A good listener

View Larger MapThe City is expected to give final approval for the sale of $107 million in bonds tonight, upon which the city will pay $174 million in interest. Of that $107 million, $35 million will be lent to the city by the developer himself, Michael Beatty, who will earn an additional $20 million in interest on the loan. All told the project is expected to cost city taxpayers about $600 million. The project, BTW, will sit atop a shit-ton of plastic-and-concrete entombed* hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen made famous by Erin Brockovich that is known to cause lung and intestinal cancers and damage DNA. Beatty has said that developers will re-cap the devil's brew of toxic chemicals after construction is finished ... in about a decade.
Fun facts: the developer's name is pronounced "Beety," at least one of his sons goes to Gilman and he has been known to wear khaki skinny jeans.* (WTF?) He claims to be impervious to critics, "I was never a good listener."

A 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid was stolen Saturday night in Evergreen in North Baltimore, Maryland tag #28373CA, silver 4-door. Call 911 if you see the car.

September 12 at 6:30 p.m. the Metro Gallery will be hosting "The Grateful Zeb Show," a benefit for Zeb Drinkwater, who was shot at 40th St and Roland Avenues.

And tonight at 7 p.m. is the "Walk of Hope," a neighborhood walk starting at 22nd and Barclay.

Tomorrow morning there's some kind of anti-corrupt-judge flash mob at the federal courthouse at 101 W. Lombard.

Through a glass, darkly

Five six shot, one dead last night making it a three-homicide nine-shot weekend with two hours to go. Last night's homicide was at 1000 Valley Street, two were shot in the 4400 block of Marble Hall Road, one at Woodland & Delaware, one in the 3600 block of Edmondson, and an adult and juvenile shot in an unknown location. yesterday was 5000 Edmondson,* a homicide at 6800 McClean, homicide 3900 Chesterfield,* shooting at Queensbury and Spaulding Aves., shooting at 1500 E. Pratt.

Missing Vulnerable Adult: Shirley A. Milton F-B-76. Last seen 9/8/13@ 11am 1200 blk Cedarcroft Rd. Located dial 911 pic.twitter.com/JULbQ3dHQa
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) September 8, 2013

A body was found in the parking lot of the Corinithian Bar in Windsor Mill. ...Did you know? Corinth is considered the birthplace of the Dionysian mysteries, secret clubs that would get insanely drunk together, listen to loud music and eat raw meat. One of the most famous Corinithians was Diogenes, one of the first Cynics. When he wasn't dispensing lectures about how much everybody sucked but him, which he concluded by pooping on stage, he lived in a storage jar in the marketplace off of a diet of onions, where he masturbated, peed on people and gave them the finger.

Anyway, also in the county last night a double drive-by shooting in Pikesville on Blanche Road.

Farther northwest at Antietam the KKK held a rally.* Guess what, they don't like Obama.

In the city, a considerably larger group held a rally to support stricter background checks for gun buyers.*

So far this weekend

Two homicides in the past 24 hours- 6800 McClean Avenue and 3900 Chesterfield, and (at least) two shootings in the 5800 block of Edmonson Ave.* and at Queensbury and Spaulding Avenues (West side).

Rodricks feels a tickle of glee* at the come-uppance of former city police officer Meredith Cross, who married one Carlito Cabana (... seriously his name?). Cabana is a convicted murderer/robber/drug dealer/accused rapist cum alleged "Supreme Commander" of Dead Man Inc. Mrs. Cross-Cabana used a fake ID to visit him at North Branch, then lost her police job, then sued the city to get it back (with the police union's money, no doubt), lost that case, lost her appeal and is now unemployed and on the hook for court costs.* Good!
Cabana was sentenced to 30 years in 1998 for murder, yet is apparently no longer in custody in the state of MD or of the feds. Bad!
  ... FWIW, Dan Rodricks, it's not exactly correct to call DMI a BGF "subsidiary." BGF has a Black Panther/race separatist thing going on so melanin-deficient people can't be members. Dead Man Inc. is surely a jailhouse partner of the Black Guerrilla Family but DMI has always had its own code/leadership/symbols, etc.
    Bonus fun fact: in 2008 the Black Guerrilla Family kept an office in the city jail with desks, chairs and computers.

