Southern Maryland News Net

Three Suspects On The Run After High Speed Chase Following Burglary To Dunkirk Vape Store

On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, around 1:10 a.m., deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Bureau responded to the Pleasant Vapes located at 10394 Southern Maryland Boulevard in Dunkirk, for the reported burglary in progress. 911 callers reported they were watching the suspects break into the business on camera, with the suspects Hyundai vehicle sitting in the parking lot. As deputies arrived, a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle’s description fled Southbound on Route 4. The suspects fled at...
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UPDATE: Lexington Park Man Sentenced for Attempted Murders in Roadway Shooting

UPDATE 7/28/2026: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that Peyton James Robert Curtis, 22, of Lexington Park, Maryland, was sentenced to LIFE plus LIFE plus 20 years in prison, with 29 years of active incarceration, for his role in the 2025 attempted murders of four St. Mary’s County men. On May 3, 2025, deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of Chancellors Run Road and Pegg Road in Lexington Park after hearing multiple gunshots....
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Police Investigating Assault and Shots Fired in Wildewood, One Victim Transported with Serious Leg Injury

On Monday, July 27, 2026, at approximately 1:35 a.m., police and emergency medical services responded to the 44000 block of Azalea Way in California, for the reported assault involving armed subjects. 911 callers reported an assault occurred with one male suffering an ankle injury, while the assault occurred, multiple suspects pulled out firearms. Police arrived in the area to find the male victim suffering a serious leg/ankle injury and transported him to an area hospital. Deputies stopped two vehicles...
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Waldorf Man Sentenced to 30 Years, With 21 Years of Active Prison Time for Sexual Abuse of Minor in St. Mary’s County

UPDATE 7/27/2026: Terrod Lamar Branson, 40, of Waldorf, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with nine years suspended, leaving 21 years of active incarceration for the sexual abuse of a minor between 2023 and 2025. Branson was also ordered to remain under lifetime sexual offender supervision and register as a sexual offender for life. The 21-year active sentence was at the top of the recommended Maryland Sentencing Guidelines range of 10 to 21 years. “Few crimes are more...
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Prince Frederick Man Charged with Sexual Assault After Two Incidents at Calvert County Nursing Center

Wayne Anthony Parker, 66, of Prince Frederick, faces nine charges in two open criminal cases involving alleged incidents at the Calvert County Nursing Center, including second-degree assault, attempted third-degree sex offense involving a helpless or impaired person, attempted fourth-degree sex offense involving sexual contact, third-degree burglary, fourth-degree burglary of a dwelling, two counts of indecent exposure, trespassing at a public agency during business hours and disorderly conduct. The accusations arise from two investigations involving the nursing facility on Hospital...
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Myrtle Point Beach Shooting Investigation Led Investigators to Arrest Lexington Park Man New Gun Charges While on Probation

Dylan Lane Sullivan, 22, of Lexington Park, was arrested July 21, 2026, on three firearm charges after investigators said photographs and video showed him holding and firing a semiautomatic handgun while he was prohibited from possessing firearms. Sullivan is charged with illegal possession of a regulated firearm, carrying a loaded handgun on his person and carrying a handgun on his person. An arrest warrant was issued July 20, 2026, and served shortly after midnight the following day on West...
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No Injuries, Minor Damage Reported After Suspected Arson at Port Tobacco Home

On Monday, July 27, 2026, at approximately 1:10 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 8400 block of Wooddy Road in Port Tobacco, for the reported structure fire with an active domestic disturbance. 911 callers reported a fire was intentionally set inside the master bed room with a disturbance in progress. Police arrived on the scene to find a two-story residence with nothing evident from the two story residence. Upon further investigation, a small fire was...
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VIDEO: Bryans Road Youth Basketball Coach & His Team Arrested in Polk County, Florida, Following 7-Eleven Theft

A Bryans Road man who was coaching a Washington, D.C.-area travel basketball team was arrested in Florida after authorities said he lied to investigators to protect two teenage players accused of participating in a theft at a 7-Eleven store. Malik Abdul Harvey, 27, of Bryans Road, was arrested by detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and charged with felony child neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, accessory after the fact and resisting an officer without violence....
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Crain Highway Closed in La Plata Due to Serious Crash Involving Motorcycle

On Friday, July 24, 2026, at approximately 9:00 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the intersection of Crain Highway and Mitchell Road in La Plata, for the serious motor vehicle collision involving a motorcycle with one unconscious. Multiple 911 callers reported a “really bad accident” with a motorcyclist laying in the roadway and not moving. Crews arrived on the scene to confirm a two vehicle collision with one adult male with life-threatening injuries. Maryland State Police...
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Child Flown to Children’s National Hospital With Serious Injuries After Boating Accident

