April 9

The City Paper covers the murder of Gerrald Megginson, whose body was found by the railroad tracks near the B&O Railroad Museum during the search for the Blackwell brothers. Unless I missed it, I didn't see any other news source follow up on the identity or killing of Megginson.

The body of Yolanda Brown was dumped in Gwynns Falls Park on March 20, after she was strangled.

Two eighth-graders at a West Baltimore middle school got the shit beat out of them by at least 10 other kids because one of them was wearing sneakers with red trim.

Two 13-year-old boys from Bethlehem Christian Day School are obviously not understanding the whole "Jesus" thing.

An art teacher was beaten after she told a female student to sit down, and the attack was recorded on a cell phone camera. The school apparently did nothing after the beating Friday, but now school police they'll "begin an investigation."

A bullet grazed the head of a man who was standing in front of the Save-A-Lot grocery store on Erdman Ave.

Michael Thompson, the teenage victim of a hit-and-run in Parkville, has already had six surgeries and won't be able to join the Navy as he was planning to do.

There are a lot of women out there named Violet Marie Gaston, and at least two of them really need to lay off the rock.

The Mungo family are a bunch of misunderstood angels.

For the first time since its inception, criminal charges were made using the new gun offender registry.

Damon M. Jackson of Haverdeegrayce was arrested and charged with robbing and killing Alan Zurita on the side of I-95 last week. Jackson also got shot during the robbery, but he was driven to the hospital by alleged accomplice Demetrius Lovelace instead of being left to die by the side of the road.

There's a disposition hearing (whatever that is, pardon my ignorance) for Thomas Taylor scheduled for Thursday morning in front of Judge Prevas.

At 2:59PM on March 1, 2006 in the 3300 block of Oakfield Avenue Taylor, a self described blood, shot and killed Joseph Miller, 26. Miller, Taylor and others were arguing over Bloods graffiti located on the wall of a corner store in the neighborhood. Taylor, who was wearing red, left the scene. He returned with a gun, having changed his clothing to black. Miller remained at the scene in an attempt to break up the argument over the graffiti. Taylor hid behind some bushes, stood up, and fatally shot Miller and seriously wounded another.

Ewwww. There's an unregistered child molester out there (pictured at right) whose nickname is Pooh Bear. That's disgusting on so many levels, I don't know where to start. (His beard is kinda disgusting, too, but I've been known to sport the Unabomber / Iron & Wine beard, so I'm not one to talk.)

PDJ: There's now a federal case against Ronald Glenn Draper Jr., who not only stored kiddie porn on his work computer at his state government job, but also allegedly molested two male relatives.

You know it's hard out here for an innocent young black man.

Media Blabber

Sam Zell to Tribune reporters: "all of you are overhead."

April 8

A body that might've been a man but maybe was a woman was found in the charred remains of a house in the 2000 block of Guilford Ave. An autopsy will be performed.

A man was shot in the thigh on The Alameda early this morning. The Sun's description of the location reminds me of an 8th grade story problem. "If a man is two blocks north of East Northern Parkway, walks west on Walker to Northwood, then walks south toward East Lake, what direction will he be facing when he gets shot?"

Two teens were accidentally shot by police during a drug investigation in HoCo's "well-kept Pleasant Chase neighborhood." (Are there poorly kept neighborhoods in HoCo? Shit, even the trailer parks on Rt. 1 are classier than my city neighborhood.)

The Blackwells don't Talkwell.

PDJ: Michael S. Pollard's roommate at the Naval Academy described the horrors of opening a file named "Boy Party" while borrowing Pollard's computer. The roommate made a point of telling the court that "It looked like 13-, 14-year-olds engaging in sexual acts ... but I'm no expert in child pornography."

Hey, finally some good people of Park Heights got recognized in the news!

Wow. Did Marty Bass really compare dropping viewership for TV news stations to bombing Hiroshima? It's been a while since I busted out with my favorite word, but I've been provoked: Marty, you're a douchebag.

Afternoon

The man who was shot on McElderry St. last night died. It's still unclear whether he was shot by police or by a disappearing gunfighter.

A 17-year-old may be paralyzed after he became a hit-and-run victim while crossing McClean Blvd. in a crosswalk last Tuesday night. Police are looking for information about a U-Haul whose occupants stopped to eat at the McDonald's on McClean Rd. and Perring Pkwy. in Parkville around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday April 1. The U-Haul says "Illinois" and has a picture of a really freaky looking creature called a Tully Monster on the side.

Let's see if I understand this. Guy #1 got murdered, and alleged murderer #1 went to jail. But then witness #1 got murdered along with guy #2 by alleged murderers #2 and #3. Without witness #1, alleged murderer #1 got released because there wasn't enough evidence against him. Meanwhile, alleged murderer #2 went to jail, while alleged murderer #3 couldn't be found. But there's not enough evidence against alleged murderer #2 to indict him, so today he was set free. So, guy #1, witness #1, and guy #2 are all dead, and nobody's in jail. Sweet.

Sarah Kreager pleaded guilty to one count of attempted drug distribution.

April 7

The body of missing Pikesville man Ryan Spencer was found at TownMall in Westminster, but police aren't saying whether or not it was a suicide.

A man was shot in the 3100 block of McElderry St. after he and his gunfighter pal refused to drop their weapons when the cops told them to play nice.

In the Blotter, a boyfriend got shot in the face by an ex-boyfriend, a 15-year-old boy ran away when shots were fired on N. Ellwood St. before realizing he'd been shot, and a man in White Marsh got his stab on with a steak knife.

A man was stabbed on a Pikesville playground on Sunday morning. (The same article covers some more Bel Air arson.)

The woman who locked herself in her trunk and claimed she was abducted was trying to cover the fact that she's the victim of domestic abuse. Police aren't charging her for the false report, and the domestic assault is being investigated.

More trouble on the 27, this time from assholes outside the bus.

The powers-that-be say that homicides are dropping because "police and prosecutors work together to identify possible violent offenders -- such as probationers or registered gun offenders -- and attempt to arrest them for whatever they can." The powerless-that-be say it's the same shit, different day.

Crack good. Heroin better.

Thanks to the increasing size of my man-boobs, I'm totally going to try this when I have jury duty in a few weeks. (I'm kidding about trying to get out of jury duty. Not about the man-boobs, though.)

April 6

Five women were indicted as part of the big Tree Top Piru crackdown, so Julie B. takes a look at "Michelle Hell," one scary "Pirette."

No charges yet in the Blackwell abductions.

The female remains found in a shallow grave near Emmitsburg were positively ID'd as Deysi Benitez, who looks like she was yet another victim of her husband Pedro's violence. (I'm really late posting about this one.)

