Saturday, March 19, 2005

March 19th

Lots of crime! Not enough time!

A White Marsh woman left for a concert on March 6th and never arrived. She was last seen southbound near the harbor tunnel.


Edgar West, Jr.
has been charged with molesting his 2 foster children and his own daughter for years. He denies the charges. The Sun reports that "Attorney Mitchell Y. Mirviss, who is monitoring the state's compliance with a 16-year-old federal consent decree from a lawsuit on behalf of the city's foster children, said children being sent to abusive foster homes has been a longstanding problem."

Disgruntled ex-employee goes homicidal in an Owings Mills pizza shop.

A man is found fatally shot on Chinquapin Parkway in Northeast Baltimore.

Elsewhere:

In Rockville, an HIV-positive man was sentenced to 66 years in prison for raping a 16 year old and a 14 year old. Nice guy--not only is he a pedophile and a rapist, but he knew he had HIV when he did it! 66 years wasn't enough.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

March 16

Yesterday Norman Hock III pled guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal automobile accident. He faces a maximum of 5 years in prison when sentenced May 10. Makes you wonder how much he would have gotten for the DUI...

Glad to see arrests have been made in the shooting of 18-year-old Reginald Gray and his 16-year-old friend.

But there's still more dead black teenagers in the Ink.

Melissa Harton, a 25-year-old Loyola doctoral student (studying clincal psych, no less) is charged with strangling her drinking buddy Natasha Bacchus of Burtonsville and dumping her body in front of the Dorsey pool building. I like the expert quote: "Wow ... strangling someone takes a level of emotion that shooting a gun doesn't."

Fleeing North Carolinian murder suspect DeWayne Mackell was arrested in our lovely 'burg yesterday.

The sex offense trial of Donald Tymous, 48, of the 30 block of S. Calverton Road, is scheduled to begin today before Judge Joseph P. McCurdy at the Courthouse East on Calvert. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Tymous August 4 for second, third and fourth-degree sex offense, perverted practice and second-degree assault. Court documents allege Tymous had sexual contact with "an adult male who has the mental ability of a child" between January 2003 and May 2003. Ew.

In other a-hole boyfriend news,

Juan Pablo Navarro Juarez got 33 years followed by deportation to Mexico for beating his (then) 17-year-old girlfriend Shannon Pierre-Jerome into a coma with a piece of a bed frame. He punctured her brain, then bitched about getting hit with a flashlight when he was arrested. Here's hoping he gets a thorough ass-reaming every remaining day of his miserable life, and then a few in hell.

cagalAnd police found the body of dancer Emily Cagal (right) buried in the woods in Upper Marlboro. Her ex-boyfriend and his roommate are under arrest for the murder. Don't you love how JZ uses photographs of a television set on their page? Too cheap for a scanner?

What's with Annapolis? Is William Kennedy Smith's boat docked down there? Reported rapes have increased an incredible 31.5 percent this year! Also this week a guy got stabbed at a birthday party, the KFC got robbed and a woman got hit in the neck with a paintball.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

March 14-15

Returning from vacation, I see I haven't missed much... let's open the inbox and see what the State's Attorney has been up to..

Well, the Grand Jury indicted Teon Hall, 28, of 243 Admiral Drive, Annapolis, Maryland for first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Craig Morris, 32. Hall was also indicted for attempted first-degree murder of Steven Kendall, 21, who survived his injuries. This was the case of mistaken identity in front of the Ritz Cabaret, as I recall. Teon will be arraigned April 5.

The trial of Norman Hock III will start tomorrow. He's an 18-year old indicted for automobile manslaughter and leaving the scene of the accident that killed 15-year-old Joshua Naparstek. This'll be before Judge Joseph McCurdy at the courthouse east on Calvert Street.

Bryant Thompson, 20, is being arraigned today. He was indicted last month for first-degree murder for shooting Damon Lamont Brooks in his apartment.

And Antoine Adams, 32, was indicted in connection with the shooting death and armed robbery of Penelope Sharpe-Medina, 43. Last month the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Adams and a co-defendant, Richard Damon, for the double homicide of Theresa Moore, 51, and Michael Mick, 40, on January 20, 2005. Adams and Damon were also indicted for first-degree murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy for the shooting death of Justin Michael Gaglione, 29, on January 14 in the 300 block of E. 20th street. Adams is being held on a no bail status. An arraignment for all four murders is scheduled for Tuesday, March 22 in the courtroom of Honorable Lynn K. Stewart, 215 Clarence Mitchell Courthouse.

