Law Enforcement

UPDATE: State Fire Marshal Investigating House Fire in Waldorf, No Injuries Reported

UPDATE: State Fire Marshal Investigating House Fire in Waldorf, No Injuries Reported

UPDATE 1/25/2026: Firefighters from Charles and Prince George’s County are responding back to the residence at 7:45 a.m., due to multiple 911 callers reporting the house is on fire again. Crews arrived on the scene and confirmed fire through the roof of the residence again and began making entry to extinguish the fire. Firefighter...
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PG County Man Charged for Unlawful Transmission & Retention of Classified National Defense Information

PG County Man Charged for Unlawful Transmission & Retention of Classified National Defense Information

Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, 61, is charged with five counts of unlawfully transmitting and one count of unlawfully retaining classified national defense information. Perez-Lugones was previously charged by criminal complaint with retention of national defense information. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Attorney General Pamela Bondi; FBI...
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Lexington Park Man Accused of Strangling Woman Outside Local Library

Lexington Park Man Accused of Strangling Woman Outside Local Library

John Edward Clopper, 43, of Lexington Park, has been charged with first-degree assault and second-degree assault following a reported incident on January 16, 2026, according to court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County. The charges stem from allegations that Clopper confronted a woman outside the Lexington Park Library and strangled...
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Maryland Tow Truck Operator Arrested in Calvert County for Theft, and Traffic Charges After Vehicle Stop

Maryland Tow Truck Operator Arrested in Calvert County for Theft, and Traffic Charges After Vehicle Stop

Jerlyn Guerrero, 45, of Brooklyn, Maryland, has been charged with multiple offenses following a traffic stop in Calvert County involving allegedly stolen license plates tied to a towing company and a vehicle with a suspended registration. According to court documents, Guerrero was charged with three misdemeanor offenses: possession of a stolen manufacturer’s number, possession...
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Card Skimming Device Discovered at Waldorf 7-Eleven

Card Skimming Device Discovered at Waldorf 7-Eleven

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after officers recovered a card skimming device attached to a point-of-sale terminal at the 7-Eleven on St. Ignatius Drive on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. The device was an overlay skimmer, designed to fit over a legitimate card reader and closely mimic the original terminal while unlawfully capturing...
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UPDATE: Suspended Prince George’s County Officer Found Guilty of Sexual Abuse of a Minor

UPDATE: Suspended Prince George’s County Officer Found Guilty of Sexual Abuse of a Minor

UPDATE 1/22/2026: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, January 16, 2026, a Charles County jury, after a 5-day trial, convicted Tristan Thigpen, 40, of Sexual Abuse a Minor. On February 3, 2021, a detective with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office received a Child Protect Services Intake report from Prince...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Missing 17-Year-Old from Lexington Park

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Missing 17-Year-Old from Lexington Park

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the whereabouts of Missing Person – Amir Rich, black male, age 17 who was last seen in the Great Mills area on Sunday, January 18, 2026. Contact the Sheriff’s Office if you have any information on his whereabouts.
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Maryland State Police Investigating Death of State Prison Inmate in Anne Arundel County

Maryland State Police Investigating Death of State Prison Inmate in Anne Arundel County

Maryland State Police continue an investigation into the death of a state prison inmate in Anne Arundel County. The inmate, identified as Javon Foster, 38, was a state prison inmate serving time at the Jessup Correctional Institution in Anne Arundel County. Foster was pronounced deceased by emergency medical service personnel and was transported to...
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Man Indicted in Fatal Hit and Run Crash at Childs Birthday Party That Killed Woman and Injured 13 Others, Including 8 Children

Man Indicted in Fatal Hit and Run Crash at Childs Birthday Party That Killed Woman and Injured 13 Others, Including 8 Children

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced today that 66-year-old Sunday Okedeyi Joseph has been indicted on 36 charges, including 1 count of grossly negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, 3 counts of hit-and-run involving serious bodily injury, 11 counts of failure to return and remain at the scene of accident involving bodily injury,...
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PG County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unemployment Insurance Benefits Scheme During COVID-19 Pandemic

PG County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unemployment Insurance Benefits Scheme During COVID-19 Pandemic

U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Isiah Lewis, 35, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 53 months of imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a conspiracy and scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD). Kelly O. Hayes,...
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Charges Pending in Fatal Hit and Run Investigation, Police Identify Suspected Driver and Vehicle Involved

Charges Pending in Fatal Hit and Run Investigation, Police Identify Suspected Driver and Vehicle Involved

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit (CARU) is investigating a fatal pedestrian collision that occurred on Monday evening in Temple Hills. The deceased pedestrian’s name will be released once his family is notified. On January 19, 2026, at about 7:00 pm, officers responded to the 3000 block of Branch...
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Two Displaced, No Injuries Reported After Garage Fire in Waldorf

Two Displaced, No Injuries Reported After Garage Fire in Waldorf

On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at approximately 5:50 a.m., firefighters from Waldorf and surrounding departments responded to the 3500 block of Catskill Street in Waldorf, for the reported structure fire. 911 callers reported the garage on fire, with all occupants out of the structure. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find smoke showing from...
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No Injuries Reported After Vehicle Fire in Great Mills

No Injuries Reported After Vehicle Fire in Great Mills

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, At approximately 10:14 a.m., police and firefighters responded to the area of the Dyson Building Center on Point Lookout Road in Great Mills, for the reported vehicle on fire with possible entrapment. Early reports suggested the possibility of an individual still inside the vehicle. Due to multiple calls reporting...
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Early Morning Green House Fire in Mechanicsville Under Investigation, No Injuries Reported