Post: Demented dad Mark Castillo bought poison, duct tape at Home Depot, tried to sell caged Furby by the side of the road. Amy Castillo "didn't think divorce was an option because of her religious beliefs," though she apparently changed her mind at some point.

With the death of Tom Lewis, the Catonsville Nine are now the Catonsville Five. Lewis did more than three years for his civil disobedience in protest of the Vietnam War.

April 4

Luke looks at the 22 murders in "a month marked by brutal crimes," but says that "police see signs of hope. The 50 homicides in the first three months of 2008 are the fewest in Baltimore City since 1985."

A guy got shot in the head yesterday in East Baltimore. Despite Galt's comment in yesterday's comments that the man died, there's nothing about it in today's news.

For the second time in two weeks, a body was found along the train tracks in Carroll Park. Homicide is investigating, and they say it's not one of the...

... two abducted teenage brothers who are still missing, and facts continue to trickle down to the public: a woman was sexually assaulted, the boys come from a family of convicted drug dealers and/or users, and each of the two boys has been arrested five times.

In other abduction news, some crazy-ass lady faked her own abduction.

Amy Castillo says that the court system failed her and her kids, and it sure is hard to disagree.

HarCo churches are hoping that some upcoming community events will help stop the violence in Edgewood.

Rasul Brown got 75 years for killing Marcus McDowell, a teenage boy with no criminal record who was trying to help a friend who was fighting with Brown.

17-year-old Dupree Williams pleaded guilty to murdering 18-year-old Jerome Hughes on Halloween in Annapolis.

William Floyd Crudup got 11 years for dealing crack, and he hasn't even been tried for shooting two cops in 2005.

A 19-year-old got 35 years for shooting at cops while riding his dirt bike.

PDJ: William Lee Burdette Jr. of Reisterstown pleaded guilty to distributing kiddie porn.

April 3

The kindergarteners at Forcey Christian School miss Anthony.

Jeffrey Butler was wanted by police when he was murdered. The story demonstrates both flaws in the system and the fact that, as BPD spokesman Sterling Clifford said, "It's very difficult to find these kids, and sometimes the kids don't realize that the best thing for their safety is to be in the system."

The teenage brothers who were abducted in Catonsville are still missing, and police say the two boys have a "long criminal history."

"The FBI and city robbery detectives have released photographs of a man they suspect of stealing more than $10,000 in a string of recent bank robberies." Hmmm... not that the web version of the Sun bothered to run the photos or anything.

If more people used Netflix, the dude who robbed the Blockbuster in Cockeysville would be S.O.L.

These damned teenagers today have it easy. When I was their age, kids had to walk five miles uphill through the snow to set fire to the elementary school.

Evening

A federal grand jury indicted Brian Keith Rose, 22, Tuesday in connection with the January 2006 murder of Warren Fleming, victim of an attempted carjacking. An archive of Sun stories on the case.

In PGC, a 12-year-old boy killed a man who was attacking his mother.

"The Board of Public Works has approved a $400,000 settlement in a case of alleged racial profiling by the Maryland State Police, ending a lengthy legal battle that began almost 10 years ago."

Did you know? Church's Fried Chicken is owned by an Islamic investment bank, now being sued by a BWI franchisee for their late-breaking anti-pork stance.

Meanwhile, "The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has revived the workplace discrimination claim of a Muslim man who says he endured harassing taunts, such as being called 'Taliban' and 'towel head,' while working at Sunbelt Rentals Inc. in Gaithersburg."

"I wouldn't put you on because it really did, it happened just this way
The day Angela E. Hiltz socked it to the Mt. Airy P.T.A."...

April 2

Anna D. takes on the most homicidal week of the year so far in the Ink, with nearly 20% of 2008's murders occurring (or being ruled as homicide) during the past week. Some "highlights:" April Montford's incredibly horrible death of neglect has been ruled homicide, but the State's Attorney's office has yet to decide whether or not to charge her daughters with murder; the man killed on Wilkens on 3/23 was ID'd as 18-year-old Jeffrey Butler; and the man killed in Carrollton Ridge on 3/27 was ID'd as Tyrone Bahia.

Police are looking for the man who shot Alan Zurita and left him on the side of I-95, then shot another man and drove him to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. Zurita died about two hours after being found, and the other man survived.

There's a tribute to Zach Sowers on YouTube.

For you friends, family, and supporters of Zach, don't forget tonight's event at Sonar.

Mark Castillo is being held without bail. There's a picture of his kids with Santa Claus that just hurts to look at.

Kane has a helluva good column today.

Two teenage brothers were kidnapped early yesterday morning when six armed men invaded a "flop house" in the 600 block of Plymouth Rd. in Catonsville. As dramatic as that story sounds, something -- like the fact that other residents of the house wouldn't initially cooperate with police -- tells me there's more than meets the eye.

A man was shot twice in the stomach last night in the 2200 block of W. Lexington St.

Anthony Monroe was found guilty for murdering Milan Andrew Walker last January. He faces life plus 25 years, which in Baltimore City means he'll be out within a few years.

Beware of bearded NASCAR fans, especially if you're into cardboard cutouts.

April 1

Mark Castillo admitted to being a completely worthless human killing his own three kids, and said "I know what I did was bad." Yeah, asshole, it was.

There are lots of stories related to Castillo's triple-murder: The Sun looks at the couple's divorce record, the family legal system, and how custody battles can hurt kids. The Examiner looks at Castillo's history of mental illness. And the Washington Post says the drowner dad could face the death penalty, but prosecutors haven't decided yet if they'll go for it. This being the city, it's more than unlikely.

One man was fatally shot last night in the 2400 block of E. Hoffman St. in East Baltimore. There were two other shootings on the east side around the same time, one of which may have been related to the Hoffman St. shooting.

Another man was fatally shot this morning at a playground in the 800 block of N. Franklintown Rd. in West Baltimore.

A wounded man was found on the southbound shoulder of I-95 in HarCo early this morning. He died about an hour later. Homicide is investigating.

The man who was killed on Billie Holiday court on Sunday has been ID'd as 27-year-old Ronald Joyner.

A 20-year-old MICA student was raped by a man who offered to help her when she was locked out of her Bolton St. apartment. Police are looking for a 30-ish black man who is about 5'6", has a gap between his front teeth, and has a penchant for orange.

A 22-year-old was shot in the head in Edgewood. Police believe it was drug related.

A 6-year-old in Randallstown was packing a loaded Glock and a loaded 9mm in class yesterday.

An 80-year-old man kicked some ass in Pasadena.