And the first and second-degree assault trial of Baltimore City police officer Hadyn D. Gross, 24, was scheduled to begin yesterday. Says the state, "The indictment stems from a verbal confrontation between Gross and the victim, Peter Bell, that occurred on October 10, 2004 in front of the Speak-Easy bar located in the 1000 block of Linwood Avenue."

Also scheduled to start yesterday was the murder trial of Asmar Rashad Holland, 17. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Holland last month for two counts of first-degree murder. Court documents allege that on May 18, 2002 Holland shot and killed Joseph Harris, 16. Court documents further allege that on December 1, 2003 Holland shot and killed
Earl Ross, 39, at his home in the 600 block of Bartlett Street.

I guess everyone's heard by now that Brian Nichols of the Atlanta courthouse freakout is from Baltimore.

Depressing stat of the day: one in five Black men in Baltimore are in jail right now, and those three hots and a cot are costing the city $22k a prisoner a year.

New Dept. of Homeland Security immigration laws are bring used to arrest Baltimore members of a South American street gang.

Arrest, theft, robbery in the blotter.

Attention carjackers and stick-up artists... Towson Town Center won't have security cameras in the parking garage until at least December. Easy pickin's.

A deputy from the sewage treatment plant shot up the place.

A Bel Air man, Paul Neumyer, has pled guilty to assaulting a 15-year-old he met on the Internet. Okay, even at 15, wouldn't you have been a little suspicious of a Secret Service agent demanding a blowjob?

Monday, March 14, 2005

March 10-14

In a most excellent investigative piece, City Paper's Stephen Janis asks this week: Could it be that Baltimore's crime problem is related to the lead-paint epidemic? Could it be that lead in the drinking fountains at Baltimore City schools created a generation of brain-damaged, aggressive children? And if, so, what do we do about it now?

We're up to 48 murders in the city, including a man who was strangled next to the Ravens' stadium last month whose death was only recently reclassified by the cororner.

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

March 8-9

The much-needed witness-intimidation bill is being held up by PG county legislator Josheph Vallariovallario (left). When asked about his vote, Vallario explained, "YALL THINK YALL GOT SUGE AND MELO BUT WE GOING KILL EVRYLAST BITCHASS POP SNITCHIN NIGGANOWHATIMSAYN."*

Is 38 years enough for throwing acid in someone's face?

Is loving someone of the same sex a crime? The legislature is tring to figure it out.

* my mother insists that I label this clearly as satire

Monday, March 7, 2005

March 6-7

The sex abuse trial of Darryl Purefoy, 34, of the 9100 block of Liberty Road in Randallstown, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.tomorrow before Allen L. Schwait at the Mitchell Courthouse on Calvert Street. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Purefoy December 6, 2004 on more than 100 counts of sexual child abuse and other counts. Why this story hasn't been picked up by local news I don't know, it seems right up JZ's lurid little alley...

Three officers have been dismissed and two more have been punished as a reault of the prison bus strangling of Philip Parker. And the state is seeking the death penalty for strangler Kevin Johns, who was in jail for choking his uncle with a belt, trying to saw his head off and leaving him in a closet.

There'll be one more criminal in town when wife-beater Samari Rolle joins the Ravens. And there's currently one less as Orioles pitcher Sidney Ponson is being detained in Aruba for hitting a judge in the face.

A $2,000 reward is being offered for leads in the shooting of two teenagers in Landsdowne Feb. 22.

In Frederick County cops nabbed some Brooklyn buttleggers.

Sunday, March 6, 2005

March 5

The Sun has more details about Dundalk Murder Mom Denise Sims.

Rusnak BBCCrooked currency trader and former Mt. Washington resident John Rusnack (who lost $691 million of AIB/Allfirst's money) says that being in jail makes him feel "20 years younger."

"Only" one murder last week in the city-- 18-year-old Reginald Gray. But there was still an accidental shooting, a justifiable homicide, and a guy stabbed by someone named "Peaches."

