Airlifted After Crash

Airlifted After Crash
Social Issues Government5

BERLIN — An Ocean City woman was flown to Shock Trauma with injuries not believed to be life-threatening after a single-vehicle accident at Routes 113 and 589 on Tuesday afternoon.

Around 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Maryland State Police troopers responded to a reported motor vehicle accident with injuries at Routes 113 and 589. Upon arrival, troopers observed one vehicle had gone through a guardrail on the shoulder of northbound Route 113 and collided with a tree.

The operator and sole occupant of the vehicle, identified as Ruth Carey Routzahn, 49, of Ocean City, was airlifted to Shock Trauma in Baltimore with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Suspect Posed As Cabbie,
Kidnapped Woman

SALISBURY — A Salisbury man is being held on kidnapping, first-degree assault and other serious charges this week after allegedly posing as a cab driver and picking up a girl outside of a restaurant before taking her to his home and holding her against her will at knifepoint.

Around 12:30 a.m. last Friday, a 20-year-old girl attempted to enter Brew River in Salisbury with her friends, but was denied entry because of her age, at which point she apparently called a taxi to obtain a ride home. While waiting for the taxi to arrive, the suspect approached her in a vehicle and asked if she had called a cab and needed a ride.

The victim believed the suspect was actually a taxi service and entered the vehicle, rendered payment and gave the suspect her address. The suspect then drove past the victim’s home and allegedly told her he was taking her to a different location. The victim requested the driver take her home, but he refused, according to police reports.

Instead, the suspect, later identified a Adene Haile Bekele, 24, of Salisbury, drove the victim to his own residence on W. Church Street. At this location, Bekele led the victim into his apartment, displayed a knife and demanded that she smoke from a Hookah device. The female was eventually able to leave the apartment and contact police after Bekele left her alone. The victim received a minor injury during the incident, but did not require any medical attention.

Detectives canvassed the neighborhood and located Bekele’s vehicle and apartment. Bekele was taken into custody and was charged with kidnapping, first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and wearing and carrying a deadly weapon. A search and seizure warrant was executed on Bekele’s vehicle and residence, during which evidence was collected corroborating the victim’s story.

Undercover Drug Busts

BERLIN — Over the last several months, the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team has been conducting undercover drug distribution investigations throughout the county resulting in several arrests, including 11 more last week at different locations all over Worcester.

Among the latest arrestees were Ted Davis, 18, of Pocomoke, who was arrested on two counts of distribution of crack cocaine in a school zone, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and distribution of crack cocaine. Davis was arrested and committed to the Worcester County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Also arrested was Charles William Smith, 48, of Pocomoke, who was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine in a school zone, possession and distribution of cocaine and is being held on a $500,000 bond.

Norman Lee Crawley, 36, of Pocomoke, was charged with possession and distribution of cocaine and distribution of cocaine in a school zone and is being held on a $250,000 bond.

Orintha Jerome Godwin, 30, of Pocomoke, was arrested and charged with possession and distribution of crack cocaine and is being held on a $250,000 bond. Eric Vincent Bishop, Jr., 37, of Pocomoke, was charged with possession and distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine and was committed to the Worcester County Jail on a $250,000 bond. Jeffrey Maurice Fisher, 50, of Snow Hill, was charged with distribution of cocaine in a school zone along with possession and distribution of cocaine and is being held on a $250,000 bond.

Donyell Antonio Ballard, 41, of Berlin, was charged with distribution and possession of crack cocaine and is being held on a $250,000 bond. Dionderick Ronshae Godwin, 30, of Berlin, was also arrested on possession and distribution charges and is being held at the County Jail on a $250,000 bond. McKineo Middleton, 26, of Frankford, was charged with distribution of heroin in a school zone, along with possession and distribution of heroin, and is also being held on a $250,000 bond.

Christopher Lee Sturgis, 26, of Laurel, Del., was charged with distribution of heroin and is being held on a $250,000 bond. Finally, Shamus Montez Hall, 36, of Pocomoke, was charged with distribution and possession of crack cocaine and powder cocaine.

During Hall’s apprehension, he was found to be in possession of around three grams of cocaine. A subsequent search and seizure warrant executed by the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team turned up an additional 3.5 grams of crack cocaine, a small quantity of heroin along with various items of paraphernalia. Hall is being held on a $250,000 bond. The Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team was assisted in the investigations by the Ocean City Police Narcotics Unit and the Pocomoke Police Department.

Cocaine Out A Window

SNOW HILL — A Pocomoke man was arrested last weekend after allegedly throwing several vials of cocaine out of the window of his vehicle with police in pursuit during an attempted traffic stop.

Last Friday, the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team identified Christopher Shawn Harmon, 39, of Pocomoke, as a suspect in a cocaine distribution investigation and saw Harmon in a vehicle on Linden Ave. in Pocomoke. When police attempted to stop Harmon to execute a search and seizure warrant, Harmon fled in his vehicle to Route 13.

Police pursued Harmon, who was observed throwing several glass vials of cocaine out of the vehicle’s window in the area of Routes 13 and 113. Harmon was stopped and taken into custody without further incident. Roughly 12 grams of cocaine were found in the roadway. Harmon was charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He had just been released from prison on January 3 for a prior illegal drug conviction.

Suspected Dealer Cleared

OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury man arrested on heroin distribution and other charges last September was found not guilty on some of the charges this week and had other charges against him dropped.

Last September, Ocean City police concluded an investigation into heroin distribution in the resort area with the arrest of Arnesto Lee Smith, 33, of Salisbury. Smith was arrested after a four-week undercover operation during which undercover narcotics detectives allegedly made several purchases of the illegal drug from the suspect.

Smith was arrested on Sept. 4, 2012, in the area of 45th Street. During the arrest, several OCPD officers were needed to subdue Smith, who was ultimately shot with an electronic control device (ECD), or taser, in order to be brought under control. At the time of his arrest, Smith was in possession of four bags of heroin, numerous Xanax pills and a quantity of money, all of which were seized as evidence.

Smith was charged with three counts of distribution of heroin, four counts of possession with intent to distribute, possession of Xanax with intent to distribute and resisting arrest. On Tuesday in Circuit Court, Smith was found not guilty on two counts including possession and possession with intent to distribute heroin. The other seven charges against Smith were “nolle prossed” or not prosecuted.