Police briefs

Friday, Feb. 13, 2009

A judge ordered Wednesday that Martin Roland Abell Jr., 32, of Valley Lee remain jailed in lieu of 10 percent of $3,500 bond on a charge of committing a second-degree assault on a law officer earlier this week at the suspect's residence.

Abell also was charged with resisting arrest in court papers alleging that he had his hands raised in an "offensive posture" Monday night as he approached St. Mary's sheriff's deputy M.D. Boyer, until sheriff's deputy Anthony Whipkey subdued Abell with a jolt from a Taser weapon. The officer stunned Abell again with the Taser as a struggle ensued.

Boyer was responding, charging papers state, to a report of a possible domestic assault involving Abell and 27-year-old Brandywine resident Brandy Nicole Pilkerton, who was charged after Monday's incident with hindering police and interfering with a lawful arrest. She later was released on personal recognizance.

The law officers were traveling to the house when they learned that Abell was wanted in Charles County for violating a peace order involving Pilkerton, according to a statement of probable cause.

Children in the yard when police arrived shortly before midnight told them that Abell had several knives in his bedroom, charging papers state, and the law officers entered the residence and confronted Abell and Pilkerton at the doorway to the bedroom.

Man charged with trespassing, indecent exposure

Steven Wayne Carter, 50, of Lexington Park was released Tuesday on personal recognizance on charging papers alleging he violated a notice to stay off the premises of the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad, while urinating on the front of the building.

"I had to go," Carter said to sheriff's deputy Scott D. Ruest at the squad's quarters along Great Mills Road, according to charging papers stating that the officer was shown a copy of a no-trespass notice earlier served on the suspect by the squad's board chairman.

Carter was charged with trespassing and indecent exposure.

Reward offered in probe of burglary

Law officers in St. Mary's are seeking the public's help through the county Crime Solvers program in their probe of a break-in reported Jan. 6 on Corporate Way in Lexington Park, where one or more culprits cut padlocks to an HITT Contracting storage trailer at a construction site. No thefts were reported.

Citizens with information about this case and other crimes in St. Mary's County can collect a cash reward by calling Crime Solvers 24 hours a day at 301-475-3333. They can withhold their name and later collect their reward through a number-identification system.

St. Mary's County Crime Solvers is a nonprofit organization that assists law enforcement in solving open investigations that may not have been closed without the extra incentive of anonymity and an offer of a reward of up to $2,000, providing the information leads to an arrest or indictment.

The Crime Solvers board of directors meets for about one hour on the second Thursday of every other month at 7:30 p.m., in the conference room of the sheriff's office at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown.

To be considered for membership on the board, attend a meeting or call the sheriff's office at 301-475-8008.

jwharton@somdnews.com