211

Todd Duffie, 36, the man shot on Lyndhurt Avenue yesterday, has died of his injuries.*

The Jesus-y Justin has more details on the death of Delma Barnes, reports that Barnes and Jewel O.J. Lucas had no prior relationship* -- their awesomely Baltimoreiffic conflict-resolution skills collided when they into some kind of disagreement at the Shell station.

A mega-bust yesterday: 34 people charged with trafficking in horse, tweed and other assorted controlled substances after a joint investigation (heh)

Sad, indeed: Donnie Andrews, the guy who supposedly inspired the "Omar" character from the Wire, has died.* Extra-poignant considering Andrews turned his life around; his very sweet wedding in 2007 was featured in the NYT's Vows section. (Don't quite get the "Omar inspiration" thing, though, since Andrews was 1). not gay and 2). an addict -- the real Omar would never get high on his own supply, and 3). doesn't seem to have been into robbing drug dealers.)

Two parents were arrested after intervening after intervening as their son was allegedly beat up by a bully who'd robbed him the day before. Hrm, something about this story doesn't wash, I dunno...

Unprincipled principal purloins principal

A man was shot last night on Grantley Street on the West side

Shooting: 4100 block of Lyndhurst Avenue, Northwest District. Adult male shot at the location. Homicide Detectives investigating.
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) December 13, 2012

[map link added]


The former principal of Coppin Academy, William Howard II, has been accused of stealing money from the school's student activity funds.

Three and a half years for four-times-convicted Ronald Coleman, 65, who got an employee of a "popular Baltimore restaurant" to use a skimmer to get credit card information, he then ripped off Amex for $70-120k in cash and goods.

Salvatore Petti, involved in an ongoing dispute over the city's bocce ball courts, pleaded guilty to fraud and tax evasion for illegally diverting funds from a nonprofit and failing to pay taxes on his gambling winnings.

Good read from yesterday's NYT: Rethinking Life Behind Bars 

Bully baby blunty bumpers

That's the lady with the baby, really? Police announced that Jewel Onye Jamie Lucas, who just turned 19 last week, was arrested and charged with 1st-degree (as in, premeditated) and 2nd-degree homicide and assault for Delma Barnes' death-by-Mazda on Frankfort Avenue. Cham found Lucas' Twitter page, upon which Lucas was cheerfully Tweeting pictures of her dog and some hand-rolled cigarettes the day after Barnes' death. .. so whose baby is it? Or maybe it wasn't a baby after all? Lucas was previously arrested in Towson for an assault from April (when she was apparently 15 pounds lighter and two inches taller), that case was nol pross'd.

Bountiful

Bernstein promised to be more "courageous" than Jessamy when it came to prosecuting cases, but now his office has charged 2/3rds of the homicide cases Jessamy's did, and detectives opine that his office "won't take the cases so they preserve a high conviction rate for themselves." Now Fenton makes the rather explosive charge* that prosecutors' reticence may have led to one James Berry III not being charged for a triple shooting in Bolton Hill, only to go on to become involved in that horrific shooting of brothers in front of their mother (written and talked about by the Spectator last month. Warning, that link has audio, unless you want to hear that standoff again, hit yer mute button before you click it).

Speaking of the Spectator, his friends (including "toilet artist" Duane Davis) are planning a vigil/protest in his honor next week in front of Central Booking. According to the Inmate Locator, MacArthur's currently residing at the detention center on East Eager Street.

A stopped car, speed cameras, really? Scott Calvert says this is the 7th fucktified camera on recond. Actually not surprising, I've seen em flashing away at stopped cars more than once at Charles/Lake Ave. How is it that the city could implement a bounty revenue model if the state law prohibits it? Did no one in the city read the law? Did no one at the state level find it fit to mention that the city's whole model was unlawful? .. and, also, speed cameras have also been doling out work-zone tickets when nobody's working.*

Speaking of bounty hunting, Ian Duncan reports that the feds have gleaned $25 million from seizing assets* in MD in the past 12 months.

