Three Little Trees

Adan Espinoza Canela

The Espinoza/Canela case has been dragging on for nearly a decade, but is the end near? Adan Espinoza Canela has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder,* making him eligible for parole in 2019. We never really found out what happened to make him want to kill his three young cousins, but the prevailing theory is Adan's now-dead stepfather Victor Perez's spurned advances to Adan's mom ChaCha. To paraphrase my attempted summary in March, Adan "Canela is the son of Chacha and Victor, who is father of [former co-defendant] Policarpio. Adan's mom ChaCha was Victor Perez's prior babymom, and Victor and Guadaloupe [alleged mastermind] were the parents of Policarpio Espinoza Perez." Here's a chart.* Said Adan in court yesterday, "I thought that my family knew me, really that they would understand ... but I see that's not it. … They broke my heart."
Said the children's father, Policarpio's uncle, Mimi's husband, Ricardo, "They were three little trees that were growing. They were cut. They will never flower again."

Three people were shot yesterday*

Last year O'Malley's Executive Director of Crime Control told me there was no DNA backlog, now the state is claiming a backlog for 304 days in the city and 542 days in PGC.* But whatever, we'll take the money.

Robbery and burglary plaguing the southeast as per usual.

Ew, a city police officer, Frederick Allen, was indicted on charges related to sex abuse of a minor.*
In sexier news, the entire Towson University cheerleading team was suspended* for an entire year for hazing.. details please.

In goobernatorial news, Gansler wants to raise the minimum wage. In our poll (top right) enthusiasm for him is decidedly meh, with only 18% supporting. Where is our third party candidate?!

Black, silver and green at JHU

A man was stabbed to death at around 5 a.m. this morning in the 200 block of W. Lombard,* right downtown

It's that time of the year again-- move-in day yesterday at JHU and four female students were robbed* flagrantly on the east side of the 3500 block of N. Charles Street near Greenway at 11:41 p.m. by two pistol-wielding small black males with black bandanas with a silver gun who took the girls' stuff and drove off going the wrong way on Greenway in a small black car.
    You gotta love that the first thing JHU has to say about the incident is that it's Off-Campus, even though it was literally in their front yard. Don't worry, parents, of course the school paid 1/1,000th of a year's tuition to put a security camera there, because they care about the community! I'm sure they'll release pictures of the perps any minute. ... So is this a new bunch of roving robbing hooligans in North Baltimore, or are some of the five arrested the other week* out already? Hrm..

A man selling stuff on Craigslist was pistol-whipped and robbed across the street from the University of Baltimore on W. Biddle*

In the county an officer was killed whilst serving a warrant in Catonsville.*

Men in reflective vests claiming to be from BGE and asking to check an old lady's water stole her jewelry instead in Pikesville.

A woman from Annapolis was found dead from huffing paint in Florida

The Darker Side of York Road

Life sentence in federal prison for heroin dealer Roy Clay* who brought product from NY-- Interesting that it sounds like the DOJ's first interaction with Clay for this case was a tapped phone call in March 2009, no word on why the DEA felt it was justified to listen to his calls. More DEA/NSA sketching around? Also notable, agents watched and listened -- but did not intervene-- while Clay was the victim of a home invasion. And 10+ years each for cocaine and heroin dealers who brought product to Western MD from Houston and Atlanta, 10 years for a crack dealer, 14 years for a St. Mary's County cocaine ringleader.

A 16-year-old, Nazr Williams, was charged with murder as an adult last week for a fight turned deadly at W. Fayette and Howard.

Ink tallies victims 147-150, including Meghan Kerrigan, a 22-year-old Caucasian woman, and William Monroe, a 21-year-old Caucasian man, sitting with a baby, apparently shot to death by one Melville Mason, who graciously left the baby unharmed.

A five-year-old went missing on the way home from school in the 2500 block of Kirk Avenue. She was found, but one must ask, how is it that a school can just release a kindergartener into thin air and not to a parent or some other responsible party? If it's illegal to leave kids younger than 8 unattended why does that not apply to kids going home from school? Pedophile picnic!

Police are ISO robbery suspect at right, Aug 17, 500 E. Randall near Federal Hill (odd, there does not appear to be a business in that block)
 

Shooting: Adult male shot in 700 Block of Melo Ct. Dispatched 10:12PM. District Detectives Investigating #BPDED
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) August 28, 2013

Defense attorney Russell Neverdon confirms he's joining @MarilynMosbyEsq in the race for @BaltStAttorney http://t.co/Y3OMrKWJ4h
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) August 28, 2013

Not a crime but:
In last week's CP, Loyola senior Peter Hadjokas published no-holes-barred student drinking guide to the "darker side of York Road." Loyola is surely very proud.

Not Baltimore but:
In York, PA, drunk yelled "yeehaw," head-butted officer

Perverts and idiots

The owner of the Venus Pizzeria at 3717 Greenmount was robbed and shot last night.

