Friday, June 6, 2008

Chifonne Frazier Indicted in Light Rail Stabbing

chiffonefrazierThe Baltimore City Grand Jury today indicted Chifonne Frazier,17, of the 2900 block of Ulman Avenue for attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and related weapons charges. Court documents allege that on May 7, 2008, Chifonne Frazier assaulted and stabbed a young woman with a knife in the 100 block of North Howard Street. An arraignment is scheduled for July 11, 2008 before Judge Sylvester Cox, 203 Mitchell Courthouse. Assistant State's Attorney Michael Leedy will prosecute this case.

Aaron Speaks Convicted of Shooting Palsied Victim

A Baltimore City jury today convicted Aaron Speaks, 23, of the 2100 block of N. Guilford Ave of attempted first-degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence after a two-day trial. From your intrepid SA's office:
Judge Thomas J.S. Waxter scheduled sentencing for September 16, 2008. Speaks faces a maximum possible prison term of life plus 20-years.

On August 6, 2007 at approximately 4:18PM the victim, who suffered from cerebral palsy, was walking in the 300 block of East 21st St. when Speaks crept up behind him and shot him one time at close range in the back of the neck. A CitiWatch pole camera captured Speaks feeling [sic] the scene. Witnesses testified that only one person approached the victim, only one shot was heard and only one person fled the scene. Another witness testified that shortly after the shooting the defendant admitted to shooting the victim. This shooting left the victim paralyzed from the neck down; he remains on a ventilator and is unable to speak without medical intervention. Assistant State’s Attorney Tonya LaPolla of the Firearms Investigation Violence Enforcement (F.I.V.E.) Division prosecuted this case.

Indictment for Murder of Ellsworth Monroe-Bey

The Baltimore City Grand Jury today indicted Keon Christian Dorsey, 20, of the 5300 block of Cuthbert Avenue for first-degree murder, conspiracy to robbery and robbery.
Court documents allege on April 25, 2008 Keon Dorsey assaulted Ellsworth Monroe-Bey by striking him in the head as he walked in the 3800 block of W. Belvedere Avenue. Documents further allege that the assault rendered Monroe-Bey unconscious causing him to fall into the street. It is further alleged that Dorsey continued to assault and rob Monroe-Bey. Mr. Monroe-Bey was transported to Sinai Hospital where he succumbed to his massive head injuries on May 2, 2008.
An arraignment has been scheduled for June 27, 2008 before Judge Sylvester Cox.

Murders Revisited

Hey kids! Have some Friday afternoon fun and go take a look at who got away with murder and who didn't! There are five victims (six, if you count Ashley Harris' unborn baby) and seven potential murderers in this week's installment.

How many are doing time? How many were found not guilty? How many had charges against them dropped? And who's the lucky bastard who got nine years, seven months, and five days dropped from his 10 year sentence?

(FYI, Ashley Harris' fetus didn't count as a murder victim. The murder conviction against David Lee Miller in March was the first time Maryland's fetal homicide law was used. Miller was convicted for killing Elizabeth Walters, who was about 32 weeks into her pregnancy.)

June 6

It's tough for me to get all excited over tough federal/state sentences for handgun crimes when guys like Lucky Williams only get nine years. Baby steps, I guess. Just make sure you don't witness any murders while our leaders our baby stepping their way to greater political aspirations.

A jury found Natasha Fowlkes guilty for the beating that paralyzed her neighbor. I sure didn't see that one coming.

This is a long and convoluted story, but it seems to boil down to dropping a bunch of criminal cases because of some shady behavior by a cop.

A dude with a gun and a crowbar got his home invasion on at the house of a 25-year-old Middle River woman. No word on whether or not she was hurt.

Huh. I never knew that throwing poop at someone counts as assault. Now I'll totally have to re-think my office communication strategy.

Smash and grabs are on the rise in HoCo.

Looks like there's still some Harsonists on the loose.

Guess what they found in Senator Currie's house? Here's a hint: it's green, it smells funny, and it makes you craaaaaaaazzzzzy.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Checkpoints in DC

Interesting article from the Post about police tactics to help stop a streak of violence in DC's Trinidad neighborhood.
(Thanks for the link, David)

June 5

The Blotter has the trifecta of pain: shooting, stabbing, and beating.

The Thunder From Down Under got its van back, but no word if their loincloths and swords were still inside.

Murderer and witness-intimidator Lucky Williams got nine years, a sentence that even the judge called "very, very lenient."

Meanwhile, in CarCo, Mary Gates got five years simply for trying to hire a guy to whack her husband.
More on that case here. No murder and no witness intimidation, yet she still gets more than half the time that Lucky got.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Afternoon

After some morning wonkiness at the Examiner site, Luke has his May recap posted. It's a good article, and Dr. Sharfstein's comment ("Homicide is the leading cause of death among young men in the city. When you're talking about that many people being killed, it's absolutely a public health problem.") is much more insightful than the head-in-the-sand comment in 2005 by then-Health Commissioner Beilenson ("Baltimore is actually a very safe city if you are not involved in the drug trade."). Why don't you tell that to Anna Sowers, Pete?

Mr. B. always seems to come up with these one-two punches on the days of his murder recaps, and today is no exception. He takes a look at five women who work in the same office at the Baltimore City District Court, all of whom have lost at least one male family member to the city's homicide problem.

I hate it when they bury two news stories in one link: There was a knife fight on a bus in Annapolis, and police have ID'd a suspect in the murder of 21-year-old mother-to-be Christen Hawkins.

