Saturday, March 31, 2007

March 31

Murders #70 and 71: Pelvin Derrien, 23, of the 6800 block of Sturbridge Drive was killed during what witnesses say was an attempted robbery (though nothing was stolen). And an unidentified man was shot on the 3400 block of Noble St. March 30.

Parents of a 14-year-old Kevin Cooper, who was fatally shot last August 12 by a police officer in his Southwest Baltimore house last year, have filed a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit. Police say Cooper was attacking the officer with a broom handle, the boy's family said he was unarmed and "never put his hands" on the officer.

...more Did You Know?

A librarian in Bethlehem, PA (thanks to the Maryland AskUsNow librarian chat function, in which an actual person will answer your reference questions for free!) found this article about Baltimore's "racial geography" by one Carl H. Nightengale at the Department of American Studies in Buffalo, NY. It's pretty long, though, so I haven't had a chance to read it yet!

C Love was kind of right, Upton was/still is I guess a black neighborhood, as confirmed from this site by the government... at least from 1910 on. But:
In 1900, the Federal Census showed the neighborhood to be entirely white (except for a few black servants) and probably of German-Jewish origins. By 1910, a major racial change had taken place; the 1500 block of Druid Hill Avenue, for example, had only two white families in that year.

Now how did that happen?

Friday, March 30, 2007

March 30

38-year-old Clarence Johnson was the bank robber who was killed during a shootout with Anne Arundel police.

While being questioned for the murder of Allen Coates, Lamont Thomas Harrell was linked to the murder of Andre S. Jones.

The body found in Linthicum on Wednesday has been identified as 23-year-old Jill Marie Conklin, and the ME reports no outward signs of trauma. Also, a woman's body was found in Randallstown, and has been tentatively ID'd as a woman whose missing from the city.

Holy cow! Witness testimony works!

Perv of the day: Salisbury resident / former youth coach David Lee, who was sentenced to five years for his child porn activities.

When I was 8, it never would have crossed my mind to beat up a 14-year-old.

HoCo police arrested 25 alleged dealers in Columbia, but didn't learn much about anything above street-level dealing.

Goodthink of the day: "When Big Brother is watching, people have a tendency to try to do the right thing." -- Kenneth Harris, 4th District, Baltimore City Council.

A senior citizen was charged with grand larceny after shoplifting at the Super Fresh in the Northern on Wednesday.

A Bel Air man was arrested in Wisconsin for allegedly stalking pop singer Michelle Branch.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Did you know?

... that before Cherry Hill became famous for attresting white people for asking directions, it was founded as a community for African-American World War II veterans?
"Trivia" Question: Until the mid-50s, Baltimore housing and school were was racially segregated by law and "negroes" could only live in three neighborhoods. What were they?)

March 29

The body found a-floating next to the Constellation was ID'd as James Lee Butler, 41. So far no signs of foul play, odds are 341-1 favoring that the ME's office will pronouce the death "undetermined."

Travis D. Terry, 24, a County man who killed his friend Edwin Leon Potillo III, also 24, and shot and robbed his girlfriend, was spared the death penalty by Judge Kathleen Cox.

An unID'd woman's body has found mouldering in Linthicum.

In what "must have looked like a scene from the TV series 'The Untouchables'" (?) County police raided the Trial Club on Cove Rd., an alleged unlicensed bar in North Point.

The armed robbery trial of Corey McLeaurin, 29, of the 3400 block of Gwynns Falls Parkway, is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge Wanda Heard. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted McLeaurin April 11, 2006 for armed robbery, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and other related counts. Court documents allege that on March 17, 2006 McLeaurin and another man robbed Bel-Airian Mark Beckwith, 57, of $5,900 cash in the parking lot of the Village of Cross Keys shopping center (between Roland Park, Poly and 83). The victim shot and injured McLeaurin during the robbery. Another suspect was shot and killed, and the State's Attorney’s Office later found the shooting was justified.

What the?! Homeland security is making raids across Baltimore, and has made 50... make that 69, arrests!
This should come as jolly news to readers who endorsed more raids after the 7-11 smackdown.

New stomach-churning details in the case of BarfCo serial killer Charles Burns.

Denny's manager Michael Fredrick, 52, was stabbed 32 times by David Burton, who "had just taken hits of cocaine and heroine [sic]" and was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder.