Lewis Rich was found guilty for fatally stabbing Ernest Buchanan Jr. at a downtown McDonald's last year, and he got 10 years.

Seventeen people are suing the BPD for unconstitutional behavior.

Seventeen plaintiffs in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Friday claim they were the victims of a special plainclothes unit of the Baltimore Police Department that repeatedly made arrests without good cause, executed illegal searches and seizures of the detainees’ homes and filed charges that did not result in convictions.

The 60-page lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore, alleges members of an East Side Special Enforcement Team, the SET ‘B’ squad, carried out their mission to “respond to emerging violent crime problems” without regard to constitutional constraints and without objection from their superiors.

The suit also accuses the officers of filing false reports to justify unwarranted and fruitless searches.

Afternoon

From the State's Attorney's office:

This afternoon Mark Anthony Castillo, 41 of Schuylkill Road in Rockville was charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder, child abuse, and child abuse resulting in death. He was held without bail by a court commissioner. A judicial bail review is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

The kids were all drowned. The Sun, the TV news (WMAR, WJZ, WBAL) and the AP all have additional details.

In other local murder news, 16-year-old Farron Tates was indicted by the Baltimore City Grand Jury.

Court documents allege Farron Tates was responsible for a shooting incident on March 1, 2008 in the 5000 block of Denmore Avenue. Anthony Underwood and Tates were engaged in an altercation when Tates produced a handgun and shot him in the head and chest. Underwood died at the scene.

An arraignment is scheduled for May 6, 2008 before Judge Lynn K. Stewart, Room 215, Mitchell Courthouse.

March 31

I wonder if Mark Castillo's three kids ever got him one of those "#1 Dad" t-shirts for Father's Day. (Also: Sun, WMAR)

Including the Castillo family, there were five murders over the weekend. At about 5:00 yesterday morning, a man was stabbed in the neck in the 1000 block of Billie Holiday Ct. Just after midnight, the soon-to-be-dead body of 19-year-old Javon King was found by a driver in the 5400 block of Nelson Ave. Neighbors heard gunshots earlier, but they were too busy doing stuff to actually call the cops in a reasonable time frame.

Looks like the same people who give out fictitious parking tickets might be going after the career of BPD Sgt. Michael Wingler.

On Friday, a man was chased and beaten on E. Federal St., a woman was robbed of $900 on E. Lombard St., and a photographer was robbed of $19,000 worth of equipment on Maryland Ave.

March 30

Today, I'm bored out of my skull we have a special haiku edition of Baltimore Crime

Pervy officer
touches the young spring blossom
bad touch, cousin cop

Levi Peterson
sold dirty pre-teen pictures
bastard copped a plea

Middle-aged man
flees cops, swallows drug baggie
Darwin strikes again

Ronald Calhoun charged
points gun at woman, Sun staff
The Alameda

Sweet flower of love
How much for that sweet booty
in Ellicott City?

Sixty-eight riots
still ripple forward today
our Baltimore "B"

March 28

A 44-year-old man was shot in the side while he was working on his car in an alley in the 5900 block of Loch Raven Blvd.

The man who was killed by police after lunging at them with a knife has been ID'd as 45-year-old Norman L. Smith.

This was almost a heroic story of a victim standing up to his robber. But then the "victim" robbed the robber, and took the robber's shotgun, and started hitting the robber over the head with the shotgun, and then the shotgun went off and hit the "victim" in the stomach, and then the "victim" died. Oops. Meanwhile, the robber was simply trying to get cash to pay his way through pharmacy school.

Robert Smith is off the hook.

19-year-old Joseph Miranda's parents are suing state and local officials for covering up facts in their son's death.

Charges against Charles Davis have been dropped in the 2002 murder of David Baskin. Nicholas Weaver, a New York college student who was extradited to Maryland recently, has been indicted in the murder.

Okay, yeah, so the HoCo teacher pulled down the boy's pants and took nude pictures of his ass, but that's not technically exploitation, right?

If you don't mind the pervy teachers and the incresed number of property crimes and the increased number of attacks on police officers, HoCo is a pretty awesome place to live.

Annapolis police officers apparently take a beating, too. Someone fleeing a suspected drug deal hit an AAC officer with his rearview mirror, then led police on a 25 mile car chase.

"A Sun reporter" might want to check his or her facts. According to the State's Attorny's office, Devere Foster is hardly a "he."

Evening

Judge Howard says Justin Fauntleroy -- who was found guilty for distribution of cocaine, handgun offenses, and first-degree assault for trying to run down a cop -- will have paid his debt to society in five years.

Meanwhile, Judge Stewart says Carl Lassiter deserves 15 years -- the first five without parole -- for a string of B&Es, none of which seemed to involve trying to mow down cops with moving vehicles. Perhaps the Honorable Judge Stewart could give the Honorable Judge Howard some tips on how to do his fucking job.

Corey Little and Devere Foster were convicted for selling smack in East Baltimore. (Smack? Do the cool kids still call it smack?)

On June 6, 2007 between 6:30 and 8:30AM at the corner of E. Lafayette and N. Caroline Streets covert police observed Ms. Foster and Little meet at the corner, stand together, and have a conversation. A short time later a vehicle pulled up, the occupants had a brief conversation with Little, and it then parked. A passenger got out approaching Little and officers observed money exchange for narcotics. Officers then heard the buyer call out to the parked vehicle “got it lets get high.” Police stopped the vehicle and recovered one gel capsule of heroin from the buyer/passenger. The stop was with in eyesight of the defendants and as a result the defendants walked out of the view of the arresting police.

When the police left the area Foster and Little then returned to the corner and again took up a position to sell narcotics. Another buyer approached Foster and Little. Little and the buyer engaged in conversation while Foster acted as lookout. The Covert officer observed US Currency exchange for Narcotics. Police were again called to stop the buyer and recovered one gel capsule of heroin. Little and Foster again observed the arrest. Little then left the view of the Officer by entering a narrow alley. Police followed Little and Foster and arrested them, recovering a snack chip bag inside of which contained seven gel capsules of heroin.

Two murder trials are scheduled to begin tomorrow: Korey Harris, who is accused of killing Christopher Wayman in the 2400 block of Seabury Rd. on April 19 of last year, and Keith Vaugh, who allegedly killed 16-year-old Antonio Brown on September 6 2006 after Brown allegedly ripped off Vaugh's moped. Because, you know, manly men totally kill over mopeds.

The murder trial for Lewis Rich began today. Rich is the guy accused of fatally stabbing Ernest Buchanan Jr. at a downtown McDonald's on April 26 of last year. It's a pretty fascinating story, and you should read it before the Sun decides to stick it in their archives where it will never again see the light of day.

