Southern Maryland News Net

UPDATE: Waldorf Woman Sentenced to 15 Years for First-Degree Child Abuse, After Forcefully Throwing 7-Year-Old Child Onto Ground

UPDATE 4/02/2025: State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, March 27, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge West sentenced Renee Daytona Roberts, age 45, to 15 years in prison for First-Degree Child Abuse: Severe Injury. Roberts will be on supervised probation for five years upon release. On March 13, 2025, Roberts pled guilty to the aforementioned charge. On January 8, 2024, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Patient First in Waldorf for the...
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Charles County Public School Employee Indicted on Charges of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Other Related Charges

Detectives from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division (CID) arrested John Alan Lynch, 28, of Indian Head, after a Charles County Grand Jury indicted him in connection with charges of sexual abuse of a minor, sexual solicitation of a minor, and solicitation for prostitution. An arrest warrant was issued and Lynch was taken into custody today. The facts of the case are as follows: On January 23, 2025, Lynch, who was a building service worker at Henry...
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Police Investigating Burglary to Cyreene Pharmacy in Leonardtown

On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 2:55 a.m., police responded to the Cyreene Pharmacy located at 25805 Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown, for the reported burglary in progress. Deputies arrived at the business at approximately 3 a.m. and discovered that the power to the building had been switched off at a breaker box. Upon further inspection, they found evidence of forced entry into the pharmacy and observed clear signs of theft inside. The Criminal Investigations Division has assumed the...
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Man Sentenced to Life Plus 20 Years in Prison for First-Degree Murder of Stepdad

State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that Marvin Orlando Johnson, 39, of Mechanicville, was sentenced to Life, plus an additional 20 years in prison, for the premeditated murder of his stepfather on May 24, 2023 Following a four-day jury trial in July 2024, a St. Mary’s County jury found Johnson guilty of first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence for shooting and killing his stepfather. On May 24, 2023, deputies from...
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No Injuries Reported After Tesla Rear-Ends Ambulance in Leonardtown

On Monday, March 31, 2025, at approximately 2:57 p.m., Second District Ambulance 68 advised they were involved in a motor vehicle collision at Point Lookout Road and Hollywood Road in Leonardtown. Crews arrived on the scene to find two vehicle collision involving the ambulance and a passenger vehicle. Two occupants in the passenger vehicle were evaluated for injuries, while 3 EMS providers and 1 patient in the ambulance were evaluated. Ambulance 68 was transporting a non-priority patient to the...
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UPDATE: Recovered Nanny Cam Footage Leads to Felony Child Abuse Charge Against St. Inigoes Man

UPDATE 3/31/2025: Newly released court documents provided more information on the ongoing criminal case against Emerson Carl Schaeffer, 27, of St. Inigoes, who is now facing multiple charges in two separate incidents involving alleged assaults—including one case of felony child abuse. According to the documents, the alleged child abuse occurred nearly two years ago, on April 27, 2023, but was not reported until March 28, 2025. The delay stemmed from a lost video that was originally captured by a...
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Homeowner and Firefighters Escape with Minor Injuries After House Fire in White Plains, State Fire Marshal Investigating

On Saturday, March 29, 2025, at approximately 6:03 a.m., firefighters from Charles County responded to 3755 Opals Place in White Plains, for the reported house on fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find fire showing from the first floor of the two-story residence, with an elderly male suffering from smoke inhalation. Shortly after their arrival, crews reported the fire had spread to the basement, first and second floors. During firefighting operations, a Waldorf firefighter fell through the first...
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Teen Flown to Trauma Center After Motorcycle Crash in Mechanicsville

On Sunday, March 30, 2025, at approximately 11:03 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of All Faith Church Road and New Market Turner Road in Mechanicsville, for the motor vehicle collision involving a motorcycle. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single motorcyclist off the roadway, with the operator conscious and alert. A short time later, Maryland State Police Helicopter Trooper 7 was requested to land nearby due to the patients injuries. Flight medics were...
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Two Children Flown to Children’s Center After ATV Strikes Tree in Calvert County

On Sunday, March 30, 2025, at approximately 3:57 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 2300 block of Dunkirk Drive in Owings, for the reported ATV accident. 911 callers reported a pediatric operator on an ATV was ejected after striking a tree. A helicopter was placed on standby. Crews arrived on the scene to find two patients suffering from serious injuries and requested an additional ambulance, and confirmed a helicopter was needed. Maryland State Police Aviation...
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UPDATE: Waldorf Man Sentenced to 10-Years After High Speed Crash Claims Life of Lusby Woman in Mechanicsville

