LA PLATA, Md. - The Charles County Sheriff's Department today released the following incident and arrest reports.
ASSAULT: On Aug. 19 at 2:15 a.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to the parking lot of Boston’s Gourmet Pizza located at 10440 O’Donnell Place in Waldorf for the report of an assault in progress. Investigation revealed the accused, Christopher Michael Varela, 25, of Waldorf, stole his mother’s vehicle and assaulted her when she confronted him. Varela fled the scene on foot toward Smallwood Drive but Officers R. Kimble and P. Sady caught him. Varela resisted arrest and during the struggle bit one of the officers. The other officer’s finger was injured. Varela was ultimately arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer, second-degree assault, resisting arrest, obstructing and hindering and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner. Officers Sady and Kimble were treated at Civista for their injuries. Cpl. C. McCue investigated.
ASSAULT: On Aug. 19 at 5:51 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to a residence in the 5200 block of Mona Farm Place in La Plata for the report of an assault. Investigation revealed a 9-year-old boy knocked on his neighbor’s door. Marvin Irvin Cassidy, 51, answered it and pointed a rifle at the boy. The boy fled and his father called the police. Sgt. J. Carlson and Officer J. Clagett approached Cassidy’s residence and observed Cassidy leaving with a rifle in his hands. They arrested Cassidy without incident and charged him with first-degree assault. He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner. The incident was the result of an on-going domestic dispute between the two families.
THEFT: On Aug. 19 at 2:23 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to TJ Maxx located at 3009 Waldorf Market Place in Waldorf for a citizen’s report of a theft in progress. A lookout was broadcast for the suspect vehicle. A witness followed the suspect and updated officers with their location until officers were able to stop the suspect vehicle on Route 5 near St. Charles Parkway. During the stop, officers observed the stolen property in the vehicle as well as additional stolen property from Safeway and Office Depot, which are also in the Waldorf Market Place shopping center. Anthony Wayne Greely, 25, and Michael Darnell Hamilton, 47, both of Fort Washington, were arrested and charged with theft valued at more than $500, theft scheme, conspiracy to commit theft and other related charges. They were being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner. Charges are pending against a third suspect, a 46-year-old Taneytown, Md., woman. Officers J. Timko and C. Walden investigated.
HOME INVASION: On Aug. 18 at 5:40 a.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to an apartment in the 12100 block of Ell Lane in Waldorf for the report of a home invasion and shooting. Investigation revealed Travis Jermaine Williams, 27, of Waldorf kicked open the front door and once inside attempted unsuccessfully to kick open a bedroom door. He fired multiple shots through the bedroom door, some of which went through the bedroom floor and into the apartment below. There were four victims in each apartment and no one was injured. Williams fled the scene and was not located. He was reported to have been involved in other handgun-related incidents on Ell Lane earlier that night during which he assaulted two males ages 19 and 15. Charges were filed against him for assault and a felony warrant was issued for his arrest. Anyone with information on Williams’ whereabouts is asked to contact Det. C. Shankster at 301-609-6513 or Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. The incident is part of an on-going dispute between Williams and the victims of the home invasion and prior assault.
ASSAULT: On Aug. 17 at 10:10 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to a residence in the 2500 block of Lisa Drive in Waldorf for the report of an assault. Investigation revealed Charles Edwin Proctor, 28, of no fixed address used a baseball bat to shatter the windows of cars parked in the driveway. A 29-year-old man and 25-year old woman walked out of the residence and confronted Proctor. Proctor struck the man on the back of his head, causing the man to fall, and then continued to strike him with the bat. The woman was also struck while she attempted to stop Proctor. Both victims were transported to Southern Maryland Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Proctor fled the scene before officers arrived and was not located. A warrant for his arrest was issued, charging him with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property. Officer D. Walker investigated.
CARJACKING: On Aug. 16 at 1:55 p.m., a 49-year-old La Plata woman exited her vehicle in the parking lot of the St. Charles Towne Center in Waldorf near the entrance to the mall post office when a male suspect approached her and demanded her keys. The woman refused and the suspect grabbed her arm but the woman managed to escape his grasp and ran to the mall. While she was fleeing, the suspect advised he had a gun but the woman did not stop. She ran into the mall and notified mall security officers, who called the Charles County Sheriff’s Office to the scene. The suspect was last seen running away from the mall with another male suspect. The suspects are described as black males with thin builds. The first suspect is 5 feet 10 inches tall and is in his teens or early twenties. He has dread-style hair and was wearing a red shirt and blue jeans. The other suspect is 5 feet 7 inches tall and is in his late teens. He was wearing a long white T-shirt and jeans. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-7777. Officer M. Bourgeois is investigating.
FLEEING AND ELUDING: On Aug. 15 at 8:18 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s Cpl. C. Smith attempted to stop a Saturn on Route 5 in Waldorf for a traffic violation but the driver failed to stop. The driver fled for a short distance then stopped and he and two passengers fled the vehicle. Additional officers responded and apprehended the driver and both passengers. The driver, Charles Glenn Wheeler, 23, of Waldorf, was charged with driving without a license, failure to display tags and fleeing and eluding. Anthony James Francis Jacks, 18, of Waldorf was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Javon Steven Washington, 27, of Washington, D.C., was wanted by the Sheriff’s Office for theft and by the Department of Natural Resources for littering and a fishing violation. Wheeler, Jacks and Washington were all arrested and were being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner.
ASSAULT: On Aug. 15 at 7:15 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to the 3000 block of Gallery Place in Waldorf for the report of an assault. Upon arrival, officers found Joseph Eckloff, 24, of Hollywood being restrained by a security guard. Investigation revealed Eckloff was arguing with a 20-year-old woman when security guards tried to restrain him. Eckloff struggled and attempted to disarm one of the security guards. When Sheriff’s officers arrived, Eckloff failed to obey orders and struggled with officers, who used a Taser to subdue him. He was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, having an open container of alcohol, disorderly conduct, failure to obey lawful order, trespassing, resisting arrest and theft valued at less than $500. He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner. Cpl. J. Hastings investigated.
STABBING: On Aug. 14 at 6:53 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to a residence in the 11100 block of Berry Road in Waldorf for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 43-year-old man with a stab wound to his upper body. Investigation revealed the suspect, a 22-year-old woman who was still at the scene, stabbed him during a domestic dispute. The woman 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. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was flown to Prince George’s Hospital Center by a Maryland State Police helicopter. Det. C. Shankster investigated.