Garage Attacks Result In Charges
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested on assault and other charges last week after allegedly punching people in an uptown parking garage.
Around 10:25 p.m. last Monday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a hotel parking garage at 91st Street for a report of a disorderly male assaulting individuals. Upon arrival, officers observed two men holding down a suspect later identified as Garrison Markey, 19, of York, Pa., who was screaming obscenities as he attempted to stand up.
OCPD officers also observed a female crying nearby. According to police reports, Markey exhibited signs of intoxication. OCPD officers interviewed one of the male victims who told police he walked out to his vehicle to go to dinner with members of his group and observed Markey allegedly pulling at his vehicle’s door repeatedly. When the man told Markey to stop pulling on his vehicle’s door handle, Markey allegedly told the victim it was his vehicle.
The victim told police Markey then began hitting the vehicle several times with overhand punches. An inspection of the vehicle corroborated the victim’s story. During the course of the investigation, it was determined Markey allegedly hit the female victim with an open hand, pushed one male victim, causing him to fall to the ground and punched another male victim in face, causing a cut to the bridge of his nose.
OCPD officers next spoke with Markey’s friend, who reportedly told police Markey was acting in a “crazy” manner. With the assistance of another male, the friend pulled Markey away from the three victims and held him on the ground to prevent him from assaulting anybody else until police arrived.
By then, a crowd had gathered to watch the incident while Markey continued to yell expletives and derogatory remarks at the police officers. Markey was ultimately arrested and charged with intoxicated endangerment, three counts of assault and disorderly conduct.
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Hit-And-Run Arrest
OCEAN CITY — A Norfolk man was arrested on numerous traffic charges last weekend after an alleged hit-and-run collision.
Around 5 p.m. last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to the area of Baltimore Avenue and 13th Street for a reported hit-and-run collision. The officer spoke with a victim who told police he was driving north on Baltimore Avenue in the area of 11th Street when a vehicle he could not describe changed lanes and struck his Jeep Cherokee before quickly leaving the area.
OCPD officers located a female witness who reported the vehicle that hit the Jeep and fled the scene was a Dodge Charger with Virginia tags. The witness said she followed the vehicle until it stopped at 12th Street, but did not get a good look at the driver.
The OCPD officer observed the Dodge Charger on 12th Street with a flat tire. Around 6:20 p.m., the OCPD officer observed a suspect identified as William Frank, 19, of Norfolk, Va., and another man attempting to change the flat tire. Frank explained he was the only individual who drove the vehicle that day and that the front-end damage was caused by accidentally hitting a guardrail on a highway in Virginia.
At that point, Frank was arrested for hit-and-run. When told why he was being arrested, Frank told police the other vehicle left its lane and struck his vehicle.
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Stalling On DUI Breath Test
OCEAN CITY — A New Jersey man was arrested on various charges last week after getting pulled over for dragging a piece of his vehicle and later allegedly assaulting the police officer who was attempting to administer a breath test at police headquarters.
Around 12:50 a.m. last Sunday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling around 45th Street observed a vehicle driving southbound on Coastal Highway and heard a loud dragging noise coming from underneath the vehicle. The officer reportedly observed a portion of the wheel well dust cover being dragged behind the vehicle.
The vehicle turned onto 41st Street and the officer conducted a traffic stop because of its unsafe condition. The officer identified the drive as Jose Delacruz, 25, of Teaneck, N.J., who reportedly exhibited signs of intoxication. According to police reports. Delacruz told the officer he was unaware of the dragging wheel well and suspected it was the result of failing to secure it after changing the vehicle’s oil.
Delacruz told police he did not hear the car part dragging although the officer reportedly heard it from half a block away. The officer also observed grass and dirt on the front grill of the vehicle, suggesting it had recently gone off the roadway. According to police reports, Delacruz told the officer he had consumed at least three mixed drinks and was driving back to his condo on 41st Street.
