All Right, Fine

Here's a digest of what's been up lately for you non-Facebook-having people.

City officer Vincent Cosom was caught on tape cold clocking victim Kollin Truss in the face for no apparent reason at a North Avenue bus stop; the clip went national, Cosom got suspended with pay two months after the incident.*

Police are ISO this guy for robbing a convenience store on Pulaski Highway and beating a customer with a bottle. Also robbed: a business in Canton and a bunch of other poor decent souls in the Southeast.

Meanwhile, at Hopkins Homewood: "Two female undergraduate students were approached by an unknown male about 30 years of age who asked one of them what kind of shirt she was wearing then grabbed the back of the shirt to see what size it was. The male left the cafe and returned about 15 minutes later and offered to take pictures of them at his apartment. When his offer was declined, he said "Don't be scared. I won't chop you up in pieces." ... because that is totally what someone who won't chop you into pieces would say.

The kid curfew went into effect last month and officers scooped up 120 wayward yutes.*

That lawsuit against Carol Ott was dismissed.

Unshockingly, officer Jeffrey Bolger, one of two officers accused of slitting a shar-pei's throat wants the case dismissed.* Less unshockingly his lawyers have requested this by means of an open letter to Gregg Bernstein.

Police finally caught Davon Wallace, suspected of killing 3-year-old Knijah Bibb in PGC while trying to shoot his girlfriend's brother who borrowed his clothes without permission.

Local nutcase/Republican candidate for sheriff David Anthony Wiggins went on a rant about "Jew women" and "white liberal bullshit."

Ray Rice. Fun fact: even though the Ravens have had 17 players arrested since 2000 they're not even in the top 10 of the teams with the most arrests. And, shockingly, the NFL's arrest rate is actually lower than the national average.

Chris Davis got suspended for 25 games for using Adderall and lifted a flipped truck.

Justin Fenton and Ian Duncan are upset that Young Moose's raps are being used against him* in his gelcap-slinging trial. If the simile you use for "posted" is "like some posters" maybe stick to your day job.

Gerald Wiseburg

This guy was allegedly running a Lutherville pill mill and he looks pretty darn happy about it.

A lady was robbed at gunpoint by the Roland Park water tower.

The City Paper's "Best Of" issue is out, confusing as usual with its convoluted praise, double negatives and latent sarcasm. Por ejemplo, the Hennessey Heist won "best burglary," Dan McIntosh of the Nicka Conspiracy scored "best sentence" and Judge Motz's inaction on our leaky sewers got "best block."

A terrifying piece on NPR detailed the cellphone spyware that domestic abusers can use to stalk their victims. Pull quote: "The strategy of offenders is to have complete and utter domination and control of their victims."

And O'Malley cosplay'd on a horse.

Rats and Men

So is this why robberies are down? A 16-year-old was robbed, and police refused to take a report unless his mother let him be taken to the station.* Notes the head of a social enterprise, "Often the neighborhoods that you live in determine the style of policing that you will get. If their house was broken into in Roland Park, they wouldn't have to go to the closest precinct. They're not going to prolong the trauma, make them stop what they're doing. It would be filed right then and there."

Two people were stabbed at a 7-11 in the 1300 block of Taylor Avenue in Towson (which is the 7-11 attached to a Subway that's in the parking lot of the Lowes at Taylor and Hillsway).

A 70-year-old woman was robbed in South Baltimore, police have released a video.*

And TMZ released a video that shows Ray Race dragging his finacee's unconscious body in Atlantic City.

"A key witness in a case against two Baltimore City police officers is the target of an incident involving a dead rat left on the windshield of his car." The rat recipient was Officer Crystal, who testified against the now-convicted officers who beat a burglary suspect.

Former Sun columnist Gregory Kane has died at 62.* Pointed and loath to suffer fools, he was a piquant counterpoint to Dan Rodricks' lugubrious laments back in the days where newspapers were mostly perused on pulp. The Sun proffers a hollow lament to their laid-off columnist's passing, but his columns in the Sun archives* are slim pickings-- where is the one where he imagined what Michael Phelps' bong might say? or the one about Dante Parrish (freed by the Innocence Project, went on to murder fey little teen Jason Mattison) or the one about That One Lady on The Jury Who Won't Convict a Black Man, or the one where he uses the term "brobdingnagian"? I suppose we'll have to make do with the one where he pronounces then-mayor  O'Malley unsmart yet not a racist for his "potty-mouth invective"* aimed at Pat Jessamy.
     After his move to the Examiner he seems happier and mellower, writing about movies and Christmas even as cancer put him in "excruciating and agonizing pain." You can see his conservatism taking a modern turn, adopting the name-calling so favored by the right ("Libthink,") calling BS on Amiri Baraka, Oprah and A&E, but still not willing to be totally co-opted by the right's talking points and remaining "soured" on the "War on Drugs."
   Anyway, we've lost a great mind today-- probably no one always agreed with him, but he always made his points with panache, a love of language and a deep and no doubt hard-won understanding of Baltimore life. He won a Pulitzer, too, for his articles about Sudan.*

There is justice, MD says Julius Henson's state senate campaign violates his probation.*

But not for poor defendants: Doug Gansler has asked the court to throw out their ruling that they're entitled to an attorney* at bail hearings.