On Thursday, July 23, 2026, at approximately 5:22 p.m., police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel responded to Goose Bay Marina and Campground in Welcome for a report of a child suffering traumatic injuries. 911 callers reported that an 8-year-old boy was breathing but unconscious after his leg was reportedly severed by a boat propeller. Due to the nature of the call, Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 7 was requested to land nearby. The child was brought to the...
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Lusby Man, A Former Harford County EMT, Indicted on Child Sex Crimes

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced today, a federal grand jury indicted a Maryland man in connection with child sexual exploitation charges. Jurel Daquone Leo Bowman, 32, of Lusby, is charged with producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, receipt of CSAM, and possession of CSAM. Bowman previously served as a Harford County emergency medical technician. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District...
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DETAILS RELEASED: Two Men Arrested After More Than $100,000 in Stolen Bronze Cemetery Vases Recovered

Trey Franklin Mason, 25, of Nanjemoy, and David Anthony Downing, 34, of Waldorf, have been charged in connection with the theft of more than 100 bronze memorial vases from Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf. Both men remained held without bond following separate bail reviews. Mason, who is also listed in Maryland Judiciary information as Otto Franklin Mason, is charged with fourth-degree burglary involving theft, theft valued between $1,500 and $25,000, and malicious destruction of property valued at less than...
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UPDATE: Couple Released on Own Recognizance by Judge Karen Friedman After Police Find Nude 4-Year-Old Boy Locked in Trash-Filled Closet

UPDATE 7/22/2026 @ 9:30 a.m.: Kaylynn N. Moore, 28, of Callaway, and James E. Stone, 27, of Callaway, have both been released on their own recognizance while facing child abuse and neglect charges. Moore and Stone were initially ordered held without bond following their arrests on July 20, 2026. During bond review hearings on July 21, 2026, Judge Karen Friedman changed both defendants’ release status, allowing them to leave custody without posting money. UPDATE 7/21/2026 @ 1:00 p.m.: Kaylynn...
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Man Cited After Leaving Dog Unattended in Hot Vehicle While Illegally Parked in California Target’s Fire Lane

On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at approximately 2:00 p.m., police were dispatched to the California Target located at 45155 First Colony Way in California, after taking multiple 911 calls to check the welfare of a dog left in an unattended vehicle. Multiple citizens along with the Target Security team reported an unattended Toyota SUV was illegally parked in front of the store with the vehicle not running and all windows up. The dog was heard barking and observed excessively...
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UPDATE: Second Man Sentenced to Life in 2024 Lexington Park Murder

UPDATE 7/21/2026: Zahlir Daylin Gantt, 23, of Lexington Park, was sentenced to life plus 30 years of active incarceration for the February 2024 murder of 23-year-old Malic Quinn Freeland. St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced the sentence on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire near Fox Ridge Road and Valley Drive in Lexington Park on February 26, 2024. Freeland was found inside a vehicle suffering from...
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Charlotte Hall Man Killed in Anne Arundel County Crash, Investigation Ongoing

On Monday, July 27, 2026, at approximately 10:30 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to a single vehicle collision on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard west of Governor Ritchie Highway. Crews arrived on the scene and pronounced the operator of the vehicle deceased at the scene by members of the Anne Arundel County Fire...
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Waldorf Man Charged With Indecent Exposure, Including Exposure in Presence of 13-Year-Old Girl

Brian Scott Michaud, 57, of Waldorf, has been charged with two counts of indecent exposure and one count of indecent exposure to a minor following allegations that he repeatedly exposed himself from a second-floor window of his home. An officer responded to Sprague Drive in Waldorf at approximately 4:24 p.m. on July 18, 2026,...
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La Plata Restaurant Manager Charged With Assault and Sex Offense of 17-Year-Old Employee

Manolo Calderon, 66, of Huntingtown, has been charged with second-degree assault and a fourth-degree sex offense involving alleged sexual contact with a 17-year-old female employee at a La Plata restaurant. The misdemeanor charges stem from allegations that Calderon repeatedly hugged, kissed and touched the teen while the two worked together at the Greene Turtle...
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MMR Vaccine Clinics Scheduled for July 28 & 30, 2026 Following Measles Outbreaks

The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) will host measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine clinics for St. Mary’s County community members. SMCHD recommends the MMR vaccine for most children and adults who have not yet received it or have no evidence of immunity. Vaccine clinics will be held at the SMCHD Health Clinic...
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Illuminating Adventure: Celebrate National Lighthouse Weekend at St. Mary’s County Lighthouses

