Joseph Axzavis Stewart Jr., 46, of Lexington Park
Joseph Axzavis Stewart Jr., 46, of Lexington Park, is facing four misdemeanor charges in St. Mary’s County after two separate arrests in June 2026, including second-degree assault, possession of a controlled dangerous substance other than cannabis, violation of a protective order, and disorderly conduct.
The first incident was reported shortly before 1 a.m. on June 4, 2026, when a deputy with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to Smith Street in California for a reported domestic assault. An adult female victim told police she had fled to a friend’s home after being assaulted at a residence on Hermanville Road in Lexington Park, where she and Stewart lived together.
According to the deputy’s account, the adult female victim said she was lying in bed when Stewart asked to use the car to get cigarettes. She said she sat up and told him “no,” but said she could drive while he rode along. Police said she reported that Stewart became upset and shoved her in the face, pushing her over. She also reported that he shoved her again in the living room area, causing her to fall to her knees. The deputy noted a visible scrape on her left knee.
Stewart denied shoving the woman, according to the deputy, and said a female relative who lived at the home had seen what happened. Police said that relative reported she “was asleep” and had not seen or heard anything. Stewart was arrested and charged with second-degree assault.
Stewart appeared before a court commissioner on June 4, 2026, and was released after posting a $1,500 unsecured personal bond. He was ordered not to engage in criminal activity and to appear in court. A trial in that matter was scheduled for July 16, 2026, in St. Mary’s District Court.
The second incident happened on June 29, 2026, when a Maryland State Police trooper responded around 5:40 p.m. to Birdies convenience store on Three Notch Road in Hollywood for a disorderly person complaint. A store worker told police a shirtless man had been on the property yelling and causing a disturbance before the trooper arrived.
The trooper said he saw Stewart standing on the shoulder of Stoakley Road without a shirt and later stopped him near Old Three Notch Road. According to police, Stewart refused to walk back to the store, and when the trooper pulled up, Stewart removed a pack of Newport cigarettes from his pocket and threw it into the grass. The trooper reported that Stewart’s speech was heavily slurred and unintelligible and that there was a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
Police said Stewart was on the phone with an adult female protected party who had an active temporary protective order against him. After officers with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office arrived, the trooper retrieved the cigarette pack and reported finding a glass vial containing clear liquid and tobacco shavings. Based on training and experience, the trooper identified the liquid as phencyclidine, or PCP, a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance.
The protected party later arrived at the scene, and police said they learned the protective order had been served on Stewart on June 15, 2026, and remained in effect until July 10, 2026. She told police she received a phone call from Stewart at about 5:50 p.m. asking for a ride from Birdies. Police said that contact violated the order’s restriction against contacting or harassing her by telephone.
Stewart was arrested and taken to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center. He was charged in the June 29 incident with possession of a controlled dangerous substance other than cannabis, violation of a protective order, and disorderly conduct.
At his June 30, 2026, initial appearance, Stewart waived an attorney for that hearing and was released on a $1,000 unsecured personal bond. His release conditions included appearing in court, not engaging in criminal activity, and abstaining from alcohol or the abusive use or possession of narcotics or other controlled dangerous substances without a prescription. A trial in that matter was scheduled for August 17, 2026, in St. Mary’s District Court.
