OCEAN CITY – A Washington, D.C. man was arrested on first-degree assault charges last weekend after allegedly smashing his stepfather in the face with a bottle during a fight over keys to a truck.

Around 7:15 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer on bike patrol in the area of 8th Street was dispatched to a fight in progress nearby. upon arrival, the officer observed a man later identified as Henry Barroa, 37, with severe lacerations under his right eye and his face covered in blood. the victim explained his stepson, later identified as Alex Contreras, 20, of Washington, D.C., had struck him in the face with a bottle, causing the two severe lacerations under his eye.

The investigation revealed the victim refused to give the keys to a truck to another stepson, resulting in a physical altercation. while the two were scuffling over the keys, Contreras allegedly came over and struck the victim in the face with a bottle. A witness told police Contreras had left the scene but was still nearby.

The officer soon located Contreras, whose shirt was covered in blood. Contreras allegedly told police he was only trying to defend his stepbrother. Contreras was charges with first- and second-degree assault and carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure. he was released from jail after posting a $10,000 bond.

First-Degree Assault On Bus

OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania woman was arrested on first-degree assault charges last weekend after allegedly attacking a woman and choking her during an altercation on an Ocean City bus.

Around 4:30 a.m. last Saturday, an OCPD officer was dispatched to a reported fight on a bus on Coastal Highway at 127th Street. the officer arrived and met with the bus driver, who told police a woman, later identified as Nicole Amber Myers, 23, of York, Pa. along with two male companions had been asked to get off the bus. as the three individuals were getting off the bus, another woman said something to set Myers off and she allegedly spun around and grabbed the victim by the throat and began punching her until the victim’s friends interceded.

The bus driver said Myers had been choking the victim and punching her for about a minute before the victim’s friends were able to pull her off. the OCPD officer then met with the victim, who had red marks on both sides of her neck consistent with hand and finger marks. the victim and her friends provided descriptions of Myers and her female companions. the victim told police she had said some things to Myers to initiate the attack, but couldn’t remember exactly what she said because she had “consumed a lot of alcoholic beverages.”

The victim’s female friend told a similar account of what had happened. She told police words were said when Myers and her two male companions got off the bus and Myers turned around and lunged at the victim, grabbing her by the throat, and did not let go until others broke up the altercation. the victim’s female friend also suffered lacerations to her jaw and chest as a result of trying to pull Myers off of the victim.

Myers and her companions were located a short time later on 127th Street near Wight Street.

Burglary Spree Suspected Caught

OCEAN CITY – Two men known as “Twin” and “Shadow” were arrested on breaking and entering and other charges in Ocean City last week after an OCPD informant implicated them in an ongoing theft spree in the resort.

Last Wednesday, OCPD detectives met with a reliable confidential informant, known only as CI 600, concerning stolen property in Ocean City. according to police reports, the informant told detectives there were three suspects staying at a residence on S. Baltimore Ave. that would be in possession of the stolen property on which they were seeking information. the informant provided identity information on two of the suspects including Reggie Stevenson, also known as “Twin,” 20, of no known address; and Harouna Bangoura, also known as “Shadow,” 18, of Takoma Park, Md.

The informant also advised the detectives there would be a third suspect for whom he did not have a description. the informant told police the three suspects would be exiting the residence on Baltimore Ave. in possession of the stolen property and leaving town in a gray Kia Rio between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on August 11.

Sure enough, around 3 p.m. last Wednesday, Stevenson, Bangoura and the third unidentified suspect left the residence on Baltimore Ave. and walked south before heading west on Dorchester Street while carrying backpacks. A short time later, the gray Kia moved from its parking space on Dorchester Street and the three suspects got in. Detectives followed as the vehicle traveled west on Talbot Street before turning on St. Louis Ave. to go under the Route 50 Bridge, which is when police pulled it over.

A search of the vehicle revealed a black backpack on the floor of the front passenger seat and inside the backpack police discovered suspected marijuana in a sock. at that point, Stevenson, Bangoura and the third suspect, identified as Anthony Francis, were taken into custody for possession of marijuana. A further search revealed two Olympia digital cameras in a black backpack and an Apple Ipod in the center console. the items were taken to police headquarters and the investigation revealed the cameras had been reported stolen during a burglary at a residence on Somerset Street a day earlier.

During the burglary, the suspect or suspects gained entry to the residence through a window near a stairwell. Once inside, the suspects stole multiple items including the cameras. further investigation revealed the Ipod had been reported stolen during a burglary at a residence on St. Louis Ave., also on Tuesday. during that burglary, the suspect or suspects made entry into the residence through a window on the porch and stole multiple items including money. the total value of the items reported stolen during the Somerset Ave. burglary came in at around $600, while the value of the thefts from the St. Louis Ave. burglaries came in at over $2,800.

During a subsequent interview with the third suspect, Francis, OCPD detectives learned Stevenson and Bangoura had made multiple trips from Ocean City to Montgomery County, where they sold items stolen during burglaries on the street. Francis further told police he had seen two lap-top computers and an Apple Ipod inside a room at the residence on Baltimore Ave. and that Stevenson and Bangoura had taken the items to the Boardwalk earlier that day to sell them.

