore Police were in the area on patrol when they saw the victim running from an unknown male, later identified as Lorenzo Speight. Officers saw Speight firing a handgun at Darren Mebane, 21. Speight fatally shot Mebane, and police saw him get into a waiting vehicle. Officers pursued the car and eventually police apprehended Speight, who had jumped from the vehicle, in an alley near Dukeland and Baker Streets. A .357 revolver was located on the roof of a nearby address, 1501 Dukeland St., and ballistics later showed it was the murder weapon.

Police also apprehended the alleged driver, co-defendant Aaron Davis. The vehicle is registered to Aaron Davis. Davis is scheduled to stand trial on April 30, 2008. Assistant State’s Attorney David M. Grzechowiak of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

February 20

Updates in this week's Murder Ink.

IBJIM? No, more like IBICKY.

Terrell Watson / Terrence Washington has got to get some credit for sticktoitiveness. (There's a Successory in there somewhere, like maybe a prison fence with an eagle soaring above it at sunrise.)

An Aberdeen cabbie (would that be a Caberdeen?) was robbed at gunpoint.

Police want to question a New Yorker about Jeff Payne's murder.

NY college student Nicholas Dudley Pinderhughes Weaver waived extradition.

You can get out of jail (almost) free, but even that may be too high.

Beware of IRS phishers.

A new chapter in the Sun's slow, painful death: after the demise the London and Beijing bureaus, now they're closing Towson! The extra office space will make space for a publication called "b," that will be "reader-generated" and "user-generated."
More on this from the S itself.
(A prescient article from the WSJ from two years ago: "Do New Free Dailies Mean Sun Is Setting For Paid Newspapers?")

Victims of Pervert Sought

County police are seeking anyone who's had inappropriate communication or contact with sex offender James Willnecker of Essex, right, who was arrested for trying to get all up in a 14-year-old Michigan girl.

Not Guilty Plea from Methadone Mom

At arraignment this morning, Vernice Harris, charged with murder and child abuse resulting in death, pleaded not guilty. A trial date was scheduled for 11 a.m. April 22, 2008, 226 Mitchell Courthouse.

February 19

The Sun's Annie Linskey reports that before 22-year-old Jeff Payne was fatally shot at a party near Morgan State, he had been shot during the civil war in Liberia.

"He was young at the time," (his mother) said. "He talked about the dead bodies he had to walk though. He had to go hunting in the forest for food."

She said that Payne and his grandmother were always on the run. "They were going from one village to another," she said. "When the rebels got there, they'd have to leave again."

(His mother) tried to find Jeff and another son, but she couldn't. "They were running from to place to place. His father was trying so hard to find him. I thought he was not alive. I thought he had been taken by rebels."

At some point, during a raid, Jeff was apparently shot. His half brothers, Michael Gillies, 19, and Wilmot Daye, 25, both remembered him saying that he had been shot and showing them the scar.

City police yesterday arrested Darnell Jeter, 42, and charged him with the murder of Theresa Parker last March 25.

You've gotta love a Baltimore "high school night" where two 20-year-olds get shot, one fatally. I wonder if they were seniors yet?

A cutting in the Southeastern, and some broken flower pots in the county.

Saturday's shootout at a Laurel motel left (alleged) attempted-cop-killer Aaron Mason Lowery dead.

Timothy Marsh's German Shepherd misses him, and Annapolis' Mayor Moyer's fears that guns and drugs are "running rampant in the city." Meanwhile, WBAL uses the last paragraph in a story about Marsh to report on a non-fatal BB gun incident in Annapolis.

Alleged AAC carjacker Scott Corey Coale was arrested in California after trying his mad jacking skills in the parking lot of a motel.

Carl O. Snowden is the civil rights director for the Maryland attorney general's office; his kid, Kojo, was arrested on gun charges.

February 18

There was a double shooting at the Paradox Nightclub in the Southern that left one person in "pretty bad shape." A shooting and/or assault at Lombard and Paca might be related.
UPDATE: One of the victims has died.

A man was shot inside his car yesterday afternoon on the corner of W. Saratoga St. and Arlington Ave.

The man who was murdered in Morgan State student housing on Friday was not a Morgan student.

The Volunteers of America Comprehensive Sanction Center on E. Monument St. is apparently a pretty great place to be if you're a recently released inmate who doesn't want to bother with all of that pesky supervision.

Annapolis had its third murder of the year yesterday when Timothy Marsh was shot to death in his car in the 1300 block of Tyler Ave.

Darwin lives!

Somebody's a cranky fussypants! New footage shows Officer "I am not a dude" Rivieri kicking a remote-control car with way too much intensity. (Thanks Lucid!)

February 17

A woman (or teenager) was found fatally shot early yesterday in a vacant lot in the 3400 block of Woodland Avenue.

The man shot by police after (allegedly) stabbing Shenera Lanera Norris was identified as Dale Rodney Jones, 38.

Juanita Robinson, 27, was convicted for the murder of Andre McBride, 21. You may recall that Robinson previously served six months for killing 16-year-old Derrick Colbert. (Here's the link from the archive... though the original Sun link has departed to Internet heaven.)

PGC race neighbors: each time they called police about street races, they "heard a different story as to who was responsible for patrolling that stretch of road."

WBAL: Mover stole clients' belongings, drove drunk, ended up under 18 inches of ice.

In case you haven't noticed...

... snark and outrage are what we do best!
(thanks Colin)