Friday, March 25, 2005

March 25

ponson Quit making a "big deal" out of his DUI and other criminal activities said Aruban judge-puncher Sindey Ponson. He added, "Some of you guys [the press] want to live our life off the feild." Uh, non gracias to that. If you want to read more about our resident big fat drunken civic embarassment, here's something from the MLB site. (Rick Bowman/AP photo left)

Sophie Kerr prize award-winner Angela Haley has been arrested for marijuana possession.

A former U of M wrestler, Salvatore Aquia, was hit by a car during a road-rage incident.

Baltimore Police seem to have a real talent for arresting suspects fleeing from other states. Yesterday they nabbed DeWayne Lee Mackell, wanted in North Carolina for shooting two women.

And police in Camden, New Jersey, caught a fleeing Baltimore (alledged) murderer and coke dealer Vance White.

Six arrests have been made in the shooting death of Christopher Weaver, a Baltimorean pot peddler and business student at Hampton University in Virginia.

The bail review of Donta Allen is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. today at the Wabash Ave. District Court building. The Alpha Phis are breathing a sigh of relief. (Bizarre quote of the day: "The fact that she knew him is kind of disturbing," said junior Vijay Sudan. "I think I would have felt a little more comfortable if it was a more disconnected, random act.") Meanwhile, Hopkins hopes to have security cameras on its Homewood campus, in the Moument Street area and on Charles Street by June.

A disgruntled pizza shop employee in White Marsh has been charged with murder after stabbing store owner Amir Shahmaee in the neck.

According to a new policy, Baltimore County Police will no longer be allowed to sell guns.

zinsavageThe mother of murdered 15-year-old Lauren Zinsavage (left) is furious that her murderer will be eligible for parole in 7 1/2 years. (Note to WBAL, he got 15 years, not 10).

BTW, I spoke with the very helpful and friendly Mark Vernorelli of the Department of Corrections yesterday, who explained to me that in Maryland, prisoners convincted of a violent crime are eligible for parole after serving half of their time. Perps of non-violent crimes only have to serve one-fourth (!).

And speaking of non-violent crimes... two married Pikesville lawyers, Christie and Jonas Needleman, are accused of conspiracy to distribute OxyContin.

Thursday, March 24, 2005

March 24

Theral Isadore Harris, 25, pled guilty to second-degree murder today before Judge Thomas J.S. Waxter, Jr. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with all but 15 years suspended. n the early morning hours of August 18, 2004 Harris and the victim, Lauren Zinsavage, 15, and other individuals were walking in the 3100 block of Gough Street in Highlandtown. Zinsavage followed Harris into an alley where witnesses heard one gunshot. She was found with one shot in the chest. The City Paper reported last August that they were fighting over a cell phone.

Milton K. Engle, 70, pled guilty to attempted first-degree murder today. He now faces a maximum prison term of 20 years and will be sentenced on May 23. On September 28, 2004 Engle hit his live-in girlfriend, Darlene Burke, 31, in the head repeatedly with a sledgehammer at their home in the 600 block of Savage Street. Ms. Burke suffered permanent brain damage and is now partially paralyzed and requires 24/7 medical care.

Donta Allen's bail review is scheduled for tomorrow at Wabash district court. Police say that he confessed to attempted robbery and assaulting Trinh soon after he was arrested but denies killing her.

Robbery, burglary, robbery in the blotter.

There's a certain criminal element that hangs out downtown... and the call themselves the Orioles. Anger management classes are apparently not having much effect on pitcher Sidney Ponson, who, after an 11-day stay in an Aruba jail for hitting a judge, showed up to practice with an injured hand from hitting somebody else. Meanwhile, another Oriole picher, Eric DuBose, was arrested for drunken driving in Florida.

Trial has been delayed until June for the three teenagers (Antonio Williamson, Percy Johnson and Sean Howard) charged with shooting students as they exited Thurgood Marshall High School in East Baltimore.

Plenty of robberies, shoplifting, drugs et al. in Laurel and PG County, and lots of crack in Annapolis.