Delacruz was administered field sobriety tests which he did not pass to the officer’s satisfaction. At that point, he was taken into custody on suspicion of driving while impaired. According to police reports, Delacruz told the officer “I knew this would happen,” and “I can’t afford this.”
At the intoximeter room at the Public Safety Building, Delacruz said he was thirsty and was provided with a drink of water. The officer played the audio version of the advice of rights and while it was playing, Delacruz reportedly talked over the recording.
Delacruz asked the officer to restart the recording a second time and the officer allowed it but told him he had to listen carefully to the recording. Delacruz then began talking during the second playing of the advice of rights recording, at one point telling the officer, “I want to wait to give myself a better chance.” When the officer asked Delacruz to explain, he reportedly told police he wanted to stall so he would have less alcohol in his system. At that point, he fell asleep in a chair in the intoximeter room.
Another officer arrived and advised Delacruz the machine was ready to take a breath sample. Delacruz told the officer he wanted to re-read the advice of rights again and was given ample time to read the document. However, he was warned if the machine timed out again, it would be taken as a refusal to take the test. At one point, Delacruz put all his fingers in his mouth. When the machine timed out, he was advised the test was over and it was deemed a refusal.
At that point, Delacruz reportedly began screaming and yelling that he was sorry and he was ready to take the test. When OCPD officers attempted to escort Delacruz from the testing room, he allegedly resisted, telling one officer “Man, get off of me, I’m stronger than you are.” Delacruz reportedly shoved the officer, causing him to get pushed backward. Based on the evidence, Delacruz was driving while impaired and under the influence, driving an unsafe vehicle and second-degree assault on the officer.
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Beach Bar Assault
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania woman was arrested on assault charges last weekend after allegedly pushing and punching two men at a midtown beach bar.
Around 7:25 p.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a reported fight. Upon arrival, the officer observed a suspect later identified as Gina Neary, 46, of Kirkwood, Pa., pushing a man and attempting to hit him as he walked backward.
A bar staffer told police it was Neary who was creating the problem and she was taken into custody for second-degree assault. The bar staffer told police before the officer arrived, Neary’s husband had gotten angry with him and began pushing him and attempting to fight him. At one point, Neary got in between the two men and began pushing the bar staffer and punched him multiple times in the upper body and arms.
While awaiting transport to the Public Safety Building for processing, Neary allegedly launched into an expletive-laced tirade at the police officers who had taken her into custody. According to police reports, a large crowd had gathered including some small children and disorderly conduct charges were tacked on.
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Indecent Exposure Charges
OCEAN CITY — A Westminster man was arrested on indecent exposure charges last weekend after allegedly exposing himself to a family with young children while urinating on a dumpster at a downtown convenience store.
Around 9:50 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer on bicycle patrol in the downtown area was approached by a female victim who told the officer her family had just pulled into a convenience store parking lot on North Division Street when they observed Brett Howery urinating on a dumpster. According to the victim, Howery’s penis was exposed and he made no effort to conceal himself even after observing the family with young children.
Each of the five children, ages seven to 13, confirmed the adult’s version of the story. While police were interviewing the victims, Howery was seen walking through the parking lot and was arrested and charged with multiple counts of indecent exposure.
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Jail For Hit-and-Run
OCEAN PINES — An Ocean Pines man, charged in April after a hit-and-run collision during which a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy was struck, pleaded guilty this week to driving while impaired and was sentenced to one year with all but 60 days suspended.
Around 10 p.m. on April 17, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy was conducting a traffic stop on Route 90 near Route 589. While the deputy was out of his vehicle, he was struck in the back by a passing vehicle. The driver of that vehicle, later identified as William Edward Mott, 62, of Ocean Pines, did not stop after the collision and exited Route 90 onto Route 589.
Deputies located the suspected vehicle at a residence in Ocean Pines. According to police reports, Mott appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. He was placed under arrest and charged with 12 different offenses from driving under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, driving while revoked and others.
The deputy who was struck suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening and was treated and released. On Monday, Mott pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and was sentenced to one year, all but 60 days of which were then suspended. He was also placed on probation for three years upon his release.