St. Mary’s County Museum Division welcomes all community members and visitors to join in celebrating National Lighthouse Weekend on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9, 2026, at the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park in Piney Point, MD. The museum and lighthouse will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for...
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Students Use Innovative Bay Monitoring Technology to Advance Oyster Restoration

Students at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center in Leonardtown are taking the low-cost, automated Bay Observation Box (BOB) monitoring system they helped develop and applying it in a new way: to support classroom oyster aquaculture and explore its potential role in Chesapeake Bay restoration. The project earned fifth place at...
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Governor Moore Announces Judicial Appointments to Prince George’s County and Washington County District Courts

Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointments of Daniel Kyungmin Kim, Julia Simone Gagne Rupert, Jessica Lowell Garth, William Carl Isler, II to Prince George’s County District Court, and Travis William Poole and Mikhaila Miriam Eugenia Mc Nicolls to Washington County District Court. “It is an honor to appoint this slate of talented legal...
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Gun, Drug Charges After Fleeing Police in Stolen Vehicle

Fulani Hasan Tahrike Herrod, 24, a Maryland resident and a convicted felon, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in connection with his possession of a “ghost gun,” ammunition, and crack cocaine recovered following a police pursuit through Northwest Washington that ended when he crashed a stolen vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Herrod...
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Lexington Park Woman Arrested Again as New Drug Charges Add to Growing List of Cases

Lynn Grumbine, 43, of Lexington Park, is facing misdemeanor charges of possessing a controlled substance other than cannabis and possessing drug paraphernalia after deputies arrested her on an outstanding probation warrant near a Lexington Park grocery store on July 25, 2026. According to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office account, deputies located Grumbine near...
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UPDATE: Charles County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Tow Truck Accident in La Plata That Killed 67-Year-Old Man

UPDATE 7/27/2026: On July 24, 2026, at approximately 4:19 p.m., a tow truck operator was fatally injured during an accident in the 9300 block of WW Industrial Drive in La Plata. The victim, Joseph Louis Skinner, 67, of La Plata, was operating a tow truck and attempting to load an SUV onto the rollback...
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Owings Woman Charged With First-Degree Assault and Malicious Destruction of Property in Calvert County

Holly Ann Bailey, 29, of Owings, has been charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property valued at less than $1,000 following an alleged domestic altercation that authorities say left an adult male victim injured and resulted in damage to a gaming console. A deputy with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office...
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Two Investigations in St. Mary’s County Lead to Cocaine Distribution Charge for Great Mills Man

Kevin Jerome Chase, 56, of Great Mills, is facing felony cocaine distribution and possession-with-intent-to-distribute charges, a misdemeanor cocaine possession charge and four additional misdemeanor charges stemming from two separate incidents in Lexington Park. The most recent charges followed an encounter late July 17, 2026, near Great Mills Road. According to allegations filed by the...
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Lexington Park Man Charged With Two Counts of Assault After Domestic Disturbance

Cody Weber, 47, of Lexington Park, is charged with two misdemeanor counts of second-degree assault following an alleged domestic disturbance that left two people with injuries at a home in Lexington Park. A St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the residence on July 17, 2026, for a reported domestic assault. An adult...
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Detached Garage Destroyed in La Plata Fire, Damage Estimated at $70,000

A detached garage was destroyed by fire Friday night in La Plata, causing an estimated $70,000 in damage. On Friday, July 24, 2026, at approximately 8:45 p.m., firefighters responded to 10480 La Plata Road for a reported structure fire. Firefighters arrived to find a 40-by-30-foot detached garage fully engulfed in flames and already collapsed....
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La Plata Woman Faces Felony Assault Charge Following Confrontation Inside Wawa

Catherine Mary Littlejohn, 52, of La Plata, has been charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and disorderly conduct following an alleged confrontation with a customer inside the Wawa on Crain Highway in La Plata on July 17, 2026. An officer with the La Plata Police Department was dispatched to the store at approximately 6:58...
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Chaptico Man Charged in Crossbow Burglary Days After Arrest and Release in Stolen Vehicle Case

Patrick Wayne Wood, 24, of Chaptico, faces charges of second-degree burglary, theft of property valued from $1,500 to less than $25,000, malicious destruction of property valued at less than $1,000, three counts of possessing a controlled substance other than cannabis and two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia in connection with a Mechanicsville archery shop...
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Leadership Southern Maryland Graduates 5th Emerging Leaders Program Class

The Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Emerging Leaders Program (LEAP) graduated its fifth class last month at the Jameson-Harrison American Legion Post 238 in Hughesville, Md. The 30-member Southern Maryland cohort completed a 6-month community leadership development program featuring monthly, full-day hands-on learning experiences that challenged participants to grow as communicators, collaborators, and community leaders....
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