A Frederick high school chemistry teacher, Donald Glen Wiggins Jr., 35, who taught Gov. Thomas Johnson High School, pleaded guilty Monday to molesting a 17-year-old student.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

March 23

Found an article that might explain why two people have been shot in the head on Chinquapin Parkway this year... apparently it's the territory of the local Bloods. If you're not familiar, the Bloods were founded in 1972 in Compton as a counterpoint to the Crips. Both are black gangs, but have been known to be affiliated with other groups, such as MS-13 (usually affiliated with the Crips and currently the most violent gang in DC, if not the country).

Bloods= the color red and bright colors, and red team jerseys, the right side, Biggie and L'il Kim, graffiti with the letter "C' crossed out, also "OTM" (out tha mob or on tha move) and "MOB" (member of bloods).

Crips= color blue and dark colors, left side, Suge, Snoop and Dre, symbol of the pitchfork, GD (Gangster Disciples), graffiti with Star of David, 8 ball, letter B crossed out, LA sports team gear, affiliated with the Latin Kings (last I heard).
In both gang$, u$e of the dollar $ign as an 's' means they're $elling narcotic$.

A 27-year-old Cheesecake Factory employee, Donta Allen, has been arrested for the murder of Hopkins student Linda Trinh. Police held a press conference at 4 p.m. today. The Washington Post reports that police took a DNA sample from Allen a month ago, and were waiting for test results to come back before arresting him.

Arrests, muggings, blah blah in the blotter.

Murder Ink tally: Four this week, 55 this year. And here's last week's.

And the Keith Jennings sexual assault trial has been postponed to May 31.

Cumbersome bloomers and petticoats will be things of the past if Annapolis passes a bill fighting "upskirting" and "downblousing".

In Montgomery county, 19-year-old high schooler Jose Carrillo is accused of pistol-whipping two classmates with a BB gun (mmm... pistol whip...).

Also in MoCo, 27-year-old Ofni Gonzalez is accused of arson.

Kithric Pearly, wanted for murder in Orlando, Florida, was arrested in Baltimore by our intrepid police.

Kenyatta Costes, 19, was paid $1,630 by Baltimore City yesterday after being jailed for 163 days after she failed to show up to testify at a murder trial.

Leonard D. Hamm was quietly sworn in as Baltimore's police commissioner on Monday.

The "cameras-in-shopping-mall-parking-lots" bill was passed.

Rachel L. Riffee was found guilty of misdemeanor electronic harrassment after sending obscenity-laced missives to the brother of a murder victim.

BoCo police are investigating the shooting of Steven McGilton, who was shot by an officer in White Marsh after brandishing a lead pipe.

March 20-23

Back from yet another vacation, with another load from the State's Attorney. Justice never sleeps! I'll report this Baltimore Sun-style, aka copied almost verbatim from the press release...

Duane Garrett is scheduled for bail review this morning. On January 18, Garrett shot and killed Pierre Forrester, 23, as he was exiting his car. Forrester was shot several times in front of his residence on N. Central Avenue. Family members heard the gunshots, came outside and attempted to render aid to the victim. Two bullets were recovered from the front door of the next door neighbors' house.

The attempted first-degree murder trial of Antonio Williamson, 16, of the 700 block of Mello Court, Percy Johnson, 17, of the 10 block of Southeast Avenue, and Sean Howard, 17, of the 1500 block of East Fayette Street, was scheduled to begin this morning. The Baltimore City Grand jury indicted Williamson November 12, 2004, Johnson November 22, 2004 and Howard December 1, 2004 with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and handgun violations. Court documents allege that Williamson shot two teenagers on October 21, 2004 in front of Thurgood Marshall High School at 5700 Moravia Drive. Williamson is currently being held on a no bail status at the Baltimore City Jail.

Antoine Adams and Richard Damon Jr. pled not guilty yesterday. This was the pair accused of robbing and murdering Penelope Sharpe-Medina, Theresa Moore, Michael Mick and Justin Gaglione.