A witness is actually taking the side of the cop(s) who shot and killed the knife-lunging man on Olympia Ave.

Someone stole 20 grand worth of medical supplies from Bayview, and a bunch of rain gutters were stolen from New Good Samaritan Baptist Church on Greenmount Ave.

March 27

More about Zach Sowers' death: the Sun, the Examiner, WJZ, WBAL TV, WMAR.

A 19-year-old man died this morning after being shot in the chest in the 100 block of Addison St. in Carrollton Ridge. An 18-year-old was injured in the same shooting.

Four people were shot in two separate shootings last night. In the Eastern, a woman was treated at Hopkins for a "graze wound," and three teenagers were shot on N. Gilmor St. -- including a 14-year-old girl who got shot in the face.

A man on Olympia Ave. in the Northwestern learned an important life lesson yesterday: don't lunge at cops with a knife if you don't want to get shot. He had about two hours to contemplate his mistake before he died.

Baltimore City juries aren't completely useless: (Oops. That was a Baltimore County jury. Anyway...) David Miller's jury deliberated for less than an hour before they found him guilty for killing Elizabeth Walters and their unborn baby.

Eugene Perry got two consecutive life sentences for murdering his ex-fiancee and her boyfriend. Perry was a police officer with the state Department of General Services, and his victims were both cops in the Northwestern.

In HoCo, a student testified against a teacher who allegedly took icky photos of the boy with his pants down.

Zach Sowers

From zachsowers.com:

It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that my close and wonderful friend, Zach Sowers, passed away yesterday, Tuesday, March 25, after a long and steady decline. Anna called me today to tell me that he passed away peacefully around 10 p.m. last night. Zach is now at peace after a long and treacherous battle. He was so strong and fought until the very end but it provides comfort for us all to know that he is now in heaven, watching over his friends and family.

Anna has told me that she and the family are doing as well as can be. They have a strong network of friends and family supporting them and ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.

From the Sun:

The teens convicted of beating Sowers could not be charged with murder because the victim hadn't died; their pleas prevent prosecutors from pursing murder charges now.

In December, Trayvon Ramos, 16, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and robbery charges and was sentenced to life in prison with all but 40 years suspended. Three others, who agreed to testify against Ramos, received eight-year prison terms.

Anna Sowers had called the sentences "a joke."

Prosecutors said that the four teens robbed Sowers and used his credit cards to purchase gas and videos during a shopping spree over several days.

March 26

A man was shot in the head this morning in the 400 block of Laurens St. He's at Shock Trauma, but there's no word yet on his condition.

The double-murder trial of David Miller sounds like a Law & Order episode just waiting to happen. The woman who was with Elizabeth Walters when she was killed testified against Miller, an assistant state medical examiner testified that Walters' fetus could have survived outside the womb, a seasoned homicide detective cried on the stand, and Miller tried to fire his public defenders because they weren't asking questions of most of the witnesses.

Bobby Ray Stanbery had a knife, some rope, three porno vids, and had removed the rear seats from his SUV when he tried to "give a ride" to a 14-year-old girl on Woodbourne Ave. last year. For all that, he got a year.

A couple of guys wanted on handgun charges led police on a car chase from East Baltimore to the Harbour Tunnel. WMAR gave the story a big and exciting write-up with phrases like "the driver is behind bars" and "high speed chase through the streets of Baltimore;" meanwhile, the Sun stuck the story in the Blotter and described it as a "medium-speed pursuit."

Allan Clark was homeless when he murdered Michael Evans Sr.; now, it looks like he'll have a roof over his head for a very long time.

Byron Huff indictment

From the State's Attorney's office:

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Byron Huff, 43, of the 1800 block of Richfield Drive, Severn, Maryland on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, and first-degree sex offense.

Court documents allege on September 3, 1996, a woman, later identified as Doris Smalls, 30, was found dead and partially nude in a bedroom basement apartment in the 2700 block of Ruscombe Lane. Ms. Smalls allegedly died from stab wounds to the chest.

In 2007, DNA evidence was retrieved and tested. The evidence from the test was matched to Byron Huff, an inmate in the custody of the Division of Corrections, and police charged Huff with murder in February 2008.

An arraignment is scheduled for April 29, 2008 before Judge John P. Miller, Room 428, Mitchell Courthouse.

March 25

The body of 36-year-old Robert Long was found next to the train tracks in Carroll Park with at least one bullet wound to the head.

The Frederick man who was killed outside the New Cathedral Cemetery in the Southwestern on March 9 has been ID'd as Levette Johnson.

The link above also mentions a 17-year-old who was shot in the back in the 2600 block of McElderry St. on Friday night.

The link above also mentions a lot of people who haven't figured out that you don't leave your $700 GPS or your $800 camera behind when you park your car. This isn't a Baltimore thing, people, it's true in any city. Don't leave shit in your car.

A 22-year-old UMBC student is in critical condition after she was severely beaten by four women at Cheerleaders sports bar in Fell's Point early Sunday morning.

David Miller's murder trial started yesterday, and it's the first time prosecutors are using Maryland's fetal homicide law.

More evidence that the war on drugs is a miserable failure.

Careful, parents, or your young huffers might end up getting beatdowns at Baby Booking.

There's a hefty dose of either racism or paranoia over in homicide.

Yesterday was a rotten day to work in an AAC pizza joint. Some dude robbed a pizza place on Somerville Rd. and carjacked their delivery driver, and three guys with a semi-automatic robbed a Pizza Boli's on Crain Highway.

In Bel Air, Deborah Turner lost two houses to arson within three months. In other Bel Air news, three teenagers were arrested and charged with vandalizing some cars and setting a trash can on fire.

Okay, I admit it. When I read the headline "Referendum on police looks likely," my first thought was, "What? Are they prohibiting mustaches?"

Afternoon

ppatin wrote it in the comments section, and it's far more eloquent than anything I could write: "The actor who plays Sevino on The Wire was stabbed in the ass last night."

March 24

The Easter Bunny brought a basket full o' killing yesterday: one man was fatally shot at 7:20 a.m. in the 3700 block of Ravenwood Ave., and another man's body was found in the 3400 block of Wilkens Ave. at 6:40 last night.

There were several unsuccessful murders over the weekend as well.

• There was a double shooting yesterday afternoon at the corner of Park Heights Ave. and Spaulding Ave.
• On Saturday afternoon, a man got shot in the leg. "The victim and a witness twice changed the stories they initially gave police. Police believe that the victim accidentally discharged his gun and shot himself while trying to escape from a robbery in the 300 block of Collins Ave. in West Baltimore.
• On Saturday morning a 21-year-old with a "long criminal record" was shot and likely paralyzed in the 500 block of N. Decker St.