From Wilmslow Road in Evergreen (aka the slums of Roland Park)--

At approximately 4:00 pm I arrived home and went upstairs briefly in preparation to run some errands.  I heard a strange noise and heavy footsteps downstairs only to find a man in a black coat in our kitchen attempting to steal one of our cats.  (I learned this evening that cats are target for thieves who use them to train pit bulls for dogfighting).  Fortunately, the man grabbed the larger cat who, although completely sweet natured, is armed with a good set of claws.  The man yelled out and the cat escaped out the door.  I ran after the man who pleaded total innocence but decided to chase after my pet rather than detain him.  He swiftly turned the corner heading west on Cold Spring and from a distance I could here him bizarrely saying out loud, "Here kitty, kitty..."  About 30 minutes later I was able to retrieve my terrified cat and bring him back in after a frantic search.  There are two lessons here for us: first, ALWAYS lock your door behind you, even if you're only going to be home a few minutes and second, be mindful of your cats.  They are targets.

(1/2) Bernard Burton was arrested by #BPDWATF in the 2000 Block of E. Baltimore St. for a sexual Assault & Robbery... pic.twitter.com/do9LzmiVs7
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) February 17, 2014

OoooooOoo Yeh

Police have in custody three juveniles they believe are responsible for the recent rash of phone-jackings and occasional shootings in the Northern, reports the Patch's Adam Bednar. But where are the mugshots? I need mugshots and nicknames, ppl! ... oh, right, they're juveniles. But the Deuce says one is being charged as an adult! So we get one mugshot! Bring me his head.

Tide Point

In other real estate news, Harbor Point developer Michael Beatty is buying his own city-issued bonds* at a discount, using the interest he's saving to pay for a construction loan. Points out Douglas Miles of BUILD Baltimore: "If [Beatty] can afford to buy $35 million worth of bonds, he could have afforded to invest in the project and reduce the TIF."
Update: Even Rodricks* is peeved about this. (But how is the bond scandal good public relations?)

... so what do you think about Hampden Merchants wanting the local methadone clinic to close*? Sounds like NIMBYism to me, especially considering most of the addicts are from Hampden. That clinic is probably the only thing keeping the merchants from being targeted more .. and the reason rents on the Avenue are still so cheap.

Devil Exchanges iPhone for Soul At Crossroads

A man shot in the upper torso in Roland Park (yes, technically 40th and Roland is Roland Park on the north side-- it's where four neighborhoods meet: Hoes Heights to the West, Keswick to the East and Hampden to the South). According to a police source the victim was robbed for his cell phone and either hesitated or resisted, so robbers shot him.

The morning/night before at 1:44 a.m. a man was shot to death in the 500 block of Tunbridge Road, on the mid-Govans side.

Leon Harvey

One Leon Harvey, 54, was arrested after being shot by police while robbing a house with his nephew in Woodlawn.

He's bayuck-- AFJMacArthur reports on a police-involved shooting in the 3400 block of Old Frederick Road in the Carroll neighborhood.

Police say the shooting of Victoria Vernetta Glover in front of her son in Parkville yesterday was not random, duh, and gabby neighbors/ journalists report that the victim was recently divorced and soon to be in court to seek some kind of child custody/support order or modification. So no shit, police now have some questions for now-ex husband Cory Shirell Bowman, 38.

A teenaged jogger was robbed at gunpoint of her iPod in Towson, and in Glen Burnie a man was robbed while pumping gas.

What the?! Baltimore City Housing Authority has paid $6.8 million in years-old judgements against it, which may affect the availablility of housing vouchers for 700 families.

Media blabber: don't miss NYT's story behind the story of Edward Snowden's whistleleaking.

Oh shit they got Muffy

Street crime comes to Roland Park*! A jogger on Wyndhurst threatened with her own pepper spray, a 54-year-old threatened with a Taser® on Roland Avenue and a 40-something jogger in Wyman Park thrown to the ground by robbers in a dark-colored sedan and a stolen SUV.

Crazed and murderous ex-cop James Smith's cause of death in jail* = hanging.

Butterfaced homophobe Don Dwyer pleaded guilty (again) to boozy boating in hopes of avoiding jail time; as you may recall, despondent over the failure of his marriage and the House of Delegates' inability to ban gay marriage, he and his male friend got shitfaced while boating on the bay with three children, wrecked said boat and put the three children in the hospital. The specialer-than-you legislator was also cited for illegal crabbing last month. He plans to seek a fourth term.
Wonder how the 5-year-old with the fractured skull is doing?

aaaand Doug Gansler's gubernatorial campaign just screwed the pooch bareback* on a bed of rose petals with a side of fries.  So long, nice to know you. Well, not really. Didn't really know you. But it was nice to have an alternative to Anthony Brown for five minutes. So, well, anyway, bye.