The descriptions of the laptops Stevenson and Bangoura allegedly tried to sell on the Boardwalk matched the descriptions of the computers stolen during the St. Louis Ave. burglaries a day earlier. Stevenson and Bangoura were each charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of third-degree burglary, three counts of theft and possession of marijuana.

OCEAN CITY – A Hagerstown man was arrested last week for breaking the glass and falsely pulling a fire alarm after helping an intoxicated woman back to her Boardwalk hotel room.

Last Saturday morning, an OCPD officer responded to the Harrison Hall Hotel on 14th Street to meet with hotel management about a fire alarm that had been activated around 2:30 a.m. that morning. the hotel manager told police she had viewed surveillance tape from the incident earlier that morning and believed the suspect who pulled the alarm was staying in Room 422.

The officer viewed the same surveillance tape and observed two males helping into the hotel room a woman who appeared to have trouble walking due to intoxication. Several minutes later, the two male suspects exited the room and started walking toward the fourth-floor elevator. one of the men, later identified as William Mariano Lorenti, 30, of Hagerstown, allegedly broke the glass on a fire alarm and pulled the lever with his left hand, activating the alarm.

Lorenti and the other man then got on the elevator, but when they realized it wouldn’t work because of the fire alarm activation, they started walking down the adjacent steps. the officer was able to follow the two men on the surveillance until they reached the first floor.

After watching the tape, the officer went to Room 422 and Lorenti answered the door. the officer noted in his report clothes and a hat similar to what the suspect was wearing at the time he allegedly pulled the fire alarm were on the floor in the room. the officer then asked Lorenti to show him his hands, which were covered with small cuts consistent with breaking the glass. Lorenti explained he received the cuts from shaving his arms and hands earlier.

Lorenti later told the officer he did not remember breaking the glass and pulling the alarm, but he understood the officer had a job to do. Lorenti was then arrested and charged with activating a false alarm.

Seven Years for Purse Snatcher

SNOW HILL – A Pocomoke man was sentenced to seven years in prison last week after being found guilty assaulting a woman and stealing her purse back in April.

On April 2, Desmond Omar Croswell, 21, of Pocomoke approached a woman on 2nd Street and grabbed her purse, which was on her arm at the time. as the victim resisted, Croswell began to pull her along with the purse before eventually knocking her to ground. according to police reports, Croswell then began to kick the victim in the head and chest until she ultimately released the purse.

According to police reports, the victim had known Croswell most of his life, which is how she was able to identify him to police. Croswell was charged with first- and second-degree assault, robbery and reckless endangerment. Last week in Circuit Court, Croswell pleaded guilty to the robbery charge and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Allegedly Punched Vehicle

OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man was arrested on malicious destruction of property charges last weekend after allegedly punching the side of a car leaving a midtown restaurant.

Around 12:30 a.m., an OCPD officer working patrol in the 49th Street area responded to incident involving a suspect punching a vehicle as it left the parking lot at Dumser’s. the victim told police she was in the front passenger seat of her vehicle with someone else driving when a suspect, later identified as Justin J. Grimm, 26, of York, Pa., struck the side of her vehicle while it was pulling out of the restaurant parking lot.

The victim said her vehicle was pulling out of the parking lot when she saw Grimm give her “a dirty look” and shout something that included an expletive, but couldn’t make out any more of what he said. the victim said she looked in the rear view mirror and saw Grimm allegedly punch the back rear quarter panel of her car with a closed fist.

The victim called police over as Grimm attempted to leave the scene. Grimm was detained by the officers told police he had been drinking, but wasn’t drunk, and that he didn’t strike the vehicle with his fist. however, the victim was brought over and identified Grimm as the man who punched her vehicle. Grimm was arrested and charged with malicious destruction of property over $500.

Didn’t Like OC Bike Laws

OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man was arrested on disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges last weekend after allegedly going on an expletive-laced tirade about Ocean City’s bicycle laws in front of a crowd on the Boardwalk.

Around 12:30 a.m. last Thursday, a mounted OCPD officer stopped an unidentified man about riding a bicycle on the Boardwalk before 2 a.m. according to police, the man was cooperative and free leave, but when he said something to another man in his company about the ordinance, the other man, identified as Blake Anthony Gerhart, 19, of Phoenixville, Pa., allegedly yelled in a voice loud enough to be heard by the officer over 50 feet away, “[expletive deleted] your laws.” according to police reports, Gerhart continued to walk south on the Boardwalk and continued to shout the same expletive, which was heard by dozens of people who were now staring at him.

According to police reports, Gerhard appeared to be intoxicated and stumbled as he walked and continued to attract a crowd with his tirade. Eventually, OCPD officer detained Gerhart and told him to sit on the Boardwalk. however, while they were talking to Gerhart, the officers were distracted by heckling from people in the crowd and Gerhart allegedly got back to his feet and attempted to flee, but he was taken into custody.

Gerhart was eventually charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, a noise ordinance and possession of alcohol by a minor.

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