On Thursday night, a 54-year-old man was shot in the right leg in the 900 block of Druid Hill Ave. Also in the Blotter, a 90-year-old woman's wedding ring was stolen.

Someone firebombed a Middle River family's home in an apparently random attack.

Why wasn't there better communication when 15-year-old Tyisha Brown disappeared?

The family of Tracey Testo is still hoping to find out what happened to their daughter when she disappeared three years ago.

Annie Linskey takes a mighty interesting look at the Southwestern Flex Squad. Meanwhile, the NAACP says former Flex Squad commander Robert Smith should be reinstated.

A man was stabbed during a fight in Finksburg, and the stabber was arrested.

The Examiner talks with Pat Jessamy about fighting crime.

Hey, HarCo: If you want the Guardian Angels, you need to step up and volunteer.

The latest issue of Harper's has the following tidbit: "Number of times that U.S. media have called John McCain a 'maverick' since 1995 : 6,757." Apparently, we have a less heralded maverick right here in Baltimore County.

March 21

April Montford died last Friday, after a non-profit agency helped move her from a nursing home to an apartment where her two daughters were paid $13/hour to take care of her. Allegedly, they didn't do a very good job. "Montford, 40, was found in bed Feb. 29 with gangrenous open wounds and bedsores with lice and maggots in them, according to police. She had a month’s worth of urine and fecal matter on her, and her uterus had fallen outside her vagina because of neglect, police said." Her daughters have been charged with vulnerable-adult abuse, first-degree assault and reckless endangerment.

The Blotter has a couple of shootings and a whole bunch of stolen electricity.

Here's a closer look at Sarah Kreager and some of the crap that police had to deal with.

The court says former Police Commissioner Kevin Clark can ask for his job back, along with a $120M raise.

The mother of a Lutherville teen who was killed at his landscaping job says her son was murdered.

An Edgewood man was charged with second-degree murder in the July death of his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter.

Some dude in Edgewater was keeping a pet squirrel, and in the same article but lower in priority, six people were arrested in Annapolis after "neighborhood complaints and recent crime in the area."

March 20

Curse you, Bealefeld, and your almost crime-free news days. Fortunately, I forgot to link to the Ink yesterday, so you murder junkies can get your fix with five homicides over the past week. Of particular interest to those of you who love to bandy about accusations of racism, a black man and a white man were shot outside the convenience store on Garrison Blvd. last Saturday, but only the black man died. Conspiracy???

Nicholas Browning kills like a man, but will he get tried like a little boy?

MTA regulars say our buses are hardly safe and reliable. "Sometimes kids get on the bus and your heart is pounding. ... You better keep quiet or you're going to get slammed. You pray to get off safe."

You gotta love a city where a burglary at "Tiffany Hair & Gift Shop" results in 30 stolen cartons of cigarettes. Next time I need some tequila, I'm hitting my local barber shop.

Now why in the world would Mayor Moyer think a curfew could be enforced when the current laws aren't adequately enforced? (All sarcasm aside, I'm actually glad to see she's looking at possible ways to curtail violence in her city's public housing. Besides, the quotes from the article suggest she's not a total imbecile. Thoughts?)

Actually, Mayor Moyer might want to consider building on this strategy: "An Annapolis man went to the hospital early Tuesday morning after trying twice to buy drugs in different areas and getting beaten up both times."

Carroll County school board cracker Jeffrey Morse used a naughty word. To his credit, he took full responsibility. To the Sun's discredit, this article got about 10 times more words than most murder victims get. (And to the Sun's credit, they've gotten much more thorough in their coverage since we've stopped killing each other so often.)

In really cool news that has nothing to do with crime, a 290-pound baby boy was born at the zoo last night.

March 19

Five Four teens are guilty in the Sarah Kreager beating. A fifth teen was found guilty of second-degree assault (a misdemeanor) against Kreager's boyfriend.

There's some funny business about the gun that the late Curtis Blache used in his cops vs. robbers shootout.

PDJ: Jeffrey G.A. Stimson was charged with possessing and distributing kiddie porn, and is now out on bail.

March 18

The man killed outside a convenience store in Northwest Baltimore has been ID'd as Andre A. Jones.

Curtis Blache, the man who had a gunfight with police, probably won't be in critical condition much longer. Meanwhile, "Police said there was nothing to conclusively link the shooting to nearby Club Choices, the scene of several violent incidents including two homicides since March 2006."

A man was stabbed at a strip mall on Sinclair and Moravia Roads in Northeast Baltimore yesterday afternoon.

A middle school student says that Sarah Kreager threw the first punch, and "The lady had a black eye ... Everybody was laughing at her eye." Nice.

The records of some allegedly corrupt guards at the Maryland House of Corrections will be given to lawyers for Lamarr Harris and Lee Stephens, the two inmates who are accused of killing guard David McGuinn.

In one of their motions, defense lawyers raised the prospect that other officers might have set up McGuinn, a by-the-book officer who strictly enforced prison rules. In court papers, they noted an unnamed witness' statement to state police that corrupt guards "ordered the hit" on McGuinn.

More details on Kwame Travon Johnson's murder. Johnson is the fourth homicide victim in Annapolis so far this year.

Three brilliant teenagers had some assault and home invasion fun in Glen Burnie, then drove home in their car -- a car that the victims could identify.

What do you do with a drunken sailor? Apparently, you charge him and his friends with DABASUI (Driving A Big Ass Ship Under the Influence).

Bossman says the police weren't very nice to him after one of his friends broke a beer bottle over someone's head at a S. Broadway bar.

Sen. James Brochin says felons shouldn't get assistance with their hospital bills. Given that this is a crime blog and not a blog about health care finance, I won't ramble on about how Brochin's proposal, if passed, will likely mean that taxpayers will foot felons' hospital bills instead of a fund that does not consist of tax dollars. Are you gonna mention that to your constituents, Brochy?

25 years for 1985 Robbery, Rape and Murder of Nurse

At a hearing today, Orrell Youmans, 51, of the Division of Correction (DOC) pled guilty to second-degree murder, carrying a deadly weapon and first-degree sex offense. Judge Gale E. Rasin sentenced Youmans to 40 years in prison suspending all but 25 years and five years probation and imposed the sentence consecutive to 1985 rape conviction and sentence. Details:

On January 28, 1985 Youmans deposited the lifeless body of Beverly Louise Feight, 26, in a wooded area in the 4000 block of Westchester Road. Feight had been kidnapped, assaulted, robbed, raped and stabbed. She was last seen by her family the day before when she left for her shift at University Hospital as a nurse. Hospital officials contacted her family when she failed to show up to work.

