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Maryland State Police Investigating Serious Crash in La Plata That Injures Three

Maryland State Police Investigating Serious Crash in La Plata That Injures Three

On Saturday, October 18, 2025, at approximately 9:24 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Hawthorne Road and Ripley Park Drive in La Plata, for the motor vehicle collision reported serious with entrapment. Dispatchers advised to all responding units they were receiving multiple conflicting reports of a vehicle overturned...
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Serious Injuries After Dog Attack in Lexington Park, Police and Animal Control Investigating

Serious Injuries After Dog Attack in Lexington Park, Police and Animal Control Investigating

On Saturday, October 18, 2025, at approximately 2:50 a.m., police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel responded to the A&E Motel, located at 21647 Great Mills Road in Lexington Park, for a report of an assault or possible animal attack. Bystanders reported to First Responders that a black and white pit bull had attacked a...
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Animal Cruelty Ends in Fight and Property Damage in St. Mary’s County: Two Mechanicsville Men Charged

Animal Cruelty Ends in Fight and Property Damage in St. Mary’s County: Two Mechanicsville Men Charged

Two men from the same Mechanicsville address are facing separate criminal cases stemming from a single incident on October 10, 2025, that allegedly involved assault, animal cruelty, and property damage. Seth Walter Piaquadio, 26, of Mechanicsville, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and resisting arrest following an altercation at his residence on Hills...
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Arrest Made 20 Months After Domestic Assault in Lexington Park, Released Days Later

Arrest Made 20 Months After Domestic Assault in Lexington Park, Released Days Later

Tony David Wald, 38, of Lexington Park, has been indicted in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court on multiple charges stemming from a violent domestic incident that occurred on January 30, 2024. An arrest warrant was issued the same day as the incident, but Wald was not taken into custody until October 4, 2025—more than...
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St. Mary’s County Animal Services Waive Adoption Fees Due to Critical Capacity Levels

St. Mary’s County Animal Services Waive Adoption Fees Due to Critical Capacity Levels

St. Mary’s County Animal Services announced today that they have “244 animals in their care and a waiting list of close to 3 dozen animals that are scheduled to be surrendered in the next week or so. We are drowning in critters and we NEED to move some of them out to adoptive homes.”...
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Waldorf Woman Charged After Shooting Boyfriend During Argument

Waldorf Woman Charged After Shooting Boyfriend During Argument

On October 15 at 10:10 p.m., patrol officers responded to the 6000 block of New Forest Court in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they located an adult male with a gunshot wound to the hip. He was transported to a hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening. The victim...
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Hughesville Man Charged After Threats to Burn Down Calvert Hospital

Hughesville Man Charged After Threats to Burn Down Calvert Hospital

Simeon Abiola, 31, of Hughesville, has been charged in the District Court for Calvert County with Threat of Mass Violence, Arson/Threat, and Malicious Destruction of Property after an incident at Calvert Health Hospital on October 2, 2025, according to court documents filed by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy McIntosh responded to the hospital...
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Skimmer Facing Charges in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania After Multiple Investigations

Skimmer Facing Charges in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania After Multiple Investigations

On October 8th, 2025, the Mount Vernon Police District in Fairfax County, VA, released the following information. They identified the suspect as Marko Puskas, 40, of no fixed address. Detectives from our Financial Crimes Unit uncovered a credit card skimming operation that targeted ATMs and payment devices inside stores across the Richmond Highway corridor,...
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Documents Show Szechuan Garden’s Long History of Violations Before Health Department Shutdown

Documents Show Szechuan Garden’s Long History of Violations Before Health Department Shutdown

SMNEWSNET.COM filed a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request with the Maryland Department of Health seeking all food inspection reports from the past 12 months for Szechuan Garden, located at 11149 Mall Circle in Waldorf. Those records reveal a long pattern of violations and state enforcement actions culminating in an emergency suspension of the...
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UPDATE: Two Innocent Bystanders Shot Outside Action Lounge and Billiards in Leonardtown; Suspect Arrested

UPDATE: Two Innocent Bystanders Shot Outside Action Lounge and Billiards in Leonardtown; Suspect Arrested

UPDATE 10/15/2025: Shaekwon Talib Jackson, 24, of Lexington Park, is facing 19 criminal charges, including four counts of attempted first-degree murder and multiple assault and firearm-related offenses, following a shooting outside a Leonardtown lounge that left two individuals injured. Jackson is currently being held without bond at the St. Mary’s County Detention Center. According...
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Leonardtown Man Sentenced to 65-Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Child

Leonardtown Man Sentenced to 65-Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Child

State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that Crosby Dawson, 42, of Leonardtown, Maryland, was sentenced to 65 years in prison with 35 years of active incarceration, ordered to lifetime sexual offender supervision, and required to register as a sex offender for life, for the sexual abuse and rape of a child. Following a multi-day jury...
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No Injuries Reported, Building Inspector Requested After Vehicle Strikes Nick’s of Clinton in Waldorf

No Injuries Reported, Building Inspector Requested After Vehicle Strikes Nick’s of Clinton in Waldorf

On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at approximately 1:25 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the Nick’s of Clinton located at 3953 St Charles Parkway in Waldorf, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving the structure. 911 callers reported a vehicle struck the side of the building resulting in damage inside, with...
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Lexington Park Man Ordered Held Without Bond After Drug Distribution Arrest in St. Mary’s County

Lexington Park Man Ordered Held Without Bond After Drug Distribution Arrest in St. Mary’s County

