Tuesday, April 13, 2010

F Your I

Says the SAO: "Closing arguments are to be set approximately at 11:30AM today in the Lamont Davis trial in court room 509 Courthouse East."
Hope someone not on the Sun editorial board drops in to report their impressions.

Payroll scandal

City employees who helped a sex offender stay on city payroll while in jail may face criminal charges.

Monday, April 12, 2010

no good deeds...

LOLZ! Feds say gang outreach program started with $400k of city money used as cover for Black Guerilla Family

Reisterstown Medicine Shoppe pharmacist gets six years in federalle prisonne for conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone

Keith and Kinard pled guilty to armed carjacking-- they were caught after the victim jumped out of the car at a red light!

What the ?! Colombia weirdo given 10 days in jail for wearing fake navy uniform

'Our view'

Thanks for pointing out this bull doody, non:
"At Lamont Davis’ trial, it was hard to tell the victims from the perps; all these young people have been betrayed by society’s indifference and neglect"

ps. I love how the url for this story ends "bs-ed-davis-trial-20100409,0,5637313.story"
Somebody at Sunspot knows what time it is!

.. and anyone else find it odd that the same paper that (rightfully) kvetches about the BPD not releasing officer's names doesn't have editors sign their own editorials?

47

(really 46.. but 47th noted here) "An adult male, the apparent victim of a shooting, was also found dead [yesterday] about 8:30 a.m. in the 5300 block of Denmore Ave." .. and three others wounded in shootings over the weekend.

Court records via Hermann: "Youth leader" Angleo Dangerfield shot over pit bull

It's the last day of the 2010 Annapolis session, and the sex offender bill is stalling. Is it just me, but did they not pass a whole lot of anything this session?

... not crime, but dingdong that's a lotta kablingy! Minority contractors score $84.6 million in federal dollars under the "stimulus package"

Clay family wants the iG report

The family said it will pressure SRB to release IG report on the death of Robert Clay, with hopes of getting the feds to open a civil rights case.

46

A man shot and killed Sunday evening on the corner of North Avenue and Aisquith.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Fatal carjack case dragged back to court

OMG! THIS case-- Bernard Eric Miller, charged with dragging Pam Basu to death with her own car as she tried to save her toddler. In 1993 my friend was a reporter at the Sun, and I went with her to the Towson courthouse for lack of anything better to do and ended up thoroughly traumatized. As awful as it sounds, the crime scene photos are worse. And I remember that lawyer-- his pants were too short and his hair was too long and he looked like he just rolled out of bed.
How awful this must be for that family. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Friday, April 9, 2010

SC Justice Stevens stepping down

this summer.
More on SCOTUS' most venerable member from the NYKer last month

Media blabber

Sun's corporate parent, the Tribune Co, is preparing to exit bankruptcy. Reports the WSJ:
The settlement signals that the creditors have agreed to wipe out much of Tribune's roughly $13 billion in debt. In return, under Tribune's plan, the lenders would own the media company.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

More tax dollars at work

City pays $30K to four DPW workers arrested after failing to come to the aid of police officer during an arrest. Says their attorney, the officer was white, his clients were black, 'they could have been shot.'
"Bill on relationship violence flags in session"

How Far can it Go?

City amends, refiles lawsuit against Wells Fargo

Rise & Shine with the BPD

From Twitter:
GUN ARREST - Great job Central Dist. Raid @ 2100 blk Brookfield Ave yields 106 cocaine vials, 18 capsules heroin, .357 handgun. 5 arrested. 3 minutes ago via UberTwitter

GUN ARREST - Chris Swinson (3/30/90) arrested for illegal .22 cal gun, & 25 ziplocks marijuana @ 2100 blk of Bolton. 34 minutes ago via UberTwitter

SHOOTING, 2901 GREENMOUNT, ADULT MALE SHOT, about 4 hours ago via UberTwitter

SHOOTING, 5300 YORK, ADULT MALE SHOT. HOMICIDE UNIT REQUESTED about 4 hours ago via UberTwitter
... IV reports that the shooting on Greenmount was fatal, the victim an elderly man
... the Sun reports he was at a carryout.
Another victim at the Yau Brothers?

A car chase ended in a crash in front of Captain Larry's in South Baltimore

Police and prosecutors disagree on the utility of crime cameras. How about saving $ by cutting off the blue lights? They've got to be thoroughly annoying (and humiliating) to people who have to live next to them. Wonder if any residents or homeowners have asked the city to remove the lights from their property sight lines?