Carl Snowden lost his appeal* on his 2010 drunk-driving case

A drug-related shooting in Essex

Guns for gift cards

Tavon Barnett, 19, was arrested for the murder of Terrance Seale (#185), Barnett has been on the run (locally) since the murder.*

Among the malfeasances in the SE, a duct-taped security guard, a woman who successfully defended herself against a purse-snatcher with a small knife, a stolen bottle of Bacardi.

Data show that in Baltimore shootings are way way down.* So why is the WSJ breathless about "soaring" crime rates? Maybe because the facts don't jibe with the "be scared all the time" narrative? That paper has gone to major crap since Murdoch bought it. And guess what, the Tribune is trying to unload its newspapers, and guess who might be interested? Watch out, Fenton, you might find yourself replaced with a porn star.

Trial is scheduled to start today for Kenisha Thomas*, the woman who stabbed her infant daughter Pretty Diamond at a social services office. Speaking of morality and the formative years, interesting article from the New Republic on how neglect in the first two years of life leads to a fucked-up adulthood. And did you know that by the age of 5 months babies like it when mean puppets get punished, and that babies "are little bigots" when it comes to snack crackers? 

A preliminary hearing for The Baltimore Spectator, aka AF James MacArthur, will be held at 8:30 a.m. in room 1 of 5800 Wabash. And on Dec. 20th, Duane "Shorty" Davis is holding a vigil for him outside of Central Booking.

The temporary protective order against Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs has been lifted, so he can get his nine guns back. Also, his wife is really hot, in a plastic-y kind of way.

O'Malley says it's against the law for speed camera operators to get paid by volume,* which is, of course, how the city's camera contractors are paid. Luke Broadwater talked to Maynard n Shari about his story, sound file here (fast-forward to 8:30)

In spite of ample evidence that gun-buyback programs don't work, Prez Jack is championing one happening at City College this Friday. More from the BBrew

210

One of the victims shot yesterday on Pitcher Street, Tarrell Logan, has died.* If Delma Barnes' hit-and-run death is found to be intentional, Logan is the city's 210th homicide of the year.

The MTA is ISO two passengers who assaulted a bus driver on the 13 bus Thursday

I hadn't realized this till someone mentioned earlier today - if convicted, @baltospectator's charge carries MANDATORY MINIMUM 5 yrs prison [link added]
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 11, 2012

Ten years for gun-toting heroin dealer Keith James (TIL mannitol is a plant sugar people cut heroin with), and 10 years and a month for pot dealer "Mr. Purple," (Anthony Marcantoni), one of the Nicka conspirators, who, the DOJ notes, received deliveries at "a Mt. Washington supermarket" that's gotta be Whole Foods.

A man was robbed at gunpoint in the 2300 block of Charles St.

County police are ISO this suspect, left, who robbed SoBo Gold Buyers in Pikesville

Got a few minutes to do a good deed? Write a message of encouragement and hope to a sexually assaulted prisoner.

Baby, daddy

So caught up in the story of Delma Leroy "Lee" Barnes, a 35-year-old grandfather run down by two women and possibly a baby (maybe a grocery bag? Maybe a backpack worn on the front? No, that. is. a. baby. With feet!) in a Mazda, I almost forgot to note that a 4th Kevin Clash accuser has appeared on the scene, with a familiar story, lawsuit. Well, compared to those Mazda-driving murderous bitches, fellating a teenager while he calls you "dad" isn't so bad, right? ... I'll bet she formula feeds. I hope that baby was properly restrained in a rear-facing seat. 

a freaking gold mine

Two shot on Shields Place* near historic "freaking gold mine" Pennsylvania Avenue, one victim is in serious condition but they are reportedly both still alive.  Fenton also ID's the unnamed victim from the past weekend as Angelo Ward, 25, likely the "loso" in the photo in the post below, and notes that Brent Nickens was in a wheelchair; police say they are exploring "drug-related ties" (Ps. here's a throwback Linskey/Sentementes jam about the times and trials of Bloods disciplinarian/ former CEO of the Pennsylvania Avenue drug trade Don Papa). (Blake is still in jail, and apparently keeping busy getting beaten by guards and filing lawsuits.)