The sex offense trial of Baltimore Police Officer Keith Alexander Jennings, 37, of the 1000 block of Billie Holliday Court, was scheduled to begin this morning before Judge Joseph P. McCurdy at the Calvert Street courthouse. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Jennings more than a year ago for first-degree sex offense, kidnapping, false imprisonment and misconduct in office. Court documents allege that in the early evening of January 15, 2004, Officer Jennings, while on duty, kidnapped and sexually assaulted an 18-year old woman. On February 26 of last year, Jennings was released on $250,000 bail.

On Monday, Michelle McKnight, 36, of the 5800 block of The Alameda, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter. McKnight faces a maximum penalty of ten years in the can when Judge Joseph McCurdy sentences her on May 16. On May 30 of last year McKnight stabbed her husband, Thomas McKnight, while inside their home. McKnight remains held at the Baltimore City Detention Center on a no-bail status.

On Tuesday the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Ryan Jason Conaway Lamana, 27, of Lutherville for automobile manslaughter in connection with the death of Chardan Lorenzo Johnson, 18. The indictment also charges Lamana with driving under the influence of alcohol. On October 26 of 2003, in the 4200 block of Frederick Avenue, Lamana's automobile struck a vehicle driven by Johnson.

At a hearing last Thursday the 17th, Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced Mark A. Batts, 36, to life in prison plus 20 years, with the sentences to run consecutively (in Maryland, "life" is defined as 15 years, which in some parts of the city is about accurate.) A Baltimore City jury convicted Batts December 23, 2004 of first-degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence for the murder of Stephen Francois, 41. On March 29 of 2002, Batts laid in wait for Francois in the 3800 block of Fords Lane and shot him to death. Batts and Francois had argued that week over a woman.

Also on the 17th, Kendall Jones, 29, of West Lafayette Avenue, got 50 years in prison after being convicted last month of first-degree assault, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and reckless endangerment. Jones got 25 years for the assault count, 20 years for the handgun count and five years for the reckless endangerment count with the sentences to run consecutively. On July 14, 2003, Jones chased a group of women and children inside of a house in the 500 block of Half Mile Court, shooting at them. Fortunately, no one was injured but the house.

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.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Wednesday February 16

The City Paper has an in-depth feature on the men who were murdered in January at the Remington halfway house.

Five murders this week and we're up to 42 for the year, including six white guys, says the Murder Ink.

Detectives making references to 'other victims' in the Maurice Blackwell case may get them charged with contempt. Closing statements will begin today.

A pedestrian was killed when he was run over by a suspect fleeing police.

Homicide and robbery in the blotter.

Elsewhere,
Four stabbings in as many days has Jessup on lockdown, and wardens searching cells for weapons.

Police are looking for four men who sexually assaulted a 15-year-old in Millersville.

In Ellicott City, a man got 11 years for stabbing his girlfriend in the parking lot of Howard Community College.

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Tuesday February 15

A Baltimore City jury convicted Harold Singfield, 20, of the 1200 block of Ensor Street of second-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and a handgun violation for the death of Wayne Fisher, 30. The verdict was returned late Friday, February 11 following three days of testimony and one day of deliberation.

In the morning hours of May 13, 2003, in the 1500 block of Argyle Avenue, Singfield, Jr. was approached by the victim concerning a drug debt owed to the victim by Singfield, Jr. An argument ensued during which Singfield, Jr. withdrew a .380 caliber handgun and shot Fisher one time. Fisher then attempted to flee but fell to the ground. Singfield, Jr. then proceeded to straddle Fisher’s prone body and shoot him five more times resulting in Fisher’s death. Singfield, Jr. then ran from the scene. Witnesses positively identified Singfield, Jr. as the shooter. Additionally, during the course of his flight from the crime scene, Singfield, Jr. disposed of certain items of clothing in close proximity to the crime scene. These items were subsequently positively matched to Singfield, Jr. by way of DNA analysis. Singfield, Jr. fled Baltimore and was ultimately apprehended in Rock Hill, South Carolina, approximately one month after the murder.

