April 25

Judge Stephanie Lynette Royster, 45, passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. Last November Royster was appointed to the 8th Circuit for Baltimore City by Gov. Ehrlich. Prior to her appointment she spent 15 years working for the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, most recently serving as Chief of Staff and Deputy State's Attorney. She went to Western High School and earned her BA in philosophy from Loyola College, then spent 10 years with the advertising agency W.B. Doner before earning her JD from the University of Maryland School of Law.

The Commander of the Northern District, Maj. Steven Lukaskik, has been reassigned to the property crime division. The new man in charge will be Michael Pristoop, formerly of the Western. And Maj. Richard C. Fahlteich is retiring again.

Blotter: three people were arrested and charged with attempted murder for shooting a 20-year-old man on Barclay Street March 28. And in the Western, a man was shot in the head and lived.

Burning victim Yvette Cade testified against her estranged husband and alleged attacker Roger Hargrave.

The trial of Donta Allen, accused of murdering Linda Trinh, has been postponed until September because the prosecutor is busy on another case.

County police are looking for five possible witnesses to the murders of Youani Alvares and Joel Gonzales, found in a field near Shelbourne Avenue. They were last seen at the Club Mate & Lounge in South Baltimore.

Wonder if Patricia C. Jessamy got the "little lady, you should know better than to leave things of value in your car" speech.

Oy vay, JZ. A "pitbull" was shot after allegedly attacking a child in Pasadena. Charges are pending against the "dogs owners." Here's the story in English.

April 24

The murder trial of Brian Christopher Cooper, 21, is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge Shirley Watts. A Baltimore City jury convicted Cooper of first-degree murder April 28, 2003 and he was sentenced to life in prison June 26, 2003. The Court of Special Appeals vacated that murder conviction July 6, 2005 ruling Cooper's Miranda rights were violated. Court documents allege that on April 16, 2002 Cooper and Elliott Scott, 21, argued in front of an unlicensed taxi stand in the 2600 block of West Fairmount Avenue. After the argument, which occurred shortly before midnight, Mr. Scott walked toward his home with a female neighbor. Cooper got a "hack" to drive him home where he got a knife and returned to the neighborhood looking for Mr. Scott. Cooper allegedly found Mr. Scott on North Catherine Street, chased him into the alley behind his home in the 2500 block of West Fayette Street, and stabbed Mr. Scott three times. Mr. Scott underwent emergency surgery at the Shock Trauma Unit and described his assailant before succumbing to his injuries.

The murder trial of Keith Garrett, scheduled for today, has been postponed until June 1 before Judge Wanda K. Heard because there were no courtrooms available.

Pregnant Jennifer Morelock, 25, and her companion Jason Woycio, 29, of Carroll County, were shot on the West side.

Good(?) news: Arrests without charges are down to 11.7 percent from 23 percent.

Harold Medan was arrested for the murder of Aaron Mackley, and a student at Thurgood Marshall High was arrested for the attempted murder of Antoine Matthews, 18.

A middle-aged guy with a beard is robbing banks.

What the ?! is up with PGC? A 12-year-old boy was arrested for stabbing a 9-year-old boy and a 31-year-old woman to death, and 14-year-old Dominick Edelin was arrested at school for sexually assaulting girls.

A College Park bar's "Ladies Lockdown" raged, in spite of a table full of superciliously non-partying school officials.

April 22

Jarell Adams, 20, and an unidentified man were fatally shot on Thursday (so there were four homicides that day-- two in the South, one in the East and one in the West).

Kendall Charles Alexander got 27 years federal for robbing the Wachovia Bank on Northern Parkway, twice.

Twenty-five-year-old Kondwani Martin got 10 years for being a felon with a firearm and admitting to being involved in a gunfight with police outside the Upper Deck Grill last year. Less-lucky Harold Greene, 32, a felon in possession of a gun who didn't shoot at anyone, got 17 years.

