Motorcycles, Trailer Swiped

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City police this week are looking for the suspect or suspects who stole three motorcycles and a box trailer from a downtown motel parking lot sometime early Monday morning.

Police are investigating the theft of a box trailer containing two Harley Davidson motorcycles and one Iron Horse motorcycle. The trailer and motorcycles were stolen sometime between 1 and 7:30 a.m. on Monday from the Tidelands Motel auxiliary parking lot on the west side of Baltimore Ave. near 4th Street.

The 16-foot long trailer is painted black with “S.R. Bressler” painted on the side in white, cursive letters. “Welding and Fabrication” is also painted on the side in black and orange lettering. The trailer is described as having tandem wheels on each side.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the OCPD Criminal Investigation Division at 410-723-6604. Anonymous tips may also be made via email to [email protected].

Speeding Stop Yields Stolen Vehicle

BERLIN — A Brunswick, Md. man was arrested on numerous charges last week after an incident that included a little bit of everything from a stolen car to missing persons and from drugs to speeding.

Around 3:30 p.m. last Saturday, Maryland State Police stopped a 2008 Land Rover on Route 50 near Whaleyville for going 82 mph in a 55 mph zone. A check of the vehicle’s registration revealed it had been reported stolen in Frederick County, Md. Further investigation revealed a suspect, identified as Travis Matthew Barnette, 18, of Brunswick, along with two juvenile females and a juvenile male, had stolen the vehicle when they discovered it unlocked with the keys in it.

Barnette allegedly pawned some vehicles from within the stolen vehicle as the group headed east on Route 50 toward Ocean City. A search of Barnette also turned up 46 pills of Seroquel, a prescription medication that was not prescribed to him. Two of the juveniles in the stolen vehicle were listed as missing persons.

Each of the juveniles were released to the custody of their parents pending criminal charges in Juvenile Court. Barnette was arrested and charged with motor vehicle theft, theft, obstructing and hindering and possession of controlled dangerous substance. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and released pending trial.

Alleged OC Dealer Busted

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested on drug possession and distribution charges last week after allegedly selling illegal narcotics to an undercover officer.

Throughout the month of April, an undercover OCPD detective initiated a drug distribution investigation into a suspect identified as Samuel Armando Lipscomb, 30, of Ocean City. On April 15, the OCPD detective contacted Lipscomb via cell phone and made arrangements to purchase four 30 mg oxycodone pills for $30 each. Shortly after 8 p.m., the officer contacted Lipscomb and made arrangements to meet him at the prescribed location near 127th Street.

Lipscomb met the officer as planned in a shopping center parking lot and got into his vehicle. The officer then drove Lipscomb to his residence on Old Landing Rd. During the trip, Lipscomb informed the officer he was going to get a delivery of 80 mg oxycodone pills at his residence later that night. Lipscomb also told the undercover officer 30 mg oxycodone pills were hard to come by and promised to set aside some of the pills for the officer when he was able to obtain them, according to police reports.

Once at Lipscomb’s residence, the officer provided the suspect with $120 in cash for the four oxycodone pills. Lipscomb handed the officer a crumpled piece of paper containing a piece of metal foil, which contained the four pills, completing that transaction.

Last Wednesday, the OCPD officer again contacted Lipscomb via cell phone and during the conversation, the suspect asked the officer if he was interested in buying any “soft,” street slang for powder cocaine. Lipscomb allegedly told the officer he would be getting 10, $50 bags of cocaine that evening and the officer made arrangements to purchase two of the bags for $100.

Around 6 p.m., OCPD officers observed Lipscomb leave his residence and get into a van, which then headed south on Coastal Highway. The undercover officer had several cell phone conversations with Lipscomb and made arrangements to meet with him at a north end fast food restaurant to complete the deal later that evening.

Meanwhile, OCPD officers continued surveillance on the van heading south on Coastal Highway. Around 6:40 p.m., the van stopped at the Bridgeview Apartments on North Division Street. Lipscomb was observed making contact with another unidentified individual before getting back in the van. The van then headed north, first on St. Louis Ave. and later on Philadelphia Ave.

OCPD officers stopped the van on Philadelphia Ave. around 6:45 p.m. The driver of the van told police when the traffic stop was initiated, Lipscomb began fumbling in his pockets and shoved a plastic bag into a box between the two seats. A search of the box between the seats revealed a plastic bag that contained seven smaller individually wrapped baggies of suspected cocaine, packaged in such a way to suggest distribution. Lipscomb was arrested and charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute and was ordered held on a $100,000 bond.

Traffic Stop Yields Drug Bust

OCEAN CITY — A Virginia man was arrested on marijuana and cocaine possession and distribution charges last week after a routine traffic stop in Ocean City.

Around 2 a.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police stopped a gray Lincoln town car on Coastal Highway around 46th Street for a tag light violation. When officers approached the driver, identified as Thomas Gabriel Ternisky, 44, of Great Falls, Va., they noticed he was nervous and his hands were shaking. The officers requested assistance from a K-9 unit dog and his handler, which performed an exterior sweep on the vehicle. The K-9 dog Tacko indicated a positive alert for controlled dangerous substances in the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and located a white plastic shopping bag behind the seat containing suspected marijuana.

The officers also located a glass smoking device in the trunk containing burnt marijuana residue. Also found in the trunk was a plastic baggie containing suspected powder cocaine wrapped in an envelope under the carpet in the trunk. When questioned about the narcotics, Ternisky allegedly told police without provocation he “bought two grams of powder from D.C. and was just bringing it down to my boys so we could party and they could have fun.” Ternisky was arrested and charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine.

SWAT Raid Nets Drug Bust

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City woman is being held without bond this week after resort police busted her at her residence on drug possession and distribution charges.