Did you read about that in the Sun? I didn't think so. Maybe tomorrow or the day after. On to more exclusives...

Tanea Bullock and Laurence Watson, charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death in connection with the death of their one-month old son Joshua Watson, were arraigned this morning and pled not guilty. A jury trial was scheduled for May 13 before Judge John M. Glynn.

Shooting, robbery, burglary in the blotter.

Two men have pled guilty to federal gun crimes related to the murder of 17-year-old Shawn Elkins during the course of a robbery.

Elsewhere,
An officer in PG county is charged with assaulting a carjacking suspect.

A man in PG county stole an SUV, shot the car's owner, then proceeded to get into an accident, then shot and killed the driver of the other car. This is PG county's 21st murder this year.

A 22-year-old in Annapolis got 10 years for fatally shooting a man in the neck at a birthday party.

There's underage hookers animal cruelty and canine cannbalism in the Post's Northern Virginia Crime and Justice pages.

Monday, February 14, 2005

Monday February 14

State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy announced today that the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Samuel McFarlin, 24, of the 4700 block of Dunncannon Road, for first-degree murder and auto theft. Court documents allege that on June 6, 2004 McFarlin ran over Dwight Allen Chase, 53, with a stolen automobile. On November 10, 2004, Mr. Chase died from the injuries he received at the time of incident. The defendant is currently being held on a no bail status. An arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, March 10, 2005 before Judge John M. Glynn at the Mitchell Courthouse on 110 North Calvert Street.

Timothy Horne, 32, of Daywalt Avenue, is scheduled for trial 9:00 a.m. tomorrow before Judge David Mitchell at the Mitchell Courthouse on counts of first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, reckless endangerment and assault. The maximum penalty for first-degree murder is life in prison. The maximum penalty for child abuse resulting in death is 30 years. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Horne on May 8, of 2003. The indictment alleges that on October 10, 2002 Horne killed 20-month old Messiah Kahil Wright in his Daywalt Avenue apartment. A second defendant, Camille M. Bivins, the boy’s mother, pled guilty to child abuse resulting in death. Her disposition hearing, originally scheduled for yesterday, was postponed to a yet-to-be-determined date.

Another horrifying child-murder case will kick off tomorrow at 9:30 a.m, with the arraignment of Tanea Bullock, 20, and Laurence Watson, 25, also at the Mitchell Courthouse. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Bullock and Watson January 20 for first-degree murder and child abuse for the death of their one-month old infant son, Joshua Watson. Court documents allege that Bullock and Watson killed their baby on January 1, 2005 at their residence on the 4800 block of Liberty Heights Avenue.

Also at the Mitchell Courthouse, the murder trial of Darren Johnson, 22, of the 2800 block of Plainfield Road in Dundalk and Calvin McCrea, 20, of 1800 block Dover Street, is scheduled to begin 9:30 a.m. tomorrow before Judge Kaye Allison. The Baltimore City Grand jury indicted Johnson and McCrea May 5, 2004 for first-degree murder for the death of Robert Jenkins, Jr., 29. Court documents allege the defendants shot Mr. Jenkins to death on April 4, 2004 in the 1800 block of Dover Street.

Bail has ben denied for the guys who shot a physical therapist and then led police on a car chase through the northwestern 'burbs. (at left Leon Dentis drawing of suspect Leon Dent).

Trial continues in the Maurice Blackwell case, and news sources from Philly to Oregon have picked up the AP story. A detective's testimony that Blackwell had molested others prompted the defense to call for a mistrial.

Theft, robbery, attempted murder, etc. in the blotter.

Police officer Gregory Mussmacher was convicted of assault on Friday for beating a handcuffed teenager and spraying him with pepper spray.

Elsewhere,
Keith Clark, 48, of Baltimore was indicted for two counts of robbery in Monroe Township, New Jersey.

And it isn't a victory party in College Park unless some jackasses start fires and damage public property and get pepper-sprayed and/or arrested.

