Tag:

Ellicott City, MD

Boy Scout Leader Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Minor In Maryland, Police Say Boy Scout Leader Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Minor In Maryland, Police Say
Boy Scout Leader Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Minor In Maryland, Police Say A 56-year-old man who has been a Boy Scout leader for the past five years at a Howard County church is behind bars following an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of a minor. Ellicott City resident James Alan Soltysiak has been arrested after a minor disclosed the alleged abuse, which began in May, last month to an adult, who contacted the police, leading to the probe and his arrest last week. Investigators from the Howard County Police Department made note that Soltysiak has been a Boy Scout Leader at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City for years; however, the abuse was un…
Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing Teen Employee In Maryland Released On $100K Bond, Police Say Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing Teen Employee In Maryland Released On $100K Bond, Police Say
Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing Teen Employee In Maryland Released On $100K Bond, Police Say A 54-year-old man accused of sexually abusing a teen boy who worked for him in Howard County has been released from custody on Tuesday, police say.  Ellicott City resident Joshua Duerk was charged last week for allegedly assaulting a 16-year-old in his home earlier this month, according to officials. A spokesperson from the Howard County Police Department said that the boy was allegedly abused on Friday, Aug. 16, and the agency was notified the following day, leading to an investigation that resulted in Duerk's arrest a week later. Duerk was charged with sexual abuse of a mi…
Root For These 24 Maryland, Virginia Athletes Repping Team USA At Paris Olympics Root For These 24 Maryland, Virginia Athletes Repping Team USA At Paris Olympics
Root For These 24 Maryland, Virginia Athletes Repping Team USA At Paris Olympics A strong contingent of athletes and para athletes from Maryland and Virginia are headed to the Paris Olympics. A total of 24 athletes from Maryland and 15 from Virginia have all qualified for the Olympics and are ready to make their run at the gold when events kick off Friday, July 26. Athletes from Maryland set to sport the Red, White, and Blue during the Olympics:  Phoebe Bacon, of Chevy Chase, in swimming; Aaron Brooks, of Hagerstown, in wrestling; Kevin Durant, of DC, in basketball; Erin Gemmell of Bethesda, in swimming; Noah Hanssen, of Maryland, in wheelchair fencing; Jahmal …
Driver Charged For Fatal Hit-Run Crash Involving Elderly Woman In Maryland, Police Say Driver Charged For Fatal Hit-Run Crash Involving Elderly Woman In Maryland, Police Say
Driver Charged For Fatal Hit-Run Crash Involving Elderly Woman In Maryland, Police Say Months after a 77-year-old woman was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in Howard County, police say they have apprehended the wanted man. Baltimore resident Da'quan Shaheim Smith, 22, has been arrested and faces charges in connection to the fatal crash that took the life of Soon Ja Chung in Ellicott City on Saturday, Jan. 20.  The Ellicott City resident was walking shortly before 5 p.m. on the day of the crash when she was struck by a vehicle believed to be a silver Nissan Altima that was traveling east on Baltimore National Pike near Ridge Road. At the time of the crash, Chun…
Maryland Man Sentenced For Role In Murder-For-Hire Plot Involving Possible Whistleblower: Feds Maryland Man Sentenced For Role In Murder-For-Hire Plot Involving Possible Whistleblower: Feds
Maryland Man Sentenced For Role In Murder-For-Hire Plot Involving Possible Whistleblower: Feds The Maryland man who provided a gun to a cohort has will spend decades in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire scheme involving a purported whistleblower. Jourdain "JBlacc" Larose, 28, of Ellicott City, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for conspiring to kill 23-year-old Juan Ross in 2020 in exchange for cash, federal authorities announced. According to his plea deal, Larose accused the Howard County resident of working with law enforcement, including on a live social media conversation and in text messages, leading to a plan to take him out. Larose provided a gun t…
'Armed, Dangerous' Murder Suspect Wanted In Kentucky Apprehended By Maryland State Police 'Armed, Dangerous' Murder Suspect Wanted In Kentucky Apprehended By Maryland State Police
'Armed, Dangerous' Murder Suspect Wanted In Kentucky Apprehended By Maryland State Police A man considered armed and dangerous who was wanted for murder in Kentucky has been taken into custody in Maryland after his BMW was spotted outside a Howard County motel, state police announced. Louisville resident Tho Luong, 41, who was on the run after a woman was found dead on Tuesday in Kentucky, has been arrested and is waiting to be extradited back to face the charges. At around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, a state police spokesperson said that Luong and his 2011 black BMW were found at a motel in the 8000 block of Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City, leading to his arr…
