Charles County Sheriff's Reports


LA PLATA, Md. (April 29, 2008) - The Charles County Sheriff's Department today released the following incident and arrest reports.

ATTEMPTED STRONG-ARM ROBBERY: On April 27 at 8 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to the report of an attempted strong-arm robbery that occurred in the 2600 block of Hunt Place in Waldorf. The investigation revealed a 24-year-old pizza deliveryman was attempting to deliver an order to a residence when he was approached by two suspects described only as black males wearing bandanas over their faces. Believing he was about to be robbed, the victim threw the food at one of the suspects, returned to his vehicle and fled to call police. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-7777 or Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. Officer B. Virts is investigating.

RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT: Sometime between 8:15 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. April 27, suspect(s) fired three shots which struck a residence in the 3200 block of Pinefield Circle in Waldorf. No one was injured. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-7777 or Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. Officer C. Barrows is investigating.

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH: On April 27 at 12:51 a.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to the 1100 block of St. Paul’s Drive in Waldorf for the report of a motor vehicle crash. The investigation revealed a 1994 Honda Civic was traveling south on St. Paul’s Drive when the driver lost control of the vehicle on the wet roadway, skidded across the double yellow lines and struck a parked vehicle. The driver, Christopher Rodney Griswold, 24, of Waldorf, was transported by ambulance to Civista Medical Center and the passenger, Joseph Anthony Adroved, Jr., 24, of Waldorf, was flown by a Maryland State Police helicopter to Prince George’s Hospital Center. Griswold and Adroved are in critical condition and Adroved’s injuries are considered life-threatening. Officer R. E. Glover, Jr., of the Traffic Operations Unit is investigating the crash.

DRUG POSSESSION: On April 26 at 12:38 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s Officer M. O’Shields stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on Route 210 near Lower Wharf Road in Indian Head. An investigation revealed the driver, Adam Christian Smith, 38, of Indian Head, was in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Smith was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner.

ASSAULT: On April 26 at 2:50 a.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to a parking lot in the 6200 block of Brandywine Road in Hughesville for the report of a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian. The investigation revealed a 19-year-old man had arranged to meet and fight two suspects with whom he has an ongoing dispute. Prior to the suspects’ arrival, he called his mother for assistance. When she and an acquaintance, a 64-year-old man, arrived at the parking lot, the suspects had stabbed the 19-year-old man in the arm and fled the scene in a pickup truck. As the truck was leaving, the victim shattered its rear window. The suspects returned seconds later and stuck the 64-year-old man with their vehicle, dragging him about 120 feet. The suspects then fled in the truck into Prince George’s County. The suspects are described only as white males driving a black pickup truck with a sticker on the rear window that says “White Boys.” The younger victim was treated at Southern Maryland Hospital Center for non-life-threatening injures. The older victim was flown by a Maryland State Police helicopter to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore where he was said to be in critical condition. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-7777 or Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. Officer K. Lerch is investigating.

MOTORCYCLE CRASH: On April 25 at 5:16 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to Chapel Point Road near Chapel Point State Park in Bel Alton for the report of a motorcycle crash. The investigation revealed a 1994 Suzuki motorcycle was traveling south on Chapel Point Road when the driver lost control. The motorcycle left the right side of the road and struck a culvert, ejecting the driver and passenger. The driver, Zachary Lee Welch, 28, of La Plata, was not wearing a helmet and was critically injured. His injuries are no longer considered life-threatening. The passenger, Kasey Elaine Halt, 18, of Mechanicsville, was wearing a helmet. Her injuries are considered life-threatening. Maryland State Police helicopters flew the driver and passenger to the MedStar Unit at Washington Hospital Center. Driver error and speed are considered factors in the crash. Officer S. Stanley of the Traffic Operations Unit is investigating.

HANDGUN VIOLATION: On April 25 at 1:03 a.m., Charles County Sheriff’s Officer W. Halt conducted a traffic stop in the 3000 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf for speeding. Officer J. Long arrived on the scene and observed a loaded handgun magazine inside the vehicle in plain view. A subsequent search revealed the driver, Johnathan Jerrard Gilliard, 29, of Rosamond, Calif., had a handgun in his vehicle. Officers also determined Gilliard was intoxicated. Gilliard was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while intoxicated, having a handgun in his vehicle and speeding. He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner.

ASSAULT: On April 24 at 11:42 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s Officer J. A. Riffle was patrolling the parking lot of Hard Times Caf? located at 1120 Smallwood Drive West in Waldorf when he observed Ivan Atanasov Tyanev, 20, of Waldorf attempt to use a metal baseball bat to assault a 27-year-old Waldorf man. The officer disarmed Tyanev and arrested him. Tyanev was charged with first- and second-degree assault and was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner.

ARMED ROBBERY: On April 24 at 9:53 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to the Pinefield Subway restaurant located at 2112 Crain Highway in Waldorf for the report of an armed robbery. The investigation revealed a male suspect entered the business, approached an employee at the cash register, brandished a handgun and demanded money. The employee complied and the suspect fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect is described as a black male wearing black clothing and black shoes. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-7777 or Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. Det. B. Buchanan is investigating.

FLEEING POLICE: On April 24 at 5:33 p.m., Officer J. Johnson stopped a Suzuki passenger car on Route 301 near Billingsley Road in White Plains for driving recklessly and using the shoulder of the road to pass other cars. When Officer Johnson approached the vehicle, the driver sped away northbound on Route 301. The driver continued to use the shoulder of the road to pass other vehicles and his vehicle struck another during his attempt to flee. No one was injured in the crash. The Suzuki eventually stopped in a parking lot in the 3300 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf and the driver exited the vehicle. Officer Johnson and Trooper Quade of the Maryland State Police attempted to arrest the driver but he resisted. He was eventually arrested and found to be in possession of marijuana. He was identified as Jerol Jerome Turner, 35, of Washington, D.C., and was charged with possession of marijuana, resisting arrest and numerous traffic offenses including negligent driving, reckless driving, driving off the roadway while passing and failure to remain at the scene of a crash. He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner.

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