July 3

Lots of murder news in the city:

• Two men were shot yesterday afternoon in the 2000 block of Guilford Ave. in Barclay, just up the street from the public school headquarters. 39-year-old Allen Burton died from his wounds at Shock Trauma shortly after the shooting.
• 30-year-old Nathaniel Price was reported missing on Saturday; his body was found in the back of his 2007 Jeep yesterday in the 4900 block of Greencrest Rd. in the Northeastern.
• The unidentified body found in a garbage bag behind a rowhouse in the 1500 block of Bond St. had a gunshot wound to the upper torso, and has been declared a homicide.
• Davon Turner was the man who was murdered Sunday in the 800 block of N. Patterson Park Ave.
• Gerald Smith was shot to death behind the wheel of his idling car in the 4800 block of Herring Run Dr.
• Jewels Cook was the man whose body was found last week in the 2300 block of Cylburn Ave, near the Cylburn Arboretum.

Hey, all you Baltimore County people, you've got a few also:

• A 38-year-old man was fatally shot in the 8000 block of Philadelphia Rd. in Rosedale last night at about 9:00. He was the 21st murder victim in the county this year.
• 23-year-old Taavon Chambers was the man who was shot to death in the parking lot of the Windsor Inn in Woodlawn just after closing time on Monday morning (or Sunday morning, according to the Sun). Chambers was the nephew of a Baltimore County police officer, and did not appear to know his attacker.

13-year-old Briona Jasmine Porter died after being shot during a robbery attempt of her mother's new ice cream truck.

The family of murder victim and alleged rim stealer Joseph Johnson claims that he and Charles Brockington have had disputes in the past.

Luke Broadwater's monthly recap in the Examiner focuses on Marine reservist Michael Simms, and gives us a few fun facts: Every police district in the city has had at least nine murders; police have closed 48 of this year's 151 homicides; our population is apathetic towards violent crime; and a pastor on Edmonson Ave. is preaching on the street outside her church to try to stem the flow of blood.

David Lee Miller, the alleged murderer of Elizabeth Walters and their unborn child, will face first-degree murder charges for the fetus' death.

There were four shootings in two separate incidents in AAC over the weekend. (Actually, the article lists five victims, but the headline says four. Go figure.)

Fascinating evidence that MO'M and his zero-tolerance approach might not have been as effective as the former mayor claimed.

There's a good article on BPD foot patrols in the Sun that poses questions and observations like "Is it (the foot patrols) going to be sustained?" and "How this will prevent violent crime ... isn't readily apparent. But then, preventive measures rarely are dramatic or immediate."

Accusations of excessive force were made against officer James Wilder of the BPD for his behavior at the scene of an accident on 39th St. and N. Charles St.

Kenneth Pinckney was charged with first- and second-degree assault for stabbing a man who was talking to Pinckney's wife at the Deutsches Gasthaus in Aberdeen.

A porn shop in Aberdeen was burned on Sunday morning.

As of yesterday, felons who have completed their sentences can vote in Maryland.

Guardian Angels will begin training Edgewood residents within the next few weeks.

Someone stole a banner from a PFLAG booth at the Columbia City Fair last weekend.

Lawrence Williams stole Viagra from the military and sold it for his own profit.

Rats have infested the playground at the old Memorial Stadium site in Waverly. (Okay, so it's not a crime, but it's really gross.)

July 2

Charles Brockington, the man charged with second-degree murder for shooting rim-stealer Joseph Milton Johnson, will be held without bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30AM July 26, 2007 in Wabash District Court, room six.

Three more murders between Saturday night and Sunday night, bringing our official tally to 157.

A man was killed in the parking lot of the Windsor Inn bar and restaurant in Woodlawn (Balto. County) just after closing time on Sunday morning.

A decomposing body was found in a garbage bag behind a rowhouse in the 1500 block of Bond St. The death is suspicious but has not been ruled a homicide. Also at the same link, a man was shot during a robbery at a house in Severna Park.

The hit-and-run driver who killed 10-year-old Kianna Johnson with a green station wagon on June 21 remains free and unidentified.