UPDATE 3/28/2025: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that Michael Anthony Carlucci, 50, of Waldorf, Maryland, has been sentenced to serve seven years in prison in connection with a multi-vehicle high-speed crash that claimed the life of a mother of four, Jaleisa Wilcox, 33, and injured another individual. During the sentencing hearing, the State requested the maximum penalty of ten years in prison, despite the Maryland sentencing guideline range only calling for a sentence between three months and four...
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Lexington Park Man Arrested After Stabbing Dog Multiple Times During Domestic Incident

On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at approximately 9:24 p.m., police responded to the 21400 block of Exquisite Court in Lexington Park, for the reported domestic involving a knife. Multiple 911 callers reported a domestic disturbance involving a knife with the suspect attempting to kill the dog. According to court records from the District Court for St. Mary’s County, Corey A. McDowney, 46, of Lexington Park, has been formally charged with aggravated animal cruelty, multiple counts of animal cruelty, and...
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UPDATE: Police Investigating a Fatal Crash Involving Box Truck and Occupied School Bus in Prince Frederick

UPDATE 3/26/2025 @ 1:00 P.M.: On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, shortly after 9 a.m., deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Patrol responded to a report of a serious motor vehicle collision involving a school bus on Rt. 231 near Sea Gull Beach Road in Prince Frederick. Upon arrival, deputies found that the school bus was occupied by 12 students and a driver. Emergency response crews promptly assessed the individuals on board, resulting in two (2) students being transported...
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Lexington Park Woman, Britny Lee Blankenship, Wanted by Police for Escape

UPDATE 3/26/2025: The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the whereabouts of Britny Lee Blankenship, 35, of Lexington Park, for escape. On March 22, 2025, Deputies responded to the 21000 block of Liberty Street in Lexington Park for the report of tampering on Blankenship’s ankle monitor. The monitoring device was found to have damage to the band, indicating that it had been cut. Blankenship is a white female, 5’5”, 205 pounds, with blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair....
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UPDATE: Lexington Park Man Identified in Fatal Single Vehicle Collision in California

UPDATE 3/26/25: The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal single-vehicle collision that occurred Tuesday afternoon. On March 25, 2025, at around 1:15 p.m., First Responders responded to the 44000 block of St. Andrews Church Road and Pops Way in California, MD, for a report of a crash. A preliminary investigation determined that a 2018 Hyundai Elantra left the roadway and struck a concrete barrier. The driver, Calvin Coolidge Edwards Jr., 76, of Lexington Park, was found unresponsive...
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UPDATE: Virginia Man Dead After Motor Vehicle Collision in Waldorf, Charges Pending Investigation

UPDATE 3/26/2025: On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at approximately 5:13 p.m., Troopers from Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack along with deputies from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to United States Route 301 (Crain Hwy) at Holly Lane for a report of a serious motor vehicle collision. Due to the circumstances, the Maryland State Police CRASH Team responded to assume the investigation. A preliminary investigation conducted by Troopers from the MSP La Plata Barrack and the MSP CRASH...
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Waldorf Man Pleads Guilty to Four Armed Commercial Robberies

Daniel Michael Harris, Sr., 45, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty to committing an armed robbery while using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the...
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Lusby Woman Arrested After Reckless High Speed Chase in Calvert County

Julia Nicole Gallodoro, 29, of Lusby, is facing criminal charges across Calvert and St. Mary’s counties following a high-speed pursuit on March 18, 2025, and multiple prior arrests earlier this year for assault-related incidents. According to the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Gallodoro was arrested after leading deputies on a high-speed chase through the Solomons...
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Police Investigating Assault at Nicolet Park in Lexington Park

On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at approximately 7:00 p.m., police responded to Nicolet Park located at 21871 FDR Boulevard in Lexington Park, for the reported assault in progress. 911 callers reported a fight involving 8 subjects with multiple attempting to pull a subject out of an SUV. A short time later, 911 callers then...
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Police Conduct Tobacco Compliance Checks in St. Mary’s County, 18 Businesses Pass and Four Fail

On March 27, 2025, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol Enforcement Unit conducted a series of tobacco compliance checks across the county. The covert operation utilized a 19-year-old confidential informant (CI) from the Sheriff’s Office to assess businesses’ adherence to tobacco sales laws. The CI, dressed in athletic attire, attempted to purchase tobacco...
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Calvert County Office on Aging to Host 32nd Annual Southern Maryland Caregivers Conference

The Calvert County Department of Community Resources, Office on Aging Division, will host the 32nd Annual Southern Maryland Caregivers Conference on Friday, April 11, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Southern Pines Senior Center, located at 20 Appeal Lane in Lusby. The conference will offer 15 sessions designed to support and...
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Raise a Glass to History at the Annual First Landing Wine & Arts Festival on April 12th, 2025

On Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., St. Clement’s Island Museum will host St. Mary’s County wineries and craft beverage makers, as well as local crafters and artisans for the annual First Landing Wine & Arts Festival. For the fifth year, community members and visitors are invited to enjoy this...
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Brandywine Player Wins $50,000 on Pick 5, Plans to ‘Take Care of Business’

20-year Army veteran, having already seen the world, has no aspiration to travel A Maryland Lottery player from Prince George’s County enjoys the anticipation involved with the games, but got a bigger thrill than usual when his Pick 5 numbers hit for a $50,000 prize. “It’s just the thrill,” he said of playing in...
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CTG, a Division of Blue Raven Solutions, Partners with Leadership Southern Maryland to Strengthen Community Leadership

Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) is pleased to announce a new partnership with CTG, a Division of Blue Raven Solutions, in support of the region’s community leadership development efforts. CTG’s sponsorship greatly benefits both the LSM Executive Program and the LSM Emerging Leaders Program (LEAP). “CTG, a Division of Blue Raven Solutions, and LSM have...
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Calvert County Parks & Recreation to Host Annual Duck Race on April 12th, 2025

Calvert County Parks & Recreation invites residents to participate in the annual Therapeutic Recreational (TR) Duck Race on Saturday, April 12, from 3:30 to 4 p.m. at the Edward T. Hall Aquatic Center, located at 130 Auto Drive in Prince Frederick. Participants can sponsor a rubber duck to compete in a race down the...
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Charles County Woman Gallops Into Winner’s Circle with $73k Racetrax Win

A Charles County woman, who recently switched to Racetrax after regularly playing Keno, trotted her way into the winner’s circle. On March 20th, 2025, she won $73,767 playing the popular computer-animated horse racing game. The happy winner was on her way home after work when she stopped at Sunnybrook Tavern in Fort Washington. While...
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Students Take Skills to the Next Level at 2025 SkillsUSA Maryland State Championship

Students from Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) Career & Technology Academy (CTA) achieved outstanding success at the 52nd Annual SkillsUSA Maryland State Championship, held March 28–29, 2025 in Carroll County, MD. A total of 37 students earned medals across 17 different contests, bringing home 23 medals for CTA. The nine students who earned gold medals will...
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Mechanicsville Woman Sentenced for Embezzling Over $76K from Vulnerable Adult

Amber Michelle Hardesty, 41, of Mechanicsville, has been sentenced following her conviction for embezzlement and financial misconduct involving a vulnerable adult, according to court documents filed in the St. Mary’s County Circuit Court. Hardesty, was convicted on two misdemeanor counts of embezzlement. The offenses occurred in January 2023 and involved her misuse of funds...
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Waldorf Man Arrested After Armed Hotel Threat and 20-Mile Police Chase

Wendell Giovanni Estes, 49, of Waldorf, is facing a wide array of criminal and traffic charges following an early morning incident on March 28, 2025, that began at a hotel in La Plata and ended in a high-speed pursuit spanning multiple jurisdictions. According to court documents, officers with the La Plata Police Department were...
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Christine Wilson appointed Executive Director of Hospice of the Chesapeake Foundation

Hospice of the Chesapeake is pleased to announce that Christine Wilson, current Director of Advancement, will step into the new role of Executive Director of the Hospice of the Chesapeake Foundation. This position was created following the announcement of Shauna Chabot’s retirement as Chief Advancement Officer. Chabot will retire on April 15 after 14...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Corrections Officer Indicted and Charged with Sexual Contact with an Incarcerated Individual

On March 28, 2025, a Charles County Grand Jury indicted Kolbey Cooper, age 22, a Charles County corrections officer, with two counts of sexual contact with an incarcerated individual, two counts of 4th-degree sex offense, and delivering contraband (an e-cigarette) to a person detained in a place of confinement. In early February, correctional officers...
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Hawthorne Road Closed in La Plata Due to Large Woods Fire Involving Sheds

On Monday, March 31, 2025, at approximately 1:25 p.m., firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 7200 block of Hawthorne Road in La Plata, for the reported structure fire. Multiple 911 callers, involving one member of the Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department reported a large woods fire involving a shed and multiple vehicles. Crews...
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Hoyer, Governor Wes Moore Statements After Trump’s Executive Order Ending Federal Workers’ Collective Bargaining Rights

Governor Wes Moore released the following statement regarding President Trump’s executive order ending federal workers’ collective bargaining rights. “Maryland will always have the backs of working people and organized labor. And amid the draconian federal cuts impacting public servants across our state, our partnership with organized labor has become more important than ever. In...
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