April 21

The murder trial of Keith Montrell Garrett, 34, is scheduled to begin 9:30 Monday before Judge Althea Handy. The Baltimore City Grand jury indicted Garrett January 15, 2004 for first-degree murder, kidnapping, and abduction in connection with the disappearance of Timothy Antonio Washington, 7, who was last seen on September 11, 1992 in the 800 block of Hilton Parkway. The body of the victim has never been recovered. Garrett remains held without bail. Assistant State's Attorney and Homicide Division Chief Mark Cohen will prosecute this case.

Two homicides in South Baltimore yesterday: Robert Atkinson, 47, was found shot on a kitchen floor. Vincent Paige, 23, was shot and died at Harbor Hospital.

A 16-year-old boy was shot in the back at a bus stop in Essex.

In the blotter, arrests for murder, attempted murder and armed robbery.

In Towson, Jeffrey Ricardo Jones Jr. got 25 years for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Lesley Dunlap with a steak knife outside the Venable law firm.

Remember the bizarre killing of Ralph Amadi, shot on his front lawn in White Marsh last March? The FBI now has a suspect: Duane Latoye Geiger, 32.

In Westminster, 23-year-old Jasen Weigman is in custody and has confessed to assaulting the 7-year-old boy at the Ruby Tuesday's.

This blog got its 100,000th hit this morning, a reader from Silent Flute. Don't miss the link to these rare and fabulous V103 mixes: priceless Baltimorerfernalia.

April 20

A second suspect, Dwayne Drake, 16, faces first-degree murder charges in the sweet 16 murder.

A shooting in the Southwestern, three attempted murder arrests, theft, robbery and burglary in the blotter.

Tonya Tyson, who worked at Ferris, Baker Watts in D.C., was one of five Marylanders indicted for investment bank fraud in a scheme to launder drug money.

A former mental health counselor, Moses Ige, was sentenced to probation for defrauding Medicare of $6k.

In Cumberland, kids aren't just dabbling heroin and meth, but are also getting hooked on fentanyl pain patches.

Men for Others Dept:
In Montgomery County, officials at Georgetown Prep sent home a letter to parents to inform them that that sexual abuse charges against former teacher and priest Garrett Orr were "substantially true."

In Westminster a 7-year-old boy was molested in a Ruby Tuesday's bathroom.

In Anne Arundel County, associate pastor Enoch Hill of the Essex House of God Church was arrested for molesting a boy.

April 19

Oswald V. Voigt pled guilty and was sentenced to 30 years for choking Robin Hoey with an extension cord.

Ink: eight murders last week, 80 this year.

The Baltimore Police Department is facing four federal lawsuits for allegedly retaliating against employee/critics.

Police are seeking the public's help in locating Emani Baxter, a 15-year-old runaway from Pikesville.

April 18

In PA, jury selection is underway in the case of Baltimorean Andre Staton, accused of stabbing his girlfriend Beverly Yohn to death. Staton has an extensive record going back to the 80's that includes arson, battery, thefts and obstruction of justice.

On August 9, 2005, police discovered the body of Robin Hoey inside a safe located in the 3100 block of Lorena Avenue. The Medical Examiner concluded that Hoey died as a result of asphyxiation and ruled her death a homicide. Tomorrow, the murder trial of Oswald Victor Voigt, 49, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Allen L. Schwait. A Baltimore Grand Jury indicted Voigt on September 9, 2005 for the first-degree murder of Robin Hoey, 36. Court documents allege that on August 18, 2005 Voight confessed to murdering Hoey. State's Attorney's office: "Don't hold your breath on this actually going forward...."

The 14-year-old who was shot to death last Saturday was identified as Raymond Revley.

A group of four or five men went on a robbery and carjacking spress in PGC and DC Easter Monday afternoon.

Prince George's County homicide detectives held a funeral for their littlest victim, a newborn found by a pond in Riverdale Park.

Ehrlich-appointed Republican Delegate Terrill "Terry" R. Gillelan Jr., left, was arrested nine months ago after drunkenly crashing his Mercedes and stumbling into traffic, unkempt and drooling. District Judge Thomas Pryal acquitted him of drunk-driving charges due to faulty evidence. Gilleland is up for election this year.

Finns: salmon is the new prison saltpeter.