Hey Sheila, your voters are almost ready to pack up and leave. Maybe you should do something more meaningful than holding another f--king meeting.

July 1

Charles Brockington was charged with second degree murder yesterday.

Charging documents allege that he killed Joseph Milton Johnson, Jr. 29, early Friday, June 29, when Brockington spotted Johnson removing tires from Brockington's 2006 Mercedes parked in front of his home. The documents further allege that in a ruse to return the tires and distract Brockington, Johnson returned to his car and drove away. While driving away, Johnson was struck in the left shoulder area by a 9MM gun fired by Brockington.

Damon Holmes got 40 years for killing Malian can driver Oumar Bah.

19-year-old Adrian Jones got nervous when he saw some cops, so he ran away then tried to shoot them.

With 155 murders at the year's halfway point, the Sun investigates the violence and the lack of outrage in the city. Meanwhile, WJZ has a story about a rally to stop the violence.

The Sun published Q&As with Hamm and Dixon.

Annapolis is having a rough time with crime, too.

Police are still searching for the two men who robbed an Edgewater Shell station last week.

Robberies and drug arrests in the Blotter.

June 29

A man in Park Heights was killed at 5:20 this morning, allegedly while stealing wheels off of a Mercedes.

Three city residents were indicted for using information from stolen credit reports to buy a whole bunch of fancy stuff.

A man having a psychological episode led police on a leisurely car chase near Frederick.

Happy day in the Blotter: No killing, shooting, stabbing, beating, raping, assaulting, child abusing, car jacking, or other generally acceptable Baltimore behavior. There was, however, a robbery on Monday morning at a gas station on W. Franklin St.

Stephen Sellman was arrested on Wednesday after DNA linked him to a 1987 rape.

Threatening letter-writer Michelle J. Dohm got canned by Frederick County.

Department of governmental incompetence and/or corruption:

The Maryland Judiciary failed to get competitive bids for about $4M in equipment.

Four HoCo schools didn't use approved vendors for their fundraisers.

Evening

News from the State's Attorney's Office:

Sentencing for 15-year-old Damon Holmes is scheduled for 9:00 tomorrow morning before Judge Lynn Stewart. Holmes pleaded guilty to shooting cab driver Oumar Bah during a robbery on May 31, 2006.

***

17-year-old Christopher Ford was indicted for first-degree murder and handgun charges.

Court documents allege that Christopher Ford was responsible for the shooting incident on May 29, 2007 in the 3400 block of Clifton Avenue. Neil Rather, 18, was found shot on the parking lot on Clifton and Denison Avenue. The two men were engaged in an argument over a $20.00 debt when Rather was shot. He died later at Sinai Hospital.

***

The attempted murder trial of Rozza Alston, 29, of the 1600 block of Saint Paul Street, is scheduled to begin 11AM tomorrow before Judge Wanda K. Heard, 540 Courthouse East, 111 N. Calvert St.

Court documents allege that on January 26, 2007 Alston accosted a female victim in the parking lot of a Kentucky Fried Chicken located at 1821 Saint Paul Street demanding her purse. When the victim refused, he allegedly stabbed her numerous times in her hand, arm and chest. Police arrested Alston on February 3, 2007.

***

The RIAA is thanking Baltimore for going after music pirates:

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) will present a number of awards to police and prosecutors for their professionalism in the ongoing successful effort to charge and prosecute defendants who engage in music piracy. Dozens of these cases are prosecuted annually by the State’s Attorney’s Office.

June 28

A body with gunshot wound(s) was found yesterday morning in the 2300 block of Cylburn Ave, near the Cylburn Arboretum.

Police don't know whether Moeen Raja's Ellicott City murder was a random crime, and Raja's family is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

The man murdered in Annapolis yesterday has been identified as 35-year-old Marcus Antonio Wells. It was the fourth homicide in Annapolis this year, which gives the capitol city a per capita murder rate of about half of Baltimore's.

Two men were shot at a playground in the 1100 block of Orleans St. on Tuesday evening.