Bmore's organized crime division is not impressed that 50 Cent's penned a song that, they say, touts Baltimore as a great place to deal heroin.

Interesting article from Toledo about the Catholic church's secrecy policies... it portrays the Baltimore archdiocese as the most open and proactive in reaching out to victims of sex abuse. Go Keeler. Baltimore's Catholic church has paid out $4.1 million to victims, which sounds shocking until you note that the Church has now paid $840 million to victims and $139.6 million to attorneys. According to the church, 4,392 priests have been accused of molesting minors in 10,667 cases between 1950 and 2002.

Friday, March 4, 2005

March 4

Way to go, Kima and McNulty ... Easy, Boobie, Hawkeye and a whole lot of other guys and girls (30 in total) were indicted for participating in a heroin distribution ring in Park Heights. The indictments were sealed until law enforcement officers executed arrest warrants on the defendants this week. Search warrants were executed in Baltimore City and Baltimore County that netted raw heroin, 32 guns, approximately 1400 gel capsules of heroin packaged for street-level sale and more than $200,000 in cash. The indictments are the result of an eight-month joint investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement partners, including the DEA, Baltimore Police Department Organized Crime Division, Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office and the Baltimore County Police Department. Notes the State's Attorney's Office, "Many of the defendants are facing significant, mandatory, state sentencing penalties." PoPos 30, Garrett Bailey, Shawn Barnes, Tim Bates, Marlon G. Bell, Boobie, Danbrell T. Brown, Randolph H. Carter, Harry Cokley, Paul Cooper, Marc Crandell aka Hawkeye, Easy, Kenneth Farrington, Lenny Hess, Lamont Johnson, Taavaon C. Johnson, Delandies Lilly, Jr., Louie Livingston, Austin Mabbott, William M. Manns, Antoine K. Rich, Sean A. Smith, Anett J. Snyder, Bill St. John, Kevin K. Thompson, Hassan R. Tucker, Germaine V. Wallace, Bryant A. Warren, Sharma Williams, and Terry L. Williams, zero.

Traquan Johnson, 25, got 10 years for robbing banks in Owings Mills and PA.

Anthony A. Brown got life without parole yesterday for killing city police detective Thomas Newman. His accomplices also got life. The motive for the killing, says prosectuers, was revenge for testifying against Saunders' half-brother, Andre Travers, who was convicted of attempted second-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

A 26-year-old man was shot at 3:30 a.m. on the 1st in PG County, and police apparently have no leads whatsoever.

Stolen baby food, a rammed cop car and a 14-year-old JC Penney's shoplifter in the blotter.

China's Human Rights Report on the U.S., Baltimore's rising murder rate deprives its citizens of basic life, liberty and security of person.

Thursday, March 3, 2005

March 3

snitching
The cameraman of the infamous "Stop Snitching" video is doing his part for the cause ... his work on the DVD was apparently so compelling, witnesses woud be a waste of time. Not only did he list his name in the credits, he appeared on screen threatening people who might consider interfering with his drug business and then mocked people who don't sell drugs for a living. And then there's his house full of white stuff and the gel-cap-making machine. Ah, sweet irony, the snitch es tu.

Ehrlich BFF Al Redmer revealed during a subcommittee meeting that pro-rumermonger Joe Steffan's computer is currently under lock and key at the mayor's father-in-law's office on St. Paul Street.

Tie down your lawn chairs, kids... meth is spreading east.

Meanwhile, in the suburbs...
Dundalk murder mom Denise M. Lechner's parenting skills were well known to social services, a spokeswoman said yesterday.

Hours after Jessup's month-long lockdown was lifted, an inmate got shanked by a piece of a light fixture.

White Marsh gets this month's Wes Craven award for the most seemingly bucolic suburb where horrible things happen (sorry, Anne Arundel County): A Nigerian immigrant was found shot to death in a suburban subdivision close to the mall.

Wednesday, March 2, 2005

March 1-2

The conditions at Central Booking are being investigated by the state, and snow delayed Jessamy's scheduled appearance ata hearing on witness intimidation.