Two homicides in Northern district

Two men shot and one suspicious death.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Your tax $ at work

A $7.4 million judgment against the BPD for family of man who died in custody .. according to the Sun, the victim, arrested for public urination, was allegedly killed after officers put him cuffed without a seat belt in the van, then intentionally drove recklessly, fracturing his spine.

Info sought on pack of juveniles that stoned a dog

No show

The ME's office says they won't show for a council hearing on "undetermined" deaths.

Triple shooting, one dead

Triple shooting in Northeast Baltimore last night

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Butterfingers!

Another mistakenly released con, this time in Baltimore County

18-year-old Gary Knight of the Pasadena Denver Lanes Bloods got 17 years in the federal pen for drug dealing and carjacking, his pal Antonio White got 22 years for racketeering, in addition to the 40 years for handgun possession and 2nd-degree murder he got from the city. Sadly, neither press release tells us what their gang nicknames were.

And 10 federal years for hair-ron for Adrian Aulton. Aulton was apparently a co-conspirator of "Jr" and 'Turkey," who were implicated in the 2007 torture and murder of Sintia Mesa.

'Catholic conscience'

Last week's three homicides in the Ink

Reluctant witnesses in the trial of Lamont Davis

Law clinic to lose funding over chicken-poop suit

Ha! Judge who married victim to abuser says he was driven by his "Catholic conscience," adding "he had not read the case file, his standard practice." A level of diligence and scrutiny the pope himself would endorse!

Arrest in the murder of transvestite Darren Green, aka Kelly Bundy ... shockingly, the alleged perp was out of the clink with a suspended sentence.

"Bill targets public health risk from sale of used underwear"

Fifteen years after the murder of Kari Ann Sirbaugh, parents still seek answers

Hermann recounts the "top 10 self-defense killings"

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The high price of self-defense

There's one to tell the grandkids... first humongously fat Marvin Cook Jr. breaks into 68-year-old William Bozeman's house ... then after Bozeman shoots him, Cook falls on top of Bozeman and bleeds out all over his bed. (Natch, Cook's family says he was "set up by someone")
Small world: Cook once was charged with firing shots at police union head Mark Cherry.

Topically, "The Maryland Senate has endorsed a measure that would protect people from lawsuits if they use deadly force to defend themselves"

and speaking of fat people, AAC police are ISO a Heinie-drinking counterfeiter

Pre-trial blahblahblah in the case of Lamont Davis, accused of shooting 5-year-old Raven Wyatt.

Two arrested for Chaz Village murder of "Young Gorilla" leader

Srlsy? "Marine's father ordered to pay Westboro's court costs"

A man shot in the head in Elkridge carjacking

"No apologies from Dixon" Sunday night

Saturday, March 27, 2010

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A 16-year-old boy, 1400 block of Luzerne Ave

Oopsiedaisies

Man shot by police for allegedly swallowing drugs, resisting arrest was actually choking on a Popsicle stick

Fenton on crime trends: everything's down but home invasions, "which are up considerably."
Now, that's interesting.. doesn't it seem like home invading would be a lot riskier and more effort for the perp than burgling, or robbing a business or pedestrian?

Right on! A major FBI raid of 30 business and 15 pawn stars. More from WJZ (Who buys their toiletries at a pawn shop?)

Kids held bake sales to save the police horses, but no one seems too misty-eyed about the ghetto bird becoming an endangered species

Former mayor Dixon's first one-on-one interview
since her indictment will be with Richard Sher Sunday night at 6:30 on WMAR.

An arrest in the TU dorm burglary

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

LOLz

"Relatives of the man who police say was killed by officers after he shot them ... were offended that the city's police commissioner called him an idiot. ... 'If I could meet the commissioner I'd punch him in the mouth,' said Miller's 80-year-old grandmother, Daisy Dawson. 'And I don't care where they'd lock me up. I'd leave my fist inside his mouth.' "

"Police stood by the statement."
...predictably the story and quote generated a lot of outrage

Homicide last night on Grogan Ave.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

34

Carlos Williams, a 50-year-old man on his way to work, shot and killed during robbery attempt at 6 this morning.

