Garage Deal Broken Up

OCEAN CITY - Resort police this week broke up a significant drug deal in a downtown hotel parking garage.

Around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, two Ocean City police officers working plainclothes detail in the parking garage of a hotel on 26^th Street observed two vehicles drive to the third deck of the garage to an area where there were no other cars around. As they approached the vehicles, they noticed they were parked in such a manner that the driver's side windows were side by side. The officers noted in their report the same two vehicles, a Hyundai Tiburon and a Kia were seen earlier in a different parking garage.

As the officers approached the vehicles, they observed the driver of the Tiburon, later identified as Sean Lee White, 22, of Pocomoke, making furtive movements as if to hide something. Meanwhile, the passenger in the Kia, later identified as Jamie Anne Washington, 20, of Snow Hill, was observed smoking what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette.

Both White and Washington were taken into custody for possession of controlled dangerous substance. A search of the Tiburon incident to the arrest revealed a joint between the driver's seat and the door. However, a search of Washington's purse revealed a large baggie of marijuana in a purple Crown Royal bag along with a smaller baggie of pot, empty baggies and a digital scale. Also found in the purse was $4,575 dollars in currency in bills of various denominations.

White was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. Washington was also arrested and charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Surf Shop Burglar Sought

OCEAN CITY - Resort police this week are looking for a suspect who broke into the Endless Summer surf shop in Ocean City sometime between May 22 and May 23.

The suspect, whose image was captured by surveillance cameras, burglarized the Endless Summer surf shop on 37^th Street in Ocean City sometime between 11 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, and 9 a.m. on Friday, May 23. The suspect was wearing jeans, a hat and a dark colored hooded sweatshirt with white writing down the sleeve at the time of the break-in.

Among the items stolen were a laptop computer and several types of surf-related merchandise. Anyone with information about the break-in or the suspect is encouraged to contact the OCPD's Criminal Investigation Division at 410-723-6604.

Tire Iron Attack

OCEAN CITY - A Pennsylvania man was arrested on first-degree assault and other charges last weekend after allegedly bashing another man over the head with a tire iron during a dispute.

Around 2:20 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City police reported to the 73^rd Street area for a reported fight in progress. Upon arrival, the officers met with a victim who was bleeding from at least one wound on his head. There was also a large amount of blood on the victim's head, face, chest and left arm. The officer also observed a large amount of blood on the ground outside a unit.

The victim told police he had been struck by a tire iron and the officer found a tire iron a short distance away on the ground. The officer then questioned several witnesses who were friends of the victim. The witnesses told police they were sitting out front of their unit drinking beer and having a conversation when the victim fell asleep in a chair.

Meanwhile, a man later identified as Christopher Lynn Howell, 27, of Mount Wolf, Pa., called down to the group to join him at his third floor unit. Two of the witnesses briefly went upstairs to join Howell while the third witness remained downstairs. The witness that stayed behind with the sleeping victim called up to her friends to come back down and help her wake up the victim.

The other two men plus Howell came back down and Howell allegedly tried to do his part in waking up the victim by screaming at him and pushing him in the chest. When the disoriented victim awoke with Howell pushing him and yelling at him, a brief fight ensued between the two men. The victim and his friends went back inside their unit and Howell returned to his unit.

A short time later, the group heard a loud banging on their door, and when the victim, identified as Ronald J. Nugent, opened the door to see what was going on, he was struck in the head with a tire iron, allegedly by Howell. The police were called to question Howell and they found him covered with a large amount of blood inconsistent with the small injuries they noticed on the suspect.

Howell told a different version of the story to police. He said he went down to unit 109 to break up a fight when Nugent bit him on his finger. Howell told the police the fight was between Nugent and two other men and he only went down to break it up.

However, the evidence appeared to contradict Howell's story. He was allegedly completely covered in blood on his face, arms and hands as well as his shirt. There were shoes found at the scene belonging to Howell the treads of which matched the footprints on the door at unit 109. When asked where the tire iron was for his car, Howell allegedly told police, 'If it's not in the trunk, then I guess we know where it is.'

The officers did search Howell's car and did not find a tire iron. Based on the evidence found at the scene and the consistent testimony of the witnesses, Howell was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, deadly weapon with intent to injure and malicious destruction of property.

Sleeping In Car Results

In Drug, Weapons Charges

OCEAN CITY - A Seaford, Del. man was arrested on drug and weapons charges this week after resort police found him sleeping in his car near the beach at 36^th Street.

