Law Enforcement

Joseph Lee Somerville, Sr., Funeral Services and Obituary

Joseph Lee Somerville, Sr., Funeral Services and Obituary

Joseph Lee Somerville, Sr., affectionately known as “Joe Lee”, was born on November 19, 1939 to the late Rosia “Rosie” Q. M. Somerville and William S. Herbert in Loveville, Maryland. He departed this life peacefully on April 1, 2021 at his home. Joe Lee attended St. Joseph Colored School in Morganza, MD, and Banneker...
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Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Statement Regarding Death of Off-Duty Deputy

Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Statement Regarding Death of Off-Duty Deputy

Statement Regarding Death of Off-Duty Calvert County Sheriff’s Deputy The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office is deeply saddened to announce the sudden death of Deputy First Class William ‘Wes’ Beisel, a school resource officer (SRO) assigned to Northern High School (NHS) in Owings. Beisel was found deceased at his residence in St. Mary’s County, on...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Identity of Theft Suspect in California Walmart

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Identity of Theft Suspect in California Walmart

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the identity of the person shown in a theft investigation. On Saturday, March 20, 2021, at 3:15 p.m., the suspect placed two Vankyo movie projectors into his backpack and left the California Walmart store without paying for them. On Saturday, April 4, 2021, at 1:57 p.m.,...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Summons for February and March 2021

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Summons for February and March 2021

On Feb. 2, 2021, Joel Andrew Pease, 29 of Mechanicsville, was issued a criminal summons for Second-Degree Assault by Deputy Zachary Jerew. Case # 00018-21 On Feb. 3, 2021, Andrew Nickolas Fenwick, 23 of no fixed address, was issued criminal summonses for Theft: $100 to $1,500 and Rogue and Vagabond by Deputy Jessica Wilson....
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Temple Hills Felon Convicted After Three-Day Federal Trial for Robbery, Brandishing and Discharge of a Firearm, and Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Temple Hills Felon Convicted After Three-Day Federal Trial for Robbery, Brandishing and Discharge of a Firearm, and Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

A federal jury has convicted Tyrek Montez Arrington, 23, of Temple Hills, Maryland, on federal charges for robbing a pharmacy, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The trial began on Monday, April 5, 2021 and the jury returned its verdict on April...
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UPDATE: Wanted Amazon Delivery Driver Arrested After Motor Vehicle Collision in California, No Injuries Reported

UPDATE: Wanted Amazon Delivery Driver Arrested After Motor Vehicle Collision in California, No Injuries Reported

UPDATE 4/2021: The driver of the Amazon delivery van was identified as Malik Dajuan Witcher, 30, of Temple Hills. Witcher was arrested on an outstanding Montgomery County warrant for driving an uninsured vehicle and displaying a falsified registration plate on a vehicle. Deputies assisted both parties with exchanging insurance information, and Witcher was not...
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18-Year-Old Male Flown to Trauma Center After Rolling ATV Over in Target Parking Lot

18-Year-Old Male Flown to Trauma Center After Rolling ATV Over in Target Parking Lot

On Wednesday, April 7, 2021, at approximately 8:40 p.m., police, fire and rescue personnel responded to the parking lot of Target located at 45155 First Colony Way in California, for the reported unconscious male after a motor vehicle collision involving an ATV. According to a witness at the scene, the operator of the ATV...
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Former Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to a Federal Tax Fraud Conspiracy

Former Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to a Federal Tax Fraud Conspiracy

Lenore Gail Worthy, 53, of Accokeek, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns. The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg...
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Calvert Man Arrested Again and Again and Again for Impaired Driving

Calvert Man Arrested Again and Again and Again for Impaired Driving

UPDATE: John Lawrence Brandt III, 34, of Lusby, was charged with driving, and attempting to drive while impaired by drugs. SMNEWSNET.COM contacted the St. Mary’s and Calvert County Sheriff’s Offices for a booking photo of Brandt, and neither agency could provide one. Below are SOME of previous arrests and citations for John Lawrence Brandt...
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UPDATE: No Injuries Reported After Officers De-Escalate Dangerous Situation Involving Armed Man in La Plata

UPDATE: No Injuries Reported After Officers De-Escalate Dangerous Situation Involving Armed Man in La Plata

UPDATE: On Sunday, April 4 at 8:45 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers were dispatched to the 9900 block of Charles Street in La Plata for the report of a man breaking out windows of a car. Upon arrival, officers encountered an adult male standing near a truck on the side of the road. He...
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Firefighters Perform High Angle Rescue After Woman Falls 30 Feet Off Cliff Into St. Leonard Creek

Firefighters Perform High Angle Rescue After Woman Falls 30 Feet Off Cliff Into St. Leonard Creek

On Wednesday, April 7, 2021, at approximately 11:30 a.m., fire and emergency medical personnel responded to Circle Court and Cape Leonard Drive in St. Leonard, for the high angle rescue after a long fall. Crews arrived on the scene to find the patient fell approximately 30 feet into the St. Leonard Creek. Firefighters setup...
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Two Lexington Park Drug Dealers Charged After Search and Seizure Warrant; Police Recover Four Handguns and Two Pounds of Marijuana

Two Lexington Park Drug Dealers Charged After Search and Seizure Warrant; Police Recover Four Handguns and Two Pounds of Marijuana

On Friday, April 2, 2021, detectives from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Vice Narcotics Division, along with the Emergency Services Team (EST), Special Operations Division (SOD), and members of the Patrol Division, executed a search and seizure warrant in the 47000 block of Thurman Davis Lane in Lexington Park. Detectives located four handguns,...
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Minor Injuries Reported After Vehicle Strikes Tree in Lexington Park

