Elder Benjamin Morales-Torres, 29, of Waldorf
On Thursday, May 20, 2021, at approximately 10:53 p.m., Deputies from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the area of Smallwood Drive and St. Charles Parkway in Waldorf, for the reported domestic incident in a vehicle.
Police later located and stopped the vehicle on Crain Highway near Mattawoman Beantown Road. Officers removed the male operator and female passenger from the vehicle and separated them.
The operator was identified as Benjamin Morales Elder, 29, of Waldorf.
Elder provided a brief statement advising the two were involved in a verbal only argument. Officers had the victims sister respond to the scene to assist with translating for the officers.
According to court documents, the victim advised on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at approximately 7:30 p.m., while at their residence in Waldorf, she verbally engaged Elder over his possible infidelity. The same day at approximately 8:30 p.m., Elder left the residence and traveled to the Holiday Inn Express in Waldorf.
The victim arrived at the hotel at approximately 10:30 p.m., to confront Elder about several credit card purchases he had been making, and when Elder opened the hotel door, he grabbed the victim by the arms and slammed her onto the bed inside the hotel room and began to choke her with one hand. He then held her hands over head and bit her on the chest, which left a bite mark and bruise. Elder then dragged the victim off the bed by her hair and left her on the ground.
On Thursday, May 20, 2021, at approximately 4:30 a.m., the victim was picked up from the hotel and driven back to her residence by a friend. The same day, at approximately 10:00 p.m., the victim and Elder engaged in another verbal argument over money, and during so, Elder threw a stack of cash into the victims face and a short time later, he convinced her to go outside and retrieve an item from the vehicle for him.
While the victim was outside, Elder pushed her into the vehicle, got into the drivers seat and accelerated at a high rate of speed, prompting the victim to call 911.
Officers reported the victim and defendant are/were in an intimate relationship and both reside in the same residence.
Elder was charged with Kidnapping, Assault First Degree, and Assault Second Degree. He was released on a $10,000.00 corporate bail bond less than 72 hours later.
Elder Benjamin Morales-Torres, 29, of Waldorf