The Sweet Smell of White Privilege

Check out convicted felon Francisco Milos and his girlfriend Lynnie Lewis, both 29, who were stockpiling assault rifles, bulletproof vests, pot and ammunition in their house north of Patterson Park.* ... Why does Burt look so disgruntled in that tattoo? Or is he actually puffing a doob?

Another police-lawsuit payout: $72,000 to three members of the Reyes family, who were arrested, punched, and saw one Tased while handcuffed* in front of the Mad River Bar & Grille.

So here is perhaps a reason why Baltimore City spends the second-most in the country per pupil: dinner cruises, $99 chicken dinners, a $250,000 suite renovation for the head of the IT department, mother-daughter makeovers and tutoring services that were never verified as performed (a la the tutoring fraud Joan Jacobson uncovered in 2010) and contractors who may or may not have done any kind of work.* So basically a repeat of the results of the legislative audit three years ago,* but with makeovers and chicken dinners on the side.

What, what? Mayor SRB officiated at the wedding of two city lobbyists.

Cleaners on Old York Road robbed at gunpoint, as was the Stadium Lounge for like the bazillionth time.

At a Roland Park Civic League meeting, Batts apologized to a woman whose babysitter had to wait 20 minutes for police to respond while burglars were in her house.* ... wow, when's the last time you heard any city official apologize for anything? He also reportedly told the audience that their help is needed to improve "people who do not have the sophistication" of Roland Parkers, particularly in areas of town where residents "don’t 'speak,' 'dress' or 'smell' like them."

Morgan Arnold and Jason Bulmer were indicted and charged as adults* for the murder of Morgan's dad Dennis Lane.

Two car Abduction/Robberies in Roland Park

Yesterday (10/23), victims were a woman, 40 and resident of Upland Road, and a 19-year-old riding a bike up Roland Avenue. Suspects are a thick-built white man with a shaved head and a black man, both in lighter-colored sedan cars.* Or is is the same pair together in a Dodge Stratus? ... there's a speed camera on the SW side of Roland at Coldspring and one at Charles north of Lake, but nothing in that Roland Ave corridor, FWIW. Would you be willing to have your license plate scanned on Roland Ave.?

Another Roland Park Creeper

From the Roland Park listserv, two girls were followed on the Stony Run trail by a thin older white guy with grey hair in a polo shirt, possibly driving a "champagne" - colored four-door Toyota or Honda sedan, who was later spotted masturbating by the Roland Park pool's basketball hoop.

Burning Ring of Fire

"A Baltimore firefighter has been charged with running an online prostitution ring and an unlicensed after-hours club in a city warehouse, less than two years after he received probation in Baltimore County in a similar sex trafficking case. The prior arrest didn’t end the city employment of Jamar Marvin Simmons, 29, who continued to work as a firefighter/paramedic out of a firehouse in the Roland Park neighborhood." ~ Fenton 

Another Roland Park Flasher

Writes a reader,

"A man exposed himself to me in broad daylight on the 4th of July at Keswick and Upland Road ... 5:30 p.m., 60 feet from men with chainsaws ... Black, 5'8", short braids, little mustache, circumcised ... low-riding shorts... I flagged down a city work truck and called the cops, but they'll never catch him."

Oh, such cynicism!

Said reader was also relieved to add, as I was assuaged to hear, that though the perp had an erection, he was not stroking it. Ah, the 4th of July. And ps., it's never a bad time to visit the sex offender registry and search your zip code...

Life + 35 for Roland Park Rapist

From the SAO:

At 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"

July 29

Donald Webb Jr., 48, who killed his wife and shot his stepson Friday night, is still at large! was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in upstate New York.
Webb is was a chubby corrections officer, shown at right & last seen in a blue 2006 Chevrolet pickup with Maryland license plate 24R856.

A crime wave has hit the Roland Park subdivision of Evergreen, with cars broken into and houses robbed in broad daylight on Wilmslow and Cable Streets. Lock your doors & windows, especially in the daytime when you're at home!

"The fault line between work and family” is “precisely where sex-based overgeneralization has been and remains strongest." -- says the Chief Justice in the NYT Mag article "Family Leave Values"

Julie Bykowicz answers our voir dire questions.
(Schwait turned over a conviction because of his own error? Wacky!)
From law.com: "Jury practices vary widely across the Nation"

"An apparent Sinful Secret was Exposed in Harford County Last Night ... Mike Hellgren has the disturbing allegations ... A warning, though, for some of you, this is very graphic stuff ... Deacon Kevin Glenn ... groin area ... buttocks... feeling up ... played a game called hide the money ... cash ... undergarmets ... and when one of the girls confronted him, he read her Scriptures."