Shortly before 6 a.m. on Monday, an Ocean City police officer on routine patrol observed a parked silver Ford Mustang with a male suspect slumped over in the driver's seat. Upon closer inspection, the officer noticed the driver, identified as Shawn R. Hickman, 28, of Seaford, was asleep in his car in violation of a municipal ordinance.

As the officer looked in the vehicle, he observed in plain view several buds on marijuana on the passenger seat and flakes of marijuana all over Hickman's shirt. The officer woke Hickman and arrested him on possession charges. During a search of the vehicle incident to the arrest, the officer discovered a two-bladed fighting style knife in the interior pocket of the driver's side door and possession of a fighting knife charge was tacked on.

Officer Assaulted

Trying To Make Arrest

OCEAN CITY - A Frederick, Md. man was arrested on assault and malicious destruction charges last week after pushing an officer attempting to arrest him after he was observed bashing a vehicle with a large wooden pole.

Around 3 a.m. last Saturday, two OCPD officer were on patrol on Sunset Drive when they heard screaming and glass breaking coming from further down the road. When they responded to the noise, the officers observed a group of people beating a car with what appeared to be a very long and thin object, according to police reports.

As they drew closer, the officers observed a man later identified as Leopaldo Jimenez, 33, of Frederick, Md. striking the vehicle with a long, thin object. A group of about five or six people, including Jimenez, fled the scene and the police pursued them on foot. Most of the group ran upstairs and disappeared into a nearby apartment, but Jimenez was caught at the steps as he attempted to escape.

As the officer attempted to arrest Jimenez, the suspect grabbed him in a bear hug and attempted to wrestle him to the ground. The suspect was taken into custody after a brief struggle. Police then talked to two victims, one of whom was the owner of the vehicle. The victim told police Jimenez was beating his car with a long wooden pole, and when the victim tried to stop him, Jimenez allegedly struck him with the pole, which is about the time the police arrived.

The officers observed the vehicle with the rear window bashed in with dents on the trunk and rear side panel. Jimenez was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property over $500.

Frozen Pot

OCEAN CITY - Four juveniles were arrested in their Ocean City motel room this week and charged with possession of marijuana after resort police found roughly a quarter pound of pot stashed in their freezer.

OCPD officer conducting a minor in possession of alcohol investigation discovered the marijuana hidden in the motel room's freezer. Four juveniles, including three 17-year-olds and one 15-year-old were taken into custody and charged with possession of marijuana before being released to juvenile services. 

Two Arrested In

Unsuccessful Robbery

OCEAN CITY - Two Fairfax, Va. men were arrested this week on assault and theft charges after getting chased down following a robbery on the Boardwalk during which they allegedly pulled a knife on the victims.

Around 4:15 a.m. on Saturday, an OCPD officer on routine patrol responded to a reported knife-point robbery in the area of 2^nd Street and Baltimore Ave. As the officer approached the scene, he encountered a man later identified as Steven Moyers running down Baltimore Ave., who said two male suspects had just robbed his brother and were running down Wilmington Lane.

The officer then discovered two suspects running through a hotel parking lot and heard another man, later identified as Joshua Moyer, yelling, 'That's them. Get them. They robbed me.' The officer stopped one of the suspects, identified as Rodolfo Loayza Carreras, 23, of Fairfax, at gunpoint at the bottom of a set of stairs.

The other suspect, identified as Jean Lovato, 29, also of Fairfax, ran up the stairs and disappeared into a unit, but the officer entered the open door of the unit and arrested Lovato at gunpoint without further incident. The Moyers brothers told police they were walking down the Boardwalk with Joshua Moyers' girlfriend when they were approached by the suspects, who made sexual comments toward the female. A fight ensued during which Lovato allegedly grabbed a gold necklace from around Joshua Moyers' neck.

When the victims pursued the suspects, Carreras allegedly pulled out a knife and began waving it at the brothers. Carreras allegedly waved the knife at them and threatened to kill the victims if they pursued them. They then took off down 2^nd Street which is when the police arrived.

During the altercation, Joshua Moyers bloodied Lovato's nose. A motel manager later told police he heard the three suspects yelling to each other to ditch the knife. Despite an extensive search, police were unable to recover the knife or the stolen necklace valued at $180. Carreras was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, while Lovato was charged with second degree assault and theft.