Man shot @5 p.m. tonight in the 2200 block of Fulton

SRB called DeShawn Jones' killer an "idiot"

A 16-year-old who sexually abused a 7-year-old (while he was on probation) at the Carroll Cook Rec Center on East Eager Street walked away from his not-secured facility, was recaptured.

One Stacey Fields is suing the BPD for $450,000 for shooting her dog.

Easy money, real talk, no game

A man was shot in the leg in the 300 block of McMechen Street in Bolton Hill, walked himself to the hospital.

Shanika Harris, mother of 15-year-old shooting victim Deshuan "Lor D'Shaun" Jones, talked to WMAR, says Jones wasn't shooting dice but was sitting on steps nearby. No suspects have been identified in spite of scads of surveillance cameras nearby.

In jail, you can't change the privacy of your Facebook page. And so here's Yashim Vaughn, arrested for shooting Zeb Drinkwater on 40th and Roland. And don't miss his "wifey," Isabel Love.

Prison official John Galey, 69, has retired, simultaneously taking the fall for a nasty string of attacks on guards, corruption and accidental releases while also collecting a sweet pension.

In other privacy news, the UK Guardian reported Friday that they were partnering with the New York Times to publish the Snowden revelations-- irony alert, in spite of it all journalists still have better legal protection in the U.S. than in Britain. Also last week the creepy revelation that the British government is leaking on itself to The Independent in an attempt to make Snowden look like a security threat.

City Paper for sale.And the former owner of the Jewish Times is now selling smoothies.

Beemore is Who I Do it Fore

So sad! The 15-year-old victim shot in a dispute over a dice game at 1500 West Fayette was ID'd as Deshaun Jones, a talented youth working in the hardcore rap medium under the nom de rap Lor D'Shaun. He had released an album/mixtape, "Tales from a Young Nigga," and was in featured least nine videos, over the course of which he goes from small, rowdy and snaggletoothed to professional and polished. "Bmore is who I do it fo ... home of da waya, the Ravens and the Or-io-les."

"Scheduling conflicts,*" eh? In spite of last month's sunny predictions, with the Grand Prix a mere five days away, the mayor et al are already starting to massage the message to the masses to soften the news that this year's race will lose yet more money and probably will not be held here again, in spite of all those pit crews who've booked rooms in the harbor hotels of SRB's developer buddies. Hooter's waitresses might get better tips, but way more people will lose hours and days of work from businesses closed or crippled by road closures (starting Thursday!) and race traffic through the heart of downtown.
   And let's not forget, the race still has no title sponsor because the Worst Mayor in America asked for a million dollars and is apparently surprised that no corporations jumped right on that amazing opportunity. The Brew's take: "The Grand What?"

The good news: Harbor Point's Michael Beatty plans to "surpass city's goals for hiring minorities." The bad news: they're all going to be illegal immigrants brought over in banana crates from Honduras.

Overnight Non-Fatal Shooting: Walked-In 2401 W Belvedere Ave. Adult female shot in facial area. District Detectives Investigating #BPDND
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) August 26, 2013

Shooting: 4000 block Norfolk Ave. Man reported to be shot. Homicide detectives called to the scene. Dispatch time 4:02pm. #BPDNW
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) August 25, 2013

Shooting: 1200 block Whitelock Street. Man reported to be shot in the back. Western District detectives investigating. Dispatch time 1:53am.
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) August 24, 2013

Shooting; 3000 block Brendan Ave. Man reported to be shot. Homicide detectives called to the scene.
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) August 24, 2013

Shooting: 1400 block E Lanvale. Man reported to be shot in the back. Eastern District Detectives called to the scene. #BPDED
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) August 23, 2013

Overnight Non-Fatal Shooting: 200 block of Scott St. Adult male shot in the leg. Dispatched 4:52AM. District Detectives Investigating #BPDSD
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) August 23, 2013

What did I miss?

Seven people shot in a "cluster," including a 15-year-old,* reportedly stemming from a disagreement over a dice game.

Antoine Jordan

I thought domestic violence was going down? Not any more. Some fucktard in Dundalk shot his daughter, wife and himself.* And (life with all but) 22 years for Dominic Matthews, who allegedly shot his girlfriend in the stomach after she refused to marry him.

A shooting at a Guilford Ave hookah lounge on Monday* and one arrest, a doleful Antoine Jordan.

So in the Rogers Forge shooting, one of the shooters was mad that the victim wouldn't let him use his washing machine. Now a second guy's been arrested* but no word on his motivation.

Dingleberry surprise Patrick McDonough (R-7th, HarfCo n BaltCo) wants to propose a "stand your ground" law* in Maryland. Meanwhile MD Republicans are a hot mess of infighting,* impotence,* boozehoundery* and illegal crabbing.* If ever a time and place was ripe for a Progressive third party it's wide open, y'all.