September 3

21-year-old Gary Watts was shot repeatedly and killed last night in a drive-by in the 1300 block of N. Rosedale St.

The Examiner offers up their month-end homicide recap, and Luke B. reports that our murder rate is "insane" (and our politicians are windbags).

Lots of bricks and guns in the Blotter:

A man, 44, and a woman, 30, were seated in the man's car parked in the 3100 block of Baker St. about 10 p.m. Saturday when someone threw a brick through the car's window that struck the man in the head. Police said when the woman got out of the car, she yelled out, "The money is in the console!" With that, the injured driver attempted to flee and was shot in the left arm. Police said the woman, who apparently set up the incident, joined several men and was being sought. The wounded driver ran to the 1300 block of N. Rosedale St., where police were investigating a fatal shooting [the murder of Gary Watts, above], and was taken by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Police are ISO 57-year-old Kenneth Beauchamp, left, for the Rosedale murder of Patrick Pearce III.

Interesting poll results: while crime is the biggest issue to Baltimoreans who respond to telephone polls, the majority say that in their neighborhoods, it's "not much of a problem at all."

Arthur Lee Edmondson Jr., the city "officer who shot and killed a man during a struggle for his service weapon on a Northwest Baltimore street early Thursday had previously shot four people, including one man fatally in 1994, according to department records."

September 2

A 16-year-old in McElderry Park crashed his bicycle as he was fleeing police, pointed a stolen Army gun at the cops, and got shot in the shoulder by undercover police.

Remember our collective outrage over the Dawsons? This is what it got us.

Criminologists who study Baltimore say apathy, alienation and cynicism have taken root. People have seen the criminal justice system fail to arrest and lock up criminals, allowing gangs to proliferate. They have seen politicians announce crime-fighting plans with great fanfare, only to have results fall short of the rhetoric.

At the same time, many of the positive forces of cohesion from the past have disappeared. Libraries have closed. Neighborhood associations have weakened. The number of recreation centers in the city has dropped from 145 in 1980 to 43 today. ... The violence considered routine in the city's most desperate neighborhoods is spreading to places once assumed to be safe.

Residents of Charles Village are assaulted and mugged on the street. A Roland Park woman is raped and robbed in her home. Near Patterson Park, a young man is beaten into a coma while walking home from Canton. ... After such well-publicized incidents of crime this summer... even people committed to the city are talking about getting out. They're disillusioned... after five police commissioners in eight years and no clear direction from the city when it comes to fighting crime.

"I think the entire city is under siege," [Warren] Brown said.

Rough stuff. And yet the status-quo Mayoral candidate leads the polls. Why?

This guy's quote about a new anti-panhandling bill ("It's a stress for me. I'm like, 'Do I have any spare change? If I don't, are they going to be upset?'") sounds a lot like The Onion article titled, "Man With Friend With Cancer 'Going Through A Rough Time'."

Yesterday, the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Tevon Allen, 18, at left, of the 1200 block of Seminole Avenue for first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder and other charges. Court documents allege Tevon Allen is responsible for a shooting incident on July 30, 2007 in the 600 block of Winans Way. Jordan Taylor Brown, 21 was found suffering from a gunshot wound there, and is alleged Brown was riding in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, which was stopped at the intersection of Swan Avenue and Rokeby Road, Allen discharged the weapon as the vehicle turned eastbound on Rokeby Road striking Brown. Brown succumbed to his injuries the next day at Sinai Hospital. An arraignment is scheduled for September 24.

September 1

The decomposed body of Patrick Carroll Pearce III was found on Thursday night, four days after he was reported missing by his girlfriend. His body was buried beneath garbage in the 600 block of Todds Lane in Rosedale, and he'd been shot in the chest.

In other Rosedale murder news, the manager of the El-Rich motel on Rt. 40 in Rosedale found a body behind the motel. He was tending his garden yesterday evening when he found the body of what might -- or might not -- be a woman in the woods in the 1100 block of Batavia Farm Rd., about a mile from where Pearce's body was found. The death is being ruled suspicious. Police haven't linked the two bodies.

Our favorite news station offers the following about the two Rosedale murders:
1) A headline that informs us that a murdered man was found dead
2) The wonderful new word, "whuke"
3) An alternate spelling to the victim's name
4) The possibility that Pea(ie)rce was shot in the head rather than the chest

In Wicomico County, Muhammad Na'im Akram apparently had a change of heart and drove his wife to the hospital after taking her to a sand pit, binding her with duct tape, and beating her unconscious with a hammer.

