Police briefs

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Bystander reports shooting in Waldorf

Cpl. D. Byrd was patrolling the parking lot of Thai Seafood at 2732 Crain Highway in Waldorf at 2:24 a.m. April 5 when someone told him a shooting had occurred about five minutes earlier. The shooting had not been reported to police.

As additional officers responded to assist Byrd, witnesses said shots were fired from a green Buick with tinted windows which then fled north on U.S. 301 at a high speed. Several minutes later, officer C. Gass observed the car speeding north on Route 5 into Prince George’s County. Officer Gass followed the vehicle and coordinated a traffic stop with troopers from the Maryland State Police Forestville barrack.

The vehicle was stopped. Police searched the car and found two handguns and a shell casing that matched additional shell casings other officers had recovered in the parking lot of Thai Seafood.

The people in the car — Joshua Akinyele Akinrelere, 19, of Lanham, Mikhail Antonio Constintin Phillips, 19, of Cheverly, Quinten Rockney Jackson, 18, of Upper Marlboro and Alonzo Leon Plowden II, 20, of Bladensburg — were arrested.

Akinrelere and Plowden were charged with possession of a deadly weapon with intent to injure, reckless endangerment from a car, reckless endangerment, handgun possession, possessing a handgun in a vehicle and using a handgun in the commission of a felony or violent crime.

Phillips and Jackson were charged with handgun possession and possessing a handgun in a vehicle.

The four were being held at the county jail to wait for appearances before a district court commissioner.

A victim of the shooting was not located and all area hospitals were notified of the report.

Officer M. Hancock is investigating.

Kansas City policenab local fugitive

On March 28, the sheriff’s office was notified by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department that Nicholas Martel McGinnie, 20, of Waldorf had been arrested in their jurisdiction for trespassing and a handgun violation.

McGinnie is wanted in Charles County for armed robbery, robbery, first- and second-degree assault, theft valued at less than $500, conspiracy to commit robbery and failing to appear in court on drug and theft charges.

McGinnie will be brought back to Charles County.

Volunteer firefighter arrested for stealing

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 17-year-old volunteer firefighter for stealing money from his department.

Between December 2007 and April 2, police say the accused stole more than $3,000 from the Potomac Heights Volunteer Fire Department after stealing a master key to gain entry into an office. After department officials reported the theft to the sheriff’s office, it began an investigation and determined the accused was stealing the money.

On April 3, Cpl. T. Huntt arrested the accused and charged him with committing a theft scheme valued at more than $500.

Vandals sprayKlan message

Sheriff’s officers responded to Ouzo’s Greek and Regional Cuisine on Drury Drive in La Plata for a reported vandalism incident at 6:55 p.m. April 3.

Investigation revealed someone spray painted “KKK“ three times on a 2003 Ford truck parked in the restaurant’s parking lot.

The crime occurred sometime between 6 p.m. April 2 and 6:30 p.m. April 3.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 301-932-2222 or Charles County Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS.

Officer D. Graham is investigating.

Group attemptsrobbery

Police are investigating an incident that occurred at about 3:30 p.m. April 4.

A 22-year-old man was on Lancaster Circle between Bluebird Drive and St. Patrick’s Drive in Waldorf when he came upon a group of teens between 16 and 18.

The suspects yelled at the victim and one of them allegedly brandished a switchblade knife. The victim ran from the group. They chased the victim but he managed to escape. Officers searched the area but the suspects were not located.

Officer P. Alvarez is investigating.

Teen stabbed in fight

At 12:13 a.m. April 2, sheriff’s officers went to Civista Medical Center in La Plata when hospital staff reported a teenage boy was being treated there for stab injuries he got during a fight in Waldorf.

Police found out the victim, a 17-year-old from Waldorf, was fighting another boy in the 200 block of Stoddard Avenue about 11:30 p.m. April 1 when the stabbing occurred. An acquaintance took him to Civista Medical Center. He was later flown to another hospital for further treatment but his injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Officer C. Walden is investigating.

Gun reportturns up drugs

Police went to a room at 11:15 a.m. April 1 at the Deluxe Inn at 6705 Crain Highway in La Plata after someone reported a hotel guest had a gun.

Officers determined none of the five people in the room was armed, but one of them, Lawrence Earl McCartney Jr., 29, of Ireland, W.Va., had crack cocaine, police reported.

Officers arrested McCartney and charged him with possession of crack cocaine. He was held at the Charles County jail to wait for an appearance before a district court commissioner.

Officer J. Marti investigated.

Four arrestedfor pot possession

Trooper J. Edelen was patrolling the Super 8 Motel parking lot in Waldorf at about 1:55 a.m. March 28 when he saw a white Nissan parked with three occupants inside and one man standing outside the passenger door.

Edelen pulled into the parking lot and was walking toward the car when the man standing outside the car appeared to get rid of something in his pocket and started to walk away. Edelen stopped the man who was identified as Allen Teddy Carroll Jr., 22, of Waldorf.

Edelen then spoke with the three people in the car, who were identified as Ashley Irene Freeman, 19, of Waldorf, Perry Delanta Cooper, 22, of La Plata and a 16-year-old juvenile.