DNA samples taken from the crime scene were entered into the statewide database in 2002 and 2004 and on October 13, 2006 a match was made to Youmans, an inmate in DOC custody serving a 40-year prison term from a 1985 rape conviction in Baltimore City. Police obtained a search and seizure warrant for Youmans’ blood and on October 24, 2006 a sample of his blood was drawn. On December 5, 2006 the Police Crime Lab informed detectives that this sample matched the crime scene evidence and Youmans was arrested.

Assistant State’s Attorney and Forensic Sciences Director Sharon Holback prosecuted this case.

Conviction for Motel Murder of Cecil Saunders

Friday, a city jury convicted Donnell Williams, 25, of the 900 block of Woodington Road first-degree murder, first-degree assault and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. Judge Robert B. Kershaw scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2008. Williams faces a maximum of life in prison plus 50 years. On August 9, 2006 police identified Williams on a private, security camera beating and kicking Cecil Saunders, 28, in the head inside a stairwell at the Executive Inn in the 3600 block of Pulaski Highway. Two other men are alleged to have participated in the attack. Co-defendants Demetrius Williams and Leneal Montay Collins are charged with murder and scheduled to stand trial today. Assistant State’s Attorney Diana Smith of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

March 17

One of the two men who were shot outside a Northwest convenience store on Saturday night has died.

Over the past few days, we've had shotgun assaults, cutting assaults, bottle assaults, Taser assaults... it's like a buffet of sociopathic behavior!

It's been a year since Gerard "jailbird" Mungo Jr. was arrested for sitting on a dirt bike in East Baltimore.

Lots of news in AAC: A 17-year-old boy was fatally shot in the same Annapolis block where Timothy Hayes Marsh was killed last month; alleged drug dealer Nicole Tamika Freeman is on the loose; George Alexander Yates really needs to stay away from gas stations; and 0.4% of people stopped at drunk driving checkpoints over the weekend were charged with DUI.

Also in Annapolis, a man was arrested and charged with sexually abusing his stepdaughter for more than 10 years. One of the girl's friends was also abused. "The stepdaughter said she was 7 years old when the abuse began and 12 when the suspect raped her for the first time in the summer of 2004. The last time her stepfather raped her was Jan. 21, before her mother found out about the abuse, according to the charging documents."

Club Choices = Portal to Hell!

Officer Anthony Jobst was shot in the foot and officer Hayden Gross was grazed by a bullet during a shootout with a suspect, Anthony Blache, after they pursued his Audi as it left the vicinity of Club Choices. Blache was wearing illegal, Omar-esque body armor but is nevertheless in critical condition at Shock Trauma.

Other Club Choices incidents:

• This month, "During a fight in Club Choices in the 1800 block of N. Charles St. about 1 a.m. Sunday [March 4], two men were stabbed and a third suffered a broken nose."
  
  
• Jamal Rowlett, 20, was shot to death December 16, 2007 after leaving the club


• "A bunch of kids stabbing each other" February 27thish of 2007 (details lost forever to a dead Sun link; a search of "Club Choices" on the Sun archives says "No Articles Found")


• Pregnant Ashley Harris, who happened to be on the sidewalk outside, was shot to death in March of 2006 after "a brawl involving as many as 40 people" inside the club continued on the street

It's the devil's disco!

Scandalous!

"Victims' fund assists felons."

A double shooting last night in the 2900 hundred block of Garrison Boulevard.

A police officer was shot in the foot this morning.

The City school system paid $123,000 to two former employees who had alleged racial discrimination.

Saturday

Thursday's murder victim was ID'd as Jamal Alphonso Harrison, 22.

A funeral was held this morning for Tyisha Brown, 15. JZ says her family reported her missing, but for reasons unknown it took three weeks for her to be identified.

County Police have arrested and charged three people-- Malcolm Lee Land of Woodholme Avenue, Brandon Christopher Smith, 28, of Flannery Lane, and Frank Antonio Jones, 23, of Brendan Avenue-- in connection with the murder of 23-year-old Marcus Ellis, stabbed to death in the Texaco parking lot in Pikesville.

A Prince George's County corrections officer accused of smuggling cellphones into the jail for inmates is a suspected member of the Bloods "and was bringing the phones to fellow gang members 'as part of an organized conspiracy' involving fellow officers, according to charging documents made public yesterday." In the past three months, six other officers at the jail have been in various kinds of trouble, including two female guards who were allegedly getting freaky with inmates.

Eight corrections officers have been suspended from Roxbury after an incident March 8 involving suspected excessive force.

Before you hire a lawyer in MD, check out the state's site of disciplined attorneys. There, one can learn tidbits such as how KWARTENG, Charles O. was reprimanded for "making a sexual gesture with his tongue at a female clerk at the Circuit Court for Baltimore County," and WARD, Kenneth S. was "suspended indefinitely for acting incompetently and sloppy."

Astonishing stupidity files: MoCo Football coach Aaron Timothy McCown, 31, pleaded guilty Friday to "knowingly receiving an explosive, that is, a loaded pistol, intending to use it to intimidate the referee at a youth football game."

March 14

An unidentified young man was shot and killed yesterday evening in the 1900 block of N. Rosedale St. He's number 37, compared to 57 at this time last year.

The man killed on Spelman St. in Cherry Hill on Wednesday was ID'd as Lemell O. Barnes. (I took a drive down Spelman St. last night. Even the bedsheets hanging on the clotheslines were red. The feds might want to go all Coumadin on that neighborhood.)

A cop who was directing traffic near the arena was run down by a douchebag who didn't want to turn. Some awesome citizens chased down the alleged douchebag and held him/her until police arrived and took him/her to Central Booking, where one can hope he/she was beaten severely.

In other news of citizens not taking any guff, alleged shoplifter Charles Andre Brown was trapped in a Dumpster by Rite-Aid employees who chased his (allegedly) thieving ass down.

In addition to road rage, we also seem to have a bad case of Metro rage.

St. Agnes was locked down yesterday afternoon, thanks to a jackass with a paintball gun.

A 14-year-old boy was beaten but not robbed on Chestnut Hill Ave.

Some charges were dropped against some of the teenagers who might have beat up some people on some bus.

Bobby Hough got 33 years for helping to paralyze a man by dropping him head-first on concrete. Meanwhile, in other concrete news, HarCo police are looking for the dumbasses who dropped a chunk of concrete onto a car from an overpass.

I could soooo make an "up the creek" joke about alleged drug dealer Thomas Creek and prison sex, but that would be tacky.