The drug kingpin trial of William Nicholson, 27, of the 100 block of Boxthorn Road, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Thursday before Judge Albert Matricciani, 330 Courthouse East, 111 North Calvert St. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Nicholson on July 31, 2003 on kingpin and conspiracy narcotic counts. A "kingpin" is defined as a person who allegedly was part of a drug conspiracy in which he/she was the manager, organizer, supervisor, or financier of narcotics distribution. Court documents allege Nicholson supplied at least three high-volume dealers in the Baltimore City metro area with large quantities of cocaine. He faces a maximum prison term of 40 years if convicted.

It's been a year since the murder of Hopkins student and SC native Chris Elser, and police have filed the case under "cold."

The trial of Desmond Dickey is also scheduled to begin tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. at the Mitchell Courthouse on Calvert. Dickey is charged with two seprate murders committed while he was on parole. A Baltimore City Grand jury indicted Dickey December 2001 for the August 12, 2001 murder of Anthony Carlest in the 400 block of North Pulaski Street, and he was indicted on June 7, 2002 for separate first-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery with a deadly weapon and conspiracy charges in connection with the murder of Alexander Samuel Logan, 26, whose body was found on November 27, 2001, in the 2200 block of Roslyn Avenue.

And speaking of 2001 murders, 34-year-old Timothy Hawkins just got 30 years for one after DNA linked him to a cold case.

Good lord, it's another 3-year-old murdered by his mom, a beaten 12-year-old, a dead body in White Marsh, and a nieghbor who knew about the imprisoned Easton wife all on lurid-ass WJZ.

A Baltimore radio talk show host was surprised to get a letter of apology from a former aide to Jim Jones (Jones was the cult leader who, with his wife Marcie, compelled 908 cultists in Guyana in 1978 to drink cyanide-laced Kool Aid).

How are things in Annapolis? Well, one lucky murderer got his drug charges dropped, and a teenager is being charged with assault for chucking a snowball.

This councilman seems well-intentioned, but do we really need cameras at every mall?

Monday, February 28, 2005

February 26-28

Lots of nastiness in southern Maryland: a man stabbed in the torso at the Cancun Cantina, a man shot during a mugging that started with the bumming of a cigarette, drug busts and a lady mugged in the parking lot of the Dollar store.

Assault and robbery with a side order of mysterious shootings in the blotter.

"Couldn't they have shot his leg or something?" asks a mom whose 20-year-old son was killed by police last December.

How is Toon Towne Center planning to improve security? Plans are "under review" and things are "being considered." Says the mall VP of security, "the point is that people see enhancements being made and feel comfortable with what we're doing." You have to respect the honesty, I suppose.

What do baby formula, a snowplow and a church safe have in common? Items sniped in Carroll County this weekend, of course.

Horrifyingly depressing story of the week: A transgendered inmate, Dee Harmer, whose rape behind bars led to a new liability standard for prison officials is now blind and bedridden and has been sent home to die of AIDS.

Wait, I spoke too soon, a man is charged with imprisoning his wife for six years and starving her to death in Elkton.

A Maryland snowboarding teenager has been charged with reckless endangerment in Jackson Hole, WY after colliding with a skiier and killing her.

Another story of a hit-and-run driver... what are they thinking?

A woman in Silver Spring got 17 years for enslaving and abusing the help.

The trial of a Rockville (alledged) killer nurse, charged in the deaths of five patients at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, was delayed due to weather.

Saturday, February 26, 2005

February 25

In White Marsh, a 15-year-old did $900,000 worth of damage when he set an apartment building on fire.

Also in White Marsh, a man got 21 3/4 years for party powder.

A death warrant has been signed for a guy who murdered a Pikesville couple in a motel 23 years ago.

Sixteen-year-old William Alson, shot in Landsdowne, has been released from the hospital. His 14-year-old friend is still there.

Muggings and cafeteria fights in Annapolis.

Thursday, February 24, 2005

February 24

From the State's Attorney's Office: Just before jury selection was to begin in the murder trial of Darren Johnson, 22, of the 2800 block of Plainfield Road, Johnson pled guilty to second-degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. On April 4, 2004 Johnson and Calvin McCrea, 20, shot Robert Jenkins, Jr., 29, to death in the 1800 block of Dover Street. McCrea was involved in an altercation with a female on Dover Street and Jenkins attempted to intervene. Judge Kaye Allison sentenced Johnson to a total of 50 years in prison: 30 years for the murder count and 20 years for the handgun count with the terms to run consecutively. McCrea pled guilty Tuesday, February 22 to two counts of first-degree assault. Judge John M. Glynn sentenced McCrea to 15 years in prison,with all but six years in prison.

