LA PLATA, Md. (May 19, 2010) - The Charles County Sheriff's Office released the following incident and arrest reports.
BURGLARY: On May 15 between 7:45 a.m. - 8 p.m., unknown suspects broke into a house in the 1900 block of Yorkshire Lane in Waldorf and stole electronics, games and jewelry. Officers canvassed the area and processed the scene for evidence. Officer J. Feldman is investigating.
BURGLARY: On May 14 at 9:52 a.m., officers responded to Fairhill Place in Indian Head for the report of an intrusion alarm. Investigation revealed unknown suspects broke into a house and stole games, electronics and jewelry. Officers located several people who provided detectives with leads to pursue. Officer B. Moore is investigating.
BURGLARY: On May 13 between 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., unknown suspects broke into a house on Riverwatch Lane in Indian Head and stole electronics and jewelry. The scene was processed for evidence. Officer P. Sady is investigating.
OFFICERS APPREHEND SIX SUSPECTS IN ATTEMPTED THEFTS, DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY: Patrol officers arrested six suspects in connection with multiple attempted thefts and destruction of property. Citing the arrests, Sheriff Coffey said calls from witnesses who provided descriptions of the suspects were crucial in solving the case. On May 14 at 2:41 a.m., Charles County Sheriff's officers responded to the area of Homestead Place in Waldorf for the report of an attempted theft from a motor vehicle. Witnesses reported seeing a group of suspects break the front passenger window out of a car and attempt to steal a stereo. The suspects fled when the car alarm activated. The reporting person provided officers with a description of the suspects' car. As officers responded, they were advised of several other events in which unknown suspects broke out car windows in the area of Huntington Ridge, Orangeman Square, and Amber Leaf Place. Officers located additional witnesses who provided the same vehicle description. Officers continued canvassing the area and spotted the suspects' car near Route 205 and Route 301. A traffic stop was initiated and officers subsequently observed evidence linking the suspects to the attempted thefts. A total of six suspects were arrested: Randolph Richardson, 19, of Waldorf, Ronald Harrigan, 18, Dale Anthony Seaton, 18, and three 17-year-old males all from Washington, D.C. All of the suspects were charged with malicious destruction of property.
OFFICERS IDENTIFY AND ARREST MAN IN CONNECTION WITH TWO THEFTS: patrol officers arrested a man in connection with two thefts. On May 13, Charles County Sheriff's officers took a theft report in which tools and other equipment were stolen from a business in Waldorf. Officers canvassed the surrounding area and located a witness who reported seeing a suspicious truck in the area at the time the theft occurred. The suspect and vehicle description were passed on to other patrol officers who continued looking for the vehicle. Then, on May 14, officers responded to the Capital Club House for the report of stolen purse. Witnesses told officers they saw a suspicious person in a truck similar to the one spotted the day before. Officers canvassed the area and spotted a truck matching the description. A traffic stop was initiated but the driver fled. As officers pursued the truck, the driver swerved into the path of a police car, striking the patrol vehicle. At that point, the truck became disabled. The driver, Donald Gene Failinger, 37, of Fairfax, VA, was apprehended without further incident. Officers recovered contents of the stolen purse including a credit card, cash and a check. In addition, a Dewalt cordless drill and several power drill batteries were recovered. Failinger was charged with assault and theft.
MAN CHARGED WITH FILING FALSE REPORT OF CARJACKING: Charles County Sheriff's officers have obtained a criminal summons for Garry Michael Roberts, 49, of White Plains, for filing a false statement to a police officer after he falsely reported he was carjacked. On May 7 at about 7:39 p.m., a Charles County Sheriff's officer was patrolling Chapel Point Road in Port Tobacco when he observed a vehicle abandoned in the roadway. The officer searched the area but the driver could not be located. A tow truck was summoned to remove the car but when the truck arrived, a man came out of a nearby wooded area and approached officers advising them he was the driver of the car. The man then claimed he had been carjacked from a gas station in White Plains. Several patrol officers were dispatched to help canvass the area and one officer responded to the gas station where the alleged carjacking occurred. Officers subsequently determined the carjacking did not take place and Roberts later admitted he lied because he ran out of gas while using a company car. In all, officers spent about two hours investigating the case. A criminal summons was issued charging Roberts with filing a false statement to a police officer.