Fugitive Wanted For Trying To Kill Twin In MD Captured Near NJ/NY Border After 50-Mile Pursuit Fugitive Wanted For Trying To Kill Twin In MD Captured Near NJ/NY Border After 50-Mile Pursuit
Fugitive Wanted For Trying To Kill Twin In MD Captured Near NJ/NY Border After 50-Mile Pursuit A fugitive wanted for the attempted murder of his twin sister in Maryland was captured just short of the New York State line in New Jersey following a nearly hour-long pursuit, authorities confirmed on Monday, Dec. 4. Reese E. Wetzel, 23, of Ellicott City, MD stabbed his sister multiple times during an argument, then stole her car and headed north, police in Edison, NJ, said. Edison police said they received a Sirius XM alert involving the stolen white 2019 Subaru Outback at 8:13 p.m. Sunday. It pointed them toward Route 1 at Main Street, they said. Edison Officer Phil Smith spotted the s…
Fugitive Wanted For Trying To Kill Twin In MD Captured Near NJ/NY Border After 50-Mile Pursuit Fugitive Wanted For Trying To Kill Twin In MD Captured Near NJ/NY Border After 50-Mile Pursuit
Fugitive Wanted For Trying To Kill Twin In MD Captured Near NJ/NY Border After 50-Mile Pursuit A fugitive wanted for the attempted murder of his twin sister in Maryland was captured just short of the New York State line in New Jersey following a nearly hour-long pursuit, authorities confirmed on Monday, Dec. 4. Reese E. Wetzel, 23, of Ellicott City, MD stabbed his sister multiple times during an argument, then stole her car and headed north, police in Edison, NJ, said. Edison police said they received a Sirius XM alert involving the stolen white 2019 Subaru Outback at 8:13 p.m. Sunday. It pointed them toward Route 1 at Main Street, they said. Edison Officer Phil Smith spotted the s…
Robbery Investigation Leads To Recovery Of Gun Used In Fatal Triple Maryland Shooting: Police Robbery Investigation Leads To Recovery Of Gun Used In Fatal Triple Maryland Shooting: Police
Robbery Investigation Leads To Recovery Of Gun Used In Fatal Triple Maryland Shooting: Police A gun used in a July armed robbery in Howard County has been linked to a fatal triple shooting last month, leading to the arrests of multiple teenagers and a 46-year-old man, police say. A pair of police cases came to a head, leading investigators to charge two from Baltimore in connection to the murder of 24-year-old Dylan Migel Perez last month after a gun used in the shooting was found during a separate investigation into a robbery. In October, officers from the Howard County Police Department were called to the Exxon gas station in the 6000 block of Foreland Garth in Columbia, where the…
Maryland Man Admits To Role In Murder-For-Hire Plot Involving Possible Whistleblower: Feds Maryland Man Admits To Role In Murder-For-Hire Plot Involving Possible Whistleblower: Feds
Maryland Man Admits To Role In Murder-For-Hire Plot Involving Possible Whistleblower: Feds The Maryland man who provided a gun to a cohort has admitted to his role in a murder-for-hire scheme involving a purported whistleblower. Jourdain "JBlacc" Larose, 28, of Ellicott City, pleaded guilty this week in connection to the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Juan Ross in 2020, federal authorities announced. According to his plea deal, Larose accused the Howard County resident of working with law enforcement, including on a live social media conversation and in text messages, leading to a plan to take him out. Larose provided a gun to one person on Sept. 12, 2020, with the inte…
State Police Helicopters Come To Aid Of Injured Mountain Bikers In Maryland, West Virginia State Police Helicopters Come To Aid Of Injured Mountain Bikers In Maryland, West Virginia
State Police Helicopters Come To Aid Of Injured Mountain Bikers In Maryland, West Virginia It was a busy weekend for Maryland State Police Aviation Command crews. A pair of mountain bikers had to be rescued and airlifted to area hospitals after finding themselves in perilous positions during separate incidents Howard County and West Virginia that required state police intervention. On Saturday, July 29, crews were called into action to come to the rescue of a 44-year-old man in Ellicott City in Maryland, and a 41-year-old man in Davis, West Virginia who were injured while mountain biking in tricky terrain. Police say that the 44-year-old became incapacitated after his bike stru…
Former Police Chief In Maryland Gets Eight Life Sentences For Targeted Revenge Arson Attacks Former Police Chief In Maryland Gets Eight Life Sentences For Targeted Revenge Arson Attacks
Former Police Chief In Maryland Gets Eight Life Sentences For Targeted Revenge Arson Attacks A judge in Maryland turned up the heat on a former police chief who was convicted of intentionally setting multiple fires as a means of revenge during a near decade-long crime spree. Former Laurel Police Chief David Crawford, of Ellicott City, 71, will likely spend the rest of his days with some of the people he helped lock up after being sentenced to eight life sentences, plus 75 years in prison, for a serial arson case, the Howard County State's Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, June 27. The State's Attorney's Office noted that "Crawfords actual executable prison sentence is two ye…
