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Port Republic Man Charged with Assault After Holiday Altercation at Holiday Inn Express in Prince Frederick

Port Republic Man Charged with Assault After Holiday Altercation at Holiday Inn Express in Prince Frederick

David Eretz Hirshowitz, 63, of Port Republic, is facing multiple charges following a reported confrontation during the holiday weekend in Prince Frederick. Hirshowitz was arrested on December 28, 2024, after an incident involving a firearm and a verbal dispute in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express. According to court documents, the incident...
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Police Respond to Restaurant in Prince Frederick for a Disturbance, Arrest Suspect for Disorderly Conduct

Police Respond to Restaurant in Prince Frederick for a Disturbance, Arrest Suspect for Disorderly Conduct

On December 27, 2024, Matthew Leo Greening, 36, of no fixed address, was arrested following an incident at a local restaurant in Prince Frederick. He is facing multiple misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct, public intoxication, and attempted theft, according to court records and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred at Brick House...
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Lexington Park Man Charged with Violating Peace Order and Peeping Tom Allegations

Lexington Park Man Charged with Violating Peace Order and Peeping Tom Allegations

Robert Matthew Duke, 37, of Lexington Park, has been charged in two separate cases filed in St. Mary’s County District Court. The cases involve allegations of violating a peace order and an incident of alleged peeping tom behavior. Court records indicate that Duke is charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly engaging in “visual surveillance...
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Hollywood Man Indicted on Child Pornography Charges After State Police Arrest

Hollywood Man Indicted on Child Pornography Charges After State Police Arrest

Ellis Eugene Tolbert, 66, of Hollywood, Maryland, has been indicted on nine counts of possession of child pornography. This follows an extensive investigation by Maryland State Police and the use of CyberTips provided by a national organization monitoring online child exploitation. The charges were filed on October 7, 2024, in the Circuit Court for...
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Pedestrian Flown to Trauma Center After Being Struck by Vehicle in Lexington Park

Pedestrian Flown to Trauma Center After Being Struck by Vehicle in Lexington Park

On Friday, December 27, 2024, at approximately 5:21 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Willows Road and South Shangri-La Drive in Lexington Park, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. Crews arrived on the scene within minutes of dispatch to find a white Dodge Charger had...
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Navy Awards $3.5B Contract to Northrop Grumman to Develop Successor to E-6B Mercury Aircraft

Navy Awards $3.5B Contract to Northrop Grumman to Develop Successor to E-6B Mercury Aircraft

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MD: The U.S. Navy announced that it has awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. a $3.5 billion contract to conduct the mission-systems integration for the E-130J, which will be the successor to the E-6B Mercury for the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission. Under the contract, Northrop Grumman of Melbourne,...
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Police Investigating Burglary and Theft of Firearms from St. Mary’s County Business

Police Investigating Burglary and Theft of Firearms from St. Mary’s County Business

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to a Charlotte Hall location for an alarm call at a business that sells guns at approximately 11:53 p.m. Friday, December 27, 2024. Upon arrival, deputies discovered the front window of GLR Enterprise shattered. A search of the premises determined no suspects were inside the store....
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VIDEO: Two Arrests in Two Days – Lexington Park Man Faces Assault and Disorderly Conduct Charges

VIDEO: Two Arrests in Two Days – Lexington Park Man Faces Assault and Disorderly Conduct Charges

Terry Jeffrey Harris Jr., 35, of Lexington Park, is facing multiple criminal charges after two separate incidents resulted in his arrest on December 24 and December 25, 2024. The charges, filed in the District Court of St. Mary’s County, include second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. According to court documents, the first incident occurred on...
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Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Proudly Places New Engine in Service and Dedicates Apparatus to Charter Members

Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Proudly Places New Engine in Service and Dedicates Apparatus to Charter Members