Ксения Teplicova

Look, gun-toting Belarussians! -- she looks considerably better on her Facebook page

Ksenia Tepliakova was arrested by #BPDSES in the 3200 Block of Esther Place for a handgun violation #ASaferBaltimore pic.twitter.com/cjghzC2T61
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) September 5, 2013

Igor Yasinov was arrested by #BPDSES in the 3200 Block of Esther Place. for a handgun violation #ASaferBaltimore pic.twitter.com/KnBDQnzY4x
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) September 5, 2013

Indycar driver Scott Dixon was fined $30,000 after making "disparaging" comments at the Grand Prix. In other GPrix news, the noise from the race itself was found to have violated the city' health department's own safety codes.*

One Michelle Varick has filed a lawsuit in Baltimore against the makers of the DaVinci robot for her really, really botched hysterectomy. Warning: contains mental images that may haunt your trips to the toilet.

Dentata

A fatal shooting in the 1200 block of W. North Avenue-- Nick Mosby's district has been a hotbed of nefarious activity* lately, on Monday a 52-year-old man was beaten to death in the 800 block of Lennox Street a mile to the west of last night's shooting. There was also a shooting in the 1500 block of West Pratt.

The Sun's got a shiteous story of thrice-acquitted accused rapist Nelson Bernard Clifford* on a Friday. Each time prosecutors brought juries DNA evidence, and each time juries chose to believe Clifford's story that the knifepoint sex was consentual. "At some points, jurors giggled as he went point-by-point describing his version of courtship and intercourse." And Clifford is not the only one, a Tyrone Miller, 45, also had three different accusers claiming he raped them in alleys but prosecutors dropped charges after losing a motion to have the cases tried together. Marilyn Mosby, I get your rage, but when you blame Bernstein for the work of fucktified juries and judges it kind of sounds like you don't understand how the system works. ... In other news, three years after it was given away in South Africa for the World Cup, the Rape-aXe dentata condom, right, is apparently still not available in the U.S.

The Brew covers the local/national epidemic of phone thefts. Probably needless to say, don't walk around talking or playing on a phone, keep it in your pocket and be alert instead. Also, ef ecoATMs and their BS excuses with an effing chainsaw, why are they still operating in our state?

But there's some good news, consumers!: Doug Gansler has sued a grifting Pasadena appliance repairman.

Crimercize

A group in town called The Transition Team is organizing "Walks of Hope" through different city neighborhoods every Monday night at 7, visiting crime scenes and churches in the area. Last Monday's started at Lafayette and Harford Road, left, next Monday 9/9 the group will start at 22nd and Barclay, right.
From the description: 

"Churches, community organizations and police continue to work together because 'Presence Brings Reduction' - join in by being present - it makes a difference!
Join us as we walk, pray, sing, engage the residents and inspire hope that will bring the change we are all believing for"

The Barclay neighborhood as actually been (seemingly) pretty quiet lately, with no shootings in the past month, and "only" five thefts and one assault. Still, it can't hurt anything to get out, socialize and get some exercise with your fellow citizens, right?
Prayer is mentioned but organizers assure me that atheists and people of all faiths are welcome.
Maps courtesy of SpotCrime.

Hand on the Pump, Per Say

Donte Bennett

Police fatally shot a man (who witnesses called a "kid" and Fenton says is 25) near Douglass Homes and N. Caroline Street last night. Police say the man was armed, witnesses say he was only holding a cell phone. ("I didn't see no gun per say.") This is the 5th fatal police-involved shooting this year.
UPDATE: the man was ID'D as Donte A. Bennett, 5/1988, alias Donta Frye. He had an open warrant for assault and a long record, in February he was charged with spitting in public.

