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Darryl Doles was sentenced to life in prison with all but 30 years suspended for two counts of attempted murder, assault, and hate crime, Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates announced on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Doles pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2023.
Court documents detail Doles' May 2, 2021 "rampage" after he was denied entry to two Asian-American businesses for refusing to wear a mask indoors.
It began at Linden Discount Liquors on West North Avenue, when he entered to use the lottery machine around 11:25 p.m. The store security guard asked Doles to wear a mask due to COVID restrictions. The guard asked him to leave when he refused, and he kicked the machine on the ground rendering it inoperable and fled. He then returned about 10 minutes later with a 2”x4” piece of lumber and took a “full swing” at the security guard’s right side, causing minor injuries.
The store owner then came out and removed the piece of lumber as Doles ran from the store.
Doles’ rampage continued at 40/40 Liquors on Pennsylvania Avenue, where he kicked a display window, knocked over wine bottles, and left before being told not to return. Doles turned around, said, “F--k Chinese!” and continued walking northwest.
Around 11:45 p.m., Doles was seen kicking a display window and knocking things over at Wonder Land Liquors on Pennsylvania Avenue, despite the store being closed.
The owner asked Doles to leave and contacted the police, but he returned less than 10 minutes later with a large piece of concrete as she was locking up for the evening.
The owner tried to grab the concrete, and the two “locked arms and fell to the ground,” court papers say. He then grabbed her by the hair and pushed her face to the ground before kneeling on top of her and striking her three times in the head with the concrete block.
The owner’s sister rushed over in an attempt to stop the attack, but Doles hit her in the head with the block as well. Both women were hit repeatedly before taking the block from Doles, pushing him out of the store, and calling the police.
According to a GoFundMe published afterward, the attack left the sisters with serious injuries, one of them with over 25 stitches on her head and black eyes. More than $84,000 was raised to help them recover before donations were turned off.
Doles was found near the 2700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue about 45 minutes after the series of attacks. According to court papers, he made comments to a man at the scene he referred to as Shawn, saying, “they need to go back to their country,” and other racially-charged statements, while waiting for a primary officer to arrive.
“This was an act of heinous violence, steeped in hatred and prejudice, against two business owners in our community," said State's Attorney Bates. "I want to thank the officers and commanders of the Central District for their thorough investigation and my Felony Division Team for delivering justice to these victims."
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