Edelen asked for backup and Cpl. E. Diggs arrived.

While Diggs was speaking with Cooper, he saw a baggie containing suspected marijuana on the passenger tire, where Carroll had appeared to drop something. A search of the car turned up another baggie of marijuana and a multicolored glass pipe.

All four people were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Seat belt stopnets drug arrest

Trooper A. Ford was on routine patrol in the area of Smallwood Drive east of Route 925 at about 4:35 p.m. March 29, when he saw the driver of a gray Ford Crown Victoria was not wearing a seat belt. Ford stopped the car and talked to the driver, Terry Nathaniel Thomas, 23, of Temple Hills.

Ford reported that he smelled a moderate odor of burnt marijuana. Ford searched the car and allegedly found a plastic ‘‘dime bag” containing suspected marijuana.

Thomas was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.

Pot bust at hotel

Trooper A. Ford went to the Holiday Inn in Waldorf on St. Patrick’s Drive at 9:30 p.m. March 29 after a hotel employee complained about drug use.

When Ford got there, he met Detective Sgt. Truitt, who was working part time at the Holiday Inn. Ford and Truitt went to the room where an employee said he smelled burnt marijuana. Truitt was able to pinpoint the room where the odor was coming from. They knocked on the door and the occupants let them in. As the officers went in, they smelled a strong odor of burnt marijuana.

The occupants of the room were Jennifer Renee West, 26, of White Plains, Brian Anthony Holmes and an 8-month-old baby. The room was registered to West who agreed to let Truitt search the room, where he found suspected marijuana in a clear plastic baggie, police reported.

West was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Hit-and-run crash reported on U.S. 301

Sheriff’s officer S. Bryant responded to the 6200 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf for a hit-and-run crash at 11:11 a.m. April 6.

Bryant learned that a 77-year-old Oxon Hill woman and the hit-and-run driver were going north on Crain Highway when the suspect attempted to change lanes. The suspect’s vehicle struck the side of the victim’s vehicle and the suspect failed to stop. The victim followed the suspect to a parking lot, where the man left his vehicle and fled on foot. His vehicle rolled into a tree. Police did not release a description of the vehicle

The man is described as Hispanic, in his late 20s. He is between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall and has a thin build and brown hair. He was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt and was last seen fleeing south on Crain Highway.

The victim sustained minor injuries and did not require medical treatment.

Woman allegedly swings at officer

Sheriff’s officers responded to the 300 block of Munahan Circle in Indian Head at 10:18 p.m. April 5 after a Maryland State Police trooper requested backup.

Officer M. Tyner arrived on the scene as the trooper was handcuffing a man on the ground.

A group of people had gathered near the trooper and Tyner ordered them to move but several of them refused. When Tyner attempted to keep Susan Ellen Henderson, 42, of Indian Head from interfering further with the trooper, Henderson allegedly took a swing at him. Henderson continued to struggle with Tyner and disobey his orders, police said.

The officer Tasered her, and Henderson was arrested without further incident. She was charged with assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct, failure to obey a lawful order and resisting arrest.

She was being held at the county jail to wait for an appearance before a district court commissioner.

Stabbing reported

Sheriff’s officers M. Smith and J. Kelly responded to the 1500 block of Bryan Court in Waldorf at 4:46 a.m. April 5 for a stabbing call.

The found that Matthew Charles Depompa, 50, of Waldorf and a 55-year-old Waldorf man were fighting when Depompa allegedly brandished a knife and threatened to kill the victim. A struggle ensued but no one was seriously injured.

Officers found crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia at the scene.

Depompa was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault and possession of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia. Officers also served Depompa with an outstanding arrest warrant charging him with auto theft, theft valued at more than $500 and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Depompa was being held at the county jail to wait for an appearance before a district court commissioner.

Eviction causes trouble

Police went to a house in the 3000 block of Gallery Place in Waldorf for an eviction at about 9:30 a.m. April 4.

Police had received information earlier that the tenant, Dashanna Katrice Washington, 21, was refusing to be evicted and was wanted.

When officers arrived, three men in the residence told officers Washington was not home but during a search of the apartment, officers found Washington hiding in a bedroom closet. She refused to get out of the closet and allegedly kicked, punched and struck Lt. K. Hense and Sgt. P. Willis several times, injuring them slightly.

After a brief struggle, she was arrested and charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest. She was also served with a warrant for failing to appear in court for a theft charge.

She was being held at the county jail to wait for an appearance before a district court commissioner. The other three occupants of the apartment were issued no-trespassing orders.

Officer D. Sylvestre investigated.

Man arrestedafter being stoppedfor speeding

Trooper M. Armstrong was driving south on U.S. 301 north of Route 228 at about 2:10 a.m. April 3 when he observed a silver Dodge Neon speeding.

Police said the car was going 60 mph in a 45-mph zone. Armstrong stopped the car and talked to the driver, Labrandon Demar Anthony, 22, of White Plains. Armstrong said he smelled marijuana, searched the car and found suspected marijuana scattered under the driver’s seat.

Anthony was arrested for possession of marijuana.