Yesterday afternoon Fatrina Malika Holloway, 16, of Park Heights Avenue, pled guilty to manslaughter. Judge John M. Glynn sentenced Holloway to ten years in prison will all but four years suspended. On October 15, 2003 Holloway and the victim, Natalie Trent, 24, were involved in a fight in which Trent was hitting Holloway with a stick. Holloway stabbed Trent to death following that altercation in the 3000 block of Thorndale Avenue.

Criminal profiling is apprently not the forte of the Towson cops: a second rape in a week has Towson coeds on the alert for a medium-sized white man, or maybe a black man, or pssibly a Hispanic man, who may be college-aged or not.

Camille Bivins got six years for beating her toddler to death. Her boyfriend, Timothy Horne, saw his charges dismissed on a technicality.

In better news, yesterday's Amber Alert that had drivers looking for one Joseph Warren with a nine-month-old baby in his pickup truck turned out to be the result of a false statement by the babymomma (who's now under arrest).

Bullet-catching boy bugger Maurice Blackwell wants a new trial. And by the way Michael Jackson now has a jury, mostly women.

Drunken diver Micahel Phelps will ahve to talk to students in Wicomico County about the error of his beer-swilling, Escalade-driving ways.

State of the News

I wonder if crime reporting in this town has changed, or if I'm just starting to pay more attention. Probably a little bit of both. The bext source of in-depth reporting is anything in-depth by the City Paper, particularly by Anna Ditkoff. The problem is that the CP only does those types of stories about once a month (understandably). If you want to know crime dirt while it's fresh, WJZ definately dishes it out the best. Mary Bubala did a great report last night about the pant-stealing mall murderers, and in the most fabulous orange coat. The local papers like the Messenger and Towson Times can be good for the robberies and burglaries, but finding out that stuff a week after it happened is not particularly useful. The Sun earns about a C-, not doing much more but making a few calls after getting a press release from the State's Attorney. They can't even seem someone at the courthouse regularly. Worst source of news: channel 11, (WBAL), which will actually, literally, during the news, report on television shows. Fox is in its own little world, namely Timonium, and hustles through local news to get to the national "theme" stories like feeding tubes, taxes and the president talking somewhere to somebody. Then the second half of the show is sports and editorials by that preening Ralph-Reedish Mark Hyman guy, who seems scarred for life from being teased about his last name on the playground.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Turns out that the brother of one of the gunmen, as well as the second gunman, in the Towson Mall shooting had been involved in a robbery the previous day in Overlea.

So, let's get this straight: Lavar Clark and two of his best buds go to Overlea, and at gunpoint, steal 97 bucks and a CD player from some guy.... and then demand his PANTS. The next day, Javon Clark and John Kennedy (!!) decide "Hey, that went pretty well! Now let's go shoot some old guy at the mall!"

Boy, I'd love to meet their parents.

In legal news, a judge rejected gunshot residue evidence from the city's only gunshot analyst. This ruling, if it stands, will open up hundreds of trials for appeal. A quick Google search for cases where Harant's testimony figured importantly include the 2002 murder of Det. Thomas Newman by Jovan House, a capital case, and the conviction and life imprisonment of Jermaine Blackwell for the shooting of James Randolph in 2003.

February 23

Two murders last week bring this year's death toll to 44.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

February 22nd

Courts are back from vacation so suddenly there's a ton of news..

A-hole child abuser of the week (so far) is 24-year old Scott Cromwell, who was sentenced to to 25 years in prison, with all but nine years suspended, for the assault of a three-year old child. On March 14, 2003, while Cromwell was caring for a three year-old at a home in the 6600 block of Snowberry Court when medics responded to an unresponsive child call. The child was found to be suffering from severe brain injury-- his brain was swollen with internal bleeding and there was a giant bruise on his forehead. The child suffered permanent paralysis as a result of the incident.

A second man has been arrested in the murder of Robert Gail of New Carrolton.

A judge's ruling on the definition of gunshot residue evidence has the potential to derail hundreds of cases in Baltimore city.

Thefts and a murder arrest in the blotter.