Thomas Emanuel Gross, 39, of Lexington Park, was ordered held without bond following his arrest on felony and misdemeanor drug charges stemming from a search warrant executed earlier this year, according to court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County. Gross faces four charges: one felony count of possession with intent...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Limits Access to Public Information, Favoring Facebook Over the Public

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Limits Access to Public Information, Favoring Facebook Over the Public

UPDATE: Prior to publishing our recent article on transparency, SMNEWSNET.COM filed two formal complaints with the Maryland Office of the Public Access Ombudsman against the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for withholding public information. The Ombudsman reviewed our complaints and found them valid for mediation — a process designed to resolve disputes through open...
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61-Year-Old Male Run Over by Wife After Domestic Incident in Indian Head, Police Investigating

61-Year-Old Male Run Over by Wife After Domestic Incident in Indian Head, Police Investigating

On Sunday, October 12, 2025, at approximately 7:15 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 4000 block of Doncaster Drive in Indian Head, for the reported pedestrian struck by a vehicle. The 911 caller — identified as an adult female — told dispatchers that she and her husband had been involved...
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5 Displaced After Accidental Garage Fire Spreads to Residence in Bryans Road

5 Displaced After Accidental Garage Fire Spreads to Residence in Bryans Road

On Sunday, October 12, 2025, at approximately 6:25 p.m., firefighters from Bryans Road and surrounding fire departments responded to the 2600 block of Cannon Court in Bryans Road, for the reported garage on fire. 911 callers reported a fire started in the garage with the house being evacuated. Crews arrived on the scene to...
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UPDATE: Callaway Man Held on No Bond After Assaulting 68-Year-Old Victim, Sending Him to Trauma Center

UPDATE: Callaway Man Held on No Bond After Assaulting 68-Year-Old Victim, Sending Him to Trauma Center

UPDATE 10/10/2025: Maryland State Trooper Kelsey was driving in the area of the Elmer Brown Freedom Park, located at 21725 Tulagi Place, Lexington Park, MD when he observed an unconscious male laying in the street. The victim was found to have sustained an injury to the back of the head. Investigation revealed that De’aune...
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UPDATE – ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER: Shooter Still Not Arrested in 2024 Hollywood Shooting as Gun Violence Persists Across St. Mary’s County

UPDATE – ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER: Shooter Still Not Arrested in 2024 Hollywood Shooting as Gun Violence Persists Across St. Mary’s County

UPDATE 10/11/2025: Nearly a year after a young man was shot during a gathering in Hollywood, no one has been charged with firing the weapon. The case remains unresolved, and law enforcement has released no recent updates, even as gun violence continues to impact communities across St. Mary’s County. The shooting occurred on November...
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Magic Tunnel Car Wash Opens in St. Mary’s County

Magic Tunnel Car Wash Opens in St. Mary’s County

Magic Tunnel Car Wash is thrilled to announce the opening of its second location, bringing fast, reliable, and top-quality car washes to drivers throughout St. Mary’s County. Conveniently located along Three Notch Road, near popular shopping centers and restaurants, the new Magic Tunnel Car Wash is perfectly placed for locals and visitors looking for...
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58-Year-Old Man Killed in Motor Vehicle Crash in Avenue

58-Year-Old Man Killed in Motor Vehicle Crash in Avenue

10/9/2025: On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at approximately 4:55 pm, patrol units from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a motor vehicle collision with entrapment in the area of Sugar Hole Road and Old Trappe Lane in Bushwood. Due to the seriousness of the crash, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Highlights Progress in FY2025 Annual Report

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Highlights Progress in FY2025 Annual Report

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office has released its Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report, outlining achievements in public safety, enforcement, and community outreach over the past year. Sheriff Steve Hall said the report reflects “a year of real progress toward our mission of keeping St. Mary’s County safe and connected.” Public Safety and Enforcement...
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Secretary’s Message: Maryland Fights for Stronger Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement

Secretary’s Message: Maryland Fights for Stronger Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement

Last week, Maryland Department of Natural Resources staff joined representatives from other jurisdictions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to recommend proposed changes to the revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement based on the public feedback we received this year. The updates to this important agreement took place at the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Management Board retreat in Harrisburg,...
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UPDATE: 17-Year-Old Indicted, To Be Tried As Adult After Crashing Stolen Vehicle Into Innocent Mother, Killing Her and Injuring Her Young Child

UPDATE: 17-Year-Old Indicted, To Be Tried As Adult After Crashing Stolen Vehicle Into Innocent Mother, Killing Her and Injuring Her Young Child

UPDATE 10/8/2025: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced that Michael Collins age 17, has been indicted on charges including theft, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle, rogue and vagabond, and conspiracy to commit unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle, in connection to the fatal accident that...
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UPDATE: Guatemala Man Illegally in United States Indicted for Gruesome Murder of Missing 19-Year-Old Dacara Thompson

UPDATE: Guatemala Man Illegally in United States Indicted for Gruesome Murder of Missing 19-Year-Old Dacara Thompson

UPDATE 10/7/2025: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced today that Hugo Hernandez-Mendez has been indicted on charges, including common law murder, tampering with physical evidence, and burying/disposing of a body in an unauthorized place, in the death of 19-year-old DaCara Thompson. “Today’s indictment marks a critical step in the criminal justice process,”...
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Two Men Flown to Trauma Center’s With Serious Injuries After Stabbing Each Other in Face

Two Men Flown to Trauma Center’s With Serious Injuries After Stabbing Each Other in Face

On Monday, September 15, 2025, at approximately 7:33 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 3300 block of Jonathan Court in Waldorf, for the reported stabbing. 911 callers reported a 41-year-old male was conscious and alert with a deep stab wound to the chest and face, with the caller then reported...
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