On the morning of Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2024, at 10:13, Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Engine 71 was placed In-Service, ready to serve St. Mary’s County! The designation “Engine 71” has been taken out of retirement, and bestowed upon our newest engine as a dedication to our Charter Members. Two of our operational Charter...
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UPDATE: Four Brothers Charged and Four Guns Recovered After High-Speed Chase and Crash

UPDATE: Four Brothers Charged and Four Guns Recovered After High-Speed Chase and Crash

UPDATE 12/27/2024: A fourth individual, identified as Deondre Maceo Straughn, 18, of Saint Inigoes, has been arrested following an incident on November 28, 2024, involving multiple firearms violations and a high-speed police chase that ended in a crash. Deondre Maceo Straughn joins his brothers, Tireke Allen Straughn, 21, Tywon Deontae Straughn, 23, both of...
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UPDATE: Support a Family in Need – House Fire in Mechanicsville Leaves Teen Injured, Family Displaced

UPDATE: Support a Family in Need – House Fire in Mechanicsville Leaves Teen Injured, Family Displaced

UPDATE 12/27/2024: The Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD), along with surrounding companies, responded to a devastating structure fire in their first-due response area on Monday, December 23rd. This tragedy struck the home of their Past Fire Chief and current Board of Director Bobby Johnson. The fire not only displaced the family during the holiday...
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UPDATE: Underage Sales Violations – Four Charged and Businesses Cited in St. Mary’s County

UPDATE: Underage Sales Violations – Four Charged and Businesses Cited in St. Mary’s County

UPDATE 12/27/2024: Four individuals have been charged, and four local businesses have been cited for underage sales violations as part of a recent enforcement operation in St. Mary’s County. These cases, which arose from sales made on November 26, 2024, were officially filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County on December 26,...
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UPDATE: Avenue Man Put Whiskey in Holy Water to ‘Blind Satan’: Charged in Christmas Church Disturbances

UPDATE: Avenue Man Put Whiskey in Holy Water to ‘Blind Satan’: Charged in Christmas Church Disturbances

UPDATE 12/27/2024: Police in St. Mary’s County have charged Thomas Campbell Bowling Von-Goetz, 56, of Avenue, in connection with two incidents at local churches during the Christmas holiday. Court documents describe a series of disruptive and threatening actions that allegedly endangered parishioners and interrupted religious services at Holy Angels Church and St. Francis Xavier Church....
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UPDATE: Suspect and Officers Identified in Fatal Officer Involved Shooting in Charles County

UPDATE: Suspect and Officers Identified in Fatal Officer Involved Shooting in Charles County

UPDATE 12/26/2024: The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General has identified the decedent and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office deputies involved in the fatal police-involved shooting that occurred on Friday, December 20, 2024, in White Plains, Charles County, Maryland. The decedent has been identified as 30-year-old Jordan Proctor...
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Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Welcomes Four New Deputies

Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Welcomes Four New Deputies

On December 20, 2024, Sheriff Ricky Cox and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office welcomed four new deputies following the final inspection and graduation exercises from the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy (SMCJA) Police Entrance Level Training Program Session 54 at Chopticon High School in Morganza, MD. The deputies were among a total of 17...
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Lusby Man Sentenced to 15-Years for Possession of Child Pornography

Lusby Man Sentenced to 15-Years for Possession of Child Pornography

On December 20, 2024, Henry Joseph Rupinski, 53, of Lusby, was sentenced in Calvert County Circuit Court to 15 years, with 18 months of active time, for possession of child pornography. Upon release Rupinski will be on 5 years supervised probation and will be required to register as a sex offender for life, forfeit...
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Former Finance Manager of Historic Sotterley Charged with Embezzlement of $15,000

Former Finance Manager of Historic Sotterley Charged with Embezzlement of $15,000

Angela Marie Hanson, 52, of California, Maryland, has been indicted on charges of embezzlement and theft following allegations of financial misconduct during her tenure as Finance Manager for Historic Sotterley, Inc. According to court documents, Hanson is accused of stealing nearly $15,000 over a five-month period from October 31, 2023, to April 15, 2024....
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Newburg Man Charged with Assault, Reckless Endangerment in School Bus Incident