An Eastern Shore man got 22 years in the can for peddling nose candy.

A fight broke out at the civic center in Salisbury.

Hopkins reps are planning to visit the University of Pennsylvania to get tips on making the campus safer. Can you believe Hopkins contributes a paltry $85k a year to the Charles Village benefits district? The rest of the district's $750,000 operating budget comes from citizens. As a nonprofit, the university doesn't pay taxes.

Sunday, February 13, 2005

Saturday Feb. 12 and Sunday Feb. 13

Some guy in Ohio has been e-mailing death threats to football player Ray Lewis.

A house owned by Baltimore School for the Arts alum Jada Pinkett has been seized by federal authorities as part of a drug-trafficking investigation.

Even more about the prison-bus stabbing.

Elsewhere,
A car chase in BoCo makes the digest. WJZ has the video.

Judges everywhere are confused by new Supreme Court sentening guidelines.

Friday, February 11, 2005

Friday February 11

Hizzoner's hijinks have made him a Republican threat and an AP story.

The States Attorney's office reports that the sentencing hearing for Camille Marie Bivins, 23, of the 5900 block of Daywalt Avenue, is scheduled for 2:00P p.m. Monday (aka Valentine's day) before Judge Roger W. Brown, 339 Courthouse East, 111 North Calvert Street. Bivins pled guilty to child abuse resulting in death September 29, 2004. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. On October 10, 2002 Bivins killed her 20-month old son Messiah Kahil Wright in her Daywalt Avenue apartment. A second defendant, Timothy Horne, is also charged in this death and is scheduled for trial February 15, 2005.

Stabbing, robbery, etc., in today's blotter.

Judge Allen L. Schwait today convicted Baltimore City police officer Gregory M. Mussmacher, 29, of Hanover, PA, of second-degree assault and misconduct in office. Testimony in this court trial concluded February 7, 2005 and Judge Schwait announced his verdict today and scheduled sentencing for March 29, 2005.

Pugalistic cop Gregory M. Mussmacher could receive a maximum prison sentence of ten years in prison for the second-degree assault count. Misconduct in Office is a common law offense, which means that Mussmacher could be sentenced to whatever period of incarceration a judge deems fair and reasonable. The conviction stems from an investigation by the Baltimore Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office of the events surrounding the arrest of a 17-year old juvenile on April 27, 2004. Mussmacher assaulted the teen by striking him in the face and with his expandable baton at the Northwest District Station on Reisterstown Road while the teen was handcuffed and shackled. The teen was treated at Sinai Hospital for a laceration to the left cheek and two nondisplaced fractures of the left sinus.

John Sachs III of Dundalk got 15 years for scamming women by pretending to be "Bmores-hottestcop."

More about the men charged in the Harwood firebombing.

More on the prison bus strangling... apparently broken interior lights on the prison bus kept corrections officers from seeing a prisoner being strangled a few feet away. Yikes.

Another Hopkins student is dead, this time it's a suicide, and there's robbery arrests in the Sun's City/County Digest.

Elsewhere,

A seven-year-old stabbing case has been reopened in Hagerstown.

A death-row inmate who wrote the governor asking to die has now changed his mind.

A Middle River man, already in the can, is now accused of trying to get his witnesses killed.

DNA evidence has implicated a serial rapist and robber in cases from the 80's.

Mob-supported car theft is the scourge of MoCo.

The Owings Mills Times' Linda Stowbridge reports that Baltimore County police have charged two men in the burglary of two Smith-Greenspring apartments and are investigating a possible link to a series of burglaries in the area.

A pedophile priest from St. Mary's Seminary has died of natural causes in Boston.

A touching essay about the journalism skills of the late and former News American reporter Lou Linley.

The NYT story about Baltimore's bittersweet streets has hit the newsstands in China and India (also see yesterday).

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Thursday February 10

An assaulted officer and a shot robbery suspect in the blotter.

Jury selection has begun in the Maurice Blackwell case. "On Wednesday, Blackwell spoke publicly for the first time ... he compared himself to the biblical figure Job."