An Easton police officer shot at a suspect and was placed on administrative leave.

Michael McFadden was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Ronny Martin on January 1, 2006.

Vera Rennie Rogers testified in the Carroll County murder trial against her nephew, Shawn Anthony Jones. In exchange for her testimony, Rogers got a five-year suspended jail sentence and three years of supervised probation.

PDJ: Scott R. Davis got five years for trading pictures online of adults having sex with kids. Have fun in prison, Scott.

The debate continues over whether or not James Thompson deserves a new trial.

The Harford County Sheriff's Department has some sweet new digs.

June 27

Anna Ditkoff sheds light on a whole bunch of death in this week's Murder Ink.

An unidentified man was shot and killed in the 200 block of Croll Dr. in Annapolis last night.

Ruby Pulley was attacked and mauled by two pit bulls in East Baltimore. The two dogs -- along with five other pits -- were owned by a 17-year-old boy and his family.

AAC police are looking for two men who robbed an Edgewater gas station last Wednesday.

Police are investigating the Jack and Jill Day Care Center in Dundalk for child abuse. The owner of the center says the charges are coming from a disgruntled employee.

Jerrell Antwan Gardner was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 15-year-old Maurice Gordon.

18-year-old Jaquane Donte Gross was charged with first degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Davon Lopez.

17-year-old Jyreece Simmons was charged with attempted murder for shooting a man on the light rail last week.

Eric Miller was arrested and charged with attempted murder for a triple shooting at the Lafayette Homes project in Southeastern Baltimore on June 2.

Four alleged murderers may face the death penalty for killing a witness to a crime. The men are charged with killing John Dowery last Thanksgiving when he snuck home to visit his family. (I got the facts completely wrong on this one. John Dowery's murder is still unsolved, although members of the Special Heroin organization were charged with shooting Dowery nonfatally on Oct. 19, 2005. Just read Matthew Dolan's article in the Sun, and it'll all make sense. Sorry for the mistake. -TTC)

Daniel Scott Rushton entered an Alford plea after being charged with beating Robert Proescher to death outside an Overlea bar last year.

A 15-year-old HoCo student claims he brought a gun to school to protect himself from gangs.

Former sixth-grade teacher Michelle J. Dohm got nine months for sending threatening notes to five of her students.

The BCFD was charged with violations that led to the death of fire cadet Racheal M. Wilson.

Wealthy kids in Bel Air are at risk of becoming drug addicts.

Speeding with 42 pounds of pot in the back of your station wagon is pretty stupid.

Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. is supporting a move to condemn nine buildings in Dundalk's Yorkway neighborhood.

Evening Update

Demetries Sturgis Convicted of First-Degree Murder
A Baltimore City jury yesterday convicted Demetries Sturgis, 22, of the 3000 block of Matthews St. of first degree murder, two counts of second degree murder and several counts of assault. The trial began June 22, 2007. Judge Kaye Allison scheduled sentencing for August 14, 2007.

On July 18, 2006, at approximately 2:30AM in the 400 block of Whitridge Ave. the two victims (Larry Reed of 1409 N. Bond St. and Rasheed Stevenson of 506 Sheridan Ave) got into an argument with Sturgis and another person. Sturgis and the other person left the scene and later returned. It was at this time Sturgis cut and stabbed Rasheed Stevenson 11 times, fatally severing his carotid artery, and then stabbed Larry Reed in his cheek, underarm and thigh. The two victims were then rushed to the hospital by a close friend. Sturgis and the other person fled the scene. The motive for the incident stemmed from the fact that Sturgis did not believe that the victims were legitimate members of the Bloods Gang.
Assistant State's Attorney Kevin Wiggins of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Bernard Ramseur, 18, of the 1300 block of N. Gilmore Street for first-degree attempted rape, armed robbery and third-degree sex offense. Court documents allege that Bernard Ramseur was identified by surveillance camera in the 600 block of N. Paca Street as the suspect for the attempted rape, armed robbery and third-degree sex offense on June 14, 2007. As officers approached the location, Ramseur fled the scene but was later found several blocks away in the 400 block of Druid Hill Avenue. An arraignment is scheduled for July 20, 2007 before Judge John M. Glynn, Room 236, Mitchell Courthouse. Assistant State’s Attorney John Park will prosecute this case.

