James Paul Smith III, 42, of no fixed address
On Sunday, July 25, 2021, at approximately 7:45 p.m., Officer J. Piersa of the La Plata Police Department Charles County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a report of a disorderly subject at the Subway on Crain Highway, in La Plata.
Police arrived on scene and made contact with an employee, who told them that “you just missed him” and said there was a white male that was threatening to shoot the employee. The employee said the man had entered Subway earlier and requested a cup of water, after he was provided with a cup of water the man walked out of business, only to return a short time later with a bottle of liquor that he poured into the cup. The male became belligerent when they told the man he couldn’t drink in the business and asked him to leave. Initially, the man refused and became irate. Eventually the man started to walk out and said he would come back for the employee.
While police were in Subway talking to the employee, a citizen alerted the officers to a commotion going on outside and said “he’s right there” pointing to a male, later identified as James Paul Smith III, 42, of no fixed address. A citizen was holding Smith’s shirt with both hands and pushing Smith back towards the wall outside of Lady’s Liquors. Police separated the two and after doing so, the man told police that Smith had just stolen his vehicle with his family in it.
Smith was detained and placed in handcuffs while police investigated further. The man told police he was passing through the area after just coming from Busch Gardens with his family and decided to get some drinks for later and parked his vehicle in the parking lot of Lady’s Liquors. He went inside of the liquor store and left his vehicle unlocked and running. While inside the store he heard his family screaming and ran outside thinking that his vehicle was rolling away towards the highway driver-less. However, upon getting closer, he realized his family was in distress and saw Smith in the driver seat stealing his vehicle with his family inside.
At the time of the attempted theft/carjacking the vehicle was occupied by a 68-year-old female, and a 19, 16, and 5-year old.
When Smith entered the vehicle, the older woman told him to get out and that the car belonged to her son, Smith entered the driver seat, and replied I don’t care, and then put the vehicle in drive and began driving towards Route 301. The passengers screamed and alerted her son, who ran out of the liquor store and removed Smith from the vehicle
Smith acknowledged his rights and elected to remain silent and make no statements. While placing Smith in a police vehicle he bragged about being a Sergeant-at-Arms for Dead Man Inc., a known criminal gang. Smith was transported to the Charles County Detention Center for further processing.
James Paul Smith III, 42, is currently being held on a no bond status and charged with the following crimes:
- FALSE IMPRISONMENT
- KIDNAP-CHILD UNDER 16 (2 counts)
- INTOXICATED ENDANGER
- INTOXICATED PUBLIC DISTURB
- RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT
- MOTOR VEH/UNLAWFUL TAKING