On Friday a Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Antoine Adams, 32, of Patterson Park Avenue, and Richard A. Damon, Jr., 35, of the 500 block of Force Road, on 32 counts realted to their robbery-and-murder spree last month. Court documents allege that Adams and Damon shot and killed Theresa Moore, 51, and Michael Mick, 40, inside a house in the 800 Block of Bradford Street on January 20. Adams and Damon were also indicted for first-degree murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy for the shooting death of Justin Michael Gaglione, 29, January 14 in the 300 block of East 20th Street. Both defendants are being held on a no bail status. An arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday, March 22.

A Hagerstown man has been arrested for raping two teenagers.

A pair of guys who were stopped for speeding on 95 who had the body of a man they'd beaten to death stuffed in the trunk got some mighty light-sounding sentences at a hearing today. Alberto Sanchez, 29, and Armando Rosales, 35, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and accessory to murder, respectively. Sanchez got 4 1/2 years in prison and Rosales got three.

Two boys were shot in Landsdowne this morning. The gunman remains at large.

A bail hearing is set for today for Teon Hall, the Annapolis man charged in the Ritz Cabaret shooting. According to WBAL (which seems to dish dirt way better than WJZ):

The club's former owner was convicted in 2002 of laundering money and hiring illegal immigrants, mostly Hungarians, as dancers. The club now advertises as "The New Ritz Cabaret" and bills itself as an "upscale gentlemen's club."

Personally, I always liked the Ritz. And I never saw any Hungarians there. I can recognize a Hungarian from a mile away, especially naked.

[UPDATE: Hall was given "no bail" status.]

And lucky for all of us consumerist bastards, Towson Town Center is "reviewing its security." They offer no specifics, of course. I guess they have to look like they're doing something.

And just for shits and grins, check out O'Malley's 2000 plan to drastically reduce crime in Baltimore. Ed Norris, we hardly knew ye. But man, did you have a hairy back.

A choirboy-loving perv who was apparently unsucessfully treated at Hopkins for his predilictions is dead at age 87.

Another arrest has been made in the Annaoplis Noah Jamal Jones murder case.

The City Paper covers the muder of jazz musician Lydell Honeyblue.

Still more about the prison bus murder. Newsfuckingflash, the prisoners shouldn't have been seated next to each other.

Baltimore city is trying to set up cameras to nab illegal dumpers... who for some reason think it's easier to haul a sofa to the park than call 311 or the Salvation Army.

If you're a cop looking for drugs, knocking and immediately barging your ass in is perfectly fine in Hagerstown.

Monday, February 21, 2005

February 19-21

A man was fatally shot last night in Southeast Baltimore.

An employee of the Dundalk In And Out store is in shock trauma after being shot by robbers.

Elsewhere,
Two 18-year-olds from Middle River have been arrested for murdering St. Paul's Dean of Faculty in the parking lot of Towsontown Center.

Two armed robbers stole cell phones and an office safe at Comcast.

The FBI says that the rate of bank robberies in Maryland has hit a new high, more than double the rate of the second most bank-robbed city, L.A.

Friday, February 18, 2005

February 18

A man is under arrest for murder after a double shooting early this morning in front of the Ritz Cabaret (a strip club famous for being the office of fictional kingpin Avon Barksdale in season one of The Wire)

Police are waiting for the results of lab tests before making an arrest in the Linda Trinh murder case.

A circuit court hearing is attempting to determine if a man who stabbed an elderly couple in Rosedale for heroin money in 1998 should have his death sentence overturned on the basis of incompetent counsel.

Elsewhere,
PG county police Corporal Brian Addis (aka Cuffy McNutkick) was aquitted of assaulting a suspect. The jury decided that the officer's actions were "clearly within his rights."

I just discovered the Towson University crime log.

A Chevy Chase woman who killed her landlord has been declared incompetent to stand trial. However, the guy who helped her hide the body in a barn faces five years.

Pregnant private and penal über-sadist Lynndie England's charges have been reduced for unknown reasons.

And back to the city...
Shooting, burglary, robbery etc. in the blotter.
(this makes about the 4th time this month someone's gotten assaulted on East Fayette street).

