LA PLATA, Md. - The Charles County Sheriff's Department today released the following incident and arrest reports.
HIT AND RUN: On June 24 at 3:53 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to the report of a motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Trinity Church Road and Charles Street in Dentsville. Investigation revealed a Toyota failed to stop at a stop sign and crossed Charles Street into the path of a motorcycle. The vehicles collided and the driver of the motorcycle was ejected onto the hood of the Toyota. The driver of the Toyota continued onto Olivers Shop Road. The driver of the motorcycle fell off the hood of the Toyota in a parking lot after a short distance. The Toyota continued on Olivers Shop Road until it was stopped by citizens who detained the driver until officers arrived. Upon arrival, officers determined the driver of the Toyota, Camilo Leon-Nunez, 28, of Suitland, was intoxicated and did not have a license. Nunez was charged with driving while intoxicated, driving under the influence, driving without a license and two counts of failure to stop after an accident with an injury. The driver of the motorcycle, a 31-year-old Mechanicsville man, was flown to Prince George’s Hospital Center where he was listed in critical condition. Nunez was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner. Officer R. Taylor of the Traffic Operations Unit is investigating.
STRONG-ARM ROBBERY: On June 24 at 12:37 a.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to the 2000 block of Davis Court in Waldorf for the report of a robbery. Investigation revealed the victim, a 20-year-old Waldorf man, was standing at the corner of Davis Court and Darnell Court when five male suspects exited a dark Chevrolet Impala and assaulted him. The victim eventually escaped into his residence. He sustained several injuries and his cell phone was stolen during the assault. The suspects fled the scene in the Impala, which Officer D. Baker located on Wakefield Circle shortly thereafter. Officer Baker stopped the vehicle and its occupants were determined to be the suspects in the robbery. Aren Lamont Higgs, 18, of Oxon Hill was charged with robbery, theft valued at less than $500 and second-degree assault. He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner. The four other suspects were juveniles and were charged and released to their guardians. The victim was treated on the scene by emergency medical services personnel. Officer J. Walter investigated.
DRUG ARREST: On June 24 at 12:15 a.m., Sgt. J. Stoddard attempted to stop two suspicious vehicles leaving Village Green Park in Indian Head. Both vehicles, a white sedan and a brown Cadillac, refused to stop and fled north on Route 210. When the vehicles split in different directions, Sgt. Stoddard continued the pursuit of the Cadillac, which struck stop sticks on Route 210 near Chapman’s Landing Road causing three of the vehicle’s tires to deflate. The vehicle continued north on Route 210 until the driver lost control near Jenkins Lane. The driver and passenger exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Sgt. Stoddard and Cpl. J. Hebb pursued them on foot. Cpl. Hebb deployed his taser which immobilized the driver, allowing officers to arrest him. Antione Peterson, 24, of Fort Washington was found to be in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed a large quantity of marijuana indicating the intent to distribute. Peterson was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest, reckless driving, negligent driving, driving an uninsured motor vehicle, driving an unregistered vehicle on a roadway, displaying license plates issued to another vehicle and two counts of fleeing and eluding. He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner. The passenger was not apprehended and the other vehicle was not located.
ASSAULT: On June 23 at 1:14 a.m., Cpl. M. Clark was in the parking lot of Legends of Waldorf located at 1290 Smallwood Drive West in Waldorf when a fight began in the crowd and two shots were fired. As additional officers arrived, the crowd was quickly dispersing. Officers could not determine who fired the shots but they found a 25-year-old Waldorf man who was injured as a result of the fight. Investigation revealed a male suspect approached the victim and punched him. They began to fight and the suspect cut the victim with a knife. When the shots were fired, the suspect left the parking lot. The victim advised he did not know the suspect or who fired the shots. He refused medical treatment. Anyone with information regarding 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. Collins is investigating.
ARMED CARJACKING: On June 23 at 4:26 p.m., the Charles County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a carjacking that occurred at Babe’s Boys Tavern located at 2890 Old Washington Road in Waldorf sometime between midnight and 12:30 that morning. Investigation revealed a male suspect pointed a handgun at a 48-year-old Waldorf man in the back of the parking lot and ordered him to get in the vehicle. The victim complied. The suspect also entered the vehicle, positioning himself in the driver’s seat. The suspect took an undisclosed amount of money from the victim and then drove the victim to St. Mary’s County. The suspect lost control of the vehicle due to high speed, crashed and fled on foot. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall. He weighs approximately 220 pounds and has short brown hair. He was wearing a red T-shirt, blue jeans and a white baseball hat. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Det. J. McKenzie at 301-609-6428 or Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.