June 26

"I haven't fired anyone yet," said Dixon, and Hamm says the Brown pension deal was "legal" and "above board, " cold comfort to injured and disabled officers living on $700 a month. Meanwhile, the City Council wants a "review" to be "investigated."

The State declined to press charges against Examiner editor Frank Keegan this morning; prosecutors entered a Nolle prosse, Latin for "free pass." The Sun had plenty to add, but the douchebag neighbor had no comment.

More on yesterday's "Smackdown" (or, "Smack Down").

June 25 afternoon

Examiner editor Frank Keegan's assualt trial is scheduled for 8:30 tomorrow morning in courtroom two, Hargrove District Court, Baltimore.

Maurice Crosby and Erica Ammenhauser, both wanted for the murder of Marine reservist Michael Simms, turned themselves in on Friday.

Christopher Clarke's lacrosse team at Patterson High received a donation of new equipment today. Clarke was killed by stray gunfire in March.

File under Smack, Putting Down of

From Lt. Quick of the Southern, sent to Community Leaders:

"The following information is forwarded regarding the conclusion of an investigation into the heroin distribution organization known as "Smackdown." The organization centered around the Pratt and Carey Sts intersection and extended into the Hollins Roundhouse and Union Square communities and quite possibly several others as well.

"None of the addresses where search warrants were executed were in the Southern District, however all the persons arrested conducted most of their drug sales in the listed communities. It should be noted that this is a Federal Case and those arrested are subject to extremely lengthy sentences. Several of those arrested will potentially get life in federal prison. The Federal system has no probation or parole and has a conviction rate of somewhere near 98%. This is a rock solid case and will end the Matthews drug dealing.

"The Southern District will continue to hit the area hard in an effort to prevent other drug organizations form attempting to operate in the area ... On 6/22/07 Sgt. Tom Smith's O.C.D. / D.E.A. / M.E.T. team executed 8 search and seizure warrants relative to the "Smack Down" heroin organization that operates in the Southern District in the area of Pratt and Carey St.

The following evidence was recovered:
2.8 Kilograms of Heroin - Street value in excess of $500,000.00
3 Handguns
Approx. $145,000.00 (Still Counting)

The following locations were raided:
5501 Todd Ave. (NED)
3808 Bayville Rd (Baltimore County)
507 Rose Hill Terr. (N.D.)
3621 Elmley Av. (N.E.D.)
5411 Jamestown Ct. (S.W.D.)
6012 Amberwood Rd. (N.E.D.)
2034 Walbrook Ave. (W.D.)
4304 Seminole Ave. (S.W.D.)

The Following Individuals were arrested:
Calvin Mathews SID#1676517
Jerome Gilbert SID#2123302
Jermaine Gilbert SID#1437715
Lennell Mathews SID#2250043
Michael Goodman SID#2248896
Donita Moore SID#1793142
Jaml Piles SID#3127619
Arthur Snowden SID# 96082
Keith Stevenson SID#2446374

The following persons have open Federal Indictment Warrants and have not yet been arrested:
Lionel Mathews SID#2273084
Bryant Snowden SID#1938277

The pistols recovered were .45 and .9mm.

All persons were transported to S.D. / D.D.U. One individual was debriefed by 2100 Det. Hunter as well in relation to 07H119.

All are expected to be Federally detained, although the detention hearings have not yet occurred.

I would especially like to thank the following:
Sgt. Smith and the D.E.A. / M.E.T. squad for making a great case!!
AUSA Wallner and Weinstein for their tireless efforts
ASA Siemek and Mason for there State side help
Lt. McKnight and QRT for making two of our entries
Balto. Co. SWAT / Narcotics for making a County entry
S.D. Operations, namely officers Creed and Moody who provided vital intelligence.
Deputy Major McDonald for his patience.
I'm sure I missed a few.

