Southern Maryland News Net

Ghost Gun Deal Involving Juvenile Results in Arrest of Two St. Mary’s County Men

Jayden Robert Coates, 20, of Lexington Park, and Omari Lee Miles, 18, of California, have both been criminally charged in separate but connected incidents involving the possession and sale of illegal firearms. Court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County outline how an investigation beginning in June 2025 ultimately linked the two individuals through digital communications, physical evidence, and a recorded jailhouse assault. According to court records, the investigation into Coates began after a search warrant...
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UPDATE: 26-Year-Old Drayden Man Succumbs to Injuries After Mechanicsville Collision

UPDATE 12/17/2025: The family has sadly announced the passing of Darius Jackson-Jordan, age 26 of Drayden. Funeral arrangements and additional information will be provided in the coming days. The motor vehicle collision remains under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash or events leading up to it and has not already provided a statement is asked to contact Corporal Rachael Owens at 301-475-4200, ext. 8108, or at [email protected]. UPDATE 12/16/2025: On Saturday, December 13, 2025, at around 4:48 p.m., patrol...
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UPDATE: High-Speed Chase in Calvert County Ends in Crash That Kills 58-Year-Old Woman

UPDATE 12/16/2025: Savon Quincy Samuel, 32, of Pikesville, has been charged with felony negligent manslaughter by vehicle following a fatal multi-vehicle crash that occurred during an attempted traffic stop by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office on December 12, 2025. According to court documents, the incident began when a deputy attempted to stop a gray Nissan Maxima for an inoperative brake light on northbound Prince Frederick Boulevard. The vehicle, driven by Samuel, failed to stop and fled at speeds reaching...
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UPDATE: Mechanicsville Man Convicted for Attempted Kidnapping, Assault and Armed Robbery After Attacking Woman with Knife

UPDATE 12/15/2025: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that William Francis Dixon, 52, of Mechanicsville, Maryland was convicted of attempted kidnapping, armed robbery, and other charges stemming from a March 2025 incident where he attacked a female victim with a knife in Mechanicsville, Maryland. After a five-day trial, a St. Mary’s County jury found Dixon guilty of the following offenses: Attempted kidnapping (maximum penalty of 30 years in prison); Armed robbery (maximum penalty of 20 years in prison); First-degree assault...
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UPDATE: Capitol Heights Man Sentenced to Life After Shooting Hollywood Teen in the Head and Placing Body Into Trash Can

UPDATE 12/16/2025: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that Lee L. Richardson, 24, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced to LIFE in prison for the first-degree murder of a 19-year-old victim. In January 2025, the victim’s family reported their loved one missing. The family communicated daily with the young man until January 21, 2025, when all communications suddenly ceased. Following a thorough and comprehensive investigation, investigators from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office determined that Lee Richardson, a person known...
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Pedestrian Flown Out After Being Struck by Vehicle; Police Investigating Firefighter Struck While on Scene

On Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 6:45 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Great Mills Road and Suburban Drive in Lexington Park, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. Crews arrived on the scene to find a Chevrolet HHR struck a 36-year-old male who was laying in the roadway with injuries. The striking vehicle remained on the scene with the occupants reporting no injuries. The 36-year-old pedestrian was flown to...
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UPDATE: Waldorf Man Sentenced to 55 Years for Murder, Armed Robbery, Carjacking, After Violent Crime Spree Across Maryland and Virginia

UPDATE 12/12/2025: Today, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Thaddeus Lamont Wills, 52, of Waldorf, Maryland, to 55 years in federal prison for his role in a string of commercial armed robberies. The robberies occurred in 2020 and 2021, in Prince William County, Virginia, and in Prince George’s and Charles County, Maryland. During one of the robberies, Wills shot and killed a business owner. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with...
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UPDATE – Court Documents Added: Fire Marshals Make Quick Arrest After String of Arsons in Mechanicsville

UPDATE 12/12/2025: Court documents added; Jeffrey Wathen, 41, of Mechanicsville, has been charged with Arson First Degree, two counts of Arson Second Degree, and two counts of Malicious Burning First Degree, after determining that multiple fires along Three Notch Road were intentionally set Monday night. At approximately 9:05 p.m., the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 26489 Three Notch Road. Firefighters arriving at the scene found flames in a flower bed near the front...
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UPDATE: Lexington Park Woman Shot by Police After Stealing Handgun, Firing at Deputy

UPDATE 12/12/2025: Court documents added; On October 23, 2025, police responded to the 46000 block of Anita Court in Lexington Park, for the reported check the welfare. The 911 caller reported that his roommate Paige Hartness, had stolen his .45 ACP 1911 handgun from his room and left the residence after a verbal argument in her vehicle. The caller further gave details into why he believed her welfare needed to be checked and provided her vehicle details/information. Two St. Mary’s...
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UPDATE: No Injuries Reported, Police Investigating Crash Involving NAS Patuxent River Truck 13