April 17

Following a bail review hearing this morning, Judge Nancy B. Shuger ordered the "Sweet 16" (alleged) killer Jamal Charles charged with first-degree murder and held without bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. May 12 in room 3, Hargrove District Courthouse.

Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced Marvin Dorsey, 23, of West Lombard Street, to life in prison for first-degree murder and 20 years in prison for use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. Judge Heard ordered that the sentences run consecutively and said that it was her hope and desire that Dorsey "never see the streets again." On January 20 a Baltimore City jury convicted Dorsey of the murder of Raymond Savoy, 16. On October 27, 2004 Dorsey shot Savoy eight times with a .45 caliber handgun in the 200 block of South Caroline Street. Asst. State's Attorney Matthew B. Fraling III prosecuted the case.

Melissa Harton got 10 years in prison for the killing of Natasha Bacchus Magee. The AP reported that she could be out on parole in as little as a year and a half.

What the ... ? A Dundalk family couple is being terrorized by a 16-year-old hoodlum/witness intimidator who, says a police dept. spokesperson, the State Juvenile Justice Department refuses to deal with.

A man in the NW was arrested for the possession of a stolen Glock 9 mm.

April 14

Two teenage boys were shot on Cardenas Avenue in East Baltimore. Both survived.

A 23-year-old man was shot Wednesday on the 1100 block of East Lanvale.

Loco Rodney Bethea tried to hang himself in the NE District Station, then hit an officer over the head with a halogen light bulb and held a woman hostage in an office with a pair of scissors.

Tavon Wilson, 21, got 16 years in prison for shaking his girlfriend's toddler to death.

Felon Jerome Henderson, 42, got 15 years for a gun charge.

Benz-driving Kawasaki owners pled guilty to immiglation ferony and money raundeling. They stole tips, too.

University of MD police: help us arrest this drunken, hooting hatboy.

William D. Chase, 49, is the new head of the FBI's Baltimore office.

A 15-year-old Aberdeen boy is in critical condition after a gang-related shooting.

What's up with the Sun's coverage today? It's, like, on 'roids all the sudden (this time steroids, not hemorrhoids).

April 13

An as-yet-unnamed man is dead after a double shooting at 6:40 in Reservoir Hill. A woman was also wounded.

Dick Irwin especial: 371 words for the past seven days' murders:
Last Thursday: Curtis Mitchell, 19, was fatally shot to death.
Saturday: Darnell Butler, 24, was fatally shot in the NW.
Sunday: Homeless Julia Kimberly Boussari, 34, died of a stab wound to the chest; A woman was found suspiciously dead on Druid Hill Ave.
Tuesday: Charles Sparrow, 53, got a fatal chest-stab wound at a house on Glydon Avenue.
Police found the body of a woman who died of head injuries in a vacant home.
Wednesday: The body of a burned man was found inside a rowhome in West Baltimore.
And yesterday, three boys were shot in the Northwestern near Liberty Heights Avenue.

Devin Jamele Milbourne, 21, of Edgewood, was arrested for attempted murder in the shooting of 15-year-old Tyrone Orr in Aberdeen.

The Sun gives the police department's Kristen Mahoney a chance to respond to Jessamy's accusations that numbers prepared by the Police Department were an intentionally misleading attempt to discredit the office of the prosecutor. "'The information that Mrs. Jessamy provided yesterday added no value to the discussion,'" said Mahoney. (What discussion?)

April 12

Ditkoff: eight murders last week and 72 for the year.

Judge Paul E. Alpert sentenced Emanuel Young, 27, today to a total of 80 years in prison. A city jury convicted Young March 22 of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and handgun counts. Judge Alpert sentenced Young to 30 years for the second-degree murder, 30 years for the attempted second-degree murder and 20 years for the use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, with all the terms to run consecutively.

On April 13, 2003 Young murdered Marcus Gordon, 20, in the 3000 block of Oakley Avenue. A second victim was also wounded in that shooting.

The CJCC monthly meeting is today. The meeting is open to the public.

A second man pled guilty to bilking UMBC. Patrick R. Sisk, 49, admitted to grifting $137k of cash, goods and services via a construction-fraud scheme.

