UPDATE 12/16/2024: The involved officers have been identified as La Plata Police Department Police Officer First Class Jacob Shuar, a 2-year veteran, and Corporal Tommy Johnston, a 20-year veteran. Both officers are assigned to the Patrol Division. The Charles County Sheriff’s Deputy is identified as Corporal Katie Bottorf, a 9-year veteran assigned to the...
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On Friday, December 6, 2024, at 8:30 p.m., officers were working security at an afterschool indoor event at Henry E. Lackey High School when they were made aware of a male in the gymnasium who was armed with a handgun. The officers observed the subject and as they approached the male fled. After a...
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On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, two students at Westlake High School were arguing when a school administrator tried to intervene. At that time, a third student walked by and struck one of the students involved in the argument. Two additional students engaged in the altercation, which turned physical. School administrators were able to separate...
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On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division arrested a 16-year-old male who was observed getting into a car that had been reported stolen. As they approached, the juvenile attempted to flee but was apprehended. Through investigation, detectives linked the juvenile to a citizen robbery that occurred in October during...
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UPDATE 12/12/2024: On Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 9:04 a.m., emergency personnel from Calvert, Charles, Anne Arundel and St. Mary’s County, along with NAS Patuxent River responded to a possible Hazmat situation at the St. Leonard Post Office. An employee opened a package containing a suspicious powder, which was later determined to be non-hazardous....
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On Tuesday, December 11, 2024, at approximately 3:29 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of La Plata Road and Bath Drive in La Plata, for a motor vehicle collision reported serious with entrapment and ejection. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two vehicle collision and advised no patients...
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Maryland hunters reported harvesting 10,889 deer on the opening weekend of the 2024 firearm season from Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, according to data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The overall deer harvest was nearly identical to last year’s official opening weekend harvest of 10,905 deer. The harvest total included 4,947 antlered and...
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For the second year in a row, the “It’s Academic” team of La Plata High School team clenched first place in the county’s annual competition. Held Dec. 3 at St. Charles High School, the “It’s Academic” event challenges high school students to correctly answer questions on various subjects in a quiz show format. The Warriors...
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The FDA is actively reviewing a petition filed for FD&C Red No. 3, which is authorized for use as a color additive in food and ingested drugs. The petition states that the Delaney Clause obligates the FDA to repeal the color additive regulations that permit the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods...
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A Voice that We Have Ignored: Works by Miyuki Akai Cook. Through Dec. 13. Tony Hungerford Memorial Art Gallery, La Plata Campus at 8730 Mitchell Road in La Plata. Textile artist Miyuki Akai Cook uses weaving, knitting, and crochet to explore themes of generational well-being and environmental awareness. A unique, illustrative pedagogy pairs earlier work...
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The second part of Maryland’s split muzzleloader deer hunting season will open Dec. 21 and run through Jan. 4. The first half of the split season was held in October. Hunters may use muzzleloading firearms to harvest sika and white-tailed deer during this time. “The late muzzleloader season provides hunters with another opportunity to...
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Joseph Robert Willet III, 31, of Hughesville, was arrested on December 8, 2024, following an alleged domestic assault at a residence in California, Maryland. The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident, which resulted in multiple charges against Willett, including assault and firearm-related offenses. According to court documents, Deputy Ocasio-Rivera responded to...
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UPDATE: Michael Darnell Lassiter, 59, of La Plata, was arrested on December 7, 2024, following an incident at a residence on Hemlock Court, in La Plata. According to court documents, Lassiter faces multiple charges, including resisting arrest, second-degree assault, property damage, failure to obey a lawful order, endangerment due to intoxication, and making arson...
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UPDATE 12/7/2024: La Plata Police Department investigators have identified the individual killed as Robert Martin Pope, 66-years old, of Glen Burnie, Maryland. On December 6, 2024, at approximately 8:18 p.m., officers were in route to a carry out/restaurant, located in the 6500 block of Crain Highway, to check the welfare of an individual. While...
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Shuree Sinese Weems, 43, of Lusby, was arrested on November 14, 2024, at Mimi’s Station, a liquor store located at on Rousby Hall Road, in Lusby. Weems faces multiple charges, including trespassing, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office and court records. Deputy...
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An investigation by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Section led to the arrest of Adrian Carlos Farris, 35, of Waldorf, on December 3, 2024. A search warrant executed at his residence on Vane Court uncovered drugs valued at over $30,000, a firearm, and various drug-related paraphernalia. The operation was part of an...
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Sobriety checkpoints are common tools law enforcement uses to ensure road safety by identifying impaired drivers. If you find yourself approaching one, it can be helpful to know what to expect and how to handle it smoothly. As you approach a sobriety checkpoint, you’ll likely notice signs and flashing lights, along with uniformed officers...
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A 21-year-old Waldorf man was arrested on November 29, 2024, following a traffic stop that led to the discovery of a stolen vehicle, according to court documents filed in Charles County. Chidozie Charles Obinna Udoji, 21, of Waldorf, was charged with theft of property valued between $1,500 and $25,000. The charge carries a potential...
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The Town of La Plata does siren testing in the spring and winter. The next testing will take place on Saturday, December 7 at 10:00 am. The testing takes about 30 minutes. The tests consist of both siren alerts and audible notifications. The tests are conducted in conjunction with the Charles County 911 Communications...
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UPDATE 12/5/2024: Investigation is ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the collision is encouraged to contact Captain Matthew Norris or Captain Michael Payne at 301-934-1500. On December 4, 2024, at approximately 4:07 p.m., officers responded to the area of Rosewick Road and Rosewick Crossing Place for the report of a vehicle collision. Preliminary investigation revealed a...
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Court documents from two separate cases detail criminal charges against Foday Badara Ladie Jr., 27, of Brandywine, stemming from incidents reported on November 23 and 24, 2024. The charges include alleged handgun possession, failure to obey a lawful order, and second-degree assault. Officers were called to the Indian Head Inn on Strauss Avenue at...
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On December 1, 2024, authorities in Charles County apprehended Corness Margo Gray, 58, of Waldorf, following an assault and drug-related offenses. The incident occurred on Pinewood Drive, where police responded to reports of an altercation. According to court documents, deputies encountered Gray standing in the roadway, matching the description of the suspect. During questioning,...
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UPDATE 12/4/2024: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, a Charles County jury, after a 9-day trial, convicted Jahad Karim Frierson, 27, of Waldorf, of the Second-Degree Murder of Leon Nathaniel Inabinett, Jr. On June 20, 2021, officers responded to the Bryans Road Firehouse in the 3000...
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Two women were arrested following a shoplifting incident at the Target store located at 3300 Western Parkway, in Waldorf, on December 2, 2024. According to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the scene at approximately 7:55 PM after store loss prevention staff reported observing a theft in progress. The suspects, identified...
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Thomas Aaron Caparella-Monat, 32, of Colonial Beach, Virginia, was charged with multiple offenses following a domestic incident in the parking lot of the Outback Steakhouse in La Plata. On October 20, 2024, at approximately 8:53 PM, officers from the La Plata Police Department responded to a report of a domestic assault at the Outback Steakhouse...
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