#BaltimoreProblems

Three murders this weekend,* all on the West side: Brent Nickens, 22, 2300 block of Westwood Avenue on Friday night, and an unidentified person in the 800 block of Brooks Lane on Saturday.  And a 24-year-old Thomas Rawlings was stabbed to death on the 1800 block of Fulton Ave. (seven blocks away from Westwood Ave) Fenton notes these murders come after 12 days of murder-free relative peace. (Fenton retweeted a victim picture, loso_badazz, to the left, but not sure yet which victim it is. #BaltimoreProblems)

Yet another Spectator article* addresses what that original gun charge was for and how his head got shaved (though I still wonder what those charges from CA were). Here's a question: if you found out you were wanted on a warrant and wanted to contact a defense attorney to help you turn yourself in, who would you call? assuming Jill Carter wasn't available.

Police are ISO the woman to the right, who they say mowed down a man in her Mazda on Frankfort Ave and fled the scene.

In pervy news, a dorm aide at the School for the Deaf is accused of touching three girls. And a man in Worcester, MA, Geoffrey Portway was arraigned after he and a guy in Kansas conspired to kidnap a Baltimore boy (among other things). And Ian Duncan writes about the Baltimore law firm that's helping parents of victims of a Delaware pediatrician* accused of molesting nearly 900 victims.

The WSJ visited Shock Trauma

In the County an off-duty officer was shot outside of a party in Overlea

A teenager was shot in Middle River*

County police are ISO the bald guy on the left, wanted for robbing a Woodlawn Shell station

Firestarter

A string of bizarre fires in Upper Fells set by a unknown arsonist who apparently doesn't like Hondas.
(Link fixed, thanks non)

Sausage parties, gay trollies and football

RT @baltimorepolice: Homicide detectives are investigating a stabbing that occurred overnight in the 1800 block of N. Fulton Ave.
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 7, 2012

Four people were shot night-before-last*

Sheila Dixon will be in court today for a probation-violation hearing*

Senator Lisa Gladden (D-41) in the courtroom, either for moral support or may have a trial of her own? Donald English representing Dixon!

— MrGiordano (@MrGiordano) December 7, 2012

The poop-storm of robberies continues in the SE, this week's Baltimore Guide collection includes the mugger who said "thank you," an escort forced to drive her her home by two suspects who then robbed her, a woman robbed after she refused to buy food for a guy lurking around a carryout.

Marc Steiner had a sausage party last night to talk homicides (which I guess is cool, given most perps and victims are also male), guests included Fenton and Guglielmi, here's a link to the podcast.

In other sausage party news, The Daily Beast has yet more deets on the Kevin Clash case. (Wonder if they'll phase Elmo out, the whole scandal rather tarnishes the brand, no?) Here's a Jezebel/Gawker summary if you don't want to read all them words.

Down in Greenbelt, the 4th is hearing the case of Anthony McIntosh, a prison guard accused of failing to get medical help for inmate Ronnie White.


More bad speed cameras-- imagine that, a profit-driven corporation cutting corners to maximize profit. Now the one on University Parkway has been demonstrated to have given out a ticket to a car that the camera tracked at 45 mph but was actually going 7.* Yes, 7. Meanwhile last Saturday Xerox/ACS closed down three lanes of Cold Spring to test the camera there and found no problems. Hrm. Last month a state audit found that Xerox/ACS didn't test the cameras before installing them using the standards they were supposed to, and didn't perform calibration checks once they were installed.

A prisoner, Brian Dargan, is being charged with attempted murder after shooting an officer in the leg at St. Joseph's hospital.

Two CV appliance-booglars, Chambers Agurs and Derrick Moffatt, were in court yesterday; both agreed to the statement of facts but pleaded not guilty and both got time served, were ordered to pay restitution and got two years of supervised probation (which Steve G. notes costs the supervisee $75 a month), though now Moffatt (caught red-handed toting a refrigerator door) wants to appeal.

Can we quit acting like it's an isolated incident when people who get beat about the head for a living turn out to be a touch mental? Anyway, happy purple Friday, some Raven got his guns taken away after being accused of domestic violence by his babies' mom.

Also in North Baltimore, five stolen government cell phones, a stolen 1988 Oldsmobile, a burgled yoga studio (how many yoga studios are there in Hampden these days?), a stolen marriage certificate.

