Despite numerous opportunities granted by the court for John Otha Dickens, Jr. to maintain his freedom pending trial, Dickens seemed hell-bent on returning to cause harm to his victim. He was arrested 3 times in 4 days. (Arrest photo)
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING UPDATE: On October 21, detectives with the St. Mary's County Criminal Investigations Division responded to a residence on Bristol Ave. in Lexington Park for an officer-involved shooting. During the subsequent investigation detectives learned John Otha Dickens, Jr. had assaulted the victim on October 20 and had been arrested by Maryland State Police, charged with Assault 2nd Degree, and incarcerated in the Detention Center. Dickens, Jr. was later released by a District Court Commissioner on a $7,500 bond and ordered to have no contact with the victim.
On October 21, at 6:30 am, Dickens, Jr. returned to the residence and again assaulted the victim with a knife, threatened her with a gun, and assaulted a 5-year-old child with a knife causing a laceration to the child. Responding deputies entered the residence and heard a female screaming from an upstairs bedroom. Contact was made with Dickens, Jr. who refused deputies orders to cease his assault on the victim and was shot by a deputy. Dickens, Jr. was transported to Prince Georges Hospital Center where he was treated for his wounds and later released. Upon his release, Dickens, Jr. was charged with 3 counts of Assault 1st Degree, 3 counts of Assault 2nd Degree and incarcerated in the detention where he again appeared before a District Court Commissioner. Dickens was again released on a $5,000 bond pending further action by the courts.
On October 23, a bench warrant for failure to obey a court order was issued for John Otha Dickens, Jr. The original bond in both cases was revoked. At 5:45pm, the warrant was served by Corporal Corcoran. Dickens is being held without bail at the St. Mary's County Detention Center.
SUSPECT STEALS PATROL CAR: On October 23, deputies responded to a residence on Shady Mile Drive in California, Maryland, for a suspicious person complaint. Deputies located suspect Christopher Lee Cotsford, 31, of no fixed address, on the complainant's property in a state of intoxication. Cotsford was told to leave the property, which he did, heading toward Three Notch Road. Meanwhile, the complainant believed Cotsford may have been squatting in a shed on the property of a nearby foreclosed home and requested deputies check the area. While checking the area, Cotsford returned to the scene and stole a marked Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle. The vehicle was tracked and located in the area of Old Rolling Road a short time later. Cotsford was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center by Deputy Potter. He was charged with Theft Motor Vehicle, Theft $1,000.00 - $10,000.00, Rouge and Vagabond, Malicious Destruction of Property Over $1,000.00, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Malicious Destruction of Property Under $1,000.00, Driving While Intoxicated, and Driving While Suspended.
TRESPASSING: On October 23, Deputy Foor responded to Medstar St. Mary's Hospital for a trespassing complaint. Camille Nanette Commodore, 27, of no fixed address, was refusing to leave the property of the hospital after being discharged. She had also been served with a notice not to trespass. Commodore refused Deputy Foor's requests to leave and was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. She was charged with Trespassing.
WARRANT SERVICES:
10/22/2013 Jack Davis Morgan, 35, of Reston, Virginia - Violation of Probation by Deputy Kerns
CRIMINAL SUMMONS SERVICES:
10/22/2013 Ronald Wayne Jerew, 44, of Landover Hills - 2nd Degree Assault by Deputy Beyer
10/21/2013 Wayne Joseph Brooks, 21, of Callaway - Malicious Destruction of Property Over $500.00 and Telephone Misuse: Repeat Calls by Deputy Pontorno
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 .