Jail Time For Gun, Shrooms

SNOW HILL - A Salisbury man arrested in Ocean City on gun possession and drug trafficking charges after a routine DWI stop was found guilty this week in Worcester County Circuit Court on three major charges and was sentenced to 60 days in jail for each, which he will serve concurrently.

Jordan Gilsdorf, 21, of Salisbury, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to carrying a handgun, possession with intent to distribute psilocybin (mushrooms) and driving under the influence and was sentenced to three 6-day jail terms. He was also fined a total of $1,000 and was placed on two years probation upon release.

During the early morning hours on Dec. 23, Ocean City Police Ofc. Shawn Beach stopped a suspected drunk driver at 30^th Street and Coastal Highway. As a result of the on-scene investigation, the driver, identified as Gilsdorf, was arrested for driving under the influence.

While at the scene, Beach discovered Gilsdorf had a load 9mm Glock handgun in the center console. Also discovered in the vehicle in close proximity to the weapon were four quart-sized clear plastic bags containing a fungus-like substance the officer suspected to be Psilocybin mushrooms, a schedule I controlled dangerous substance.

Because of the loaded handgun and the vast amount of suspected mushrooms, Gilsdorf was charged with the illegal transportation of a handgun, possession of CDS, possession of CDS in sufficient quantity to indicate an intent to distribute, possession of a firearm under sufficient circumstances to constitute a nexus to the drug trafficking crime, and engaging in drug trafficking while transporting a firearm.

Pa. Fugitive Ends Stand-Off

BERLIN - A Pennsylvania man tracked to a Berlin apartment last Sunday gave himself up after a brief stand-off involving a knife.

Maryland State Police troopers from the Berlin barrack responded to the Decatur Apartments in Berlin last Sunday after learning a fugitive wanted in Pennsylvania was hiding there. The fugitive, identified as Thomas Andrew Berger, 34, of Berlin, was wanted in the Keystone state on felony theft charges.

When the state police responded to the apartment in Berlin where the suspect was believed to be hiding out, the suspect armed himself with a knife. After a 10-minute standoff with troopers, Berger surrendered and was arrested without further incident. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and is being held pending extradition to Pennsylvania.

Resort Stabber Convicted

SNOW HILL - An Ocean City woman arrested in January for stabbing her boyfriend in their downtown apartment two times in as many days pleaded guilty this week in Circuit Court to second-degree assault and was sentenced to a year in jail with all but about three months suspended.

Sherri Dawn Clark, 45, of Ocean City, was in Circuit Court this week facing first-degree assault and other serious charges from an incident in January during which she stabbed her live-in boyfriend twice in less than 24 hours. Clark pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to a year in jail with all but two months and 29 days suspended. She was also placed on probation for three years.

Shortly before 11 p.m. on Feb. 1, OCPD Pfc. Edward Newcomb was dispatched to the Burgundy Inn on 12^th Street for a reported stabbing. Upon arrival, the officer interviewed the victim, who was lying on a couch bleeding from the foot. The victim told police his girlfriend, Clark, had stabbed him in the foot earlier in the evening, but had stabbed him in the chest the night before.

The victim told police he had been arguing with Clark the night before, Thursday, Jan. 31, when she went into the kitchen and returned with a steak knife and stabbed him in the chest while he was lying down. The victim also told police Clark had bit him in the face during the initial altercation and the officer observed evidence of a bite mark on the right side of his face and neck.

Clark then left the apartment, but returned early the next morning. The victim went to work all day, but returned to the apartment in the evening to find Clark in the apartment with others. The couple got into another argument during which Clark allegedly grabbed a knife from behind a pillow and slashed at the victim again, this time missing his chest but hitting him in the foot.

According to the victim's statement, Clark allegedly said during the second argument '[expletive deleted] you, I will kill you.' When asked if Clark made any other statements to him during the altercation, the victim told police Clark allegedly said, 'I will kill you,' and 'you are dead.' When asked if he was in fear for his safety during the altercation, the victim told police, 'This time, yes. I am a man but I am scared.'

The officer followed the ambulance to Atlantic General Hospital where the victim was treated for a one-and-a-half inch-wide laceration on his chest and a half-inch wide cut on his foot. At the time, Newcomb asked the victim if he wanted to press charges against Clark and he said yes.

OCPD officers eventually tracked Clark to a pay phone on the Boardwalk at 2^nd Street using the victim's cell phone. She was taken into custody and charged with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and deadly weapon with intent to injure.