Michael Allen King, 51, of no fixed address
On August 20, 2024, law enforcement in St. Mary’s County responded to two separate incidents involving 51-year-old Michael A. King of Leonardtown, Maryland. King now faces multiple charges following these events, which occurred in Great Mills and Leonardtown.
According to court documents, at approximately 5:06 a.m., the St. Mary’s County Emergency Communications Center received a report of a man behaving erratically near Dyson Building Center, located on Point Lookout Road in Great Mills. The caller described a white male wearing shorts and a cut-off shirt, who had thrown a flag into the roadway and scattered books from a book nook around the parking lot.
The ‘book nook’ is a Little Free Library created by students at The Chesapeake Public Charter School. It is a free book-sharing box where anyone may take a book or share a book, operating on the honor system. You do not need to share a book in order to take one, and puzzles are also accepted.
Deputy Walker of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene shortly after. The deputy discovered around 30 books scattered on the ground near the book nook at the front of the parking lot. There was no visible damage to the book nook, and the flag mentioned by the caller was not found.
After conducting an initial investigation, King was located at 21030 Point Lookout Road in Callaway. He matched the caller’s description, wearing a red ball cap, a white cut-off shirt, and tan shorts. Deputy Walker, who had previously encountered King, approached him, noting that King appeared hostile and angry without clear provocation.
Initially, King denied any involvement in the incident but later admitted to the act. He showed no remorse, stating he would “do it again” and had no intention of stopping.
As a result, King was issued a criminal summons and charged with violating a Maryland Criminal Law related to littering.
About an hour and a half later, at approximately 7:22 a.m., King was involved in a separate incident in Leonardtown, which resulted in significant property damage. According to reports from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, King was observed by a local business owner smashing the glass front door of Towne Dentistry on Washington Street.
Deputy Tasciotti responded to the scene and found King in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot. Recognizing King from previous encounters, Deputy Tasciotti quickly identified him as the suspect. Lupo, who had stayed at the scene, confirmed that King was the individual responsible for the vandalism.
Deputy Stewart, who also responded to the incident, inspected the damaged door and confirmed that it had been broken with a chair. The property owner, arrived at the scene and estimated the repair costs to be approximately $5,000.
King was taken into custody after it was discovered that he had an active warrant for his arrest. He has been charged with malicious destruction of property valued at $1,000 or more, a felony under Maryland law that carries a potential penalty of up to three years in prison and/or a fine of $2,500.
It is unknown at this time why King’s active arrest warrant wasn’t discovered after his first interaction the Sheriff’s Office an hour and a half earlier.