The owner of an Annapolis trolley company says he'll shut down rather than be forced to trolley same-sex newlyweds. Note that discrimination against sexual orientation has been against the law in MD since 2002-- guess this Matt Grubbs guy was cool with same-sex hand-holding tourists so long as they were still second-class citizens when it came to marriage. Speaking of marriage, the coverage of the issuing of licenses here has been notably blase, compared to the excited tone of coverage in WA. .. I called down to the courthouse, where a guy named John told me six marriage licenses were issued for Baltimore city yesterday, and that the reaction around the state was similarly underwhelming. (In contrast, Seattle issued about 400 licenses yesterday.) But this is sweet: curmudgeonly traditionalist Frank Conaway Sr. told Pat Warren, "I’m going to see that if the court wants to open on New Year’s Eve, I’ll be here at 12:01. If they want to get married, I’ll be happy to do it." Aww! 

Down at Ft. Meade, the commander who made Bradley Manning stand at attention while naked will take the stand. 

Eenteresting Tweet from Fenton: Oakland has now been put in receivership, which will put it under the purview of a federal judge, a compliance director, and technically also the plaintiffs of its 12-year-old lawsuit if the plan is approved next Wednesday. It looks like it's the first police department ever to be in such a situation, and as the KQED story notes, none in this troika of bosses is actually responsible for running the department.

Sweet gay schadenfreude

Big fat sexual predator Shawn Nolan,* who worked at Hazelwood Elementary/Middle and insperminated a 15-year-old "won trust of parents and students," convinced everyone he was a doctor when he was, in fact, a hall monitor. Buck-passing ensued.

Justin George (the Bible-Tweety Justin) writes about the Warrant Apprehension Task Force, notes that the city does indeed have 50,000 open warrants* at a given time and has arrested 291 people so far this year (wait, is there a zero missing there?), at the top of the list the "most dangerous and accessible targets."

Today in BaltoSpectator news, Ian Duncan ("the only reporter who's listened to Monday's hearing,"  sniffed Fenton à Twitter) drops the nugget that MacArthur was committed for a competency evaluation* (which I believe he's copped to in the past, said it was the result of a false domestic-violence accusation from a vindictive paramour).

The local authorities are ISO Travis Lee Wildes, a prisoner who walked off a work detail and who should be relatively easy to find given the humungous flaming skull etched over his gullet.

Same-sex marriage licenses start getting issued today down at 628 Mitchell-- good Lord, Frank Conaway is not only going to have to do work, but work on behalf of gay people--ass-draggery shall achieve new pinnacles of excellence. (Actually, expect that tomorrow, after the reporters leave... nobody wants to make a bitchface on teevee.) I swear I just heard Adam Meister cackling.

Down at the City Council, MPC introduced a bill to ban cell phone towers on schools and rec centers. I can dig it.

Down at the 4th in Richmond, a re-hearing of the crisis pregnancy center case. New York has a similar law that is similarly on hold as of July 2011.

No bail for the Spectator

No bail for the Spectator after "lively" hearing*; AF James MacArthur told a Fox reporter the sawed-off shotgun found in his house was planted. Meanwhile the CEO of Spreaker is puzzled that police didn't try to shut down MacArthur's feed and that it's still on his site. IMO it's much to the BPD's credit that they didn't.
(Jason Yerg's negotiations reminded me so much of -- don't flame me now-- the counterintuitive points about leadership in Malcolm Gladwell's "What the Dog Saw." Leading with a calm and abiding presence, patiently waiting out a subject's tantrum. "Breathing even and deeply—rather than holding your breath—can mean the difference between defusing a tense situation and igniting it. ... Certain people, we say, 'command our attention,' but the verb is all wrong. There is no commanding, only soliciting." ... of course, it never hurts to have a giant battering ram as backup.)

Speaking of, why are state Democrats trying to appoint someone convicted of gun charges to Tiffany Alson's seat?

Tavon Barnett

Police are ISO Tavon "Twin" Barnett, 19, right, wanted for the murder of Terrance Seale. Police say he's got got teeth, is 6'3" and has been known to hang out at the Cockeysville WalMart.