Creepy crap in the county: A painted-black effigy was found dangling from a bridge in Edgewater.

CJCC:
Clerk Frank Conaway asked if there were going to be any changes made in the way flex squads operate, because 60-some cases out of the Southwestern had to be dropped, adding, "I've never seen it this bad."
Marcus Brown replied, "the percentage of officers in flex squads is relatively small."
("Those flex squad officers were all skinheads who followed Ed Norris from New York," a judge opined to me later.)
Marcus Brown of the mayor's office reported that the FBI's Uniform Crime Report for 2005 was out and that overall crime is down 6.4 percent, violent crime 3.8 percent. He said that when the mayor referred to a 40-percent figure he was referring to since 1999.

Then it was Jessamy's turn, and she let loose. She said that in information released by the police and mayor about her office, only 140 of 500 cases had accurate information. The office handed out huge chunks of paper with details of hundreds of cases from what she called a "rouge database."

While Jessamy was pontificating a guy from the U.S. Attorney's Office was reading the paper with his back to Jessamy. How horribly rude, I thought. I found out later what the guy was reading was today's Daily Record story, ("Prosecutors clear the air before CJCC meeting") in which Glynn (the top judge of the city and chair of the meeting) was quoted as calling Jessamy a "liar" for claiming that prosecutors had "strongly objected" to the 90-day sentence of Amanda Johnson. Anyway, Jessamy was livid. "The rouge database is a direct attack, and that will not be tolerated, and if it happens again I'm out of here, because we're messing around on the citizens."

Glynn, himself, was still pig-biting mad. After the meeting I asked, "what's up with 90 days for Amanda Johnson?"
He said, "Do you even know the facts in the case?" The fact was, he said, Amanda Johnson was the girlfriend of Kenneth George, who was charged with attempted murder. Somehow George managed to get a plea deal in which he got probation in exchange for sniching on Amanda. So indeed, it's already not fair for the girlfriend to get time. "And nobody said a word, much less 'strongly objected,'" huffed Glynn. So indeed, how did Kenneth George plea himself down to probation?

Turns out it wasn't Amanda Johnson's boyfriend (Kenneth George) who got probation in exchange for snitching on Johnson, it was the boyfriend's friend Clyde Meadows. There are actually two Kenneth Georges, a Jr. and a Sr., Jr. is Amanda's boyfriend. Both Georges, father and son have been charged with attempted murder, but it's the boyfriend's dad, the senior, who is charged with intimidation. They both are clearly extremely intimidating and have been charged with more than 100 crimes since the early 80s, with charges related to everything from speeding to ripping of a jewelry store to attempted murder and robbery. Kenneth George senior is getting sentenced on the 24th, and Jr's attempted murder trial is supposed to start this week.

Clyde Calvin Meadows III, (the one born in 1979), was the first person charged under the state's new Witness Intimidation statute, and should and could have gotten 20 years, but he got three years of probation. His "rap sheet" lists 24 case numbers... burglarly, theft, attempted murder, robbing businesses, probation violations... how could any judge look at his record and let him roam free? Mind-boggling.

April 11

News from afar: a prison radio station.

Jayne Miller: Though Baltimore's medical examiner ruled the death of 58-year-old James Royster a homicide and said his death caused by his aorta rupturing during an assault, and though a suspect had been indicted, the police department took the death out of the "homicide" category and changed the record to indicate that Royster instead died of "natural causes."

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Dana White, 51 of the 400 block of East 25th Street, for first-degree murder. On March 21 White got into an altercation with a neighbor, Lee Artis Tatum, 73, and stabbed him to death in the Brentwood Apartments building where they both lived.

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Corey McLeaurin, 29 of the 3400 block of Gwynns Falls Parkway, for armed robbery, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and other related charges. Court documents allege that on March 17, McLeaurin and another man robbed a man of $5,900 cash in the parking lot of the Village of Cross Keys shopping center. The victim shot and injured McLeaurin during the robbery. Another suspect was shot and killed, and the State's Attorney's Office is reviewing that fatal shooting. There has been no finding in that incident and the matter is considered still under investigation.