It's the towns vs. the gowns as Tuscany-Canturbury neighbors attempt to zone the Phi Psi's boozy, deliquent urinatin' fun out of their residential district. On the Phi Psi's side, no one less than NY Mayor and former brother Michael Bloomberg.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Car-Burning Cop Pleads Guilty

At a hearing today, former Northern District Baltimore Police Officer Keosha Buie, 23, pled guilty to conspiracy to burn with intent to defraud. Judge John M. Glynn sentenced Buie to a suspended 18 month prison term, 18 months probation and 40 hours of community service. The State entered a nolle prosequi in the case of co-defendant Vincent Harris, 43, of the 2900 block of Lakewood Circle. On May 17, 2006 Buie was involved in a scheme to get rid of her 2002 Ford Taurus in order defraud an insurance company. The Police and Fire Department discovered the flaming 2002 Taurus May 17, 2006 in the 100 block of McPhall Street.

March 28, afternoon, from the SA's Office

Phillip Johnson, convicted by a Baltimore City jury on January 19, got 12 years for first-degree assault and handgun counts.
On August 10, 2005 at approximately 8:00 a.m., a Baltimore Police Officer conducting a traffic stop near the Smallwood MARC train station, heard several gunshots. The officer witnessed Johnson firing a handgun at an unidentified man while chasing him down the 500 block of Pulaski Street. The officer apprehended Johnson after a foot chase through an alley. Several eyewitnesses identified Johnson as the person firing the gun at the man.
At the request of the defense, Judge Martin P. Welch remanded 15-year-old Jermaine Sanders to the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts. The State wanted Sanders to be tried as an adult for first-degree murder.
Court documents alleged that at approximately 10AM December 1, 2006 Jermaine Sanders stabbed his brother, Jason Sanders, 17, in their home following a verbal dispute. Police discovered Jason Sanders lying in the 1100 block of N. Chester Street near the corner of N. Chester and E. Biddle Street. Jason Sanders died later at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Judge David Mitchell sentenced 19-year-old Davon Jones to 30 years and 20-year-old Derrick Gardner to 23 years for attempted murder and handgun counts.
On January 10, 2006, the victim, Jerome Smith, was walking in the 2500 block of Druid Park Drive when he was confronted by Gardner who asked Smith about $70 he owed their drug boss. Jones joined Gardner. Smith did not have the money and turned to flee. Gardner pulled out a silver revolver and shot Smith in the back. Smith stumbled across the street and fell down in the woods. Jones and Gardner followed and Jones took the handgun from Gardner and shot Smith himself. Lying prone, Smith held his arms up to defend himself and was hit on the inside of his upper forearm. Police responded minutes after the shooting and Smith was transported to Sinai Hospital were he was treated and released the next day. Smith was subsequently found guilty of violating his probation for drug distribution and is currently serving a two year sentence.

March 28

Two people were killed in the city yesterday. In East Baltimore, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the head in the 2200 block of E. Biddle St. last night at about 10:30. In West Baltimore, 18-year-old Artesha Moses was stabbed to death by her boyfriend in her home on the 700 block of N. Carey St.

Anna Ditkoff reports on three new murders, and the fact that we've only had three four-day stretches without a murder in 2007. This week, there is information published about Charles Hargrove, Ricardo Paige, and Shawn Weaver, along with updates of several murder cases from the past few years.

Deysi Benitez is still missing, and there's no conclusive cause of death for her husband and four children. In the past year, police were called to the home of Pedro Rodriguez and Deysi eight times.

A pregnant woman was shot at a motel in Odenton when two men fired through the motel room door after failing to pry it open.

Yesterday afternoon, a 15-year-old at Woodlawn High School allegedly stabbed a fellow student outside a library next to the campus.

A bank robbery in Severna Park (AAC) went horribly awry this morning, leaving a cop wounded and the robber dead. (WBAL has some audio files from the scene.)

A fast food robbery in Glen Burnie went horribly awry yesterday morning after a man walked out of the restroom and got shot in the face.

Sheila D. is definitely getting some outrage. And it looks like some dirt bikers are preparing for a revolution of their own.

Perv of the day: Child's gymnastic coach Patrick Bogan was busted with "violent and aggressive" child porn and 21 pairs of panties.

An alleged bank robber in Baltimore was arrested under the JFX on Tuesday after the Carrollton Bank on N. Charles St. was robbed. Police suspect the man is responsible for nearly half of the city's bank robberies in 2007.

A Senate bill that would allow for automatic cleaning of criminal records when someone is arrested but not charged is being challenged for how it would affect people's rights to sue police.

There is lots of debate as to how the owners of Kawasaki Japanese restaurants should be sentenced for their crimes against their illegal staff.

