Saturday, March 15, 2008

Saturday

Thursday's murder victim was ID'd as Jamal Alphonso Harrison, 22.

A funeral was held this morning for Tyisha Brown, 15. JZ says her family reported her missing, but for reasons unknown it took three weeks for her to be identified.

County Police have arrested and charged three people-- Malcolm Lee Land of Woodholme Avenue, Brandon Christopher Smith, 28, of Flannery Lane, and Frank Antonio Jones, 23, of Brendan Avenue-- in connection with the murder of 23-year-old Marcus Ellis, stabbed to death in the Texaco parking lot in Pikesville.

A Prince George's County corrections officer accused of smuggling cellphones into the jail for inmates is a suspected member of the Bloods "and was bringing the phones to fellow gang members 'as part of an organized conspiracy' involving fellow officers, according to charging documents made public yesterday." In the past three months, six other officers at the jail have been in various kinds of trouble, including two female guards who were allegedly getting freaky with inmates.

Eight corrections officers have been suspended from Roxbury after an incident March 8 involving suspected excessive force.

Before you hire a lawyer in MD, check out the state's site of disciplined attorneys. There, one can learn tidbits such as how KWARTENG, Charles O. was reprimanded for "making a sexual gesture with his tongue at a female clerk at the Circuit Court for Baltimore County," and WARD, Kenneth S. was "suspended indefinitely for acting incompetently and sloppy."

Astonishing stupidity files: MoCo Football coach Aaron Timothy McCown, 31, pleaded guilty Friday to "knowingly receiving an explosive, that is, a loaded pistol, intending to use it to intimidate the referee at a youth football game."

Friday, March 14, 2008

March 14

An unidentified young man was shot and killed yesterday evening in the 1900 block of N. Rosedale St. He's number 37, compared to 57 at this time last year.

The man killed on Spelman St. in Cherry Hill on Wednesday was ID'd as Lemell O. Barnes. (I took a drive down Spelman St. last night. Even the bedsheets hanging on the clotheslines were red. The feds might want to go all Coumadin on that neighborhood.)

A cop who was directing traffic near the arena was run down by a douchebag who didn't want to turn. Some awesome citizens chased down the alleged douchebag and held him/her until police arrived and took him/her to Central Booking, where one can hope he/she was beaten severely.

In other news of citizens not taking any guff, alleged shoplifter Charles Andre Brown was trapped in a Dumpster by Rite-Aid employees who chased his (allegedly) thieving ass down.

In addition to road rage, we also seem to have a bad case of Metro rage.

St. Agnes was locked down yesterday afternoon, thanks to a jackass with a paintball gun.

A 14-year-old boy was beaten but not robbed on Chestnut Hill Ave.

Some charges were dropped against some of the teenagers who might have beat up some people on some bus.

Bobby Hough got 33 years for helping to paralyze a man by dropping him head-first on concrete. Meanwhile, in other concrete news, HarCo police are looking for the dumbasses who dropped a chunk of concrete onto a car from an overpass.

I could soooo make an "up the creek" joke about alleged drug dealer Thomas Creek and prison sex, but that would be tacky.

A man, who may or may not be Zorro, robbed a "convenience story". Inconvenient stories were left alone.

Holy cow! College students drink! I had no idea. We must stop this immediately.

No Death Penalty for David Miller

Remember David Lee Miller, who shot Elizabeth Walters, his 7-months-pregnant girlfriend, in the parking lot of the Home Depot strip mall off Perring Parkway? It seemed like he was going to be the first person to be charged under the new fetal-homicide law, but because the law rejected 'fetal personhood,' he won't be eligible for the big DP.

The Wall Street Journal columnist on Baltimore: the problem isn't poverty, it's crime.

Wendi ScottThese cases are so freaky. Wendi Scott, right, will plead guilty to one count of child abuse. She "had been using syringes to withdraw blood from her daughter so doctors would suspect [the daughter] had leukemia."

Thursday, March 13, 2008

March 13

A 22-year-old was murdered on Spelman Rd. in Cherry Kill last night. He's the third murder victim there this year.

The person who was killed on Edgecombe Circle on Tuesday morning was 16-year-old Tavon Burks.

Let me get this straight. 15-year-old Tyisha Brown (#21) was missing for three weeks before anyone -- her teachers, her friends, her father -- thought to question where she was?

It's cases like this -- the rape trial of twice-convicted sex-offender Eugene Waller -- that make me hope there is a special place in hell for defense attorneys.

Angry and outraged yet? Pissed off at the incompetence of our government officials? Disgusted with the citizens of Baltimore? If not, try reading the story about 15-year-old Farron Tates.