Two officers shot

during a traffic stop. Said Bealefeld, "People get cheesed off when I call these guys with guns on our streets idiots and say I shouldn't call them that ... There aren't words harsh enough for me to call them."
One officer was shot in the face.
A man shot "multiple times" at 519 Scott Street, word is it's "drug related" a "domestic dispute"

Friday, March 19, 2010

33

Twenty-five-year-old man out for a "nighttime stroll" killed in the 3200 block of Belair Road

Wooder dey smewkin?!
"Judge, Lawyer 'Surprised' By Interest In Marriage Case: Judge Says Case Not A Big Deal" ... Judge G. Darrell Russell Jr. tells courtroom that CNN "must be desperate for news" to cover it.
Well, sure, but that's no excuse! More on the case from the Sun

"Congrats" Kwauntre Javar Crudup, Baltimore's new youngest murder suspect at 14, charged with killing Kenly Oscar Wheeler on March 3rd and taking his cell phone.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Cops versus prosecutors, Round 12

Peter Hermann takes a look at the brewing war between cops and prosecutors...FOP to the Jessamy "(you) had better learn to make friends with...criminals.

First-degree?

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Torrez Seymore, 22, of the 4200 block of Ethland Avenue for first-degree murder. First-degree or self-defense... what do you think? The facts of the case:
Court documents allege that on May 28, 2009 Torrez Seymore was responsible for a shooting in the 400 block of W. Lombard Street. Milton Stepney, 22, suffered several gunshot wounds to the body. An investigation revealed Stepney allegedly became involved in a verbal altercation with Seymore after leaving a carryout on S. Eutaw Street. Stepney was then allegedly observed going to the trunk of a vehicle and retrieving a tire iron while still engaged in the verbal altercation with Seymore. The brother of Seymore allegedly attempted to diffuse the argument by pushing Seymore away from Stepney. Stepney began to walk towards his vehicle, but then turned back and announced a robbery, still holding the tire iron. It was at this time Seymore allegedly shot Stepney multiple times. Stepney died at University of Maryland Shock Trauma.

Busy night

Five shootings and a stabbing, including a gun fight at Uzo's bar.

Plus Van Smith on the indictment of Tillman

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Tillman indicted

Feds say he collected pay for a no-show job while in Brazli

Oversights and loopholes

Hopkins security officer Daniel Dixon fatally shot during a gas station robbery

Sun: Making oversight law retroactive could have saved Rajahnthon Haynie

DNA-testing backlog clogs up the system


Frederick Allen Christian of the city charged with killing his "girlfriend" in Virginia

Hermann: it's not just the city but the whole state that's effed

Free live entertainment!
City council to take up the issue of the mysterious Baltimore City Foundation tonight at 5

... and March 25 (Thursday after next) author Antero Pietila will be in the Pratt's Poe Room to talk about his book Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City

Inner Harbor, cop in Central Booking

Police make arrest in Inner Harbor stabbing, meanwhile the Sun's Tricia Bishop reports a city cop spent the night in jail for failing to appear as a witness at a gun possession trial.

School police, gangs

School police officer facing termination after gang encouter in Carver High School gym speaks out about his ordeal.

Intersting article byPeter Herman on the death of alleged gang member and his run-ins with police.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

29, 30? 31?

Alleged high-ranking Young Gorilla shot to death in Charles Village yesterday, 2602 N Calvert St.
Also last night, a serious stabbing at 4409 Maine Ave.

...and early this morning, a suspiciously-dead person found at a gas station at the intersection of West Mulberry and North Greene streets

Congratulations, Desmond "Dazy" Sims, Baltimore's youngest murder suspect so far this year. Dazy is accused of killing 19-year-old Jeffrey Ward to impress the Bloods.

One Anthony Wiggins backed out of a plea deal but admitted guilt, a move that could earn him extra years on his sentence

Mr. Sifrit wants a divorce

Good news, bad news: ex-cop Percel O. Alston is running against Vallario. Bad news, can't find this Alston anywhere on the web, which doesn't bode well for his campaigning or fund-raising efforts.

WTF?! "A Maryland senator and delegate are the targets of a flier that attacks them as "'bagel brain Jews'"

Friday, March 12, 2010

Child Neglect Bill Vote Today in House

Our favorite Delegate Jill Carter reports that the House is scheduled to vote today on HB 962, which would make child neglect a felony:
"We will vote on this today in the same amended form we passed in 2008. I believe the Senate killed the 2008 bill that passed our committee and the House."
... MD is the only state that doesn't currently consider child neglect a felony.
Critics say the bill will make family members less likely to report neglect. Jessamy's office opposes the bill. Julie Drake told the CP's Erin Sullivan, "So you're saying that rather than provide substance-abuse treatment to the parent, you want the parent to sit in jail."

.. maybe we could compromise and say jail is the substance-abuse treatment?

UPDATE: Reports Carter, "Bill was held."

Secret payout

The BDP did somebody wrong, but how much taxpayers have to fork over to make good is a total freakin' secret.

Sanctuary! Sanctuary!

Will 2,500 of Baltimore's 42,000 (!!!) wanted fugitives voluntarily turn themselves in at "Safe Surrender" in June?