30 Years For Murderer Caught on Camera

At a hearing yesterday, Earl Holeman, 38, of Capitol Heights, Maryland pled guilty to first-degree murder. Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced Holeman to life in prison and suspended all but 30 years. The State presented the following facts as part of the plea agreement in open court:
At approximately 10 a.m. on January 1, 2006, Holeman stabbed Michelle Denton, 49, his former girlfriend, in the throat with a knife, as she waited at a bus stop in the 300 block of West Fayette Street. The State entered into evidence seven still photographs captured from Citiwatch cameras that show the defendant fleeing the scene. One of the seven photographs positively identifies the defendant.

While the actual murder was not videotaped, several cameras captured Holeman as he ran from the crime scene, and ran up Paca and Lexington Streets. A camera operator was able to direct police officers from the crime scene to Holeman, leading to his apprehension and arrest. This is the second murder case where prosecutors have negotiated a plea agreement and have noted in the court record that camera footage would be included as evidence in the State's evidence.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

March 27

Two 16-year-old boys have been indicted for the March 13 killing of 17-year-old Steven Washington.
State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy announced that the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Tevin Moultrie, 16, of the 1600 block of Cliftview Avenue and Maurice Wilkerson, 16, of the 400 block of E. Oliver Street for first-degreee murder and other counts.

Court documents allege that on March 13, 2007 Steven Washington, 17, was found lying on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of Cliftview Avenue suffering from a gunshot wound to the head following an altercation with the defendants. Police identified the two suspects through witnesses. Washington died as a result of his injuries.

On Sunday afternoon, the body of an unidentified woman was found in a townhouse on the 1200 block of Treeleaf Ct. near Old Town Mall. She died from head injuries.

A 28-year-old Frederick man apparently committed suicide after murdering his four children. The children's mother, 25-year-old Daysi Benitez, has been missing for more than a week.

Monsignor Richard Smith's ability to function as a priest was removed by the Baltimore Archdiocese after two women accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior that occurred in the late 1960s.

A woman on Eutaw St. ran over a fireman who asked her to move her car away from the fire station's doors.

Kevin Klink, charged with beating 18-year-old Robert Brazell to death with a bat, has waived a preliminary hearing.

Daryl Chase pleaded guilty to the 2004 murder of Michael Deal and was sentenced to 30 years. Meanwhile, Terrance Wynn got 83 years for a 2004 home-invasion robbery.

Jack Schroeder is charged with killing his HoCo neighbor's beagle.

The bill that would allow parole for non-violent, twice-convicted dealers was surprisingly passed by the House yesterday.

Monday, March 26, 2007

A Pause for Perverts

For whatever reason, Baltimore is home to a TON of child molesters.
Not as many as Florida, we hear, but at least once a day, if not three or four times a day, a new dirty old man is arrested. What is up with that? The whole Catholic-church thing gets a lot of ink, with TV anchor Thomas Roberts coming out with tales of Father Jeff Toohey of Calvert Hall, and the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City. The Catholic church has countered with the scary stat that "only" some 1 percent of priests have been accused of sex abuse, as compared to 5 percent of U.S. public school teachers. Yikes.

As of a year ago, the law allows people who are now 25 or younger and were molested to be able to sue the molestor until they're 42 (what's with the weird ages?), an apparent compromise to save the Catholic church.
So while civil suits are thus restrained, there is no time limit for criminal charges, a good thing since every pedophile on the East Coast seems to wind up living here!
State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy released the following statement following media inquiries regarding the arrest of Lakisa Dinkins on March 24, 2007 and the legal review by prosecutors at Central Booking:
This afternoon I had an opportunity to review this matter. The official position of my office is that this case was legally insufficient to proceed. I stand by earlier statements by my office that this case was legally insufficient. This case was not legally viable, and therefore should not be reflected as 'abated by arrest.' A full review of the records in this matter support my decision in this matter.”

March 26

In Port Deposit, Brian Jordan stabbed his girlfriend to death and tried to do the same to himself.

Timothy P. Mussleman was shot to death in Elkton after withdrawing several hundred dollars from an ATM.

The mother of the 7-year-old dirtbike arrestee has one version of the events that led to her arrest, the police have another, and neither sounds particularly credible. Meanwhile, Doc Cheatham seems to be calling for war.

Someone robbed the GameStop in Pikesville.

A 14- or 15-year-old kid tried to rape a woman behind an abandoned house in the Western, and an employee of Beauty Zone was maced by someone who wanted to steal some human hair.

