Gerard Stokes, 31, of Greenbelt, Maryland, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for driving an ATV into an MPD officer on March 15, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Stokes pled guilty to one count of felony assault on a police officer in December 2025, in the Superior Court of the District...
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A joint investigation between the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office continues after a house fire claimed the life of a Mechanicsville woman early Friday morning. On Friday, February 20, 2026, at approximately 6:40 a.m., firefighters from the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding departments responded to...
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On Friday, February 20, 2026, at approximately 10:00 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Smallwood Church Road and Marvin Drive in Indian Head, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a large vehicle. 911 callers reported a trash truck was overturned with two injured. Crews arrived on scene...
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Governor Wes Moore this week signed legislation to prohibit State and local jurisdictions from deputizing officers for federal civil immigration enforcement activity. The law, created under SB 245/HB 444, is effective immediately. “In Maryland, we defend Constitutional rights and Constitutional policing—and we will not allow untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents to deputize our...
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UPDATE 2/20/2026: Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and Prince George’s County today filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings in their lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful attempt to sabotage the FBI headquarters project in Greenbelt, Maryland. The motion asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to rule in Maryland’s...
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Michael Ryan Norfolk, 36, of Lexington Park, is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, and carrying a concealed dangerous weapon, following an incident on February 11, 2026, in Lexington Park. According to court documents, deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded around 8:44 p.m....
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On January 26, 2026, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrant Unit, in coordination with the United States Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF), successfully located and apprehended Brandon Gerald Jernigan, 40, of Jackson, Mississippi, who was wanted in connection with multiple violent offenses across several jurisdictions. On October 18, 2023,...
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The Board of Public Works today approved more than $7.1 million in grants from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to local governments and land trusts for recreation centers and land conservation in Allegany, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and St. Mary’s counties. More than $3.6 million in Program Open Space – Local funding was...
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Lloyd Michael Hawkins Jr., 39, of Waldorf, has been charged with robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and theft between $1,500 and $25,000 in connection with an armed robbery reported February 13, 2026, in La Plata. According to court documents, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and the La Plata Town Police Department responded...
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Melissa Nazareth Lozano-Rodriguez, 21, and Carlos Alberto Mondragon-Guevara, 48, both of Temple Hills, are each facing felony theft charges following an alleged shoplifting incident at Macy’s in Waldorf. Both defendants are charged with theft of property valued at $1,500 to under $25,000 in connection with an incident reported on February 14, 2026, at the...
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Christopher Michael Cable, 35, and Nicholas Daniel Lokey, 32, both of Dameron, are facing multiple drug and obstruction charges following a February 12, 2026 traffic stop in Solomons, according to court documents. Cable is charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance not cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, obstructing and hindering a police officer,...
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2/15/2026: On Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 1:35 a.m., firefighters from Bay District, Leonardtown, NAS Patuxent River, Hollywood and Second District responded to 21000 block of Suburban Drive in Lexington Park, for the reported trailer on fire with unknown occupancy. Investigation determined the residence, an abandoned single wide mobile home in a wooded area...
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Brion Wesley Brookins, 39, of Saint Leonard, is facing multiple misdemeanor charges after an incident at Saint Leonard Elementary School on February 3, 2026, according to court documents. Brookins is charged with disturbing school operations, disturbing the peace, obstructing and hindering a police officer, and disorderly conduct. The charges stem from an incident reported...
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Lisa Marie Thompson, 36, of Lexington Park, is facing multiple misdemeanor charges after deputies say she provided a false name during a traffic stop and was found in possession of suspected cocaine and drug paraphernalia. According to court documents, the charges stem from a traffic stop conducted by a deputy with the Calvert County...
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Jacob Tanner Papanicolas, 27, of Lusby, is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after authorities say he broke into a Chesapeake Beach home, assaulted an adult female victim, damaged property, and endangered others while intoxicated. According to charging documents filed in the District Court for Calvert County, the charges stem from an incident reported...
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Casey Wayne Bridgett, 28, of no fixed address, is facing charges of aggravated cruelty to an animal, animal cruelty, animal cruelty—cause or authorize, and second-degree assault following an alleged domestic incident in Mechanicsville, according to court documents. The charges stem from an incident reported on July 17, 2025, at Medley’s Lane in Mechanicsville. A...
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Detectives charge three suspects in October 2025 murder at Westlake Dash-In on Smallwood Drive West: Charles County Sheriff’s detectives charged three suspects in connection with an October 2025 murder case. On October 29 at 12:14 a.m., officers responded to the Westlake Dash-In in the 2000 block of Smallwood Drive West in Waldorf for a...
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on proposed changes to the 2026-2028 hunting and trapping seasons and the proposed 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Bag Limits. The public can view the proposed regulations and comment online, as well as view and comment on the proposed migratory game bird seasons and bag limits now through February 28. “We thank...
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U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced a California man to prison in connection with a federal investigation that led to law enforcement seizing more than 100 kilograms of cocaine. Mario Valencia-Birruetta, 35, of Corning, California, received a 121-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Valencia-Birruetta’s sentence also covers a possession with intent to...
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Maryland deer hunters harvested 71,649 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 5, 2025 through Feb. 4, 2026. The statewide harvest reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources included 29,814 antlered and 37,925 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,874 antlered and 2,036 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 14.9% lower than the 2024-2025 total of 84,201 deer and 7.2% lower than...
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In its eight years of operation, Maryland’s Resilience through Restoration Initiative has supported more than three dozen projects in the state and transferred millions of dollars into critical environmental efforts that protect communities, shore up habitat, and provide lasting economic benefits for long-term resilience in coastal areas. The program prioritizes nature-based solutions to harness...
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On Sunday, February 15, 2026, at approximately 5:25 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area 26600 Budds Creek Road in Mechanicsville, for the reported motor vehicle collision with one unconscious. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single vehicle into the ditch with the single occupant conscious but not...
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On Sunday, February 15, 2026, at approximately 11:15 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of 8450 Bensville Road in Waldorf, for the serious motor vehicle collision with one overturned and trapped. Multiple 911 callers reported a two-vehicle collision with one overturned and one trapped, with two 911 callers advising...
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On Saturday, February 14, 2026, at approximately 9:28 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 46000 block of Franklin Road in Lexington Park, for the reported shooting. 911 callers reported a 21-year-old male had accidentally shot himself after a negligent discharge at the residence. Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 7...
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The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal is issuing an urgent recall notice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding certain smoke alarms due to a potential alarm failure. This defect may cause the alarm to malfunction or fail to alert occupants during an emergency, posing a serious life-safety hazard. Residents are strongly...
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