The murder trial of Mohammad Biglari (who is accused of killing his neighbor in Charles Village) which was scheduled April 6 and continued until April 10 for lack of courtroom availability, was continued again Monday. The defendant was not transported to court from the Detention Center; an interpreter was not available; and no courtroom was available. The State was ready to proceed to trial both days. The new trial date is 10:30 a.m. April 17 before Judge Kaye Allison, 451 Mitchell Courthouse.

Four years after the murder of Taharka McCoy, will Tyrone "Moochie" Beane face trial?

Shakia Watkins, 19, got four years for making fake calls to 911 to clog up the police system before the firebombing of Edna McAbier's house.

A body was found yesterday in Crownsville.

Police identified Saturday's murder victims as as Shelton Turner, 21, Noble Johnson, 26, and Andre Brantley, 21.. also a girl was abducted and raped on North Curley street.

Though both parties said in January that tougher penalties for sex offenders were a priority, the legislature couldn't agree on a bill.

Oprah: "We're standing in a city where the dropout rate is atrocious for young black males ... 76 percent. That should make you gasp." She was in town and raised $1.4 million for the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community school. She also paid a visit to Richard Sher, her former "People Are Talking" co-host and a friend of the school's dean.

April 10

A 21-year-old man was shot in the Southeast.

Tragic: after two months of not reporting a single word about his murder, the Sun realizes that Donte Bellamy was no typical victim but a boy of Baraka.

The body of seven-year-old Edward Blue was found in the water off the pier at Lynch Cove in Dundalk.

Did you know? According to Steve from Catonsville, because of "extremely loose" zoning regulations, Maryland has 13 establishments that "facilitate the swinging lifestyle."

City judges Glynn and Keith Mathews blasted city police for routinely not returning signed search and seizure warrants, a "sloppy and unprofessional approach to police business" that jeapordizes cases. Speaking of business, should the police really be spending time helping people find jobs*? Don't we already have any other agencies, clubs, churches and nonprofits, YMCAs, Dan Rodericks, the Police Athletic League or librarians for that?

Maryland also has one 46-year-old woman, Valerie Fletcher, who pled guilty to prostiution to protect her clients, including Charles R. Boutin. Maintining client dignity and protecting privacy is the capstone of the companionship business, after all. "I am deeply mortified for the man that he was portrayed this way," Fletcher was quoted as saying in the Sun, adding, "he sought me out because I offer role play and domination."
Oh well, all PSC members are about to be fired anyway... and not in a pyrosophical way.

Sucks to be Phillips: sixteen tons of Indonesian crabmeat was seized by U.S. Marshalls following allegations of improper storarge.

*The first Examiner link. Those are some short articles.

April 9

In Worcester County, after a car chase a man was arrested for killing a couple and two of their grandchildren.

City police officer Che Jackson, 24, was arrested for stealing tire rims from a seized Cadillac.

Perv news:
A QA County middle school gym teacher, 26-year-old Christopher Tribbett, is accused of having a sexual relationship with a girl that began when she was 12 years old.

Dateline NBC is under fire by the Wash. Post for paying the civilian watchdog group Perverted Justice. The group did three shows that attracted some 24 million viewers, by the fourth show they negotiated to be paid a paltry $100k for their work. Three members of the group were also deputized so the arrests would meet local legal requirements, and the series has generated accusations of news-manufacturing. Whatever.

April 8

Karen L. Foxx killed her estranged husband Herman last Saturday afternoon in Randallstown with some shots to the torso. Good for her. He broke her dog's neck for godsake.

April 7

Snitched-upon officers King (left) and Murray have been found guilty.

Roderick Dwayne Johnson, 19, pled guilty to second-degree murder and handgun use in a crime of violence in connection with the death of Sheronda Butcher, 30. Court documents allege that on October 9, 2004 Johnson shot and killed Butcher in a dispute over money. Johnson allegedly shot Butcher as she attempted to close a window in her apartment. Roderick Johnson received from The Honorable Judge Althea Handy a total sentence of 40 years, suspend all but 20 years, the first five years without the possibility of parole. So he could possibly be out on parole for five years?!