Teacher Accused Of Sexually Abusing 15-Year-Old Student On School Grounds For Months In MD: PD Teacher Accused Of Sexually Abusing 15-Year-Old Student On School Grounds For Months In MD: PD
Teacher Accused Of Sexually Abusing 15-Year-Old Student On School Grounds For Months In MD: PD A sexual predator who preyed on a 15-year-old student he was tasked to teach in Maryland has been apprehended out of state for alleged sexual abuse on school grounds, authorities announced. Investigators from the Howard County Police Department have charged Mount Hebron High School teacher Matthew Barth, 44, for alleged indiscretions involving a teenager over the course of four months. Barth, an Ellicott City resident, was arrested on Thursday, May 4, following a brief investigation after allegations were levied against him by a friend of the victim, according to police. The claims of abu…
Former Police Chief In Maryland Convicted Of Targeted Arson Attacks: State's Attorney Former Police Chief In Maryland Convicted Of Targeted Arson Attacks: State's Attorney
Former Police Chief In Maryland Convicted Of Targeted Arson Attacks: State's Attorney The Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office is seeking multiple life sentences for a former police chief in Maryland who was connected to a dozen different arson cases that spanned multiple counties over two decades. David Crawford, 71, was found guilty by a jury on multiple attempted murder and other charges for his lengthy crime spree that stretched out for years, Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson announced on Thursday, March 9. Specifically, Crawford was found guilty on Thursday of: Eight counts of first-degree attempted murder; Three counts of first-degree arson; Malicious …
Elementary Student Honored By Johns Hopkins After Exceptional ACT, SAT Scores Elementary Student Honored By Johns Hopkins After Exceptional ACT, SAT Scores
Elementary Student Honored By Johns Hopkins After Exceptional ACT, SAT Scores An elementary student from Ellicott City has just been honored for being one of the brightest students in the world by Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY), officials say. Niveditha Baskar, a student at Deeprun Elementary School, received the honor after exceptional performance on the SAT and ACT. The young student took the tests as a part of the CTY Talent Search. Baskar was one of less than 27 percent of 15,300 students from across the world who received high or grand honors based on their test scores, according to CTY. "This is not just recognition of our students' success on o…
Hitman Nicknamed 'Glock' Gets 35 Years In Maryland Murder-For-Hire Plot: Feds Hitman Nicknamed 'Glock' Gets 35 Years In Maryland Murder-For-Hire Plot: Feds
Hitman Nicknamed 'Glock' Gets 35 Years In Maryland Murder-For-Hire Plot: Feds A Baltimore criminal with a fitting nickname will spend decades behind bars for his role in a murder-for-hire plot that led to the death of a man believed to be working with law enforcement. Daquante “Glock" Thomas, 20, of Baltimore, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death in connection with a murder-for-hire conspiracy involving 23-year-old Juan Ross in October 2020. Prosecutors said that on Oct. 4, 2020, Howard County Police responded to a reported shooting in the area of…
Toddler Killed, Six Injured In Chain-Reaction Crash In Maryland, Police Say Toddler Killed, Six Injured In Chain-Reaction Crash In Maryland, Police Say
Toddler Killed, Six Injured In Chain-Reaction Crash In Maryland, Police Say Authorities say that a toddler was killed and six others were injured when a truck rear-ended a car that set off a chain collision crash in Maryland. At approximately 6:14 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, officers from the Howard County Police Department responded to a reported crash in Ellicott City involving multiple vehicles. According to a police spokesperson, a 2018 Peterbilt truck hauling a tanker was traveling north on Route 29 approaching the ramp for Route 40 when it rear-ended a 2002 Honda Odyssey, setting off the chain-reaction collision that involved two other vehicles. A 3-year-old p…
Howard County Resident Comes Home To Herd Of Horses In Backyard Howard County Resident Comes Home To Herd Of Horses In Backyard
Howard County Resident Comes Home To Herd Of Horses In Backyard An Ellicott City resident got quite the surprise after arriving home to find several donkeys and miniature horses in their backyard, authorities say. Howard County authorities say that the resident called for assistance after noticing the new additions, as they did not belong to them. Officers were able to arrive to the home and corral the mini horses and donkeys and locate their owner.  Other duties as assigned: An Ellicott City resident discovered that there were donkeys and mini horses in their backyard. That was odd because they did not own donkeys or mini horses. So officers arriv…
Police ID Woman Killed In Wrong-Way Maryland Crash That Injured Three: Police Police ID Woman Killed In Wrong-Way Maryland Crash That Injured Three: Police