Stephen Janis gives some history behind the quadruple shooting in West Baltimore on Thursday night. A longtime resident of the neighborhood said, "Something happens there every month. I lived here for 30 years. I don't want to leave, but it may be time."

A dumbfuck 16-year-old was arrested after he and two of his dumbfuck friends detonated a soda bottle bomb in a Quiznos in Severna Park.

Lots of car crime in the Blotter.

August 31

A man was shot to death last night in the 2000 block of E. Fairmount Ave. in Butcher's Hill, and a quadruple shooting in the 3000 block of Normount Ct. left one 22-year-old man dead.

A man who was shot on Wednesday night in the 3100 block of Artaban Pl. died yesterday. The man was found in the yard of a house a few blocks away from where Constitutional Defender and All Around Great Guy Warren Brown lives with his crime-fighting swimming pool.

A decomposed body was found in the Jones Falls near the 3000 block of Falls Rd. and Chestnut Ave. in Hampden. The death has been ruled suspicious. (Thanks, Burger.)

Police aren't really saying much about the investigation of Karen Kamsch, a Pasadena teenager who disappeared in the '70s, except to say that there's nothing in the well.

A woman crossing Harford Rd. in Parkville was hit by a silver Saturn that continued driving south towards the city. The car contained two women and a baby.

"In fact, until recently, (Cherry Hill) went several months without a single murder, something that hadn't happened in decades."

More Molotov cocktails, this time in Abingdon.

A guard at the Somerset County jail allegedly sexually assaulted five female inmates.

Former Army Lt. Col. and current pedophile Steve Miller got five years in prison.

DJ Nelly Nell got convicted for drugs and might get a 40-year gig in prison.

Oops! Dale Clark, Sheila D.'s former campaign chairman who earned half-a-million-big-ones working for the city without a contract, forgot to file his tax returns.

An ex-employee of Bowman's Restaurant and Pub in Carney pleaded guilty to robbing his former employer, who happened to be located directly next door to the Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police lodge.

Note to criminals: be careful with your E-ZPass.

Quote of the Day

"In the black community, we'll find 10 different ways to kick you down before we'll take one to lift you up."
-- Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, on why not to vote for her

Yesterday the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Dwayne Erving, 18, of the 1700 block of N. Bond Street for first-degree murder and handgun charges. Court documents allege Dwayne Erving is responsible for "a shooting incident" on August 8, 2007 in the 2300 block of E. Oliver Street. Joseph Bryant was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest in the unit block of E. Oliver Street. Erving allegedly attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended in the 2100 block of Federal Street, two blocks from the murder scene. Bryant died later the same day at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Wednesday, a Baltimore City jury convicted Joseph Brinkley, 39, of the 2700 block of Baker Street of two counts of attempted first degree murder, two counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, two counts of reckless endangerment and one count of handgun on person and one count of possession of a regulated firearm. Jurors heard two days of testimony and deliberated for one hour before reaching a verdict. Attempted first degree murder carries a maximum prison term of life. The handgun counts carry maximum prison terms of 20 years. Judge Paul E. Alpert scheduled sentencing for November 7, 2007. Details:

On November 11, 2005, two men were leaving an apartment in the 3400 block of Oakfield Avenue after noticing Brinkley had a gun. The men got into a hack and started to drive away. Brinkley ran into the street after them firing nine times from a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, motive unknown. Both men were hit multiple times in the back. The driver was unharmed and drove them to find the nearest ambulance. One of the victims was in a coma from the injuries for almost three weeks and lost his lung. Initially, when interviewed by Detectives a month after the shooting, he gave a taped statement indicating he did not see who shot him. However, after Brinkley approached him and his nine-year old son a year later, the victim came forward and identified Brinkley as the shooter. This witness was the only eyewitness and his compelling and truthful testimony at trial, despite his earlier statements, helped secure this conviction.