A man, who may or may not be Zorro, robbed a "convenience story". Inconvenient stories were left alone.

Holy cow! College students drink! I had no idea. We must stop this immediately.

No Death Penalty for David Miller

Remember David Lee Miller, who shot Elizabeth Walters, his 7-months-pregnant girlfriend, in the parking lot of the Home Depot strip mall off Perring Parkway? It seemed like he was going to be the first person to be charged under the new fetal-homicide law, but because the law rejected 'fetal personhood,' he won't be eligible for the big DP.

The Wall Street Journal columnist on Baltimore: the problem isn't poverty, it's crime.

These cases are so freaky. Wendi Scott, right, will plead guilty to one count of child abuse. She "had been using syringes to withdraw blood from her daughter so doctors would suspect [the daughter] had leukemia."

March 13

A 22-year-old was murdered on Spelman Rd. in Cherry Kill last night. He's the third murder victim there this year.

The person who was killed on Edgecombe Circle on Tuesday morning was 16-year-old Tavon Burks.

Let me get this straight. 15-year-old Tyisha Brown (#21) was missing for three weeks before anyone -- her teachers, her friends, her father -- thought to question where she was?

It's cases like this -- the rape trial of twice-convicted sex-offender Eugene Waller -- that make me hope there is a special place in hell for defense attorneys.

Angry and outraged yet? Pissed off at the incompetence of our government officials? Disgusted with the citizens of Baltimore? If not, try reading the story about 15-year-old Farron Tates.

Okay, now for some good news. The State's Attorney's Office hearts the BPD, and maybe you should too. "... in 2006 her prosecutors had to throw out one in three criminal charges. Last year, only about one in five cases could not go forward."

Byron Alonzo Huff was already serving 30 years for killing Holly Jean Keefe when he was matched to DNA found on 1996 murder victim Doris Smalls. Huff said he "cannot say offhand" whether or not he knew Smalls, and he doesn't know how his DNA could have gotten on her body.

Sgt. Robert Smith can have his job back if he just admits he was wrong.

Former CVS pharmacist Ramon Bautista Juta would take care of you, if you'd take care of him (wink wink, nudge nudge).

In AAC, Carlos Rice was found guilty for murdering Peach Cake. Of course, his defense attorneys said that the murder weapon was used to shoot at Rice's car, so Rice couldn't have done it. Now, forgive me for not understanding the subtle nuances of this case, but couldn't Rice have killed Mr. Cake, and then shot at his own car? Crazy, I know.

A student at Chesapeake Science Point Charter School in Hanover threatened to bring in an Uzi and kill everyone. Meanwhile, staff is getting ready to bail before anybody pees on them.

I understand, John. I always confuse lawn chairs with railroad tracks, too.

March 12

The BPD is still investigating two separate shootings that left one un-ID'd man dead and two men injured, but there don't seem to be many new developments since yesterday.

A nurse was abducted from her Parkville apartment complex as she left for work yesterday morning.

Five Tree Top Pikachus Pirus have yet to be caught in the very cleverly named Operation Coumadin.

If what Councilman Jack Young says is true, our cops are pretty rotten at framing each other.

Police found the body of alleged murderer and/or subprime lender William Buczynski.

Maybe these houses belong to some of Buczynski's former clients.

The accused Columbia pizza man / kidnapper won't be retried on false imprisonment charges, but he still faces up to 10 years for his second-degree assault conviction from last week.

"A group of Jewish advocates against sexual assault is angry over a plea deal for a Baltimore City rabbi who pleaded guilty to abusing young boys but avoided jail time." Hmmm... that sort of implies that there's a group of Jewish advocates for sexual assault who are happy about the plea deal, doesn't it?

JHU students want William Brody's replacement to "spur development without gentrifying the city." Personally, I'd like the new president to be able to shoot golden eggs out of his ass. I wonder which scenario is more realistic?

In a case of timely reporting, a 15-year-old girl has been missing from her Rockville home since Feb 24.

Tuesday Nite, Wednesday Morning

The state has rested in the bus beating case, WBAL has an interview with the bus driver ("I never thought I would see children try to kill anyone.")

The Ink covers the past week's four homicides. The victim found shot on February 15 (victim #21) was identified as 15-year-old Tyisha Brown.

He really was the total male! CP's Van Smith and Jeffrey Anderson have the tale of Shawn Green, an at-large drug trafficker, who highlights "the overlap in the city's legitimate business economy and the drug underworld."

The City Council is discussing a bill that would require scrap dealers to keep a roster of names and identifying information on people who bring in car parts. It's about freakin time, but why stop at car parts?

Teenager Convicted for Shooting at Officers

A Baltimore jury convicted Ronnie Lester, 19, of the 1300 block of Glyndon Avenue, yesterday of two counts of first-degree assault, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, minor in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and fleeing and eluding. Judge Wanda K. Heard scheduled sentencing for April 3, 2008. Details from the SA's office:

At approximately 8:50 p.m. on May 24, 2007 officers observed three individuals on dirt bikes traveling south in the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. As the officers drove up to the individuals, one of the bikes stalled. The officers exited their vehicle and approached the individual on the stalled bike. As they did this, Lester returned on his bike, allowed the other individual on to the back of bike, and fired two shots at the officers before speeding off. The officers gave chase with assistance from Foxtrot. The chase exceeded speeds of 40mph, often going the wrong way down city streets, before the Lester was apprehended when he had to stop his bike due to a gathering of people in the street around a deadly house fire at 1903 Cecil Ave. Officers recovered a .32 caliber pistol that Lester threw off the Maryland Avenue Bridge.

Assistant State’s Attorney Brandis Marsh prosecuted this case.

Double Shooting

Two men were shot at 6:15 this morning in the 2500 block of Edgecombe Circle near Greenspring ave. One died, the other is in shock trauma.
(Thanks galt)

March 11

A man shot Saturday on in the 1800 block of E. 28th St. near Clifton Park in East Baltimore Street died Monday.

The murder/ suicide killer and victim from last Thursday were named: Latasha Harris, 30, and Jerry Bennett, 37.

Tastelessness of the week: "The driver of the city bus on which a woman was severely beaten testified yesterday that he remembered the boy who kicked her in the face but that he wasn't among the accused in the courtroom. Then, the attorney for the boy prosecutors allege kicked Sarah Kreager in the eye threw her arms up in a 'touchdown' sign."

Corrpution Corner
Maybe "The Wire" made this city look too good!
Baltimore City Police Sgt. Robert Smith claims that the city police department’s chief legal counsel told him to drop a defamation lawsuit against the department or face false rape charges.

A second guilty plea in the Utech scandal.