Police ID Woman Killed In Wrong-Way Maryland Crash That Injured Three: Police One person was killed and several other were injured in a collision in Ellicott City over the weekend, authorities say. Jung Eun Yi, 50, was killed after a wrong-way driver traveling east in the westbound lane of Rogers Avenue struck the vehicle she was traveling in around 11:44 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, according to Howard County police. Investigators say the collision occurred in the area of Route 29. The driver and another passenger of the westbound vehicle were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the striking vehicle was taken to the Howard County General Hospital…
Silver Alert Issued For Vulnerable 77-Year-Old Man Missing In Maryland Silver Alert Issued For Vulnerable 77-Year-Old Man Missing In Maryland
Silver Alert Issued For Vulnerable 77-Year-Old Man Missing In Maryland The Maryland Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons (MCMUP) is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 77-year-old man who has not been seen since Tuesday, Oct. 18. A Silver Alert was issued on behalf of the Howard County Police Department for Ervin Milton Norgren who was last seen at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon in the area of Ashby Court in Ellicott City. Norgren was described as being 5-foot-11, weighing 170 pounds with gray/blonde hair, brown eyes, glasses, and he is cleanly shaven. He was last seen wearing a green plaid flannel shirt, gray sweatpants, and blue …
Maryland State Police Aviation Crew Rescues Injured Hunter In Howard County Maryland State Police Aviation Crew Rescues Injured Hunter In Howard County
Maryland State Police Aviation Crew Rescues Injured Hunter In Howard County Maryland State Police troopers made a daring air rescue of an injured hunter who fell from a tree stand and suffered serious injuries in Ellicott City. Shortly after 8 a.m. on Friday, October 7, the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services called in the Maryland State Police Aviation Unit to medevac an injured hunter who fell between 20 and 30 feet from a tree stand in a heavily wooded and remote area of Cascade Falls. Troopers from the Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base were able to configure the helicopter for an aerial hoist rescue and responded to the area, according to a po…
$10.8M Highway Construction Expansion Project To Begin In Ellicott City $10.8M Highway Construction Expansion Project To Begin In Ellicott City
$10.8M Highway Construction Expansion Project To Begin In Ellicott City A $10.8 million roadway-widening project in Ellicott City will begin this week, officials say. The project will widen MD 103 between US 29 and Long Gate Parkway, adding a third lane on MD 103 for motorists wishing to access northbound U.S. 29, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. The new northbound U.S. 29 lane will separate exiting traffic from westbound MD 103 prior to the traffic signal at Old Columbia Pike.  Sidewalks, bicycle lanes, a painted median, and replacements will be included in the project. Single-lane and shoulder closure…
One Dead In Route 29 Crash One Dead In Route 29 Crash
One Dead In Route 29 Crash A man is dead after his vehicle went up in flames after crashing into a pole in Ellicott City in an early morning collision, authorities say. The victim was driving north on Route 29 at the ramp to I-70 East when he drove off the roadway, striking a sign support pole around 4:42 a.m., Wednesday, July 6, according to Howard County police. The 2022 Nissan Rouge became engulfed in flames after the collision and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The identity of the victim is pending release upon notification of next of kin. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.&n…
Special Olympics Torch Set To Arrive In Howard County This Week Special Olympics Torch Set To Arrive In Howard County This Week
Special Olympics Torch Set To Arrive In Howard County This Week The Special Olympic Torch, or the "Flame of Hope" is set to return to Howard County later this week, officials say. The torch will be handed off at Centennial Park in Ellicott City at 10 a.m., Thursday, June 23, according to Howard County Officials.  Law enforcement officers will carry the torch with the assistance of Special Olympics athletes over a six mile course of roadways around the park.  The torch has been carried hundreds of miles across Maryland during the month of June to raise awareness and money for the Special Olympics Maryland. The Special Olympics athletes partic…
Police Ask For Help Identifying Driver Who Killed Pedestrian In Ellicott City Police Ask For Help Identifying Driver Who Killed Pedestrian In Ellicott City
Police Ask For Help Identifying Driver Who Killed Pedestrian In Ellicott City Police are asking for the public's help identifying suspect behind the wheel of a vehicle that struck and killed a pedestrian in Ellicott City, authorities say. The driver of a white Jeep Wrangler hit and killed Michael Kevin Fitzpatrick, 54, on Old Frederick Road near Weatherstone Drive shortly after 11 p.m., Sunday, June 5, according to Howard County police. Fitzpatrick's body was found by a passerby around 8 a.m., Monday June 6. A nearby residence had video that showed a white Jeep Wrangler near the scene, and found a piece of the Jeep's white fender nearby. Police suspect that the vehi…