LA PLATA, Md. (Oct. 22, 2013)—The Charles County Sheriff's Office released the following incident and arrest reports.
FATAL CAR CRASH: On Oct. 18 at 7:32 p.m., officers responded to the area of Turkey Hill Road near Dower Drive in La Plata for the report of a motor vehicle crash. When officers arrived they found three people inside a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck that had crashed into a tree. The driver of the truck, Gabriel William Maxwell, 22, of Waldorf, was pronounced dead on the scene. A 17-year-old male from Hughesville—who was sitting in the front passenger seat—was flown to a hospital where he was admitted in critical condition. A 19-year-old male - who was seated in the back of the truck - was flown to a hospital where he was treated for injuries that were not life threatening. A preliminary investigation showed the driver was traveling south on Turkey Hill Road when he lost control of the truck near a sharp curve and hit the tree. Cpl. M. Clark of the CCSO Traffic Operations Unit is investigating.
BURGLARY AT GAS STATION: On Oct. 20 at about 11:27 p.m., someone broke into a gas station in the 2000 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf and stole Backwoods cigars and Newport cigarettes. Officer C. Collins is investigating.
MAN CHARGED WITH DUI AND POSSESSION OF A HANDGUN: On Oct. 20 at 7:12 p.m., Cpl. J. Timko initiated a traffic stop in the area of Prince Frederick Road and Industrial Park Road in Hughesville after observing blue lights on the rear tag of the car. Upon approaching the driver, it appeared he was driving while impaired. The driver failed several sobriety tests and was arrested. A check of the car revealed a loaded semi-automatic handgun. Kevin Melvin Savoy, 41, of Hughesville, was arrested and transported to the Charles County Detention Center where he was charged with traffic violations and illegally carrying a handgun.
DRUG ARREST: On Oct. 19 at 6:33 p.m., officers responded to the area of Willow View Place in Waldorf after a citizen called and reported suspected drug activity. When officers arrived, they found five people inside a car. Upon approaching the vehicle, officers smelled a strong odor of suspected marijuana. Further investigation led to the recovery of about $200 worth of marijuana wrapped in individual baggies in one of the occupant's bag. Anthony Alphonso Moore, 22, of Waldorf, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance. Officer R. Smith made the arrest.
RECKLESS DRIVER APPREHENDED: On Oct. 19 at 12:21 p.m., Pfc J. Walter attempted to stop a car in the area of Poorhouse Road and Annapolis Woods Road in La Plata. The driver refused to stop and instead, sped off. As the driver turned on Annapolis Woods Road, he struck an embankment which caused the front passenger tire to deflate. The driver continued driving at a high rate of speed when suddenly, he jumped out of the driver's seat while the car was still in motion. The vehicle came to a rest in a field but the driver kept running. Officer Walter was able to apprehend the suspect without further incident. A computer check revealed the driver, Deyjuan Andrew Tibbs, 21, of Indian Head, was driving on a suspended license. He was charged with multiple traffic violations and taken to the Charles County Detention Center.
BURGLARY: Between Oct. 15 - Oct. 16, someone broke into a vacant house in the 7900 block of Port Tobacco Road in Port Tobacco and stole piping. Sgt. S. Myers is investigating.
BURGLARY SUSPECT ASSAULTS OFFICER DURING ARREST: On Oct. 18 at 5:36 a.m., an off-duty Charles County Sheriff's officer heard noises outside his house in the Bel Alton area. When he went outside to investigate, he was suddenly confronted by a man who was trying to steal his ATV. The officer identified himself as a sheriff's officer and ordered the suspect to the ground. Instead, the man quickly fled. The officer caught up with the suspect and tried to detain him but the suspect began fighting the officer and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the officer's issued firearm fell to the ground and the suspect grabbed it. The officer and suspect struggled over the gun and, fearing for his life, the officer was able to discharge the firearm one time. The suspect fled to a nearby house where he asked a relative for a ride. They got into a car but were stopped by officers who were checking the area. Officers approached the car and found Matthew Leo Wade, Jr., 29, of Waldorf, inside the vehicle. He was positively identified as the person who assaulted the officer. A search of Wade revealed he had property which had just been stolen from the officer's residence. Officers also noticed Wade had a gunshot wound to the lower leg; he was transported to CRMC and released. Wade was charged with 18 different crimes including first-degree assault, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, burglary, and theft. He is being held at the Charles County Detention Center. Det. J. Elliott is investigating.
Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: http://somd.me/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at http://somd.me/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at http://somd.me/expungeme .