Most interesting to me in this is that this Southern District organization lived in 4 different City Districts, and Baltimore County. Not one S.D. location was raided! This shows what a City (and County) wide organization this really is (was)!"

-- Lt. Quick

June 25

An Amber Alert has been cancelled for a 3-year-old boy missing from Baltimore.

There was a gunfight between cops and dealers in the 2300 block of Barclay yesterday afternoon. A BPD officer was shot in the toe, and a 21-year-old suspect was shot in the thigh and ankle.

Robert Edward Speake was arrested in Curtis Bay and charged with murdering Phillip Airey, the man whose body was found in the trunk of his burning car on Rt. 295.

A 15-year-old girl in Baltimore County was charged for assaulting and attempting to rob a 57-year-old neighbor.

A 9-year-old boy allegedly set fire to an apartment in Carroll County on Friday.

Two homemade bombs were set of in Frederick last night, one in someone's lawn and one in a mailbox.

June 24

A body was found floating in the Harbor near Bond St. in Fell's Point, police deemed it "suspicious."

Turns out the "man" shot on Bayville Road Friday in Middle River was a 16-year-old Davon Lopez. Jaquane Gross, 18 and also of Bayville Road, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

One of Mustafa Alif's guns, which had been customized with a laser sight, had been seized then returned before it was used to kill Police Officer Troy Chesley in January. Last week, police took seven guns from Alif's house; Alif says the weapons connected with crimes had been stolen from his home in 1999.

If you fight Coast Guard authority, Coast Guard Authority always wins.

Evening Update

A man was shot to death at about 3 a.m. this morning near Pennsylvania Avenue and Mosher Street.

A man was beaten and shot at the Westport Light Rail Station in South Baltimore, his condition's unknown.

In the county, a man was shot to death at about 10 p.m. in the 3900 block of Bayville Road in Middle River.

A drunk suspect tried to run down an officer in the SW, the officer "discharged a weapon," but JZ isn't clear on if discharge actually struck the suspect.

Creepy update on the murder of Phillip Airey Jr., the victim found in the trunk of a Prizm on a 295 off-ramp: the sister of the victim says she helped his ex and her boyfriend dispose of his body.

MoCo police are having their own overtime scandal; there, nine officers have been suspended and the probe of suspected double-dippers is widening.

Thomas Vernon Bartow, 34, of Salisbury drove 150 miles in his teal Camaro to videotape the crotches and rumps of young swimmers at the Woodridge Swim Club in Lititz, PA.
Locally, it was the highest holiday of the pedophile year: "WJZ's Gigi Barnett reports hundredths of kids and adults got a chance to get wet as several city water parks opened."

Only 79 more days of this!
Delegate Carter and Councilperson Mitchell visited the Ed Norris Show Friday; Mitchell suggested holding City Council hearings about the pension schammdal, Carter pointed out that BS City Council Hearings are what got us in this mess today. zing!

But questions do remain about the Brown Pension papers. Who was involved in writing them? Who knew about it? And how did Jayne Miller and the Examiner get copies? And, of course, was there a crime? Who's got the authority to determine such things?

June 23

Moeen Sadiq Raja, 21, was shot to death in Ellicott City at about 11:45 Friday night, "in a parking lot near the county executive center and other government buildings."

Girard Scott Hall Jr. and Frances Theresa Childress were both shot and stabbed in their Hillendale townhouse.

Shots were fired indiscriminately in Remington yesterday afternoon in an apparent homicide attempt that failed miserably.

A 10-year-old girl died after a hit-and-run in West Baltimore yesterday afternoon, and a man was shot in the chest at the Westport light rail station in South Baltimore last night.

In the Blotter: A 16-year-old was shot in the right knee, a 27-year-old was shot in the right hand, a woman was maced by two other women, and people all over the city are either into insurance fraud or leave a lot of valuable stuff in their cars.

Breaking news: teenagers have some mighty creative ways to hide drug use from their parents and teachers.

