LEONARDTOWN, Md. (April 1, 2008) - The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Department recently released the following incident and arrest reports.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT: On March 29 Deputies responded to Butler's Place and Tavern in Lexington Park for a report of a fight in progress. Upon arrival deputies found a large crowd outside of the establishment with several persons yelling profanity at one another. Deputy Matthew Rodgers contacted two individuals, Kelly Elizabeth Gant, 30 of Callaway, and Ashley Nicole Dickerson, 19 of Mechanicsville. Both women were yelling profane remarks to the crowd, escalating the situation and increasing the potential for a fight to ensure. Deputy Rodgers, in an attempt to quell the situation, verbally commanded both women to cease yelling their profane language at the crowd. Deputy Rodgers also asked both women to remove themselves from the crowd and leave. After being told numerous times, both women failed to comply and continued yelling profane language. Gant and Dickerson were arrested and charged with failing to obey a lawful order of a police officer and disorderly conduct. A 17-year-old female from Waldorf was also arrested for second-degree assault and disorderly conduct for throwing a bottle which struck another person in the lip.
FIRST DEGREE ASSAULT: On March 29, Deputies responded to Clifton's in Clements for a report of an assault. Investigation revealed the victim sustained three deep lacerations on her arm. The lacerations were caused by a sharp object. The victim identified Amaris Lalita Ford, 18 of Lusby, as the person who assaulted her. According to the victim, she and Ford have a history of altercations. Other witnesses on the scene also identified Amaris Ford as the victim's attacker. Ford was not on the scene. Approximately one hour later, Ford was located at Butler's Place and Tavern in Lexington Park where she was arrested and charged with First Degree Assault.
ILLEGAL DRUGS: On March 29 at approximately 1221 a.m. Dfc. Keith Moritz received a call for an occupied suspicious vehicle on Rumsford Lane in California. This area has recently been plagued with thefts and other suspicious types of activity. The complainant reported that he believed the subjects in the suspicious vehicle were going to attempt to steal a car. As deputies were arriving in the area the suspicious vehicle was attempting to leave. The vehicle was stopped. As deputies approached to identify the occupants, Senior Deputy First Class Todd Fleanor, observed the driver of the vehicle, Jerry Jerome Estep, Sr., 38 of California, holding a screwdriver (a screwdriver is a common tool used to steal a vehicle). SDFC Fleanor asked the driver and passenger, Michael Lashawn Johnson, 20 of Lexington Park, to exit the vehicle. Narcotics K-9, Yanic conducted a scan of the suspicious vehicle and alerted to the passenger floor board. A physical search of the same area by Dfc. Moritz revealed three bags of suspected marijuana under the front passenger seat. Both Estep and Johnson were arrested and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance - marijuana.
BURGLARY: On March 30, Deputy Shawn Cathcart discovered two juveniles camping in a wooded area behind Adams Court in Lexington Park. As Deputy Cathcart was speaking with the juveniles he observed a pair of Bushnell binoculars in the possession of one of the youths. Deputy Cathcart knew a pair of Bushnell binoculars had recently been stolen during a burglary in the area. Further investigation by Deputy Cathcart linked the juveniles with the two boat and two residential burglaries which occurred between the dates of March 24 and March 30, 2008. Deputy Cathcart arrested the two juvenile males, ages 15 and 16, both from Lexington Park, and charged them each with three counts of burglary and three counts of theft.
CHILD NEGLECT, FALSE STATEMENT: On March 27 at approximately 3:03 p.m. Deputy James Yates responded to the Shell Gas station in Callaway for a report of unattended children. Upon arrival Deputy Yates found two children, ages 3 and 4, at the gas station without adult supervision. The children were interviewed and indicated they lived across the roadway. The children told the Deputy Yates they walked across the street by themselves. At approximately 3:32 p.m. Deputy Yates returned the children to their residence on Canvasback Drive. Upon arrival Deputy Yates met Chanelle Morgan the adult who was responsible for the care of the two children. Ms. Morgan stated she checked on the children approximately ten minutes prior to Deputy Yates' arrival and the children were playing outside in the yard. Ms. Morgan's statement conflicted with the time Deputy Yates received the call for unattended children at 3:03 pm and the time of Deputy Yates arrival to the children's residence at 3:32 pm. Deputy Yates had the children his possession for approximately 30 minutes. Another witness stated she had not seen the children playing in the yard for over an hour. A further check of Chanelle Morgan revealed her real name to be Loretta Chanelle Morgan, 24 of Callaway. Ms. Morgan had an open warrant for arrest in Montgomery County. Morgan was arrested and charged with two counts of contributing to a condition which rendered a child in need of supervision, one count of child desertion and one count of false statement to a police officer. Morgan was also served with the open arrest warrant from Montgomery County.
THIRD DEGREE BURGLARY, DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY: On March 27 Deputy Lebrack responded to a residence on Hermanville Road for a report of suspicious activity. Upon arrival Deputy Lebrack met the victim outside of her residence. The victim reported when she arrived home she found a strange vehicle in her driveway and her dog, which had been secured in her residence, outside. The victim had not entered the residence. As the victim was talking to Deputy Lebrack, Deborah Diane Sapp, 47 of Leonardtown, walked out of the victim's residence. The victim stated she knew Ms. Sapp, but Sapp did not have permission to enter her residence when she was not home. Further investigation revealed Sapp tore a small hole in a screen and enter the residence through a window. Sapp stated she was just waiting for the victim to come home so she could to talk to her. Sapp was arrested and charged with 3rd degree burglary and destruction of property.