UPDATE 12/10/2025: Witnesses reported the red sedan had previously entered into the left hand turn lane prior to the intersection of Hollywood Road and Three Notch Road, before re-entering the Southbound lanes of Three Notch Road. The vehicle then continued to travel South on Three Notch Road until entering the left-hand turn lane to travel onto Mervell Dean Road, at the same time, Truck 13, who was travelling routine with no lights, no sirens, returning to quarters from a...
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UPDATE: Driver’s Failure to Yield Sends One to Trauma Center with Life-Threatening Injuries After Early Morning Crash in Charlotte Hall

UPDATE 12/10/2025: On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at around 6:42 a.m., patrol units from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a serious motor vehicle collision in the area of Three Notch Road and Charlotte Hall School Road in Charlotte Hall. Deputies arrived at the site to find one person trapped. The preliminary investigation indicates that a 2018 gray Hyundai Tucson was traveling northbound on Three Notch Road and attempted to turn left onto Charlotte Hall School...
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65-Year-Old Transported After Accidental Self-Inflicted Shooting in Valley Lee

On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 8:20 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 45000 block of Joeys Way in Valley Lee, for the reported shooting. 911 callers reported a 65-year-old male student had accidentally shot himself in the foot. EMS arrived on the scene to find a tourniquet had been placed on the victim and requested a helicopter to land nearby. Flight medics were advised the patient had a self-inflicted gunshot wound which grazed the...
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UPDATE: Santa is Flying Into Town Today – Updated Times and Additional Locations!

Southern Maryland residents young and old should look skyward today, Tuesday, Dec. 9, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET as Adm. Saint Nicholas takes to the air on his annual holiday readiness flight — now with an expanded route that includes additional regional schools. Locals can catch a glimpse of Nicholas — flying under his seasonal call sign “Claus” — as he lifts off in a U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, accompanied by his team of elves and...
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2-Year-Old Flown to Children’s Center, Adult Transported to Trauma Center After Serious Crash on 301 in Waldorf

On Monday, December 8, 2025, at approximately 7:40 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Crain Highway and Substation Road in Waldorf, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Crews quickly arrived on the scene to find a two vehicle collision with three patients suffering injuries. EMS found a 2-year-old female suffering injuries to the head/face and requested a helicopter to respond. U.S. Park Police Eagle 2 landed nearby and transported the child...
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One Injured After Propane Truck Overturns in Prince Frederick

On Monday, December 8, 2025, at approximately 8:10 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of 5760 Sixes Road in Prince Frederick, for the reported commercial vehicle overturned with unknown entrapment. Crews arrived on the scene to find a propane truck overturned and actively leaking, with the operator still inside of the vehicle. Firefighters placed a handline in service to precautionary reasons and began removing the operator from the vehicle, along with evacuating nearby residents....
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Prince Frederick Man Arrested After Loaded Handgun Stolen From St. Mary’s County Found in Toilet Tank in Calvert County

Clifton Jermaine Cole, 20, of Prince Frederick, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a minor following the execution of a search warrant at his residence earlier this month, according to court documents filed in the District Court for Calvert County. The charge stems from a joint investigation involving the Calvert County...
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Welcome Man Charged After Possessing Two Handguns While Under the Influence of Alcohol

Olen David Clybourn II, 44, of Welcome, is facing two misdemeanor charges for possessing firearms while under the influence of alcohol. According to court documents filed in the District Court for Charles County, the charges stem from an incident on November 26, 2025, when Clybourn was found unresponsive behind the wheel of a vehicle...
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Hughesville Man Accused in Beauty Store Break-In and Tractor Supply Theft

Michael Hemi Fischer, 28, of Hughesville, is facing multiple charges after being linked to two separate theft-related incidents in Southern Maryland, according to court documents filed in Charles and St. Mary’s counties. In the most recent case, Fischer has been charged with second-degree burglary and theft in connection with a break-in at a beauty...
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Four Charles County Senior Students To Represent CCPS in 2026 Maryland Student Page Program

Four Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) seniors are representing the school system this year in the Maryland General Assembly’s Student Page Program. Students in the program, including the alternate, participate in the Maryland General Assembly’s legislative session. The following students were selected to participate in this year’s program. Paola Cercos Teverino, senior, North Point...
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Leonardtown Man Arrested on Drug Charges Following Traffic Stop

Ryan Michael Page, 40, of Leonardtown, was arrested on December 12, 2025, and charged with two drug-related misdemeanors following a traffic stop conducted by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. According to court documents, Deputy Devin Absher observed a silver 2003 Chevrolet Silverado fail to stop completely at the intersection of Old Great Mills...
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Lexington Park Woman Charged Again After Violent Encounter with Deputies, Weeks After Prior Assault Allegations