More about Ehrlich's personal rumormonger Joe Steffan.

Elsewhere,
The Big Black rapist has struck again, this time in Rosedale. Watch out for cars with tazmanian devil stickers, suburbanites.

A Baltimorean gal's dad has stolen her identity and savings and vanished.

A woman is under arrest for trying to smuggle smack into the Cumberland jail.

There's a lot of drunk drivers in Laurel.

Seven teenagers are in jail for throwing rocks, concrete and other debris at cars from an overpass.

And what does the penis pump judge have to do with Baltimore crime? Not a damn thing.

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

Wednesday February 9

Four murders this week, 37 so far this year, a spike that reflects two men who were beaten last year but died in January, reports Anna Ditkoff in this week's CP Murder Ink.

Owing in large part to MD's limp-dick intimidation laws, the McAbier firebombing case has gone federal.

At a hearing yesterday morning, Robert Lee Fox, Sr., 65, pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Judge John C. Themelis sentenced Fox to 10 years in prison, suspending all but four years, with two years' probation and ordered Fox to stay away from the victim’s family. On December 7, 1963 Fox murdered 3-year old Howard January by pushing him down a stairwell.

Shot three times, then defrocked, and now Maurice Blackwell is going on trial for boy-fondling. Dontee Stokes gave an interview to the Sun's Julie Bykowicz.

An inmate waltzed out of booking by switching IDs.

For some reason the Big Papers are both covering on B-more's shooty ways today. The L.A. Times published a piece today about Baltimore's "Bleak Math of Killings" (Login "fortheloveofbug", password "menot.com"). The New York Times has an excellent report on our "meaner" streets (but Charles and Pratt is "tony"?). If you're not registered at the NYT use login "downwiththis" password "holahola". And the Sun published a positive editorial about the mayor's Operation Safe Kids program.

And were the O'Malley extramarital-affair rumors started by a player-hater in the Ehrlich administration? Wouldn't surprise me a bit. But I digress...

Elsewhere...

The Rev. James J. Behan, 61, an Oblate priest who lives in Childs, Md., has pled guilty to repeatedly smoking the pole of a high-school boy.

A gun-toting 15-year-old and a mysterious death in Milford Mill in the digest.

Pistol-whipping, road rage and and sword swinging in the Annapolis police digest.

Tuesday, February 8, 2005

Tuesday February 8

The State's Attorney's office reports that the witness intimidation trial of Erik Johnson, 32, of the 2200 block of Orleans Street and Juan Tucker, 29, of the 700 block of West Fayette Street, is scheduled to begin 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Mitchell courthouse. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Johnson and Tucker May 14, 2004 for intimidating/corrupting/influencing a juror/witness. Court documents allege Johnson and Tucker attempted to intimidate and retaliate against a witness in a pending murder case in Baltimore City Circuit Court.

WJZ is reporting on the Fox murder trial.

And the Sun is now covering the trial of Dwayne Gibson, aka the guy who beat the guy with the crowbar and set him on fire for stumbling in to the wrong yard.

In a case worthy of "The Wire," five members of the North Avenue Boys drug gang have bargained their way into decades-long sentences for charges ranging from dealing heroin and coke to kidnapping and murder of the girlfriend of a member of a rival gang.

Police have arrested freaky-looking Kevin Johns (left) kevinjohnsfor last week's prison bus murder.

There's a homicide arrest along with the usual crimes in today's blotter.

Elsewhere...

in Annapolis, a son admitted to stabbing his mother 53 times at a Subway shop, and stashing her body in the walk-in.

And Shawn Eric Woodlin, 31, of Annapolis, pleaded guilty to the Aug. 29 shooting of a man outside an American Legion hall in Annapolis.

A man charged with molestation in Randallstown is now charged with double murder in upstate New York.

Police in Pennsylvania are investigating a murder in the Woodside Meadows suburb (wherever that is).