Well, there's a puzzler-- yesterday that "schmuck" got 35 years for murdering a witness; now one Anthony Hooks has gotten 55 years for pointing a gun at a civilian and a police officer.

A double stabbing on E Baltimore St shut down The Block*

A man was mugged for $300 in Remington

Police broke up a mob of teens hanging around outside Mondawmin Mall yesterday evening

Broadwater: city officials knew of ferkakta speed cameras four months ago, chose to ignore issues, and Walter Ave. speed cameras also miscalibrated*

"Little Italy Bocce Figure Charged with Fraud"

Police say County double-murder suspect Bryant Walls posted comments re. his marital strife on Facebook (Walls' page has now been taken down).

In Hoco, "The trial of a man charged with murdering his wife and then burying her remains under a shed in the back yard has been postponed"

OMG-- in Glen Burnie a woman was raped, stabbed, and forced to shop at Food Lion-- she was able to alert employees, who called 911

Hairron's gewin downy euchin

Schmuck sentenced

Thirteen-year-old Sarah Elizabeth-Kay Matthews, right, has been missing for three weeks, call police if you see her.

Tyrone Alson was indicted for first-degree murder (and pot possession/intent to distribute charges) for allegedly shooting his girlfriend in the back of the head in the 2600 block of Guilford Avenue, the shooting was caught on camera (yet even though police had him in custody on the drugs charges, they let him out for 11 days before they charged him for the murder, a big puzzler).

An acquittal in the murder of James Ingram, 46

Thirty-five years for Tavon Davis, the "schmuck"* who killed Isiah Calloway* to keep him from 'snitching' after his lawyer leaked to Davis that he was a witness*

Ten+ years for a 60-year-old heroin dealer

In the SE, a woman was robbed, bit and doused in bleach by her ex, another woman bit and robbed of her Coach® purse, and a man double-robbed by suspects in a Ford pickup. At a meeting at Max's Taphouse a police commander claimed there have only been 30 robberies this year in the SE. Uhm, maybe a zero was missing there? I counted 225 robberies just through May in the BmoreGuide SE Blotter archives...

Ian Duncan on the phenom of mailing pot,* Rodricks says half of the arrests in the NE US are for pot; the Morgan shooter had 16 baggies of it*

The city's lawyer filed a protective order* to prevent former Deputy Mayor Christopher Thomaskutty and current Chief Information Officer Chris Tonjes from answering questions from a lawyer regarding the city's $675k phone-and-computer purchases

The Commander of the Northern blames the Black Guerrilla Family for the doubling of the homicide rate (t)here; shootings are also up 31 percent. FWIW Northern District Deputy Major Richard Worley, Senator Lisa Gladden and Delegates Sandy Rosenberg, Nathaniel Oakes and Jill Carter will be at the RP Civic League meeting Thursday at 7 at the RP Presbyterian church at 4800 Roland.

James MacArthur @baltospectator is now showing up in the Md. inmate locator should anyone want to track him ow.ly/fOoRO
— Ian Duncan (@iduncan) December 4, 2012

A mortgage fraudster from Owings Mills got 35 years in the can*


Three crack dealers arrested in AAC

'the crude shorthand of the poor and violent city'

Joel Hopkins, 28, has been charged with the shooting in Brooklyn yesterday

A worthy cause: AT&T gave $300k to UB Law's center for Families, Children and Courts and truancy court program.

A teen was caught in Stoneleigh after stealing a minivan from the city and ramming a police cruiser with it.

Church official: we swear we didn't know about the Merzbacher abuse allegations* until 1988; case has renewed the push for effective abuse-reporting laws*

Rodricks writes about the murders of brothers Audie Mickens and James Johnson*

A woman was mugged in Waverly

Stolen in the Northern: a dog, a bunch of bikes, Japanese cars*

Baltimorean Bryan Benway was arrested for impersonating a police officer in AAC

Burglars have been hitting HarfCo and county Verizon stores

The mess that was this weekend

An allegedly crazy mom allegedly killed her two-year- old daughter son in the 1400 block of Broening Highway in the SE. 