What is up with these domestics?! Police arrested a 68-year-old man for shooting a guy who I guess was either his boyfriend or his girlfriend's boyfriend.*

And what is up with the constant flow of people being mistakenly released from the city jail?! Today's butterfingers was the grandmother who allegedly killed her one-year-old grandson with methadone.* This time apparently it was the fault of a prosecutor who "mistakenly dropped charges." About six weeks ago the DA of PA publicly called MD corrections officials "utterly incompetent," "inept and completely uncooperative,""completely frickin irresponsible" and "sloppy" after they mistakenly released one Dale Wakefield, 21, who was being held after he allegedly stabbed a PA homeless man 70 times. There are so many mistaken-release stories I've given them their own tag, "butterfingers!"

Rodney Miller, 25 and charged with trespassing, was arrested for attempting to microwave a metal bike pump in the Circuit Courthouse on Calvert St.

Maj. Kimberly Burris placates the crime-victim residents of Lake Walker with flattery: " [burglars] come from outside your neighborhood. Your neighborhood is beautiful.*"

In Essex a man stabbed Balwinder Sandhu, the owner of 444 Liquors and Sports Bar on Eastern Boulevard.

Judge Emory Plitt refused to revoke bond for surf n turf menace Don Dwyer, noting that Dwyer hasn't been convicted on any charges related to his August DUI (yet).

Dumbbells

Blaes & Jones

A man was shot in the chest* in the 600 block of Mount Holly Street in Edmondson Villageafter midnight, was sent to the hospital and treated and released. I'm thinking he did not have health insurance. No suspects, no motive, of course.

Marquis Queen, shot by an officer on August 13 who had just come back from leave after shooting a suspect in January, was revealed to be a carjacker. All's well that ends well.

 

Remember John Andrew Blaes, who pleaded guilty to producing BDSM pornography involving a 15-year-old North Carolina girl he lured into his van from the Internet? In February Blaes got 27 years, and now his accomplice, Margaret Ellen Jones, 38, has been sentenced to 15 years.

In other news of evil men, one Ryan Shallue shot his ex-girlfriend Kristin Loetz and her friend Charles Abbott then himself in a house near Salisbury Steak University. Loetz is alive, Abbott and Shallue are not. Oh, and an evil woman-- Helen Newsome, 26, is alleged to have broken into her (married) ex-boyfriend's house in PGC, waited in a closet for 12 hours-- and then attacked his 8-year-old son with a dumbbell. WTF?

DEA Has Acess to 26 years of Phone Records

Well, you knew more shoes would drop, and to the world of crime this is the big one: they call it the "Hemisphere Project."
    AT&T and the DEA, in a joint program (heh!) collected every phone record that passed through an AT&T switch -- so basically every cell phone call in North America and some land lines, too. The DEA paid for it, and AT&T has been quietly giving them what they ask for via High Intensity Drug Trafficking-designated employees, with no pesky judge in the way.
   Interestingly, this revelation is not from the Snowden files but from anti-war activist Drew Hendricks in Port Hadlock, WA, who obtained it as a series of PowerPoint slides after filing a public information request from an unnamed West Coast law-enforcement agency. 

“'All requestors are instructed to never refer to Hemisphere in any official document,' one slide says. A search of the Nexis database found no reference to the program in news reports or Congressional hearings."

Bloody home, party home, slummy home

Four men shot in separate incidents last night.*

Came home tonight to this. Firefighter washing away blood from homicide of ~20yo man at 1100 Whitelock pic.twitter.com/JdRFEYET41
— Carrie Wells (@cwellssun) September 2, 2013

The Spectator has more about the Whitelock shooting and photos, including one of the purported victim, Brandon Davis, left. He also notes that two brothers were stabbed on N. Streeper.

Here's an index to the Summer of the Gun series

The City Paper has more about Wall Hunters, in case you haven't heard enough already. But the national attention/shaming has apparently worked-- the city plans to spend $22 million to demolish vacants over the next 2 1/2 years,* in contrast to the $2.5 million a year it was reportedly spending previously.