Okay, now for some good news. The State's Attorney's Office hearts the BPD, and maybe you should too. "... in 2006 her prosecutors had to throw out one in three criminal charges. Last year, only about one in five cases could not go forward."

Byron Alonzo Huff was already serving 30 years for killing Holly Jean Keefe when he was matched to DNA found on 1996 murder victim Doris Smalls. Huff said he "cannot say offhand" whether or not he knew Smalls, and he doesn't know how his DNA could have gotten on her body.

Sgt. Robert Smith can have his job back if he just admits he was wrong.

Former CVS pharmacist Ramon Bautista Juta would take care of you, if you'd take care of him (wink wink, nudge nudge).

In AAC, Carlos Rice was found guilty for murdering Peach Cake. Of course, his defense attorneys said that the murder weapon was used to shoot at Rice's car, so Rice couldn't have done it. Now, forgive me for not understanding the subtle nuances of this case, but couldn't Rice have killed Mr. Cake, and then shot at his own car? Crazy, I know.

A student at Chesapeake Science Point Charter School in Hanover threatened to bring in an Uzi and kill everyone. Meanwhile, staff is getting ready to bail before anybody pees on them.

I understand, John. I always confuse lawn chairs with railroad tracks, too.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

March 12

The BPD is still investigating two separate shootings that left one un-ID'd man dead and two men injured, but there don't seem to be many new developments since yesterday.

A nurse was abducted from her Parkville apartment complex as she left for work yesterday morning.

Five Tree Top Pikachus Pirus have yet to be caught in the very cleverly named Operation Coumadin.

If what Councilman Jack Young says is true, our cops are pretty rotten at framing each other.

Police found the body of alleged murderer and/or subprime lender William Buczynski.

Maybe these houses belong to some of Buczynski's former clients.

The accused Columbia pizza man / kidnapper won't be retried on false imprisonment charges, but he still faces up to 10 years for his second-degree assault conviction from last week.

"A group of Jewish advocates against sexual assault is angry over a plea deal for a Baltimore City rabbi who pleaded guilty to abusing young boys but avoided jail time." Hmmm... that sort of implies that there's a group of Jewish advocates for sexual assault who are happy about the plea deal, doesn't it?

JHU students want William Brody's replacement to "spur development without gentrifying the city." Personally, I'd like the new president to be able to shoot golden eggs out of his ass. I wonder which scenario is more realistic?

In a case of timely reporting, a 15-year-old girl has been missing from her Rockville home since Feb 24.

Tuesday Nite, Wednesday Morning

The state has rested in the bus beating case, WBAL has an interview with the bus driver ("I never thought I would see children try to kill anyone.")

The Ink covers the past week's four homicides. The victim found shot on February 15 (victim #21) was identified as 15-year-old Tyisha Brown.

He really was the total male! CP's Van Smith and Jeffrey Anderson have the tale of Shawn Green, an at-large drug trafficker, who highlights "the overlap in the city's legitimate business economy and the drug underworld."

The City Council is discussing a bill that would require scrap dealers to keep a roster of names and identifying information on people who bring in car parts. It's about freakin time, but why stop at car parts?

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Teenager Convicted for Shooting at Officers

A Baltimore jury convicted Ronnie Lester, 19, of the 1300 block of Glyndon Avenue, yesterday of two counts of first-degree assault, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, minor in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and fleeing and eluding. Judge Wanda K. Heard scheduled sentencing for April 3, 2008. Details from the SA's office:
At approximately 8:50 p.m. on May 24, 2007 officers observed three individuals on dirt bikes traveling south in the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. As the officers drove up to the individuals, one of the bikes stalled. The officers exited their vehicle and approached the individual on the stalled bike. As they did this, Lester returned on his bike, allowed the other individual on to the back of bike, and fired two shots at the officers before speeding off. The officers gave chase with assistance from Foxtrot. The chase exceeded speeds of 40mph, often going the wrong way down city streets, before the Lester was apprehended when he had to stop his bike due to a gathering of people in the street around a deadly house fire at 1903 Cecil Ave. Officers recovered a .32 caliber pistol that Lester threw off the Maryland Avenue Bridge.

Assistant State’s Attorney Brandis Marsh prosecuted this case.

Double Shooting

Two men were shot at 6:15 this morning in the 2500 block of Edgecombe Circle near Greenspring ave. One died, the other is in shock trauma.
(Thanks galt)

March 11

A man shot Saturday on in the 1800 block of E. 28th St. near Clifton Park in East Baltimore Street died Monday.

The murder/ suicide killer and victim from last Thursday were named: Latasha Harris, 30, and Jerry Bennett, 37.