Third trial's a Charm: The murder trial of Mohammad Biglari, 62, is scheduled for 9:30 Monday morning before Judge Glynn. In 1994 a Baltimore City jury convicted Biglari of the 1991 murder of Barbara Halsey and he was sentenced to life in prison. Then the CSA granted a new trial in 1995 based on "evidentiary issues." He was not tried again until 2002 on account of "competency issues" (whose is unclear) and was convicted again that year. The CSA granted a new trial in 2004 due to a court procedural issue; Biglari had been removed from the courtroom for misbehavior.

Three people were shot and two killed in unrelated incidents yesterday. A man was killed on N. Longwood St. near Walbrook Avenue in West Baltimore, and two men were shot, one fatally, on the 500 block of Sheriden Avenue near York Road.

More than 100 charges relating to a two-state shooting rampage were dropped against a man named Allison Lamont Norman. Ironically, dropping the charges made it more likely for Norman to face a harsher penalty in Delaware.

The Sun reports that 21-year old Daron Harerll was arrested for shooting a man and a woman on Wednesday. It was the paper's first mention of the double shooting.

Double shootings may not be ink-worthy, but the arrest of two pot-smoking high school students got four paragraphs.

More news of the ironic: Charles Boutin, a Harford County delegate who was a chief sponsor of the Defense of Marriage Act admitted to using his state-owned office computer to solicit a prostitute. Is there anything worse than a gay-bashing hypocrite trolling for hookers with your tax dollar? Why yes! His office responded to the allegations by issuing a press release attributing his actions to his chronically limp weiner. On WBAL radio this morning, the governor called the incident "private and personal" and "a lot of things that don't belong on the air." Word.

April 6

The death of Lana Whalen of Essex, whose body was found on the shoulder of the O'Donnell Street I-95 ramp last night, is considered suspicious.

Federal prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty against four members of the Supreme Team.

The trial of Andre Broadway, 47, is scheduled to begin tomorrow before Judge Allen Schwait. Court documents allege that on or about August 2, 2005 Broadway sexually assaulted and abused a 14-year-old. Documents also allege that on or about September 24, 2005 Broadway threatened the caretaker of the adolescent, leaving several threatening messages on "his/her" (I guess "his/her" identity is a secret) answering machine.

Last week's murder victim, Victor Richards, was to be a witness in the murder trial of Kevin Garnett, Tavon and Stephen Williams, accused of killing Theodore Ross. This week the three were acquitted.

Arrests were made for the murders of Darren Green, shot March 25, and Edward Jeter, killed last week. Also two arrests for attempted murder in the blotter and a man shot in the neck.

In PGC, Henry Zelaya is facing federal charges related to directing activities of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang from jail. (Fun fact: the group's name means "gang that saves trout")

Police are seeking a man in a too-small bucket hat, left, who robbed the Catonsville Wachovia bank.

Police are seeking a man who stole $10k worth of jewelry from "the Lord and Taylor's."

Two Harford County brothers were arrested for running a fake-charity scam.

Also in Harford County, another attack on a dad at the hands of the local Bloods.

In Chestertown, something a lot like a riot broke out at the Department of Juvenile Services' J. Deweese Carter Center. Eighteen youths have been charged.

Perv alert: a chubby 50-ish white guy was spotted lurking around the playground at Freetown Elementary in AAC.

Dept. of Bad Parenting:
A four-year-old boy was found abandoned and wandering on North Avenue. He is now in foster care.

A woman was arrested for falsely claiming someone broke into her home and stabbed her two-year-old. The real culprit was the boy's five-year-old brother.

April 5

Someone stabbed a two-year-old white boy.

Ditkoff: four murders this week: Edward Jeter, 28; Victor Richards, 23; Raymond Brown, 27; and Ashley Harris, 19 (had Harris been shot on government property instead of the sidewalk in front of Club Choices, her fetus would also be counted), for a total of 64 murders so far this year. The Sun reported three of the four.

King and Murray: "beastly men from the jungle" or "fallen warriors"? The case has gone to the jury.