At a hearing yesterday, Judge Lynn K. Stewart sentenced Elmer Warfield, 37, of the 2800 block of Oakley Ave. to three terms of 10 years in prison suspend all but five years, consecutive, for three separate counts of robbery. Warfield pled guilty June 21, 2007 to three counts of robbery. Shortly after 9 a.m on March 19, 2007 police apprehended Warfield after a robbery call was placed from Carrollton Bank on North Charles Street. He pled guilty to robbing $1,300 from that bank and also pled guilty to two other bank robberies: robbing $4,400 from First Mariner Bank in Canton on March 16, 2007 and robbing $2,000 from Bank of America in Federal Hill on February 16.

August 30

Police killed a combative road rager in the Northwestern.

HoCo's #5, Wasel Ali, was missing for five days before his (allegedly) beaten body was found in the woods in Columbia. Ali had just admitted to stealing from his employer, and was recently discharged from the Army Reserve for impersonating an MP.

AAC police are investigating a Pasadena well in a homicide case from 30 years ago.

This has signs of Irvin Harris written all over it.

A bunch of guys attacked another bunch of guys, leading to assault charges in Glen Burnie.

To prove her decision isn't filled with political posturing, Sheila D. might appoint a new Police Commissioner before the primary on September 11. In unrelated news, pigs might fly out of my ass later on today.

The BPD case for Ramona Bradley was closed when 46-year-old Sandra Milton was arrested and charged with Bradley's death. In the same article, two people were arrested for the murder of Tyrone Willie Bonner.

Not guilty due to a plane ticket to Oregon.

Crime Alert: Mt. Vernon

On August 23 at approximately 12:52 a.m. there was an assault and robbery committed at Charles Street and Peabody Mews; a suspect grabbed a young woman and forced her into the alley and then into the car park behind 3 West Mt. Vernon. The suspect assaulted the victim by beating her and then stole her purse. He ran west through Peabody Mews to Cathedral Street. The Walters Art Museum was able to provide video to the Police from external CCTV cameras, above.

August 29

Thanks to a couple of detectives, Baltimore County police have charged Alphonso William Hill, 55, with six rapes that occurred between 1978 and 1989 along the Loch Raven Boulevard corridor. Investigators have also collected evidence from at least 20 other unsolved rapes that occurred in these areas that they suspect Hill of committing.

"Suspect in Roland Park attack [is] a man with a history of arrests for robbery and sexual assault" ... and makes you wonder why he wasn't, um, behind bars?

If the guy who is robbing you has a gun, you might not want to provoke him.

Glen Stewart, 17, was the former owner of the burning body found in a park just over the County line.

From the "Where were these teachers when I was in high school?" Department:

Kirsten Ann Kinley pleaded guilty yesterday ... to one count of third-degree sex offense for improper sexual conduct with a 15-year-old boy at her Columbia apartment. "She's very depressed," said Thomas Morrow, her Towson-based attorney.

Well, no shit: "She's lost her teaching career. She's facing the unenviable task of being a convicted felon and registering as a sexual offender for the rest of her life." Ah, hindsight.

Former Washington Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey, who was out of a job when a new administration came to town in January, is so hard up for work
he says he wants to be Baltimore's next police commissioner. However,

As a city council member, Fenty had often criticized Ramsey for not focusing enough on Washington's most troubled and crime-ridden neighborhoods, a sentiment echoed by some community leaders yesterday. Critics in the city's police union accused Ramsey of playing to the news media while undercutting rank-and-file officers, who they said are demoralized and leaving in droves.

Baltimore County's cost-cutting medical examinations of police officers -- in some cases, forcing them into early retirement -- are illegal, sayeth los Federales.

Some people use guns, but Joseph R. Lagana used WD-40 to carjack a Columbia man. He'll be doing nine years in the clink.

There's been a fatal double-shooting (double fatal shooting?) in AACo.

MD is either the richest state in the U.S. or its citizens are the most likely to inflate their income on census bureau forms.

County Swimming Holes Terrorized by Rabid Beaver

At arraignment today Calvin Puryear and Lloyd Chase pled not guilty to the murder of Christine Richardson. The court scheduled a murder trial for November 14, 2007.

Roland Park Sex Attack/Robbery Arrest

Chaz Montreal Ricks, 20, left, of 5339 Gist Avenue, was arrested for the Roland Park home invasion, robbery and sex attack. Word is that a city detective actually recognized him from the sketch.
A JIS case search shows that Ricks' rap sheet is as long as your arm and includes 10 criminal cases. Less than a month ago he was loosed after being accused of armed robbery, theft, use of a handgun and second- and third-degree sex offenses when County prosecutors decided to drop the case because the only evidence against him was the word of a co-defendant, which is not legally enough. A second suspect, right, is still at large.