Soon after The Baltimore Spectator was peacefully taken into custody, a man was fatally stabbed in the 2000 block of Monument St and a guy was shot while driving in the 2000 block of Charles St

And while said Spectator was barricaded a guy shot a would-be robber in the foot in the 100 block of North Potomac Street 

Two people nonfatally shot in Brooklyn

Two people, Okemia Lastezia and William Henry Cunningham, were stabbed to death in Parkville, in Solar Circle and Venus Court off of Perring Parkway.

And I guess after the Spectator locked up his house the police done busted in, because they found a sawed-off shotgun and ammo in his house* resulting in some new charges. He's being held without bond.

must have bagpipes

This situation. This negotiator. A tale told in Tweets. Lots and lots of Tweets. Here are some:

10hBaltimore Spectator ‏@BaltoSpectator

the polive have found me 

its about to be over ... I could die tonight. Thanks for tuning in ...My final thoughts for now will come in several parts. It's directed squarely at my fake, white, liberal friends. Particularly the gays... To the same people who've jumped up and down for the longest time crying about "dignity, fairness & equality," I knew you were full of it. ..If those things were truly such a concern. Why is it when it comes to others, ur all silent? Cuz ur selfish and fake. Nothing more to it. ... remember my funeral wishes ...

I stated them clearly in the show other night. must have bagpipes ... I am not afraid, but my family deserves better... my daughter deserves better. baltimore deserves betteer ...remember to tell my daughter I love her ... my story has been laid out there. now you will see how it ends. thanks for ignoringme baltimore sun. good job fenton ... proof, u need proof, why so many cops staged outside my position???? that proof enough???

Gus G. Sentementes ‏@GusSent

BPD swat probably responds to several barricade situations every day. Very common, most end calmly. Only difference tonight: it was a show.

Gym Carrey ‏@_HustleMarsalis

This dude is having a tweet-up with Baltimore City Police.

Damon Dorsey ‏@damedorse

I don't know enough about @baltospectator situation to really speak on it BUT I will say he is effectively using social media right now!

W. E. B. Deepthroat ‏@FeministaJones

This entire thing was about him getting attention and having people hear his complaints. It worked.

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

"This is a ratings bonanza," he says. "It's 10:57. Let's wrap this up for the networks." Sigh.

rolandsmartin ‏@rolandsmartin

Hey @jillpcarter. your client James MacArthur @BaltoSpectator is about to get arrested by Baltimore PD. So go to the police station

Justin George ‏@justingeorge

Do not have vantage point of spectator's door. Officer confirms he's in custody peacefully. #BaltoSpectator

5hMichael A. Wood Jr. ‏@MichaelAWoodJr

@BaltoSpectator The Sergeant out there has reached out to me. You have no excuse. He's a good man of God.

Sterling ‏@sterliwirl926

@MichaelAWoodJr thanks! Great team effort.

And a Twitpic.

... still not clear on what was it is he was wanted for. Failure to appear from 2009 "and another for subsequent failure to appear in court, according to court records, and the situation was ratcheted up after police said MacArthur made threatening statements to officers over social media." says Fenton, but which statements (and which gays? ... and no, he wasn't on the 11 o'clock news.

Update: a concise summation from Ed Ericsson ("police were taking MacArthur #serious"), also helpfuly cites a 2010 Fenton story that splains MacArthur's orginial charges and why you can't find em on the JIS (it's under 'Frank McArther').

Another shooting at Morgan

... a suspect is in custody

Think of the children!

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Nelson Ave shooting of woman: was waiting for her sister outside club. Motive unclear; has record. Targeted or carjacking are poss motives

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Northwest now up. [at COMSAT meeting] Say homicide on Boarman Ave has been closed with arrest (news to me). Homicide says its believed to be drug related

Last night's public COMSAT meeting is also available online, but it's two hours long, so maybe just read the Fenton story.*

A murder conviction for a guy who wrote a jailhouse apology letter to the family of victim

Two guys from Parkville got into a knife fight at Market & Lombard @ 2 a.m. this morning* causing a melee

A guilty plea from real-estate fraudster Alexander Sivels II, involved in Patterson-Park area "liar loans" with a company called Royal Real Estate

poor kid.