Hondas and Acuras are the most-stolen cars in HoCo.

From the SA's Office

On Friday Baltimore Jury convicted Simmeon Anderson, 31, of the 2800 block of Hollins Ferry Road, of two counts of first degree assault, two counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, two counts of reckless endangerment and one count each of felon in possession of a handgun and wear/carry/transport a handgun. The jury deliberated 40 minutes after hearing approximately two and a half days of testimony. Anderson faces a maximum possible prison term of 90 years when sentenced by Judge John Themelis on June 4, 2007: 25 years for each assault, 20 years for each use of a handgun count. Say Court docs,
On September 12, 2000 Anderson shot victims Derrick and Lisa Kattrell. This case was tried once before, in 2004, and a mistrial was declared. It has been postponed 27 times until this week's trial, and was the oldest pending trial in Baltimore Circuit Court. Anderson is also pending trial today. CDA on September 9, 2005 court documents allege Anderson, while held inside the Baltimore City Detention Center, attempted to arrange the murder of witnesses in the above case. On November 16, 2005 Anderson is charged with solicitation to commit murder, solicitation to obstruct justice, solicitation to intimidate a witness.

On Friday the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Gregory Brown, 22, of the 2400 block of Druid Hill Avenue for first-degree murder. CDA that on February 26, 2007 Gregory Brown was identified as the person responsible for fatally shooting Vernon Carter, 25 [#46] in the 1800 block of W. Lanvale Street.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

March 25

About 75 people showed up for a vigil and march to memorialize honor student / athlete / musician / police academy enrollee / all-around-good-kid Christopher Clarke, but as Rodricks says, "there should have been thousands."

Saturday, March 24, 2007

March 24

Murders are up, but robberies, aggravated assaults, and arrests are down.

Today's Blotter has a bunch of disgusting crimes, even by Baltimore standards: a 15-year-old girl was chased down and raped, two women were attacked in Reservoir Hill, and several jackasses did some aggravated assault action at what might be the world's greatest non-profit ice cream shop.

Our police force is, at least temporarily, down 14 officers.

There's still no parole for nonviolent drug offenses.

Friday, March 23, 2007

March 23

Two teenagers were shot when they tried to rob an off-duty MTA cop.

Shardae Coles pleaded guilty yesterday to throwing a 16-month-old boy and killing him.

The Baltimore Algebra Project staged a die-in on North Ave. yesterday morning.

In the Blotter, a bunch of arrests, a bunch of shootings, and a whole bunch of robberies.

Perv of the day: Jeffrey Thompson, the former band director at Glen Burnie High School, couldn't keep his hands off his students or his vodka out of their Gatorade.

Paul Stella couldn't wait until they were dead to steal their money. And Theresa Antoinette Adams made a career of burglarizing retirement homes.

Some nice, classic fear reporting from WJZ on (cue scary music) How Your Attic Can Get You Killed.

Homeland Security: Giving traffic tickets in the name of American safety.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

March 22

17-year-old Shawn Weaver was killed in a gunfight in the 900 block of McCulloh St. in West Baltimore, and the dead bodies of a man and a woman were found in a Rosemont rowhouse. This brings us to 64 homicides, which is 11 more than we had last year at this time.

Also in the link above, the man killed on Queensberry Ave. on Saturday was identified as 21-year-old Rodney Dewitt. The man whose body was found in a vacant house on 43rd St. was 54-year-old Ricardo Paige.

A man was shot and wounded in Glen Burnie early this morning.

Elementary school kids are being robbed at gunpoint.

There was insufficient evidence against Kevin Lomax in the shooting death of a pregnant woman outside of Club Choices last year. Charges against him have been dropped, but charges against co-defendant Oscar Adams still stand.

A blonde woman in her 20s or 30s tried to lure an 8-year-old girl into a maroon four-door sedan after the girl got out of school.

Apparently, spring is the best time to rob college students.

Perv du jour: 64-year-old Rondal Greenwade was charged with molesting a two-year-old girl and will be tried in Carroll County.

Kerry Harrison Parrish is the only HoCo sex offender who couldn't be found after police did an audit of registered offenders. (The article contains a nifty link to the state's Sexual Offender Registry, so you can find all the pervs in your neighborhood!)

An unidentified woman was walking in the right lane of 695 last night when she was killed by a truck. In unrelated news, somebody at WMAR really needs to learn how to use, commas.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

March 21

City Paper covers the murders of Charles Erdman, Mark Anthony Robinson, Tyrone Jackson Jr., Steven Washington, Christopher Clarke, Antwan Askins, Michael Stuckey, and two men who were unidentified as of the CP's press time (one of whom has since been ID'd as 30-year-old Edwin Mathews, see link below).