Monday, February 7, 2005

Monday February 7

The murder trial of Robert Lee Fox, Sr., 64, of the 3600 block of 2nd Street, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Mitchell Courthouse. Fox was indicted by a grand jury March 11 for murding a three-year-old boy named Howard January 43 years ago. If you've got time on your hands and want to take in a macabre trial from the cold case files, this sounds like the one to see.

The State's Attorney's Office reports that a Baltimore City jury convicted Dwayne Gibson, 20, of the 3900 block of Grantley Avenue, of first-degree murder and two weapons counts today following less than an hour of deliberation and two days of testimony. A court trial will begin at 10:45 a.m. tomorrow before Judge Wanda K. Heard to determine if Gibson is criminally responsible for the murder of Wayne Rideout, 43. On September 28, 2003 Gibson set Mr. Rideout on fire after assaulting him with a crowbar. Gibson is being held at Baltimore City Detention Center.

At a re-arraignment this morning Darryll Purefoy, charged with more than 100 counts of sexual child abuse, pled not guilty. A trial date of March 8, 2005 was set.

Assault, rape and a mugging in Canton in the blotter.

Elsewhere,

There's a big black rapist on the loose in the suburbs.

Gary Neal, a college student and basketball player from Baltimore, will soon be on trial for rape in Philadelphia.

Thanks to "America's Most Wanted" and a snitchy girlfriend, a fugitive slasher from Jersey was arrested in Baltimore.

A man was shot in the street last week on Clay Street in Annapolis, and playtime turned violent between a Glen Burnie man and his much-older girlfriend.

..hey Claire, did you know that Dashiell Hammett is from Baltimore, and dropped out of Poly? I had no idea!

Sunday, February 6, 2005

Friday February 4 - Sunday February 6

The Office of the State's Attorney reports that Darryll Purefoy, 34, of the 9100 block of Liberty Road, Randallstown, is scheduled for re-arraignment tomorrow at the Mitchell Courthouse. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Purefoy December 6, 2004 on more than 100 counts of sexual child abuse and related other counts. Court documents allege Purefoy had sexual contact with a minor female between the years of 1995 and 2000. Purefoy remains held on $250,000 bail.

Friday, Satrina Roberts was sentenced to 40 years in prison in the child-abuse death of Ciara Jobes (left). 4167943_120X90 On November 18 Roberts pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder and child abuse. Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Kaye A. Allison said the girl died after "months of what can only be characterized as torture."

Earlier this week a psycho prisoner murdered a fellow inmate on the bus to the Supermax prison. Outside investigators have been brought in to figure out what happened.

Police officer Gregory M. Mussmacher's trial began Friday. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Mussmacher July 2, 2004 with one count of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of misconduct in office. Says Jessamy's office, "The indictment stems from an investigation by the Baltimore Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office of the events surrounding the arrest of a 17-year old juvenile on April 27, 2004. It is alleged that Mussmacher assaulted this teenager in the 3800 block of Glengyle Avenue after the teen was handcuffed and placed under arrest. It is further alleged that Mussmacher once again assaulted the teen by striking him in the face with his expandable baton at the Northwest District Station on Reisterstown Road while the teen was handcuffed and shackled. The teen was treated at Sinai Hospital for a laceration to the left cheek and two nondisplaced fractures of the left sinus. Mussmacher is currently suspended with pay."

And on Friday football player Jamal Lewis reported to prison in Atlanta.

And the missing monkey has now been returned and a south Baltimore couple has been charged with monkeynapping (aka theft).

Elsewhere,

in Howard county, after two hours a jury found Walter J. Blannon, 39, guilty of participating in the robbery that ended in the death of deli owner Kwang Jun Kim, 53.

In Texas, Sgt. Javal Davis, a seven-year Reservist from Maryland's 372nd Military Police Company who claimed he had abused inmates at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison for only 10 seconds, was sentenced to six months in prison by a military jury. He is one of seven Maryland soldiers accused in the scandal.

A former Towson principal is suing students who charged him with sex abuse in the 70's.