During the month of April, Ocean City Police conducted a CDS distribution investigation on a suspect identified as Louella Mae Bratten, 28, of Ocean City. Around 5:30 a.m. last Thursday, the OCPD Quick Response Team (QRT) executed a search and seizure warrant on Bratten’s home on 136th Street. The QRT found Bratten asleep in a second-floor bedroom. During the search, police located a women’s purse allegedly belonging to Bratten, which contained six individually wrapped baggies containing suspected crack cocaine. Detectives also located a box containing empty plastic baggies on a TV stand in Bratten’s room.

Also found in the purse was a plastic baggie of suspected marijuana. Bratten was arrested and charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and marijuana. She was ordered held without bond in the Worcester County Jail.

Bomb Scare An Empty Suitcase

WEST OCEAN CITY — A suspicious package left at a West Ocean City fast-food restaurant early sometime Monday morning turned out to be an empty suitcase and not a potential bomb, as was suspected.

Early Monday morning, employees at the Wendy’s in West Ocean City discovered a suspicious package on the premises while opening the restaurant. The Ocean City Bomb Squad was brought over and assisted the Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office with the inspection of the suspicious package.

The package was determined to be an empty suitcase, left behind by an unidentified individual. The empty suitcase was then turned over to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office as found property. The investigation is closed, according to the Fire Marshal’s Office.

Fugitive Nabbed After Trooper Shoots Tire

SALISBURY — A fugitive wanted on serious charges including assault and armed robbery was arrested last week in Salisbury after a Maryland State Police trooper shot the tire of the vehicle in which they were traveling while he was being dragged.

Last Thursday, members of the Maryland State Apprehension Team and Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force were in the Salisbury area searching for a fugitive named Clarence Cornish, 32, of Cambridge.

Cornish was wanted on a 16-count grand jury indictment from Kent County charging him with armed robbery, assault, burglary and the use of the handgun in the commission of a felony. The charges stem from a home invasion that occurred in Kent County in late March.

Shortly before 4 p.m., members of the fugitive task force spotted Cornish riding in a car on Route 13 in Salisbury. Task force members attempted to stop the vehicle at a red light on Route 13 near Connelly Mill Rd. As task force members approached the car, one officer opened the passenger door and ordered Cornish to get out.

Cornish did not comply, and when the officer attempted to reach in the vehicle to pull him out, the driver, identified as James Brown, 41, of Salisbury, sped away with the officer half in and half out of the vehicle. In fear for the life of the officer, a second deputy fired a single shot from his department issued pistol at the rear driver’s side tire in an attempt to disable the vehicle.

The car continued for about 70 yards before stopping. The officer was able to disengage himself from the vehicle without injury. Cornish and Brown were taken into custody, but a third person in the vehicle was not arrested. Cornish was taken to Kent County where is he being held without bond. Meanwhile, Brown was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and failure to obey a lawful order.

As is procedure, the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit is investigating the officer-involved shooting. In addition, the officer, an eight-year veteran of the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, has been placed on routine administrative leave while the investigation continues, as is standard procedure.

Armed Robbery Suspects Sought

SALISBURY — Salisbury Police this week are looking for two suspects wanted in connection with the armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver on Monday.

Shortly before 9 p.m. on Monday, Salisbury Police responded to Tim’s Pizza on Tilghman Rd. for a reported robbery. The officers met with a male victim who said he had been robbed at gunpoint while leaving the restaurant to make a food delivery. The victim told police he was approached by two suspects, one of which produced a handgun.

As the first suspect held the handgun on the victim, the suspect robbed the employee, taking his car keys and an amount of cash. The suspects then fled the scene through the woods behind the restaurant. The officers were able to locate witnesses who said the two suspects entered a vehicle driven by a female suspect on Whispering Ponds Court.

One suspect is described as an African-American male, about 5’8 and 150 pounds wearing a black bandana on his face and a black shirt and gray pants. The second suspect is described as an African-American male about 5’8” and 200 pounds wearing a black bandana over his face, a black shirt and blue jeans.

The getaway driver is described as an African-American female in her late 20s or early 30s with shoulder-length hair and glasses. The vehicle is described as late 1990s or early 2000s Hyundai Sonata, maroon or burgundy in color with red and white Hawaiian print seat covers. Anyone with information is urged to contact Salisbury Police at 410-548-3165.

Sleeping Behind the Wheel

SALISBURY — A Salisbury man was arrested on drunk-driving charges last week after he was allegedly found sleeping behind the wheel with the vehicle running on St. Martin’s Neck Rd. near Route 90.

Around 3:15 a.m. last Sunday, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputy observed a vehicle partly in the roadway on St. Martin’s Neck Rd. near Route 90. The vehicle was running and the driver was asleep in the driver’s seat. The deputy awoke the driver, identified as Ralphell Jamison, 27, of Salisbury, and detected the strong odor of alcohol on his breath.

Jamison did poorly on field sobriety tests and was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and driving while impaired. He was later released pending trial.

Two Arrested For Shooting Signs

BERLIN- Two Snow Hill men were arrested on malicious destruction of property and other charges last week after allegedly shooting county road signs with a rifle.

Around 10:20 p.m. last Monday, Worcester County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Old Furnace Rd. for a report of shots fired. Deputies, along with Natural Resources Police (NRP), stopped a truck on Sand Rd. As officers approached the vehicle, they observed a rifle in the front seat. The occupants of the vehicle, identified as Syler Arvey, 19, and Cory Wodkins, 19, both of Snow Hill, admitted shooting at county road signs and were placed under arrest for malicious destruction of property.

In addition, a search of the vehicle turned up a quantity of marijuana and possession charges were tacked on. Both suspects were taken before a District Court Commissioner and released pending trial.