Newburg Man Charged with Assault, Reckless Endangerment in School Bus Incident

Richard William Ellis, 47, of Newburg, is facing 51 criminal charges, including 16 counts of first-degree assault, after allegedly pointing a firearm at a school bus in an incident on September 20, 2024. The Charles Circuit Court issued an arrest warrant for Ellis on December 20, 2024, and he is currently being held without...
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La Plata Police Ensure a Merry Christmas by Catching the Grinch

La Plata Police Ensure a Merry Christmas by Catching the Grinch

Officers reported that they took a mischievous man into custody who calls himself the Grinch. This Whoville troublemaker was up to no good, but don’t worry—he won’t be causing any more trouble this holiday season. With the Grinch behind bars, Santa Claus can deliver presents to all the boys and girls without any interruptions....
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VIDEO: Spreading Holiday Cheer: A Grateful Message from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office

VIDEO: Spreading Holiday Cheer: A Grateful Message from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office

This holiday season, the Southern Maryland News Net would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible community of St. Mary’s County and the dedicated men and women of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. They put together a video featuring a few of the many voices of community leaders, businesses, and residents...
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As Jackpot Surpasses $1 Billion, Maryland Players Win Mega Millions Prizes

As Jackpot Surpasses $1 Billion, Maryland Players Win Mega Millions Prizes

With the Mega Millions jackpot going over one billion dollars this week, player attention is focused on the multi-state jackpot games, resulting in five Mega Millions wins of $10,000 or more across Maryland in the past week, and two big Powerball wins, one for $150,000 in Dunkirk and one for $50,000 in Perry Hall....
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UPDATE: DETAILS RELEASED After Bryans Road Woman Arrested for Abduction of 8-Year-Old Boy

UPDATE: DETAILS RELEASED After Bryans Road Woman Arrested for Abduction of 8-Year-Old Boy

On December 19, 2024, Krystal Ninette Clay, age 64, of Indian Head, Maryland, was arrested in Charles County on charges of abducting a child under the age of 12. According to court documents, officers responded at approximately 8:59 a.m. to a welfare check in Bryans Road. A witness reported seeing a white Chevrolet Malibu...
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Prince Frederick Man Charged with Assault After Spitting in Officer’s Eye and Face at Detention Center

Prince Frederick Man Charged with Assault After Spitting in Officer’s Eye and Face at Detention Center

Alan Douglas Oberlander, 49, of Prince Frederick, faces a charge of second-degree assault following an incident at the Calvert County Detention Center on December 14, 2024. According to court documents, at approximately 12:56 a.m. at the detention center on Stafford Road, Calvert County Correctional DFC Kelly responded to the report of a disorderly inmate,...
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Prince Frederick Man Arrested for Identity Fraud to Avoid Child Support Warrants in Calvert County

Prince Frederick Man Arrested for Identity Fraud to Avoid Child Support Warrants in Calvert County

A routine traffic stop on December 9, 2024, in Calvert County led to the arrest of Dontray Joseph Creek, 30, of Prince Frederick, after authorities discovered he had used another person’s identity to avoid identification and outstanding child support warrants. According to court documents, Deputy Deinert of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office stopped a...
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UPDATE: Waldorf Man Sentenced to 104 Years in Prison for Arson Resulting in Death of Woman and Her 18-Month-Old Daughter

UPDATE: Waldorf Man Sentenced to 104 Years in Prison for Arson Resulting in Death of Woman and Her 18-Month-Old Daughter

UPDATE 12/24/2024: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, December 19, 2024, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Vincent Anthony Fisher, II, 49, to 104 years in prison for two counts of First-Degree Arson and the Second-Degree Murders of Rashawn Cline and Dashawn Cline. Fisher was found...
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