LA PLATA, Md. (April 4, 2013)—The Charles County Sheriff's Office released the following incident and arrest reports.
DOG ATTACK: On April 3 at 6 p.m., officers responded to the 8600 block of Billingsley Road in White Plains for the report of a dog attack. When officers arrived, they discovered a 5-year-old girl lying on the ground in the backyard of her house; she was suffering from multiple dog bites and severe lacerations. She was flown to Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C. with critical injuries. A preliminary investigation revealed the girl was at home with her mother's boyfriend. At about 6 p.m., the boyfriend was getting ready to leave the house with the girl but he was not able to find her inside. The man checked outside and found the girl unconscious. He also observed two of the three pet dogs nearby the girl; one dog was an English bulldog and the other was a Presa Canario. A third dog, another Presa Canario, was found inside a locked kennel in the backyard. All three dogs were taken by animal control; the two dogs found near the girl when she was initially discovered were later euthanized.
The attack occurred in a fenced in area of the backyard of the house. There is a kennel in the backyard which is also fenced in and family members say it's where the dogs are normally kept. At this point, it is unknown if the girl let the dogs out of the kennel or if they were already out. It is also unclear if both dogs attacked her or just one. Detectives are trying to determine how long the girl had been out back before she was discovered. Since the attack, the girl's condition has improved and the investigation is on-going. Anyone who may have additional information is asked to call Det. John Elliott at (301) 609-6515.
DRUG ARREST: On April 3 at 9:52 a.m., Officer M. Kelly initiated a traffic stop in the 2300 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf after observing a traffic violation. Upon approaching the car, Officer Kelly smelled marijuana and observed suspected marijuana inside the car. Further investigation revealed the driver, Katherine Outlaw, was in possession of 20 individually wrapped crack/cocaine baggies and an additional baggie of suspected marijuana. Outlaw was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
CCSO AND CRIME SOLVERS OFFER CASH REWARD UP TO $10,000 FOR INFORMATION IN HOMICIDE: The Charles County Sheriff's Office has increased the reward being offered for information in the shooting death of Martin Hawkins Jr., 32, of La Plata. Hawkins was shot and killed on April 18, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Kent Avenue in La Plata. Officers discovered Hawkins lying in the roadway after responding to the sound of gunshots. The reward now stands at $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect(s).
Since the shooting, detectives have gone to the neighborhood adjacent to the shooting on multiple occasions in an effort to seek information. They have passed out hundreds of flyers containing important information about the case and detailed information about how to contact investigators or Crime Solvers.
Detectives have pursued many leads and have actually developed information which has led them to the identity of a possible suspect; however, at this point, detectives need more information to solidify the case. Investigators want to hear from a Crime Solvers caller who provided information soon after the shooting. The information was important to the case and detectives are asking the caller to call back.
Anyone with information is asked to call Det. John Elliott at (301) 609-6515. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS or Text CHARLES + your tip to CRIMES or visit www.ccso.us to submit a web tip.
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 .