Early Morning Green House Fire in Mechanicsville Under Investigation, No Injuries Reported

On Friday, January 16, 2026, at approximately 3:30 a.m., firefighters from Mechanicsville, Leonardtown, Hollywood, Bay District, and Second District were dispatched to the 41100 block of Bishop Road in Mechanicsville, for the reported structure on fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a greenhouse complex fully engulfed and quickly spreading to two nearby...
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Volunteer Fire Departments in 17 Maryland Counties Get $167,314 for Rural Wildfire Protection

Volunteer Fire Departments in 17 Maryland Counties Get $167,314 for Rural Wildfire Protection

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service is providing Volunteer Fire Assistance grants to 55 volunteer fire departments in 17 counties across the state. The funded projects help volunteer fire companies enhance wildland fire protection in rural communities. For the 2025 grant cycle, finalized in December, the Maryland Forest Service is providing $167,314...
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Three Transported to Trauma Center, Two Others Transported After Serious Crash With Entrapment and Ejection in Waldorf

Three Transported to Trauma Center, Two Others Transported After Serious Crash With Entrapment and Ejection in Waldorf

On Saturday, January 17, 2026, at approximately 6:42 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 7000 block of Bensville Road in White Plains, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Crews arrived on the scene to find a three vehicle collision with multiple trapped and one ejected. The incident was...
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PG County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Abuse Charges

PG County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Abuse Charges

Marcus Jerome Hunt, 32, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pled guilty today, to two counts of transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in federal court. Hunt is a previously registered sex offender. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck, Homeland Security...
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UPDATE: Four Arrested in Connection to Murder of Missing 14-Year-Old Who Was Found Dead in Prince George’s County

UPDATE: Four Arrested in Connection to Murder of Missing 14-Year-Old Who Was Found Dead in Prince George’s County

UPDATE 1/19/2026: The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit charged four suspects in connection with the murder of a teenager at a park in College Park. The suspects are 18-year-old Jose Merlos-Majano, 21-year-old Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla and 19-year-old William Cuellar Gutierrez. These three suspects are from Washington, DC. A fourth suspect, a 17-year-old from...
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Police Investigating Death of 25-Year-Old Man After Possible Overdose in Waldorf

Police Investigating Death of 25-Year-Old Man After Possible Overdose in Waldorf

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, at approximately 8:05 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 6000 block of Grizzly Bear Court in Waldorf, for the reported possible overdose and one not breathing. 911 callers reported a 25-year-old male was not breathing after a possible overdose, with family members administering NARCAN to...
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Police Arrest Leonardtown Woman After Alleged Public Disturbance and Drug Possession

Police Arrest Leonardtown Woman After Alleged Public Disturbance and Drug Possession

Heather Marie Garner, 37, of Leonardtown, has been formally charged following an incident earlier this month that led to her arrest by the Maryland State Police. According to court documents, Garner faces seven misdemeanor charges stemming from events on January 11, 2026. These include one count of intoxicated public disturbance, three counts of possession...
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Newburg Woman Sentenced for Filing False Sexual Assault Report Against St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Deputy

Newburg Woman Sentenced for Filing False Sexual Assault Report Against St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Deputy

Destiny Jordan Pellegrini, 26, of Newburg, was sentenced to jail time and probation after pleading guilty to filing a false statement with law enforcement, according to court records from the District Court for St. Mary’s County. Pellegrini was charged with one misdemeanor count of making a false statement to a peace officer under Maryland...
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Waldorf Woman Charged with First-Degree Assault After Alleged Knife Threat in Early Morning Incident

Waldorf Woman Charged with First-Degree Assault After Alleged Knife Threat in Early Morning Incident

Tia Nicole Williams, 20, of Waldorf, has been formally charged with first-degree assault following an early morning incident that allegedly involved threats with a knife during a domestic dispute, according to charging documents filed by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. The alleged assault occurred around 4:30 a.m. on January 7, 2026, at a residence...
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Lexington Park Woman Charged with Felony Theft Scheme Involving Over $21,000

Lexington Park Woman Charged with Felony Theft Scheme Involving Over $21,000

Latoya Nicole Sewell, 43, of Lexington Park has been charged with two felony counts related to an alleged theft scheme involving more than $21,000, according to court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County. Sewell is facing charges of theft scheme: $1,500 to under $25,000 and theft: $1,500 to under $25,000,...
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Two Arrested in St. Mary’s County for Having Sex in Applebee’s Parking Lot

Two Arrested in St. Mary’s County for Having Sex in Applebee’s Parking Lot

Kaneesha Gross, 35, of Lexington Park, and James Washington, 58, of Capitol Heights, are facing charges after being arrested in connection with an alleged incident of public indecency on January 12, 2026. According to charging documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County, the two were observed by a witness engaging in...
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Maryland’s Primitive Deer Hunt Days Scheduled Feb. 2nd to 4th, 2026

Maryland’s Primitive Deer Hunt Days Scheduled Feb. 2nd to 4th, 2026

Maryland’s annual Primitive Deer Hunt will be open Feb. 2-4 statewide. Hunters with a valid hunting license, or those exempt from the hunting license requirement, may use primitive bows or muzzleloaders to hunt antlered and antlerless sika and white-tailed deer during these three days. Primitive hunting devices are defined as long bows, recurve bows, flintlock, or...
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