Fun fact! For about 1,000 years, English law prohibited arresting someone in a church .. but apparently there's no such law in the American books.

BWW to face DP?

Prosecutors say Karla Porter could face the death penalty.. though it doesn't sound like her case would meet the new legal requirements, unless there's a videotaped confession we don't know about (and contract killings are eligible).
Porter's lawyers say her representation will include "at the very least a battered-spouse syndrome defense."
Don't miss those mugshots.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Double shooting

Double shooting in Southeast

[Fenton's got a photo, and tweets that unconfirmed reports are that one victim is 13 years old - MJB]

Speedbumps on the white line highway

The guy who tried to bring 13 pounds of coca into Baltimore on a chartered jet got almost 22 years in the big house

... yet Shawn Green, a fugitive convicted of conspiracy to distribute 330 pounds of the same and also implicated in a mortgage-fraud scheme, got 12 years. It pays to plead guilty!

Sex-related robberies?

Feb 4's victim was apparently an Internet pimp, and "Police are exploring reports that two women might have been involved in sex-related robberies in North Baltimore."

Legislation would make a few more cases death-penalty eligible . Also in A-town, debate on the booze tax

Lots on interesting stuff in the Crime beat blog today.. most upsetting is this tale of revolving-door justice that let an killer out again and again

Dixon's fur coats, camera and Xbox are for sale on ebay today

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

and now a batshit white woman

How about the Lifetime drama of this tale: buttleggin' Karla Porter, who allegedly enlisted her quinquagenarian siblings, a nephew and some random guys to help kill her husband, blamed the murder on a "black male," got found out when she tried to pay a witness to leave town, showed up at the victim's funeral with plagiarized poetry and wildflower-seed bookmarks; got arrested, pulled the "abused wife" card ... oh just read the story already.

Not guilty

Alleged Crips member Elliot Wilkes, aka "Shitty" was found not guilty of killing Gary Wills, even with seemingly compelling eye witness testimony.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Inspector General

Has just wrapped up his work on the case of sex offender who stayed on the city payroll while serving time for sexually abusing a minor.

Tort-ure

After 26 years, a settlement in special-ed lawsuit Vaughn G. et al vs. The Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

Douche du Jour

Sounds like PGC Rep. Vallario made a huge ass of himself in front of FHB III in Annapolis last week-- apparently he didn't read his own handouts. Long-time loyal readers may remember some of his other greatest hits: In 2007, he was reportedly the only guy standing the the way of a new Sex Offender Evidence Bill. In 2006 he voted against House Bill 320, which was to strengthen Witness Intimidation Reforms for women and children victims of felony sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Wonder what they see in him down in PGC?

Saturday, March 6, 2010

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Fenton Tweets "The man shot last night in the 2100 block of W. Fayette St. died. The city's west side continues to be the most violent this year, easily"

Friday, March 5, 2010

Life + 35 for Roland Park Rapist

From the SAO:
Roger ErvinAt a hearing today, Judge John A. Howard sentenced Roger Len Ervin, 48, [right] of the 3100 block of Oakley Avenue to life plus 35 years in prison.

Judge Howard ordered Ervin serve a life term for first-degree rape, a consecutive 25 year term for first-degree assault and a consecutive 10 year term for use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. A Baltimore jury convicted Ervin December 15, 2009 of these counts and burglary, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit burglary and sex offense counts after a three-day trial and approximately one hour of deliberation.

On August 23, 2007 Ervin broke into the victim’s Roland Park home, assaulted and raped her. He also burglarized the home and robbed the victim of personal possession while pointing a gun at her. Police recovered DNA from the victim and eventually identified Ervin with a DNA search of the Combined Offender Data Index System (CODIS) in March 2008.

The victim delivered an emotional impact statement to the court in which she relived the attack in graphic detail, noting how two of her vertebrae were cracked. She recounted the months of painful physical therapy and how to this day her range of mobility is affected. She told the court that she is no longer able to be as active with her grandchildren.

Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer McAllister of the Sex Offense Division prosecuted this case.
... and Ervin's accomplice is still unidentified and out there somewhere, as far as we know.

Fun fact! In 1983, Ervin sued the Department of Corrections for "excessive imprisonment"

Feats of Tenacity

Four are charged with attempted murder (and more, one hopes) after abducting a teenage girl at the Executive Inn, trying to extract ransom out of relatives, and torturing, shooting and stabbing her in a vacant house near Patterson Park on Sunday, then leaving her to die in a flooded basement. But she survived, escaped and named her attackers as Torrence Jerome White, 23, Adesha Richardson, 27, Keonay Hill, 20 and Morris James, 22.

