Pulled Knife On Co-Worker
OCEAN CITY — A Snow Hill man was arrested on assault and weapons charges last week after allegedly threatening a co-worker with a knife at a mid-town Ocean City restaurant.
Around 12:25 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to BJ’s on the Water in reference to an employee threatening to stab another employee. One OCPD officer made contact with the suspect, identified as Alrice Sinclair, 42, of Snow Hill, as he was leaving the establishment, while another OCPD officer met with the victim.
The victim told police he had stopped by the restaurant to drop off lunch for the manager when he was confronted by Sinclair. The victim told police he had a verbal altercation with Sinclair a few days earlier about how the suspect had spoken to the manager. The victim told police Sinclair told him to step outside so they could settle the issue, but the victim refused to step outside and get into a physical altercation with the suspect.
The victim told police a verbal argument then ensued before Sinclair walked into the kitchen area and returned a few seconds later with a razor-style knife. The victim told police Sinclair told him he was “going to [expletive deleted] him up.” At that point, the manager was alerted and the police were called. Sinclair was ultimately arrested and charged with second-degree assault and possession of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure.
Passed Out With Beer In Car
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested on drunk-driving and other charges last weekend after resort police found him sleeping behind the wheel at an intersection with a bottle of beer still in his hand.
Around 9:45 p.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to the area of 27th Street and Philadelphia Avenue for a reported male passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle. The officer responded and observed a Jeep Cherokee at the stop sign on westbound 27th Street facing Philadelphia Ave. for several minutes.
The officer noted the Jeep was blocking the free passage of the roadway and there was no traffic on Philadelphia Ave. that prohibited the vehicle from entering the intersection. The officer approached the vehicle and discovered the driver, later identified as Stephen Sawka, 54, of Ocean City, asleep behind the wheel with a bottle of beer in his hand.
The officer observed the vehicle was running and in gear. The officer attempted to wake Sawka when the vehicle drifted forward into the intersection in the path of an oncoming vehicle. The officer was then able to get the vehicle in park. The officer questioned Sawka who exhibited signs of intoxication including slurred speech. When he was asked to step out of the vehicle, he swayed and staggered, according to police reports.
When asked how many alcoholic beverages he had, Sawka reportedly answered none, despite being found with an open bottle of beer during the stop. He did tell police he was on medication, but declined to tell the officer which medicine he was using. He was ultimately arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or a combination of both. When he was placed in the patrol car for transport to the Public Safety Building, Sawka fell asleep in the patrol car, according to police reports.
Living In Vacant Unit
OCEAN CITY — A local homeless man was arrested on burglary charges this week after a contractor working on a condominium building found him setting up camp in one of the units.
Around 10 a.m. on Monday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to the area of 94th Street for a reported burglary. The officer met with the property manager who was on the scene with representatives from a contracting company which will be completing various repairs within the building. The property manager told police one of the units had been unsecure and unlocked for several days, but attempts to enter it had been unsuccessful.
The property manager told police he was able to observe through a window that a chair had been propped under the door knob preventing access to the unit. The property manager was finally able to gain access to the unit through a sliding door to one of the bedrooms and found a male suspect inside, later identified as Nathan Wilkins, 24, of no fixed address.
OCPD officers contacted the owner, who told police nobody should be inside the unit. The owner allowed police to access the unit and they discovered Wilkins still inside and placed him under arrest for burglary and trespassing. Wilkins told police the owners should not have left the unit unlocked and that he discovered it while exploring the building earlier that morning. According to police reports, Wilkins said he used the facilities and had left the homeowners a note.
First Of Boardwalk Brawlers Sentenced
OCEAN CITY — A Berlin man, one of several arrested in June during a fight involving two groups of young people on the crowded south end of the Boardwalk, was found guilty this week of disorderly conduct and second-degree escape and was sentenced to a combined 155 days in jail, but was then given credit for the time he spent awaiting trial.