This just in: the westbound Cold Spring Lane speed camera is also a bunch of crap. If the city's going to be picking people's pockets can't they at least build a footbridge or even just a decent crosswalk for those poor Poly kids who have to cross that road? The citystate has made exploiting people's concern for kids into a fine art-- a state-sanctioned version of that gypsy scam where a woman throws a baby at you while her accomplice picks your pocket. But speed cameras/gambling/credit cards for education administrators are for the children! Won't somebody please think of the children?!

SA Gregg Bernstein dropped by Westport, told residents to keep calling police and that he's developing some kind of nuevo holistic drug thingy involving gardening or something.

And BatchGeo has your happy-pinwheel Pigtown crime map

In Towson, groping burglar Ricky Bostic has been charged with additional skeeves/thefts*

Brave patriot Bradley Manning testified yesterday, described forced nudity and a "shark-tank environment" at Quanitico. In violation of military law, guy has been held without trial for 921 days.

HBD Northwest Citizens Patrol,* which I guess is like Shomrim but goys can join?

Ding dong! Same-sex weddings can happen starting at midnight on Jan. 1

.. is that legal? Person claiming s/he got an STD from a MICA student plasters posters around town

The Truce on Drugs

Still pondering "The Truce on Drugs" -- could it be that murders are creeping up again because Batts isn't vigorously applying Bealefeld's strategy? And/but to what extent was that strategy applied to begin with? A cursory perusal of "inputs" at Central Booking still shows that CDS (Controlled Dangerous Substance, aka drug) arrests still shows made up a good 1/3-1/2 of the top charges-- if that's deprioritizing, holy shit. The OpenBaltimore data also shows 48,870 arrests for 2011, vs. the 65,000 the article asserts ... but even if there were an extra 16,000 undocumented arrests and none were CDS, that's still 25,813 arrests between Jan of 2011 and August of 2012 where drugs were the "top arrest charge." Still, shootings do appear to be way down, and that's something: 381 last year, vs 725 in 2000.

Good gracious, mere days after Andre Littlejohn was arrested for viciously abusing his two-month-old daughter, 20-year-old Dion Kearrie Ware is being charged with murdering his one-month-old son, Kearrie Dion Ware on Monday. (The Sun says he was 7 weeks, but still*) WTF, people? Babies just lie there, if they're annoying you can just go to another room! BTW if you're feeling overwhelmed as a parent, even if you don't feel like you're about to lay a smack down, I can't recommend enough calling 1-800-4-A-CHILD. It's 24/7, completely anonymous, staffed by really sweet trained social workers. And if a baby is crying there is absolutely nothing wrong with putting the baby in a crib and going outside for a minute.

Sad: the murder trial of James Cureton/Careton, accused of killing Tanise Ervin in 2011, was postponed -- both sides were prepared, family members and Mary Pat Clarke were in the house, but a judge could not be found. Also, there's a Judge Carrion in the city.

Also, Thomas Lee Meighan Jr., who got 13 years* for the hit-and-run vehicular homicide of 20-year-old Hopkins student Miriam Frankl, is trying to get some "post-conviction relief." In addition to the Frankl case he had nine previous DUI convictions and also pleaded guilty to another hit-and-run (!!) and got a suspended sentence for that (!!!). You may recall that in the Frankl case* a half-dozen people called 911* to report his wild, drunken ride from Highlandtown to Charles Village the city to Bel Air (with a break to pee on Patterson Park), but police ignored all of the calls.

A former city police officer/former RN was arrested for the shooting in Parkton that was called, at first, a "hunting accident"-- the shooter, Richard Heymann, says he intended to fire a warning shot but accidentally plugged the guy in the thigh.

A woman was stabbed in Owings Mills

Ew, in Edgewood a 27-year-old former employee of the city schools is charged with raping and impregnating a 15-year-old who he was supposed to be giving "therapy" to.

Former Orioles third-baseman Doug DeCinces has been charged with insider trading: 42 counts of securities fraud and one count of money laundering

Thirty years for a guy who robbed and murdered his quinquagenarian drug dealer

Missing teen Tyler Grimes was found

A man in Barclay was robbed while unloading groceries (reported as if that doesn't happen, like, every other day)

The Towson murder of Alsawab Sawab, 27, was reportedly "not random"