June 22

The man shot yesterday as he drove on Ellerslie Avenue near Greenmount and 33rd was named as George Wilson, 24.
Two beatings last May have become homicides: a 35-year-old found May 19 in the Executive Inn on Pulaski Highway, and a
40-year-old man "found lying naked and bleeding from multiple injuries in the 1800 block of Presstman St. about 4:30 a.m. May 23."

Corruption:
Snake-eyes Marcus Brown and his pension are still causing a whole lot of trouble for Hamm. Councilman Jack Young has joined Keiffer and the Examiner editorial page in calling for the Commissioner's canning.
And there's more ... Jayne discovered that Brown actually got the pension before it was approved ... though officials say that's not unusual. And Dixon says she's "bothered" and "wants answers," but "Before I make any judgments, I need to get some clarity about it."
Holistic clarity now!

Former Baltimore police offiicer Michael B. Nelson, 26, and his wife, Tierra Spencer Nelson, 24, pled guilty to mail and wire fraud. Michael worked in the Western and in Central Booking for six months; Tierra has two previous convictions.

"City police commander's kin admits 3 robberies" ... and it's not about Nicole Sisker, either!

Counties:
Two men, Michael Paul Martin, 28, and Robert Edward Speake, 18, have been charged with stabbing and beating Phillip Calvin Airey Jr. to death and leaving him in the trunk of a burning Geo Prizm on a 295 off-ramp.
Police believe Airey was killed during a fight with the suspects in Curtis Bay (South Baltimore).

In Westminster, "An alleged drug dealer learned the folly of calling police to his Westminster home and then admitting that he sold bongs over the Internet."

Today in Sex
William Edward Wray, II, 50, Crespatown was indicted for sexually exploiting a minor to produce child pornography, and receipt and possession of child pornography; for two years he made photos and videos of a minor female "engaged in sexually explicit conduct."

Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, and Family Leader Network filed a petition with the MD Board of Ed. yesterday, demanding no gay talk or condom-on-banana tricks in MoCo middle schools. The groups claim the subjects are off-limits by law as the curriculum is the subject of a legal appeal.
Wonder what their stance is on teaching the kids about all the pedophiles out there?!

June 22

The man killed while driving his Cadillac in the Northern has been ID'd as 24-year-old George Wilson. Also, two men who were beaten to death in May have been added to the year's homicide count. One was a 35-year-old man who was found naked in a motel room on May 19 in the 3600 block of Pulaski Highway. The other was a 40-year-old man who was found naked in the 1800 block of Presstman St. The killings are considered unrelated.

The two people murdered in Hillendale/Parkville have been identified as 22-year-old Girard Scott Hall Jr. and 25-year-old Frances Theresa Childress. Two children were in the house at the time of the killings.

Michael Paul Martin was charged in the death of 36-year-old Phillip Calvin Airey Jr., the man who was found in the trunk of a burning car on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Warrants for 18-year-old Robert Edward Speake have also been issued.

It's not just criminals killing more people in 2007; killings by the BPD are tied with the total number from last year.

Elmer H. Warfield pleaded guilty to robbing three local banks. Warfield's brother is a commander in the BPD.

A 19-year-old woman robbed a Popeye's but was turned in by her mother. (Same link as above)

A really smart drug-dealer was arrested after calling police to report a burglary.

A HoCo woman was pulled over by a fake cop in Jessup.

The Sun covers Keiffer's call for Hamm to resign.

June 21 evening

Leeander Blake = guilty.

Five gallons of PCP is worth a million bucks! Who knew?

Politics*

Keiffer Mitchell met with Hamm today: "we talked about the crisis, it was a frank conversation."
Hours later, Mitchell went on WBAL to call for Hamm's resignation: "leadership starts at the top, there's a lack of direction ... people are losing faith, if there is a real direction, that why I've come out and suggested that Commissioner Hamm step down."

Finally, a politician who can turn a phrase! Frank M. Conaway Senior has officially entered the race.Baltimore is turning into a Dodge City, a Deadwood, or more aptly, a Tombstone from the days of the Wild West, where gunfights erupted spontaneously and lawlessness reigned supreme."

*Sorry... with the election coming up you can't avoid them!