Around 11:40 p.m. on June 12, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to the area of Worcester Street and the Boardwalk for a reported fight between two groups of individuals. Upon arrival, OCPD officers observed the two groups yelling obscenities and enticing each other to fight. The altercation began to draw a large crowd of at least 100 onlookers on the crowded Boardwalk on a summer Saturday night.
OCPD officers attempted to arrest the two primary instigators but both resisted. At that point, several members of the two groups became more uncooperative and several more officers were dispatched to the area to assist. Numerous individuals resisted arrest, which time OCPD officers targeted the combatants with tasers to gain compliance and disperse the crowd.
Among those arrested were Kameron Christopher, 18, of Delmar, who was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and second-degree assault; Allen D.J. Nelson, 19, of Salisbury, who was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing and hindering; and Luis Pirela-Linares, 20, of Salisbury, who was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing and hindering.
Also arrested were Aaron Waples, 19, of Berlin, who was charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct; Jakhai Woodard, 18, of Berlin, who was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct; a 16-year-old male from Delmar, who was charged with second-degree assault and disturbing the peace; and a 15-year-old male from Snow Hill, who was charged with disorderly conduct.
On Tuesday, Waples was found guilty of disorderly conduct and second-degree escape. He was sentenced to 60 days for the assault and 95 days for the escape, but was then given credit for the 155 days he spent in jail awaiting trial.
90 Days For Hit-and-Run
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man arrested on hit-and-run and drug charges in July after rear-ending another vehicle and abandoning his vehicle and fleeing on foot pleaded guilty this week to two counts and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
On July 29, Ocean City Police responded to the 7-Eleven convenience store on North Division Street for a reported hit-and-run incident. The officers met with a victim who said a Kia Optima parked in the store’s parking lot was the vehicle that had hit his on Philadelphia Ave. and that the driver had fled the area on foot.
OCPD officers located the driver, identified as Jeffrey Andrews, 37, of Leola, Pa., a short time later walking on Baltimore Ave. Andrews was detained and walked back to the 7-Eleven where a search of his vehicle revealed hypodermic syringes and baggies of suspected heroin. Andrews was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident along with possession of heroin.
On Monday, Andrews pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage and possession of controlled dangerous substance (CDS) and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Guilty Plea For Thief Nabbed On Social Media
OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man, arrested in September on theft charges for swiping a backpack containing cameras and other equipment before getting nabbed with the assistance of a social media campaign, plead guilty last week and now awaits his fate pending a pre-sentence investigation.
On Sept. 19, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to Pickles Pub on Philadelphia Avenue at 8th Street for a reported theft. The OCPD officer met with the business owner who reported a tan backpack containing two Go-Pro cameras and related accessories had been stolen from in front of his business during a short three-to-four minute window. A surveillance image of the suspect along with information about the theft was posted on Facebook by the business owner and was shared by a tight-knit community over the period of several days following the incident.
In the video, the suspect was observed standing and walking around the front area of the business. The footage then showed the suspect picking up the backpack and walking away. The suspect was described as a heavy-set white male with short, dark hair and wearing a blue T-shirt and khaki shorts at the time of the theft.
A few days later, the OCPD officer went back to Pickles for a follow-up investigation. The business owner explained he had posted a picture of the suspect along with a brief synopsis of the incident on Facebook and asked people in the community to respond with any information they had.
The business owner told police he had received several responses that the suspect resembled an individual known as Robert Jackson, 51, of Ocean City, who lived nearby on St. Louis Ave. The officer reviewed the surveillance video and still pictures of the suspect and was able to make a connection to Jackson. In addition, the business owner was able to provide police with an updated list of property in the backpack that totaled $1,445.
OCPD officers responded to the residence on St. Louis Avenue and were met at the door by an individual matching the description of Jackson. Jackson admitted he had taken the backpack containing the Go-Pros and other equipment and that the stolen backpack was in his garage. OCPD officers were able to recover the property. Jackson was charged with theft over $1,000 but under $10,000.
Last week, Jackson pleaded guilty to theft over $1,000 and under $10,000, but sentencing was deferred pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation.