The man found dead in a wooded area in Columbia last night was id'd as 19-year-old Wasel Ali, who had been reported missing by a family member August 22nd.

Entertainment Insider Exxtras: The last season of "the Wire" will include homeless people.

...and the lyrics to Frank Conaway's rap.

August 28

A man was shot and killed in the 400 block of S. Payson St. in the Southwestern early this morning.

The man killed at a Texaco station near Mondawmin Mall has been ID'd as 18-year-old Himank Karki, an immigrant from Nepal who was preparing to start his first day of college after wrapping up his 12-hour shift at the gas station. (What's this, the second BCCC student in the past two months who can't attend school because he got fucking shot? Great leadership, Sheila.)

26-year-old Matthew Sivells has been identified as the man who was killed on Cecil Ave. on Sunday afternoon.

The body of a man in his 20s was found in Columbia, and there appear to be no signs of foul play.

Shawn Jones got life + 30 years, and Donnie Bowman's family is still grieving.

Lawrence Joseph Lannin is already serving two life sentences, so he won't really be punished for murdering child-killer Richard Spicknall in prison.

"Gang members seem to be showing tribute. They use their bandanas each one of them come by and sort of ceremoniously drop a bandana in the casket. ... They want to put in bottles of Hennessey, they want to put blunts ... in there."

The citizens of Oliver, Harlem Park, and Charles Village are a little freaked out. (As are the citizens of EB Midway, Highlandtown, Better Waverly, etc.)

Frank, you could've at least thrown your support to someone more worthy of being mayor, like Jill Carter or my dog Roxy.

Tuesday

#213 - Unidentified Victim, fatally shot in Southwest Baltimore.

Top Cop: Frederick H. Bealefeld III v Charles H. Ramsey, who, until he resigned last December, was DC's Chief.

“You may not have killed her, but she died of a broken heart": the victims berate Shawn Jones in Carroll County's 2005 homicide/double-shooting.

Emulating Schaefer, and other anti-crime policies of the candidates for Mayor.

Someone discovered "a body in a wooded area in Columbia" yesterday evening. (Woods? In Columbia? I thought they all got chopped down).

Charles Carroll Acquitted

A Baltimore City Jury acquitted Charles Carroll today of second degree rape, third and fourth degree sex offense, three counts of second degree assault and two counts of sexual child abuse following three days of testimony and approximately one hour of deliberations. The Baltimore City Grand jury indicted Carroll May 19, 2005. Three counts of sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 18 and one count of third degree sexual offense are still pending against Carroll. Court documents allege Carroll sexually assaulted two victims. The alleged assaults occurred between December 2004 and April 2005. Carroll’s first trial ended January 11, 2007 when the court declared a mistrial after hearing witness testimony.

The burning body found over the county line off of Liberty Heights Avenue was id'd as an African-American male between 15 and 25 years old.

RP Rape Suspects Arrested Suspected

From the neighborhood association e-mail list:

Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Det. Connolly has identified and issued warrants for the arrests of the two suspects for the rape on Colorado Ave.  I cannnot give you any further details.  The Warrant Apprehension Task Force has the warrants and is on the case!  They will be in jail soon!
 
Tell your neighbors to breathe easy.

But Juile Bike-a-wits says,

the neighborhood association is jumping the gun, so to speak. no arrrests have been made. police are simply interviewing these guys right now.

Luke Broadwater says that sources inside the PD say that a "big announcement" is coming soon related to the Roland Park home invasion/assault.

August 27

The attendant at a Texaco station in the 2600 block of Gwynns Falls Parkway was shot and killed early this morning.

On Saturday afternoon, an unidentified man was fatally shot in the 1900 block of Cecil Ave. in East Baltimore Midway.

A burning body was found in a Baltimore County park at about 1:45 this morning.

O' mighty Warren Brown, beloved defender of the Constitution, there's a dead man in your pool named Dwight McDaniel Baker.

Somebody in Carroll County really doesn't want to get with the learnin'.

August 26

JZ: Police say 28-year-old Andre McNaire died after he lost a shootout in the 3500 block of East Baltimore Street around 3 a.m. today. His is the 203rd homicide declared by the Medical Examiner's office so far this year.