StokesNews of the in the Blackwell guilty verdict has been reported as far away as India. Says the director of a support group for abuse survivors, "Dontee could have tried to run from this, bury this, deny this and let Blackwell abuse again. He courageously chose to face this. That's why we consider him heroic." (Sun photo by Doug Kapustin, left.)

WBAL can't congratulate themselves enough for using their SkyTeam™ helicopter to help police catch a guy who was driving his minivan "like a maniac."

Good news, Chillagers... off-duty cops are now walking the beat around JHU's Homewood campus.

Elsewhere,
Another deadly domestic in Baltimore County. Twenty-four-year-old Deneen Smith is dead and her 23-year-old "boyfriend" is being held without bail. (How dare they call her his 'girlfriend'? Friends don't shoot friends with shotguns!)

Police have arrested a murder suspect in Riverdale (no, not Jughead). Lawrence Irving Green, 22, of Lanham, is suspected of being the psycho jughead who on Monday robbed three people, stole their SUV, wrecked the SUV into another car and then shot the driver of the other car, 41-year-old Robert Gail.

In Ellicott City, a man has to pay local Republicans $328.04 after hacking up pro-Bush signs.

Thursday, February 17, 2005

Thursday February 17

State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy announced today that the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Bryant Thompson, 20, of the 300 Block of East 29th Street yesterday in connection with the shooting death of Damon Lamont Brooks, 34. Court documents allege that Thompson shot and killed Damon Lamont Brooks on September 26, 2004 in Brooks’ apartment. Thompson is currently being held on a no bail status. An arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday, March 15 before the Honorable Lynn K. Stewart, 215 Clarence Mitchell Courthouse, 110 North Calvert Street.

First-degree murder charges were dropped against Timothy Horne because prosecutors failed to give him a speedy trial and delayed his case nine times. Horne and his girlfriend, Camille Marie Bivins, were charged in April 2003 with the beating death of Messiah Wright, Bivins’ 20-month-old son. (You'd think this would garner a lot of media shock and outrage, but apparently not). The boy's mother pled guilty in September and is still awaiting a disposition hearing, which was originally scheduled for February 14 but was then postponed indefinitely for unknown reasons.

The Blackwell jury is apparently having a tough time reaching a verdict. BC prediction, not guilty. The jury will think, even though he probably did it, getting shot was punishment enough. Stay tuned...
Well color me wrong! A jury has convicted Maurice Blackwell on three of four child sexual abuse charges. Prosecutor Jo Anne Stanton will be available to speak with members of the media in room 134 of the Mitchell Courthouse at approximately 11:30 a.m. (as in, right now).

A murder victim was named, a pizza deliveryman was robbed an assualted, and a 16-year old was arrested for shooting a 32-year-old man in the blotter.

The suspects in the murder 19-year old of Reshawn Myers were arrested in a HoCo motel. Myers was shot in the forehead on Chinquapin parkway January 20.

Elsewhere,
In Annapolis, grand jury testimony continues regarding the murder of Noah Jones at a party. The case is being investigated for possible federal civil rights violations (aka as a potential “hate crime”).

Also in Annapolis, an 89-year-old woman was raped, beaten and robbed. According to the Sun, her assailant was on probation at the time. (Anyone else noticed that the worst stuff seems to come from Anne Arundel county? What's with that? Has it always been a cesspool of violence or is this a new thing?)

A 21-year-old Towson U student was raped and assaulted off campus in the towers formerly known as Glenmont.

Yesterday's gang-rape story (see below) has turned out to be another case of a 15-year old filing a false report.

An officer responding to a robbery call in Dundalk crashed his cruiser into a tree.

A PG county officer is on administrative leave after a domestic call turned deadly.

Another PG county officer is on trial for assaulting a handcuffed carjacking suspect with a metal baton and kicking him in the 'nads. It was all caught on tape by the camera mounted in his cruiser, and the jury got to watch it all on video yesterday. Oy vay.

A Frederick man's in the can after stealing a charity jar at WaWa.

A 15-year-old is on the way to the Hickey School for stabbing a man in the shoulder on New Year's. The youth had also previously robbed a handicapped person.

A 40-year old cleaning lady in carroll county got a suspended sentence for flashing her ta-tas at a 17-year-old while drunk on the job. She'd also been accused of activities with a 15-year-old boy. And a lady had her purse snatched at the mall.