A bust bust after ScapeScape at 2800 Sisson Street, the property owner was charged with disorderly conduct and keeping a disorderly house. The address is bordered by the 83 exit ramp, an abandoned office building and the city dump, so it's unlikely it was bothering the neighbors...

Ricardo Brooks was arrested by #BPDSWD in the 4500 Block of Mountview Rd. for a handgun violation #ASaferBaltimore pic.twitter.com/ii4ZMbEUiC
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) September 2, 2013

Keith Jones was arrested by #BPDND in the 3500 Block of Greenspring Ave. for a handgun violation #ASaferBaltimore pic.twitter.com/fLZWjVXprX
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) September 2, 2013

Tyrone McNair was arrested by #BPDSD in the 1200 Block of W. Lombard St. for a handgun violation #ASaferBaltimore pic.twitter.com/5fhCPsnx41
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) September 2, 2013

Tevin Williams was arrested by #BPDSED in the 300 Block of Dallas Court. for a handgun violation #ASaferBaltimore pic.twitter.com/FLNBo6dskp
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) September 2, 2013

R.I.P. North Baltimore Patch- employees were laid off via a mass conference call.

Quicksand

"I love my city but it's quicksand." Justin & Justin eulogize a violent summer in the city* by interviewing the souls left behind. Jack Young says it's drugs, Cornelius Owens says the shootings are all about "respect."

Don McCraw

Keep an eye out for Don McCraw, 13, missing since Friday.  Update: he has been found.

Heh. A homeowner in Edgewood trapped a burglar in his garage.

Think you know this town? ... see how many Baltimore neighborhoods you can find. (via Fenton)

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.

Lick n Hit

Oo, some deets about the car-stealing phone-robbing juveniles from Benn Ray via the Hampden Merchants meeting!
     One perp is named Demetrius Carter (DOB: 11/16/91)(Where is his mugshot? bring me his head!)
     The group was busted because for the first mugging a girl in the group stole her friend's car.
     However, the shooting of Zeb Drinkwater is not connected to this group but was a 6'2" black man robbing solo.
     And ps., yes, it's true, those stroller girls in Hampden are not strolling kids so kids can get fresh air and/or Vitamin D. Here's what the city oughter do, get them a methadone van and set it up there by the park.

ps fixing go downy euchin a while, see yousealls in a week or so

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.

Make a little, break a little

An 86-year-old man was strangled to death* in his apartment at the Weinburg Place senior center by Pimlico, he's victim #145.

Michael Smoot, shot three different times in the 90's, was added to 2013's toll.

Yes, that was Cory Bowman who shot himself yesterday. The Sun reports that there have been eight domestic homicides this year.*  Indeed, why don't domestic abusers have ankle monitors (and/or shock collars)?

Two shootings in a year for officer Charles Mewshaw.*

It's been robbery-crazy in the Southeast part of town, even by the standards of the Southeast part of town. Also please help this guy find his bikes. ... a terrific map of all 2013 robberies by Cham.  I would not have expected Belair and Harford Roads to be such hotbeds.

A car that crashed into a house and a Catonsville robbery at gunpoint in the Patch's compilation of top news of the week.

Damon Pitts

Handgun violations bad, hairdo, A+, Damon Pitts. Other handgun violators include Tony Jackson, Keith Deminds Jr. (what's the C for?), Maurice Snowden (any relation to Carl?), Carvell Jones (any relation to CookiePuss?), James Powers, Chris Tomlin, Takuma Tate, Commie Williams (commie?)... wait, speaking of commies, is it really kosher to post photos of these guys when they haven't been convicted? Well, click according to thine own conscience...

WTF, why did George Walter Carlisle II call in a fake hostage situation?

D'oh! AAC purse snatcher snatches purse of woman he knows. Also in AAC, a little boy beaten up for his bike on Disney Road, the perps transmogrified into a donkey and a toad, respectively.

Chief judge of the Foreign Intellegence Surveillance Court: we don't police shit for shit. Obvz not, given the recent revelation that the NSA violated its own BS privacy rules at least 2,776 times.