Minor Injuries Reported After Vehicle Strikes Tree in Lexington Park

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, at approximately 3:40 p.m., police, fire and rescue personnel responded to Great Mills Road and Forest Run Drive in Lexington Park, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single vehicle off the roadway with no entrapment. The driver told police...
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Man Facing Federal Charges for Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography

Man Facing Federal Charges for Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography

A criminal complaint has been filed charging Derrell Lamar Hooker Orange (“Hooker Orange”) age 36, of Brandywine, Maryland, with enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography.  The criminal complaint was filed on April 1, 2021 and unsealed at Hooker-Orange’s initial appearance on April 2, 2021 The criminal complaint was announced by Acting...
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Maryland State Police Aviation Awards James Anton with ‘Technician of the Year

Maryland State Police Aviation Awards James Anton with ‘Technician of the Year

The statewide 2020 ‘Technician of the Year’ award was presented to Mr. James Anton by Major Tagliaferri, MSPAC Commander, and Deputy Director Mr. Lance Wood. Mr. Anton, assigned to the Aviation Maintenance Command Headquarters, began his career with the Maryland State Police in September of 2008 following several years of assembling satellites for Orbital...
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UPDATE: Both Missing Boys From Ridge Found Safe and Unharmed in Virginia

UPDATE: Both Missing Boys From Ridge Found Safe and Unharmed in Virginia

UPDATE 4/6/2021 @ 4:55 p.m. : The Ridge Volunteer Fire Department reports both boys have been found alive in Westmoreland County, VA. Search operations have been stopped at this time. Thank you to all the volunteers that came out and donated time and food. Deputies from the Westmoreland Sheriff’s Department in Virginia found the...
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Victim in December Shooting Dies of Injuries; Case Ruled a Homicide

Victim in December Shooting Dies of Injuries; Case Ruled a Homicide

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred December 8, 2020 in the unincorporated portion of Hyattsville. The victim is 46-year-old Babarinde Awokere of Washington, DC. On December 8, 2020, at approximately 2:00 a.m., officers responded to the 4900 block of Lawrence Place, for a reported shooting....
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Washington Teacher’s Union President Killed in Double Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision in Prince George’s County, Maryland State Police Investigating

Washington Teacher’s Union President Killed in Double Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision in Prince George’s County, Maryland State Police Investigating

On Sunday, April 4, 2021, at approximately 10:24 p.m., police responded to the area of Maryland Route 301 and Harbor Way in Bowie, for the reported motor vehicle collision. Troopers from the Maryland State Police Forestville Barrack arrived on the scene to find two vehicles involved. Preliminary investigation revealed Elizabeth “Liz” Davis, 70, was...
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UPDATE: Police in Charles County Searching for Two Armed Robbery Suspects – Cash Reward Offered

UPDATE: Police in Charles County Searching for Two Armed Robbery Suspects – Cash Reward Offered

Update from CCSO: On Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at approximately 11:02 a.m., officers responded to the 12100 block of Old Line Center in Waldorf for the report of an armed robbery. The initial investigation revealed a courier was making a delivery to a pharmacy when two suspects approached him. The suspects assaulted the courier...
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Troopers Recover Seven Guns During Weekend Traffic Incidents

Troopers Recover Seven Guns During Weekend Traffic Incidents

On the morning of April 2nd, troopers from the Glen Burnie Barrack responded to the area of I-695 and Rt. 295 for the report of a crash.  The driver was seen walking away from the site.  Troopers caught up to him on Rt. 259 near Nursery Road and noticed signs of impairment.  He was...
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Driver Flown to Trauma Center After Motor Vehicle Accident in Charlotte Hall

Driver Flown to Trauma Center After Motor Vehicle Accident in Charlotte Hall

On Monday, April 5, 2021, at approximately 12:35 p.m., police, fire and rescue personnel from Charles and St. Mary’s Counties responded to a motor vehicle accident on Three Notch Road in the area of Mt. Wolf Road in Charlotte Hall. Emergency personnel arrived to find the single vehicle off the roadway. The male driver...
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Police Investigating House and Vehicle Struck by Gunfire in Lexington Park

Police Investigating House and Vehicle Struck by Gunfire in Lexington Park

On Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at approximately 12:30 a.m., police responded to the area of North Essex Drive and Great Mills Road in Lexington Park, for the reported of shots fired. Officers arrived on the scene to find two residences and a vehicle was struck by gunfire. No injuries were reported. The St. Mary’s...
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Nine-Month-Old Infant Dead In Anne Arundel County Crash

Nine-Month-Old Infant Dead In Anne Arundel County Crash

Maryland State Police are continuing an investigation into a traffic crash early this morning in Anne Arundel County that killed an infant. The deceased victim is a nine-month-old infant, believed to be the child of the driver of a 2002 Ford Explorer, identified as Talaya C. Martin, 29, of Elkridge, Md. The driver was...
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Police Investigating Death at Super 8 Hotel in California

Police Investigating Death at Super 8 Hotel in California

On Sunday, April 4, 2021, at approximately 8:10 p.m., police and emergency medical personnel responded to the Super 8 Hotel located at 22801 Three Notch Road in California, for the report of a deceased male. Emergency medical services arrived on the scene to confirm a 41-year-old male deceased in a hotel room. The St....
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Two Adults and Two Children Injured After ATV Accident in Clements

Two Adults and Two Children Injured After ATV Accident in Clements

On Sunday, April 4, 2021, at approximately 3:00 p.m., police, fire and rescue personnel responded to the 24700 block of Long Road in Clements, for the reported ATV accident. Crews arrived on the scene to find two adults and two children injured and requested a helicopter for two of the victims. Two patients were...
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