A 23-year-old shot to death at Nicholas & Belair Rds.

Also, a 43-year-old man has died after being punched in the face. (Can't find a link to this story... but apparently fatal face punches are not as rare as one might think: in the past month there have been face-punching murder cases in Austrailia, Wisconsin [twice!], Idaho, and NZ)

A double shooting near the Velvet Rope club, site of a small riot last week; the club's manager says they can't be responsible for what happens after patrons leave.

The Kevin Clark case goes on and on... today it's being heard at the Court of Appeals.

The family John Yates, killed in a hit-and-run while riding his bicycle, is suing contractors Potts & Callahan for $5 m

If grain alcohol is the blackouteriffic secret ingredient in your jungle juice recipe, stock up now.

Guns in schools

A 8-year old at Leadenhall Elementary school packing heat got nabbed by an alert school adminstrator yesterday before he could carry out his threats.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

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Probable murder victim found on elementary school playground

Cheers!

All kids of gay people getting married in DC today

How could this not pass before?

HB 962 would make child neglect a felony. Who could have voted against that?!

Also, a bill aims to extend the shield law for professional journalists to unpaid student reporters. "Del. Sandy Rosenberg, D-Baltimore City, sponsored the bill. He said he’d ultimately like to see shield protections go farther, perhaps to cover high school journalists as well as unpaid bloggers."

RJR: Drug dealers going to source

CP: "Evidence mounts that foreign sources, including the Los Zetas cartel, deal directly with Baltimore traffickers"

Pub-crawl-stabbing story draws huge reader response at Sunspot.

A stabbing at 3 a.m. this morning in Mt Vernon. And a man shot in the leg, though leg-shootings are so common it seems barely newsworthy

This week's three murders. Apparently it's been the quietest January and February ever!

Jessamy in A-town arguing for tougher gang laws. Whatever.

Sex slaves in MoCo

"The Supreme Court suggested Tuesday it will strike down U.S. cities’ outright bans on handguns."

What the? Family relocated after city trash truck crashes into their home

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

City and Press

Isn't this interesting? The Baltimore City and Press, a beautifully designed web site of Baltimore news.. developed in Canada!
Also on Twitter.
No ads... what do you suppose their revenue model is?
William Raymond Porter, 49, the Hess station owner shot Monday morning during a robbery in Towson, has died.

Guilty Verdict in Toddler Starvation Case

Queen Antoinette, Trevia Williams and Marcus Cobbs were found guilty today of second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse resulting in death.
More from the Sun, JZ

In other miserable child-abuse news, police say a two-month-old was airlifted last night to Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. after suffering fractures to his skull during an argument between his parents.

Assault in Tuxedo Park

From the community's newsletter:
„I'm sorry to say we had a bad incident last night.

„A man was walking his dog at 12:30 a.m. [Mar. 1, 2010] at the intersection of Gladstone and Summit. He was assaulted from behind by a man wearing a ski mask, who hit him over the head repeatedly with a gun. Two people from a nearby house heard the altercation, turned on their porch light and came to his assistance. There was a brief struggle; then the assailant fled. The police were notified, the man who was assaulted was given medical care and now has staples in his head where he was lacerated.
Some tips useful in any neighborhood from the Evergreen news-letter:
Several Points

1) If you hear something occurring, check it out. Putting on the porch
lights probably helped and, certainly, coming to his aid stopped the
attack. Call 911 as soon as you know there is a problem. The assaulted
man was disoriented after the attack and we are grateful to the
neighbors who came to his assistance.

2) We know crimes tend to recur within a rather wide area. It is wise
to walk with someone whenever possible and, if you can, have some way
to let people know when you need help. [always carry a phone]

3) A street light in the vicinity was out. If you have a street light
that is not working ... report all the lights needing attention. [call 311]
and we would add, let your neighborhood listverv/ association/ Facebook group know when something happens.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Grounded

Ground rent scandal co-conspirator cops a plea.

Teen missing, woman found bound, shooting in Towson

DaJah JohnsonPolice and family are searching for missing 14-year-old DaJah Johnson, left, of N. Bethel Street, gone since Friday.

A 19-year-old woman found bound with tape and shot in the neck

An employee and victim of attempted robbery shot in the face-- in Towson!

Raymond Taylor's prison escape began with a lawsuit over payment for drawings of Shrek and Garfield.

Hermann: Espinoza murder in Mexico might complicate appeals process for Falstaff triple murder. And look, links to stories about the case are back

State budget analysts say MD needs to reduce its prison population.