In Harford County this week there was buttlegging and fraus, and Sen. Nancy Jacobs wants to make recruiting new gang members a crime. Jacobs' bill came two months after the shooting death in Edgewood of Derald Guess, a taxi driver and father of nine children. Jacobs said a gang initiation ritual is suspected as a motive. Wayne Lavon Bond, 17, was arrested and charged with murder in the case.

Thursday, February 3, 2005

Thursday, February 3rd: Help the baby monkey!

"I feel bad for the monkey most of all because the monkey is who is gonna suffer," says Judie Harrison of the baby Capuchin monkeys stolen this week from a Glen Burnie home. Yes, stolen monkeys. They eat three times a day and if they're not fed, become quite unpredictable. A $1000 reward is offered for the return of the monkeys. Please, if you have information, call (410) 222-8610.

Marcus Byrd was arrested for the murder of Terry Street. Byrd is 20 years old. Street was 23 at the time of his death.

Welcome to Baltimore, now get over it! The story, from the godforsaken Washington Times, reads: "The killing of a Hopkins senior Jan. 23 has underscored the sense of vulnerability students feel in a city where there has been virtually a murder a day since the beginning of the new year." OK, please. One Hopkins student suddenly made the Rev. Moon aware of the murders happening all over town? Yeah, okay, you're gonna get killed while waiting for your triple latte chai at Xando. Ugh. Hopkins students. Go to East Baltimore sometime, willya? Then you can complain.

Elsewhere:

Police in Frederick say that a skull found in the middle of the street was probably stolen from a nearby cemetery.

In White Marsh, a woman was sexually assaulted at gunpoint. So much for being safe in the county.

Tuesday, February 1, 2005

Tuesday February 1

The murders of two teenagers in West Baltimore bring the year's homicide toll to 31.

The Sun picked up the story of the graffiti on the Arena, and tells us who the mysterious Tyrone Knox is.

thiefAn 80-year-old man (left) has pled guilty to defrauding the city school system.

The city is trying to figure out how to deal with officers injured in the line of duty.

The IRS is after the NAACP, and the Baltimore-based nonprofit is refusing to open its books.

Robbery and drug arrests in the blotter.

Elsewhere,

Witness intimidation is on the rise in Baltimore County. I wish the assistant Baltimore County state's attorney hadn't quoted Bob Dylan.

Charles Sealover, a suspect in a Baltimore County murder, has turned himself in.

A Baltimorean is under arrest for the murder of a mom and her daughter in Binghamton, NY.

Police are looking for the guy who robbed a Wachovia bank branch in Milford Mill.

A man in Easton was arrested for ramming the minivan of two moms who he thought were taking too long to order at the McDonald's drive-thru.

In Carroll County, a man and woman were arrested for stealing hillbilly heroin and other perscription drugs from the pharmacy where they worked.

The Hopkins student murder has hit the wire and has been covered from Georgia to California. The school announced plans to spend $2 million to improve security.

Monday, January 31, 2005

Monday January 31

knox
Graffiti on the the wall of the Baltimore Arena

Trial will start tomorrow in the case of Dwayne Gibson, 20, alleged to have murdered Wayne Rideout, 43, by setting him on fire in the backyard of Gibson's home on Grantley Avenue on September 28 of 2003.

An alleged pot dealer and bad driver fleeing the law was arrested in St. Pauls North Carolina, population 2,137 (it's in the southeastern part of the state).

Shootings, stolen cars and burglary in today's blotter.

Kevin Clark's suit against the city can go on, says judge.

After a cameo in the "Stop Snitching" video, Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony will now be shooting PSAs for the government. "He is a very nice young man," says the Governor's office.

Elsewhere,

Trial continues in the case of Ronald Deondre Evans, who at age 16 was allegedly involved in murdering 18-year-old Kozar Goode during a mugging in Parkville.

Police are looking for whoever keeps robbing hotels in PG County.

Trial starts today in the murder of a Jessup deli owner.

St. Mary's County cops had a "busy weekend", what with a catfight over a television set and a disroderly drunk at the Burger King.

Sunday, January 30, 2005