Jasmen Eliana Reyes, 19, of Lexington Park, has been charged in a new case involving multiple misdemeanors after a confrontation with law enforcement on December 10, 2025, at her residence on Chapman Drive. The charges follow an earlier incident from April 2025 in which Reyes was also charged with second-degree assault in a separate...
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Calvert Library Prince Frederick Presents “Art in the Stacks” Featuring Artist Sarita Pandey

Calvert Library Prince Frederick is pleased to announce the newest exhibition in its Art in the Stacks program, featuring the bold, rich paintings of North Beach–based artist Sarita Pandey. About two dozen works of Pandey’s are on view at the library from October 2025 through January 2026. Art in the Stacks transforms each Calvert...
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NAVAIR Releases V-22 Comprehensive Review Findings

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PAXUTENT RIVER, MD.: Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) released the findings of a comprehensive review Dec. 12, 2025, on the V-22 Osprey aircraft flown by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. The review reaffirmed the airworthiness of the V-22 platform under established controls allowing the continued safe operations of...
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Local Youth Baseball Leaders Represent Southern Maryland at Prestigious Ripken Futures Games

For three Southern Maryland baseball leaders, a recent trip to the Ripken Futures Games in Florida offered a unique opportunity to serve the sport from a different perspective. James Jones (President, St. Mary’s Little League), Mikey Farrell (President, Chesapeake Ghost), and RJ Bean (President, Southern Maryland Bob Richardson League) traveled to Panama City Beach...
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D.C. Man Arrested on Multiple Charges Following Theft at Dunkirk CVS and Drugs Found at Jail

Curtis Sequan Cannon, 33, of Washington, D.C., has been charged with four misdemeanors following an arrest on December 6, 2025, in connection with an alleged shoplifting incident and subsequent drug-related offenses, according to court records filed in the District Court for Calvert County. Cannon is facing the following charges: Theft: $100 to under $1,500...
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33 Students in Class 167 Graduate from U.S. Naval Test Pilot School

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) graduated its Class 167 during a ceremony near Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland on December 12th, 2025. “As graduates of USNTPS, you are now part of an elite group of professionals who play a vital role in...
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Maryland Transportation Authority Board to Vote on Recommended Preferred Alternative for Future Chesapeake Bay Crossing

The Maryland Transportation Authority Board will vote on Thursday, December 18, at 9 a.m. on a recommended preferred alternative for the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study: Tier 2 National Environmental Policy Act. Noted as “Alternative C,” the staff recommendation includes the construction of two new, four-lane bridge spans; and removal of the existing Bay Bridge...
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24-Year-Old PG County Man Apprehended in Pennsylvania After Shooting and Killing His Mother

A suspect is in custody in Pennsylvania and charged with fatally shooting his mother inside of their Temple Hills home on Thursday. The suspect is 24-year-old Damari Lipscomb. He’s charged with murdering 45-year-old Adia Lipscomb Mingo. On December 11, 2025, at approximately 8:50 am, officers responded to the 6900 block of Westchester Court for...
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Dancing in a Winter Wonderland: 2026 Mother-Son Dance & Daddy-Daughter Dance Coming to Loffler Center

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Recreation & Parks (R&P) is pleased to announce the opening of registration for the 2026 Mother–Son Dance and Daddy–Daughter Dance on CivicPlus, the new online registration platform for county recreation programs. Registration starts Thursday, December 18, 2025. The Mother–Son Dance will be held Saturday, January 24, 2026, from 6–8 p.m. and the Daddy–Daughter Dance will be on Saturday, February 7, 2026,...
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Hollywood VFD Regrets to Announce Passing of Past President and Life Member, George R. Thompson

It is with deep regret and profound sadness that the members of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department announce the passing of Past President and life member George R. Thompson. George began his fire service career as a Probationary Active Member of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department on April 9, 1964, after serving seven years...
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Maryland State Police Investigating State Prison Inmate Death

Maryland State Police are investigating the death of an inmate at the Jessup Correctional Institute. The inmate is identified as Deon Smith, 23. Smith was declared deceased by emergency medical services personnel at the facility. He was a state prison inmate serving time at the Jessup Correctional Institute in Jessup, Maryland. A suspect, also...
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Recreation & Parks Celebrates the Launch of New Registration Platform with Free Facilities Open House Day

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Recreation & Parks (R&P) is excited to announce the opening of winter program registration on Thursday, December 18, 2025. Registration will be available through the department’s new online registration platform, CivicPlus. In preparation for the official transition to the new system, R&P recreation facilities will be closed to the public on Monday, December 15,...
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