'I'm going after you'

Maybe he was talking to the booger.

"You're done.. I'll make sure you're through... I'm going after you." 

BGF prison babydaddy? Jilted swain? Tony Soprano?
That would be Steve Kearney, former director of policy and communications for Martin O'Malley, now a shadowy henchman for the Harbor Point project, threatening Carl Stokes in front of two witnesses. Wow. And yes, it's *that* Steve Kearney of KO Public Affairs fame, who toiled in the shadows to bring us astroturf for assreamings such as speed cameras, State Center and casinos. Interesting how Steve's picture appears nowhere but for the Brew's photo of his flabby jowls whilst he apparently picks his nose and/or eats his boogers at the Harbor Point vote.

Two street robberies at 6 a.m.? Were the robbers up early to make it to Zumba class? The victims were victimized at Huntington and W. 30th and at Wyman Park Drive, respectively ("the robbers shoved or tripped him, knocking his glasses off") by three young black males in a silver four-door-car. There was also a robbery in the 3600 block of Greenway (Guilford) Monday. If connected to the other recent street robberies this would be the sixth and seventh robberies by the same group.  And here's #8-something from this morning (so they robbed a guy at 6 a.m. in a silver car, stole the Volvo and went back to robbing?):

Time: 8:47 AM

Summary: A JHU affiliate was walking east in the 200 block of Wyman Park Drive (North side of street) when approached by several juveniles. Two of the juveniles were walking ahead of the victim while a third grabbed the victim from behind and pulled the victim to the ground taking her purse. The suspects then took off running towards Remington Ave. Witnesses to the incident reported observing the suspects entering a vehicle that BPD indicated was reported stolen and used in a previous robbery in Baltimore. Victim had abrasions on her legs and was treated at the scene by Baltimore City medics. BPD and Campus Security canvassed the area for suspects/suspect vehicle with negative results.

Suspect Info:
Suspect #1- B/M, juvenile, wearing a polo shirt with blue/white/green stripes, no further description

Suspect #2– B/M, juvenile, wearing white jeans, no further description

Suspect #3 – B/M, juvenile, no further description

Suspect #4 – B/M, juvenile, no further description

Suspect’s Vehicle – Brown or Gold Volvo – Maryland Tag # 2BC2237

Also a robbery and a bloody assault of a 62-year-old woman in Little Italy yesterday in the wee hours. The victim of the 40th St. shooting has been ID'd as Zebadiah Drinkwater,* employee of Chesapeake Systems. A page has been set up to collect donations for his medical expenses. Get well soon!

Murder suspect Cory Bowman may have shot himself in the head in the Perkins Homes yesterday.* He's suspected of killing Victoria Glover in front of his own son. Glover had a protective order against him since he attacked her with a knife after she asked him to go to church with her in February.

And speaking of the Constellation Energy Group: "Strip club promotion causes scare* at downtown office tower" - dumbass titty club put sand in their party invitations. Scores should partner with the Liquid Lapdance people for giveaways (NSFW).

Foreclosures in the city have tripled since this time last year, reporteth Bloomberg. TIL MD has the second-highest foreclosure rate in the county, right after Florida. Dayum.

"Trial begins for Baltimore detective accused of lying about shooting himself*"

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.

Androids for inmates

Following CBS Evening News' story on Carol Ott and her Slumlord Watch last week, the Sun's Ian Duncan wrote about* Nether Baltimore's Wall Hunter project to paint murals on said slum properties. Today in the CP Ed Ericson Jr. stone-cold busts Ian Duncan, Justin George and Carrie Wells not doing their homework checking Rochkind's lawyer Danny Stenger's claim that Rochkind didn't control the property at 4727 Old York Road (... but if he did, added the lawyer, the Exodus-themed mural would be a "hate crime.") Looking forward to that correction. And y'know, really, the mural project is gifting these slum bums with valuable works of art. If Rochkind had any sense of money (or sweet irony) he'd remove the mural and donate it to a museum for a write-off ... or sell it to Bank of America or Wells Fargo to install in the lobby of their corporate HQ, hyuk.

