James Ernest Wright, 48, of no fixed address, is charged with attempting to steal money from a group of Girl Scouts selling cookies. (Arrest photo)
MAN ARRESTED AFTER ATTEMPTING TO STEAL MONEY FROM GIRL SCOUTS: On March 23 at 6 p.m., officers responded to the 3200 block of Plaza Way for the report of a theft in progress. Investigation revealed a man and a woman approached a group of Girl Scouts who were selling cookies in front of a store. The man and woman appeared to be intoxicated and were arguing with each other. The female suspect suddenly pushed the cookies off of the display table and the male suspect reached for a money envelope. The scouts’ troop leader grabbed the envelope but the male suspect pushed her and attempted to steal it. Both suspects fled without the money. As officers were responding, the father of one of the scouts – who is a federal police officer - was contacted; he was nearby and responded to the scene. He located the male suspect about 200 yards away and tried to detain the man but the suspect resisted. Officer J. Morales arrived and helped secure the suspect. James Ernest Wright, 48, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with attempted robbery, second-degree assault, theft, and disorderly conduct. Officers are working to identify the female suspect.
THEFT: Between March 23 - March 24, unknown suspect(s) stole four rims and wheels from a Chevrolet Blazer parked in the Community Services parking lot in the 8100 block of Port Tobacco Road in Port Tobacco. Officer C. Figgins is investigating.
DUI CHECK POINT RESULTS: On March 22 between 9 p.m. - 1 a.m., officers conducted a DUI checkpoint on Smallwood Drive near Stone Avenue in Waldorf. Three people were found to be driving under the influence and were arrested. Officers assigned to traffic operations, patrol, special operations and judicial services took part in the operation.
ROBBERY: On March 22 at 9:10 p.m., a 17-year-old male was walking in the area of Pep Rally Lane in Waldorf when he was approached by two males who were armed with a handgun. One suspect hit the victim and the other stole his cell phone. Both suspects fled. Officers canvassed the area and a police K-9 conducted a track. The suspects are described as black males in their early twenties. One suspect was wearing tan pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and tan boots and the other suspect was wearing tan pants, a camouflage jacket and tan boots. The Criminal Investigations Division is investigating.
ATTEMPTED ROBBERY: On March 22 at 9:45 p.m., officers responded to a bank in the 11100 block of Mall Circle in Waldorf for the report of an attempted robbery. The victim, an employee at a nearby store, was making a night deposit when he was approached by a lone male who displayed a gun and demanded the money bag. The victim had already deposited the bag and the suspect fled. The Criminal Investigations Division is investigating.
BURGLARY: On March 22 between 9:10 a.m. - 4:50 p.m. unknown suspect(s) entered the back yard of a house in the 3900 block of Northgate Place in Waldorf and kicked open a back door. Once inside, the suspect(s) stole electronics, games, movies and money. Officers processed the scene and canvassed the area for witnesses. Officer A. Fenlon is investigating.
FATAL MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH: On March 27 at 1:46 a.m., officers responded to the area of St. Charles Parkway and Smallwood Drive in Waldorf for the report of a car crash. A preliminary investigation revealed Benjamin Bronson, Jr., 52, of Waldorf, was driving his Honda Accord south on St. Charles Parkway when he left the roadway and struck a tree. When officers arrived on the scene, they made entry inside the car and found Bronson unconscious and not breathing. Bronson was transported to Civista Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The cause of the crash is not known at this time. Cpl. B. Saunders of the Traffic Operations Unit is continuing the investigation.
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