Tastelessness of the week: "The driver of the city bus on which a woman was severely beaten testified yesterday that he remembered the boy who kicked her in the face but that he wasn't among the accused in the courtroom. Then, the attorney for the boy prosecutors allege kicked Sarah Kreager in the eye threw her arms up in a 'touchdown' sign."

Corrpution Corner
Maybe "The Wire" made this city look too good!
Baltimore City Police Sgt. Robert Smith claims that the city police department’s chief legal counsel told him to drop a defamation lawsuit against the department or face false rape charges.

A second guilty plea in the Utech scandal.

OMG, bitch, puhleeze! Rikki Spector's excuse for her "stupid" traffic ticket = she sent it to the DOT because they needed to know that the officer who cited her was "not dealing well with the public."

Monday, March 10, 2008

The End of "The Wire"

Thoughts?

Meanwhile, "Wire" writers on the drug war (thanks Lucid),
the NYT review, "So Many Characters, Yet So Little Resolution,"
and the very, very long farewell to The Wire from Jersey's Star-Ledger.

Can't get enough? Marc Steiner has podcasts of interviews with the actors.
... and the City Paper has an interview with David Simon.
And it's the final installment of Sudhir Venkatesh's "What Do Real Thugs Think of 'The Wire'?"

March 10

Neighbors' Night Out II coincided with Anna Sowers' 28th birthday. Of course, her husband couldn't be there to share it with her.

Cops are still looking for the man who shot rookie Pedro Perez.

Dang. They have garages in the 600 block of N. Linwood St.? No fair. (Also in the Blotter, a sexual assault in the Eastern, stolen drugs and beer kegs in Parkville, stolen trash bags in Cockeysville, and $160 of stolen cigarette lighters in Franklin, presumably to light the $250 of stolen cigars.)

Check out the specter of Rikki's disappearing traffic ticket.
UPDATE: Rikki denies all wrongdoing in a very confusing story.

Alleged PDJ: David "Dewey" Louis Vasses, of the 100 block of Kipling Court in Abingdon, charged with sexual child abuse, 4th-degree sex offense and unnatural and perverted practices. And gross and willful hair gel violations.

A suicidal man in Glen Burnie followed through on his threats as police tried to intervene.

A man from Frederick took the whole "going to the cemetery" thing a bit too literally.

In Worcestor County, a 77-year-old Pocomoke City man was murdered in his living room.

On a political note: Gloria Steinem says it's OK for women to think for themselves.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Le Week-End

Julie B. serves up the tale of the purported head of the Baltimore "Tree Top Piru" Bloods, Steve Lamont Willock, aka "Kanibal Lecktor," who rose to power while in jail in Cumberland.
Did you know? "the price of crack can be five times higher in Hagerstown than in New York."

"A mystery is developing at the Prince George's County jail: Why, twice in a single week, has an inmate turned up with a handcuff key?"

"For nearly two decades, Kellie Robinson was just another drug statistic in Baltimore. But her story is unique." ... she's middle-class and well-connected. Yawn!

The Annapolis Capital admits to being duped into printing a fauxbituary.

They may not be as bad as those pesky sex children, but Virginians are annoyed by the French kissing children nonetheless.
(compound modifiers are your friends, people!)

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Officer Shot

City officer Pedro Perez was shot in the leg at about 1 a.m. this morning by a gunman hiding in some bushes.

March 8

Antwaun Sumpter was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl after trying to force his way into her house.

Two Mt. Hebron High School students are facing felony charges after the old bomb-in-a-trashcan trick.

Kelroy Williamson got two consecutive life sentences from circuit court judge Paul A. Hackner. Lots of character witnesses said Williamson is a great guy, but DNA evidence said he's a piece of shit rapist.

Three cheers for the witness who not only testified in the bus beating case, but also ran out of her house to help break up the attack.

There was a bank robbery in Towson yesterday afternoon.

Friday, March 7, 2008

March 7

A domestic murder/suicide Wednesday night in the city, fortunately the kids didn't see it. (There's no Applegate Road in the city, there's an Applegate Court in the County)
Correction: Irwin at the Sun says it's Atholgate Lane and that the couple were found yesterday, not Wednesday.

Bus-beating boyfriend Troy Ennis: no spitting, no slur.
Unidentified victim
The identity of murder victim #21 remains unknown, and police have released a spooky sketch, right.

Police are "seeking a gunman who opened fire in a Northwest Baltimore convenience store yesterday, grazing a girl and an employee."

A bad week for the PD! Two city officers are in hot water, one for debt card fraud, the other for an armed confrontation with his ex's husband... add that to the two police brutality suits filed last Friday.