Justin George tweeted that Jennifer Owens,* "corrections officer accused of smuggling drugs into Baltimore jail & having relations with BGF gang leader, pleads guilty ... To one count of racketeering conspiracy. Sentencing is in January." Notable "J.O." quote from the CP: “I understand you stressed out, cuz you locked up, ok, but I am too. You locked up, and I’m fucking pregnant again. Like really, who the fuck does that? Only my dumb ass do shit like that, for real. I can accept that I fucked up. I know I did, but I did that shit cuz I wanted to. I don’t regret it.”  That makes two BGF perps who have taken pleas so far, 23 to go.

A woman was shot to death in Parkville while putting her 3-year-old in the car.

#Baltimore County PD hauling away murder Vic car where they say she was killed loading her son in back seat pic.twitter.com/zNYzMlPv7S
— Brian Kuebler (@BrianfromABC2) August 13, 2013

Brekford's speed cameras are up, so why hasn't the city turned them on yet?* Waiting for Harbor Point rage to dissipate first?

Doug "Androids for inmates*" Gansler gets even less appealing, now claiming Anthony Brown is running on his African-Americanness. FWIW Brown's parents are Swiss and Jamaican.

MoCo PoPo ISO victims of pervy old music teacher, Silver Spring Elementary School teacher Lawrence Wesley Joynes, he's been charged with sexually abusing 14 girls so far.

Karla Porter's jury still deliberating guilty guilty guilty guilty guilty, of first-degree murder and = five other related counts.

Matthew VanDyke's Syria short copped some pixels on the Business Insider site

you assholes!

Harbor Point approved.*
Now including $95 million of federal highway funds.
$88 million enterprise tax credits (including $44 million tax reimbursements from the state)
$24 brownfield credits (even though the site was cleared for building in 1997)
$95 million federal highway funds for bridges and roads
$13 million utilities
$2 million Crossroads Academy $$
___
$266 million
+
$174 million interest on $107 million loan
___
$440 million
+ $200 million in lost in state education funding

$596 million cost to taxpayers.

Nothng better to do with that money

After nine days without a homicide, a fatal shooting at the NY Fried Chicken* and W. Baltimore and SCarey street was the 142nd homicide of 2013.

Gilman dog sculpture stolen. Also, Gilman 5th graders have so much money they have nothing better to do with it than buy a $550 cement greyhound.* Local rival gangs likely to blame include the Lakers, the Mawrtians, the Quakers and the Roland Park Smurfs.

Down in AAC, good guys chased down and tackled a guy who snatched a woman's purse from the JC Penney shoe department at the mall.

Well duh. A NY judge found that the city's stop-and-frisk policy violates rights.

Eric Holder suggests he may do away with mandatory sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.

Thanks for the tax dollars, bitchezz!!

Why the waffling on Harbor Point, Sun? Their own poll shows 73% of their readers are against the $393+ million project.
"Will Harbor Point be good for the city?" I guess if by "the city" you mean the 1% of assholes who don't mind paying to park for the privilege of shopping next to some office complex, maybe, but aren't they already served by Harbor East?
     "Somewhat secretive nature of the process"? Oh, so those secret closed-door meetings were only somewhat illegal? But "future such discussions will now be public." And why would one think that? Future developers now understand that there are no real consequences to breaking open meetings laws.
     Harbor Point is an in-your-face assraping of city taxpayers the likes of which this city has never seen before, and our children and children's children will be paying for it long after the project goes the way of West side redevelopment, the city-owned Hilton, the revival of SoWeBo, the Metro to nowhere, and well, every other city project since the Schaefer years. It's not their first time at the rodeo; the Sun's editors know even if 99.9% of citizens are against it the city council is going to pass their bill anyway.* So why so much milquetoast, Sun? Afraid Michael Beatty will use some of his billions to sue? Second reading of the bill is tonight, BYOPeanuts, or if you're trying to purge to lose weight The City That Breeds will be streaming it live.