BaltiCo,BaltCo, it's not really a town, but the population's up and crime is down!

Christian Lopez, a 17-year-old, has been arrested for first- and second-degree assault (among other charges) after an incident in Landsdowne in which 12 men used baseball bats to assault three victims.

Rondell Medley, 17, was arrested for the murder of Tarrod Wallace last year.

A man was beaten and carjacked while his three-year-old son was in the back seat, strapped in. No word if investigators suspected the dad or tot of whoremongering or operating an illegal hackney-coach.

State police are seeking a white male rapist with a "Portofino Bay Hotel" hat.

Corrections officer Michael Kemp was arrested for posessing two vials of crack.

In the Blotter: you know times are tough if criminals are reduced to robbing the Dollar Store.

April 4

The second suspect in the shooting of undercover cop Dante Hemingway is not 17, nor is she named Brittaney, Britney or Brittany Johnson: she's 20-year-old Sherray Douglas, and why she had the detectives {sic} personal cell phone number is a mystery.

As diversity dwindles among the ranks of police, some wonder if a shackled, stuffed Abu (the Disney® monkey) is some kind of statement. (Like maybe "... they cut off your ear if they don't like your face/It's barbaric, but, hey, it's home!")

Judge Nathan Braverman granted Vickie Mengel's motion to modify her sentence and granted her a Probation before Judgment. There are no new terms or conditions. The southwestern district police officer was convicted February 14 of illegal gambling and fined $150 for her involvement in a November poker game in Northeast Baltimore.

Yesterday's murder victim was identified as 23-year-old Victor Richards. And there's plenty of other violence in the blotter.

Wayne Bond, the 18-year-old killer of Derald Guess, will be sentenced June 2.

Ronnie "Skinny Suge" Thomas was arrested for assault and robbery.

Cars are being stolen left and right in the Northern.

A man in a Salisbury Denny's got glued to a toilet seat.

Nine residents of Baltimore and Hagerstown were indicted on federal cocaine-dealing-related charges.

A Cecil County cop is in hot water after swiping some knockoff designer handbags from the evidence room.

MTA bus driver Francisco Rivera, convicted of felony theft for selling black-market bus passes, will go to jail for two years.

Baltimore County police found a sweatshirt they believe belonged to the rapist of the 90-year-old woman.

The Examiner arrives tomorrow; it announced itself Saturday by indecorously littering thousands of lawns with advertisements, which may soon be illegal (wait, isn't it already an ordinance?) Anyway, the Examiner will target rich people who don't like to read, as well as the Sun's advertisers by selling space at a discount. The competition is more bad news for the Sun, which has been struggling to integrate its Internet presence with print operations.

My connection is back!

April 3

There were three murders in Baltimore over the weekend. A pregnant 19-year-old girl named Ashley Harris was shot to death early Friday morning in the 1800 block of N. Charles. 28-year-old Edward Jeter was shot and killed inside of a house located on the 900 block of N. Luzerne St. late Friday morning. On Saturday morning, 27-year-old Raymond Jerome Brown was found shot to death on a stoop in the 500 block of N. Mount St.

We failed to mention the death of 23-year-old Victor Lamar Richards, who was shot eight times while standing in the 1300 block of N. Montford Ave. last Thursday.

Montgomery County Police are seeking one Silvino (or Giovanni) Quintanilla, wanted for murdering his 23-year-old girlfriend Maritza Hernandez.

Undercover officer Dante Hemingway is still in critical condition at Shock Trauma after being shot last week in South Baltimore. Police have arrested 20-year-old Jobrey Lodge and are seeking a woman who is suspected of being involved in the shooting.

A 30-year-old woman was raped in her Bel-Air home early Sunday morning after a man broke in through a back window.

16-year-old Tanya Harris was arrested Friday when she returned to her Hilltop Ave. home.

Today's Blotter has a shooting, another shooting, yet another shooting, and a dispute over some movie theatre popcorn that resulted in a theft of $5.

Perv du jour: 32-year-old Andrew Malone is accused of photographing an eight-year-old boy in a toilet stall in Arundel Mills Mall.