Down at the Federal Courthouse: 11 indicted for running a drug-mule conspiracy; 7 1/2 years for a guy who stashed a stolen handgun in a vending machine; a guilty plea on a gun charge from an aging Pagan.

A skeleton found in Emmitsburg may belong to missing Deysi M. Benitez.

"Minnesota bars thwart smoking ban by declaring everyone an actor"
Meanwhile bartenders at Frazier's and Zissimo's are grousing that police are targeting their patrons.

Eight years for Killer of Toy Gun Stickup Man

At a hearing yesterday, Omar McGee, 18, of the 3400 block of Dupont Avenue pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Judge Timothy J. Doory sentenced McGee to eight years in prison. Details:
On August 9, 2007 McGee shot to death Troy Richardson, 30. Richardson, using a realistic toy gun, robbed a drug dealer of narcotics in an alley off of the 3400 block of Dupont Avenue at about 1:35 p.m. McGee, informed by another drug dealer of the robbery in progress, retrieved a weapon and approached Richardson, who was still brandishing the toy gun. McGee fired three shots at Richardson, hitting him twice in the leg and once in the face. The toy gun was next to the victim when paramedics and police arrived.
Assistant State’s Attorney Robin Wherley of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

16-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Murder of 17-Year-Old

At a hearing today, Tevin Moultrie, 16, of the 1600 block of Cliftview Avenue pled guilty to second-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and two counts of reckless endangerment. Under terms of the plea agreement, announced in open court, Moultrie faces a maximum prison term of 30 years when sentenced July 22, 2008 by Judge Lynn K. Stewart.

On March 13, 2007 Steven Washington, 17, was found lying on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of Cliftview Avenue suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the head following an altercation with the defendants. Police identified Moultrie through witnesses.

Co-defendant Maurice Wilkerson pleaded guilty January 15, 2008 to accessory after the fact to murder and will be sentenced Monday, March 10, 2008.

Assistant State’s Attorney Paul O’Connor prosecuted this case.

Life + 20 for Murder of Ronald Stewart

At a hearing today, Judge John C. Themelis sentenced Ajamilla Longmore, 20, of the 5000 block of Linden Heights Avenue, to life in prison for first-degree murder and a consecutive 20 years in prison for use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. This was the maximum possible prison term Judge Themelis could have imposed. A Baltimore jury convicted Longmore February 6, 2008. On December 13, 2006 at 9:38 p.m. Longmore approached Ronald Stewart, 29, while walking in the 4000 block of W. Belvedere Avenue. Longmore then shot Stewart six times. Stewart was pronounced dead on the scene.

The jury found co-defendant Ernest Hudson not guilty of first-degree murder.

Assistant State’s Attorney Cynthia Banks of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

March 6

A man was stabbed to death at a Texaco station in the 7400 block of Liberty Rd. in Pikesville this morning after a fight inside the Sisters Bar on Liberty Road. County police have ID'd the victim as 23-year-old Marcus Ellis of the 2400 block of Barnesley Place.

Luke B. gives his month-end murder review, but there's just not as much work for him to do this time around.

Contrary to my conspiracy theories yesterday, Heath St. is not in a "bad part of town," and local residents are trying to keep it that way.

At a hearing this morning immediately before he was expected to ask for a postponement of his trial, Paul Jones, 40, the guy who was tackled and held by Judge Ward after climbing out of a Lafayette Street back yard, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree burglary and one count of first-degree burglary. Judge Timothy J. Doory sentenced Jones to six years, six months in prison on each count, concurrent.

There's an abandoned baby and a whole lotta family drama.

Two men were wounded after being shot in a car in Annapolis.

The alleged HoCo kidnapper got off with a second-degree assault conviction, and he says the whole story is a load of bunk.

Nolan Evans, son of Vernon Evans Jr., was found not guilty.

Eric Jamison shot himself in the thigh with a stolen gun, then stashed it by the vending machines at UMMC where a little kid found it. Society could be spared from his stupidity for 7.5 years.

Good to know at least one College Park student isn't a complete dimwit: "It's scary, but if you lock the door, you can avoid him."

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Indictment in Jabari Stocks' Murder

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Phillip Queen, 28, of the 100 block of Conley Avenue for first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in the death of Jabari Stocks, 3, on June 8, 2007 in the 900 block of Patapsco Avenue. Queen was acting as caretaker when he telephoned the child’s mother at work to report the child was not breathing. Jabari died at Harbor Hospital. An arraignment is scheduled for April 7, 2008 before Judge John P. Miller, Room 428 Mitchell Courthouse. Queen is being held without bail.