Christopher Clark(e) was an honors physics student with no criminal record who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Late yesterday afternoon, two more people were added to the city's murder roll. At about 6:00, police found a man who'd been shot to death in an apartment on E. 43rd St. several hours earlier. At about 5:15, 20-year-old Charles Hargrove was taken to Shock Trauma, where he died about 30 minutes later. He had been shot several times in the head on the 1500 block of Rayner Ave.

Lamar Damian Fleming was Annapolis' second murder of the year. The killing occurred Monday night in the Bywater Mutual Homes community.

A body was found next to the USS Constellation in the Inner Harbor.

Vaughan Lamont Garris was arrested for the death of Chontae Waters. Garris was Waters' next door neighbor.

Two movers in Sykesville got into a fight over a palate jack on Monday. One of the men was stabbed, the other charged with attempted murder.

The Blotter tells of a shooting, two shootings, a shooting, a shooting, and an arrest.

Two separate attacks in Glen Burnie yesterday.

Carroll County, the last county in the state to rely entirely on the Maryland State Police, is establishing its own police department.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

March 20

A man's body was found in a house in the 2900 block of E. Madison Ave. on Saturday afternoon. Missing Cumberland resident Candice Annette Page was found, alive, at the same time with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. (Thanks for the link, Chris.)

The body of 31-year-old Chontae Waters was found in her Putnam Green rowhouse on Heatherton Ct. Waters was stabbed to death and was found by her roommate. (Putnam Green is in Baltimore County, near Woodlawn.)

Timothy Brockington and Tyrone Gross were sentenced to 45 years for kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery. Their victim was an off-duty BPD officer. Gross is a three-time felon, so he must serve the first 25 years without the possibility of parole.
On July 5, 2005 at approximately 1:30AM off duty Baltimore Police Officer Antoine Boykin was at the Exxon gas station at 513 E. Mulberry Street when a burgundy Lincoln with three males inside pulled up next to him. One of the defendants, who was armed with a handgun, got out of the Lincoln and approached Officer Boykin. Officer Boykin was forced into the defendant’s vehicle at gunpoint. An unknown person exited the defendant’s vehicle and took Officer Boykin’s car from the gas station. Once inside the Lincoln, Officer Boykin was robbed at gunpoint and was struck in the head several times with the gun. The defendants drove Officer Boykin to the 1100 block of Myrtle Avenue where he was blindfolded and walked at gunpoint down the rear alley. The defendants had a conversation indicating that they planned to stash Officer Boykin inside of a vacant house at which time they walked into the yard of 1123 Myrtle Avenue and up the stairs. Officer Boykin was able to withdraw his service weapon, fire at the defendants and get away. Officer Boykin flagged an unknown citizen and was able to call 911. Timothy Brockington was located in the rear yard of 1123 Myrtle Avenue with gunshot wounds; Tyrone Gross was located in the front yard with a gunshot wound.

After pleading guilty to 2nd degree murder on March 8, Larry McMillian was sentenced to 25 years yesterday afternoon:
On May 25, 2006 following a neighborhood dispute McMillian shot Ruffin twice, once to the head and once to the leg. The incident occurred in the alley behind Mr. Ruffin’s home in the 2000 block of Woodbourne Avenue.

Roger Burks was indicted yesterday for first-degree murder. Burks is accused of stabbing Irvin Conley to death at a backyard cookout on July 3, 2006.

A badly decomposed body was found in Leakin Park.

Baltimore County Councilman Vincent Gardina wants an investigation of the taser-related death of Ryan Lee Meyers.

Sheila D. is going to have "frank discussions" about our rising murder rate. In an exciting development, there will be meetings to discuss the problem. In the first of four "emergency meetings," the people said they want more foot patrols.

It appears that Her Honor is starting to see the outrage she so strongly desires.

House of Correction: "It's as bad as you could imagine."

Scary pervs of the day: A man tried to grab a 16-year-old HoCo high school student and drag her into the woods. And in Carroll County, 34-year-old Lincoln Goodman Sr. was charged with picking up two teenage girls, getting them drunk, waiting for one of them to pass out, and then having his way with her.

Beware of DPW workers who show up unannounced.

There's a statewide struggle to retain and recruit school teachers. The article fails to mention anything about teachers who leave because they're getting beaten up, nor does it address whether student-on-teacher violence is a problem outside of Baltimore City.