STOLEN/RECOVERED VEHICLE: On June 22 at 6:40 p.m., the Charles County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a stolen vehicle being tracked by Mercedes GPS on Leonardtown Road in Waldorf. Sheriff’s officers responded to the area and attempted to locate the black 2003 Mercedes S500, which had been stolen in Prince George’s County. K9 Officer S. Brown observed the vehicle traveling on Garner Avenue and he and a Maryland State Police trooper conducted a traffic stop. The driver, Bruce Elliot Downing, 43, of Waldorf, who was wanted for failure to appear for previous drug charges, was arrested. During the subsequent investigation, Charles County Sheriff’s Auto Theft detectives determined Downing was not aware the vehicle had been stolen and had obtained it from Lamonte Xavier Smith, 22, of Hyattsville. Detectives responded to Hollins Lane in Waldorf and located Smith. Investigation revealed Smith had defrauded the owner of the vehicle, a 39-year-old Falls Church, Va., man by purchasing the vehicle in a private sale using a fraudulent identity and a fraudulent account. Smith was charged with theft valued at more than $500, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. Smith and Downing were being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner. Det. D. Gross investigated.
MULTI-AGENCY ANTI-GANG INITIATIVE: On June 22 at 6 p.m., detectives with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigations Division, Homeland Security and Intelligence Unit, conducted an anti-gang operation at Rock Point Beach in Issue. The operation was conducted in coordination with the Maryland State Police Intelligence Unit, Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack, St. Mary’s County Gang Task Force, special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Maryland Natural Resources Police and the United States Coast Guard Intelligence Unit. Boats from the Sheriff’s Office, Department of Natural Resources Police and the U.S. Coast Guard St. Indigoes Station were utilized during the operation.
The operation is the result of intelligence information gathered since May. As a result of the operation, the following individuals were arrested for trespassing on Lancaster Trust Property, which is located at Rock Point Beach: Elmer M. Marchantes, 32, of Oxon Hill; Francisco J. Carbajal, 34, of Oxon Hill; Joaquin O. Molina-Moreno, 25, of no fixed address; Jose P. Molina-Moreno, 35, of Alexandria; Jaime E. Roman-Sandoval, 24, of Alexandria; Douglas Valasquez, 23, of Alexandria; Carlos A. Rodriguez, 25, of Alexandria; and Omar D. Molina, 18, of Alexandria.
Several of the individuals have tentatively been identified as members of the criminal street gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a Hispanic street gang operating in the United States and Central America. The Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Unit is continuing the investigation. ICE identified Marchantes and Joaquin Molina-Moreno as being in the United States illegally and will have them deported. ICE is continuing to investigate the other individuals.
This operation is part of an on-going anti-gang initiative by the Sheriff’s Office to combat gangs in the county. Anyone with information on criminal street gangs in Charles County is asked to call the Homeland Security and Intelligence Unit at 301-609-3256.
POLICE PURSUIT: On June 22 at 9:02 a.m., Officer R. Taylor was conducting a radar assignment when he observed a 1995 Geo Tracker operating at a high rate of speed in the 6400 block of Bumpy Oak Road in La Plata. Officer Taylor initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver but before he completed the citations, the driver fled the scene. Officer Taylor attempted to stop the car again but the driver failed to pull over. Officer Taylor and Officer P. McDonald pursued the vehicle until the driver stopped in the 7600 block of Bumpy Oak Road. The driver, Russell Nathaniel Savoy, Jr., 54, of La Plata, was arrested without further incident. Savoy was charged with driving on a suspended license, eluding police and speeding. He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner.
BURGLARY: On June 22 at 5:48 a.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to Shymansky’s Marina and Restaurant located at 16320 Cobb Island Road in Cobb Island for the report of a burglary and theft. Investigation revealed suspect(s) forced entry into the building and stole an undisclosed amount of money from three registers, a Maryland Lottery machine, a claw game machine and a jukebox. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-2222 or Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. Officer P. McDonald is investigating.
BURGLARY: On June 22 at 2:53 a.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to Botas Y Texanas Barrera located at 11764 Central Avenue in Waldorf for the report of a burglary. Upon arrival, officers discovered the glass on the front door had been shattered and the back door was unsecure. Investigation revealed suspect(s) stole an undisclosed amount of money from one of the registers. 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 R. Shepard is investigating.