OMG, bitch, puhleeze! Rikki Spector's excuse for her "stupid" traffic ticket = she sent it to the DOT because they needed to know that the officer who cited her was "not dealing well with the public."

The End of "The Wire"

Thoughts?

Meanwhile, "Wire" writers on the drug war (thanks Lucid),
the NYT review, "So Many Characters, Yet So Little Resolution,"
and the very, very long farewell to The Wire from Jersey's Star-Ledger.

Can't get enough? Marc Steiner has podcasts of interviews with the actors.
... and the City Paper has an interview with David Simon.
And it's the final installment of Sudhir Venkatesh's "What Do Real Thugs Think of 'The Wire'?"

March 10

Neighbors' Night Out II coincided with Anna Sowers' 28th birthday. Of course, her husband couldn't be there to share it with her.

Cops are still looking for the man who shot rookie Pedro Perez.

Dang. They have garages in the 600 block of N. Linwood St.? No fair. (Also in the Blotter, a sexual assault in the Eastern, stolen drugs and beer kegs in Parkville, stolen trash bags in Cockeysville, and $160 of stolen cigarette lighters in Franklin, presumably to light the $250 of stolen cigars.)

Check out the specter of Rikki's disappearing traffic ticket.
UPDATE: Rikki denies all wrongdoing in a very confusing story.

Alleged PDJ: David "Dewey" Louis Vasses, of the 100 block of Kipling Court in Abingdon, charged with sexual child abuse, 4th-degree sex offense and unnatural and perverted practices. And gross and willful hair gel violations.

A suicidal man in Glen Burnie followed through on his threats as police tried to intervene.

A man from Frederick took the whole "going to the cemetery" thing a bit too literally.

In Worcestor County, a 77-year-old Pocomoke City man was murdered in his living room.

On a political note: Gloria Steinem says it's OK for women to think for themselves.

Le Week-End

Julie B. serves up the tale of the purported head of the Baltimore "Tree Top Piru" Bloods, Steve Lamont Willock, aka "Kanibal Lecktor," who rose to power while in jail in Cumberland.
Did you know? "the price of crack can be five times higher in Hagerstown than in New York."

"A mystery is developing at the Prince George's County jail: Why, twice in a single week, has an inmate turned up with a handcuff key?"

"For nearly two decades, Kellie Robinson was just another drug statistic in Baltimore. But her story is unique." ... she's middle-class and well-connected. Yawn!

The Annapolis Capital admits to being duped into printing a fauxbituary.

They may not be as bad as those pesky sex children, but Virginians are annoyed by the French kissing children nonetheless.
(compound modifiers are your friends, people!)

Officer Shot

City officer Pedro Perez was shot in the leg at about 1 a.m. this morning by a gunman hiding in some bushes.

March 8

Antwaun Sumpter was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl after trying to force his way into her house.

Two Mt. Hebron High School students are facing felony charges after the old bomb-in-a-trashcan trick.

Kelroy Williamson got two consecutive life sentences from circuit court judge Paul A. Hackner. Lots of character witnesses said Williamson is a great guy, but DNA evidence said he's a piece of shit rapist.

Three cheers for the witness who not only testified in the bus beating case, but also ran out of her house to help break up the attack.

There was a bank robbery in Towson yesterday afternoon.

March 7

A domestic murder/suicide Wednesday night in the city, fortunately the kids didn't see it. (There's no Applegate Road in the city, there's an Applegate Court in the County)
Correction: Irwin at the Sun says it's Atholgate Lane and that the couple were found yesterday, not Wednesday.

Bus-beating boyfriend Troy Ennis: no spitting, no slur.

The identity of murder victim #21 remains unknown, and police have released a spooky sketch, right.

Police are "seeking a gunman who opened fire in a Northwest Baltimore convenience store yesterday, grazing a girl and an employee."

A bad week for the PD! Two city officers are in hot water, one for debt card fraud, the other for an armed confrontation with his ex's husband... add that to the two police brutality suits filed last Friday.

Down at the Federal Courthouse: 11 indicted for running a drug-mule conspiracy; 7 1/2 years for a guy who stashed a stolen handgun in a vending machine; a guilty plea on a gun charge from an aging Pagan.

A skeleton found in Emmitsburg may belong to missing Deysi M. Benitez.

"Minnesota bars thwart smoking ban by declaring everyone an actor"
Meanwhile bartenders at Frazier's and Zissimo's are grousing that police are targeting their patrons.

Eight years for Killer of Toy Gun Stickup Man

At a hearing yesterday, Omar McGee, 18, of the 3400 block of Dupont Avenue pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Judge Timothy J. Doory sentenced McGee to eight years in prison. Details:

On August 9, 2007 McGee shot to death Troy Richardson, 30. Richardson, using a realistic toy gun, robbed a drug dealer of narcotics in an alley off of the 3400 block of Dupont Avenue at about 1:35 p.m. McGee, informed by another drug dealer of the robbery in progress, retrieved a weapon and approached Richardson, who was still brandishing the toy gun. McGee fired three shots at Richardson, hitting him twice in the leg and once in the face. The toy gun was next to the victim when paramedics and police arrived.

Assistant State’s Attorney Robin Wherley of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

16-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Murder of 17-Year-Old

At a hearing today, Tevin Moultrie, 16, of the 1600 block of Cliftview Avenue pled guilty to second-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and two counts of reckless endangerment. Under terms of the plea agreement, announced in open court, Moultrie faces a maximum prison term of 30 years when sentenced July 22, 2008 by Judge Lynn K. Stewart.

On March 13, 2007 Steven Washington, 17, was found lying on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of Cliftview Avenue suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the head following an altercation with the defendants. Police identified Moultrie through witnesses.

Co-defendant Maurice Wilkerson pleaded guilty January 15, 2008 to accessory after the fact to murder and will be sentenced Monday, March 10, 2008.

Assistant State’s Attorney Paul O’Connor prosecuted this case.

Life + 20 for Murder of Ronald Stewart

At a hearing today, Judge John C. Themelis sentenced Ajamilla Longmore, 20, of the 5000 block of Linden Heights Avenue, to life in prison for first-degree murder and a consecutive 20 years in prison for use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. This was the maximum possible prison term Judge Themelis could have imposed. A Baltimore jury convicted Longmore February 6, 2008. On December 13, 2006 at 9:38 p.m. Longmore approached Ronald Stewart, 29, while walking in the 4000 block of W. Belvedere Avenue. Longmore then shot Stewart six times. Stewart was pronounced dead on the scene.

The jury found co-defendant Ernest Hudson not guilty of first-degree murder.

Assistant State’s Attorney Cynthia Banks of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.