June 4

Four murders in the Ink, and a really depressing quote from a now-dead witness who was trying to do the right thing: "I know how my brother Brandon is and I know how my homeboys is and like I said in my statement that something has to be done before it get any crazier or somebody actually get killed and the next time somebody probably won't make it out the hospital."

There's a bit more info about the Woodmere murder that happened early yesterday morning, and Derrell E. Smith was ID'd as the man who was killed on Clifton Ave. on Monday night.

It's gotta be kind of embarrassing to be arrested for drug dealing and only have $24. If I was in prison with her, I'd totally be calling her stuff like Dozens of Dollars Ashley and 24 Buck Tucker.

This should be interesting. The BPD is asking crime victims how well the police handled their cases. If Commissioner Fred actually does something useful with this information, he will move a notch higher in my already high opinion of him.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Man Indicted for Shooting Gal in Front of his Mom

Today the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Montreal Proctor, 18, of the 2000 N. Bentlou for attempted murder and other counts on Monday, June 2, 2008.
Court documents allege that Proctor is responsible for a shooting incident in the unit block of S. Ellwood Avenue on May 7, 2008. The victim traveled with the defendant’s mother to pick up her children including the defendant in East Baltimore. The defendant instructed his mother to stop in an unknown alley. The victim exited the vehicle, Proctor ordered her to get back in the vehicle, she refused, and an altercation began. Court documents allege during the altercation, Proctor shot the victim in the head. The victim was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital and released. An arraignment is scheduled for June 30, 2008 before Judge Michel W. Pierson, Room 329, Courthouse East.

sheeze, i don't even cuss in front of my mom!

June 3

We all know that dropping out of school in Baltimore is bad for your health (unless you're a teacher, in which case staying in school could be detrimental), but who knew that sitting on the porch was so dangerous?

In the time it took me to write today's post, the Sun published an article about another murder. Someone was killed at about 3:00 this morning in the 5400 block of Crismer Ave. in the Northern (or would that be Northwestern?).

And wow again. MJB just sent me a really disturbing article from the Post reporting that 49-year-old Calvert County resident Ricky Joseph Salvatore got all hepped up on beer, weed and PCP, listened to the song "41 Shots" on the radio, then fatally shot his younger brother.

Damn. I didn't realize that Shannon Dudley got stabbed in the heart. That's brutal. Of course, the two kids who were charged claim they didn't do it.

Wise words from Annapolis murder victim Jerome Hughes' grandmother during an emotional sentencing where Dupree Rashard Williams got 17 years: "You have to forgive. If you don't, it's like a cancer. It's time for all of you to grow up."

Someone in Baltimore is making some serious threats against the folks at CASA de Maryland.

Convicted car thief William Spessard escaped from a work detail yesterday with the old "I gotta pee" routine. Haven't these prison guards ever watched any movies? OF COURSE he was trying to escape. Like, duh.

Today is a rough news day for city workers. DPW employee Melvin Talbot was arrested for allegedly selling smack while he was working on Pulaski Highway, and a Public Works supervisor was arrested at the salt dome (or is that Salt Dome?) on Falls Rd. this morning for allegedly stealing water from a distributing company.

I wonder who plundered the Thunder from Down Under?

Pasadena Purses Pilfered! (I totally missed my calling as a headline writer for the New York Post.

Did Natasha Terresa Fowlkes lead the Edgewood attack that paralyzed Gregory Simmons, or was she innocently in the wrong place at the wrong time? Only God and the jury know for sure.

Hey Luke, where's your monthly recap? There are still a lotta dead people in May who need to be acknowledged, even if WJZ says this has been the least homicidal May since the '70s.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Man indicted for Kidnapping

From the SA's office:
The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Christopher Johnson, 22, of the 5600 block of McClean Boulevard for kidnapping on Friday, May 30, 2008.

Court documents allege that on May 2, 2008, Johnson forced two victims into a vehicle at a bus stop located at Northern Parkway and McClean Boulevard. They were then driven to an apartment in the 5600 block of McClean Boulevard and held against their will. It is alleged that Johnson thought a Playstation 3 game had been stolen from the same apartment by the two victims.
This isn't the kidnapped teens from April, that was Catonsville. Nor does it have to do with the police-involved shooting at the same intersection in January. I'm not sure I've heard of this case before.

Murders Revisited - new post

The new "Murders Revisited" is now posted. I'm trying to find a clever way to highlight the sentence for Jason Blake, but it's really just another pathetic example of the failures of the city legal system. 358 days. Hooray, Baltimore!

June 2

Two worthless pieces of crap teenagers were arrested for stabbing aspiring barber Shannon Dudley at a bus stop downtown last week. Dudley is still in critical condition at Shock Trauma.

Father Worthless piece of crap Mark Castillo cried like a little girl (one who's still alive, that is) when he was told that city prosecutors were seeking like without parole.

21-year-old Jessup resident Christen Hawkins was three months pregnant when she was murdered.

There was a double shooting (non-fatal, so far) yesterday in the Southwestern. Otherwise, news reports indicate that everyone in Baltimore got along smashingly well over the weekend.

Uh, yeah. Never mind about that last comment.

Okay, these guys are totally awesome for driving a boxful of pipe bombs to the police, but they're totally fucking crazy for driving a boxful of pipe bombs to the police.

Goddamned immigrant guns, stealing the job of killing from our native Maryland guns.