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La Plata, MD

Police & Fire
Gas Station Welfare Check Leads To Drug, Weapons Bust In Southern Maryland: State Police Gas Station Welfare Check Leads To Drug, Weapons Bust In Southern Maryland: State Police
Gas Station Welfare Check Leads To Drug, Weapons Bust In Southern Maryland: State Police A routine welfare check at a St. Mary's County gas station turned into a full-blown bust that ended with four arrests, suspected drugs, and even brass knuckles recovered, state police said. On Sunday, Dec. 22, troopers were called to the Shell gas station in the 22100 block of Three Notch Road in Lexington Park, where there were reports of a driver - later identified as La Plata resident Melissa Anne Dudley - asleep at the wheel. According to investigators, Dudley, 45, was initially placed under arrest for DUI, who noted that there was suspected cocaine and associated drug paraphernalia in …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Maryland Man Charged In Fatal Shooting Of 15-Year-Old Stepson Over Chores: Sheriff Maryland Man Charged In Fatal Shooting Of 15-Year-Old Stepson Over Chores: Sheriff
Maryland Man Charged In Fatal Shooting Of 15-Year-Old Stepson Over Chores: Sheriff A Maryland man is accused of fatally shooting his 15-year-old stepson after an argument over household chores escalated to violence in Charles County, officials say. Darshan Eric Williams, 48, was arrested early Monday after officers responded to a shooting at the family’s home in the 6400 block of Huntt Road in La Plata shortly after midnight. Officers found Williams standing outside the residence and took him into custody without incident, according to the sheriff's office. Inside the home, they discovered his teenage stepson, Michael Edward Clemons, unconscious and not breathing. Despit…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Police ID 77-Year-Old Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Maryland Crash Police ID 77-Year-Old Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Maryland Crash
Police ID 77-Year-Old Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Maryland Crash An investigation has been launched by the Charles County Sheriff's Office following a fatal midday single-vehicle crash on Tuesday afternoon.  La Plata resident James Stewart, 77, has been identified by investigators as the driver found dead inside a vehicle that struck a telephone pole. According to the sheriff's office, shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, officers responded to the 5900 block of Bicknell Road in Indian Head to investigate the reported crash. Investigators determined that Stewart was driving on Bicknell Road when he lost control, went off the roadway, and struck the t…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Student Made Threat Of Violence At Maryland Middle School, Sheriff Says Student Made Threat Of Violence At Maryland Middle School, Sheriff Says
Student Made Threat Of Violence At Maryland Middle School, Sheriff Says A student at a Charles County middle school will avoid any criminal charges due to his age after allegedly making threats of violence, according to the sheriff's office. Last week, an SRO at Milton Somers Middle School in La Plata was tipped off about comments a student made threatening violence toward the building. Investigators say that a home visit was conducted at the student's home, and officers were told that the student does not have access to weapons. Despite the threats and subsequent evaluation, officials said that the student cannot be charged under Maryland law due to their age…

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by Zak Failla
News
Parolee Convicted Of Killing SAO Witness Coordinator Learns Fate For Maryland Assault Parolee Convicted Of Killing SAO Witness Coordinator Learns Fate For Maryland Assault
Parolee Convicted Of Killing SAO Witness Coordinator Learns Fate For Maryland Assault A parolee who was convicted of the murder of Gayle Cooke in a 2000 shooting during a domestic dispute is heading back to prison, according to the Charles County State's Attorney's Office. La Plata native Damion Anqwan Wilson, 42, was sentenced to 20 years in prison following an incident earlier this year at a Dash In location when he broke out a gun during an altercation while still on parole. Prosecutors say that on Jan. 17, officers were called to the 600 block of Charles Street in La Plata, where there was an altercation involving Wilson and a stranger, during which, the former pointed a…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Theft Suspect Rode On Hood Of Stolen Vehicle During Police Pursuit In Maryland: Sheriff Theft Suspect Rode On Hood Of Stolen Vehicle During Police Pursuit In Maryland: Sheriff
Theft Suspect Rode On Hood Of Stolen Vehicle During Police Pursuit In Maryland: Sheriff Like a scene out of "Fast and Furious" a theft suspect jumped out of one stolen vehicle and temporarily onto the hood of another during a police pursuit in Charles County. District residents Dimiuan Paul Jackson and Robert Leroy Barnes, both 24, were arrested this week following an early morning investigation and subsequent chase after being busted breaking into cars, according to the sheriff's office. Shortly after 4:20 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 14, officers were called to the area of Cave Creek Court in Waldorf, where suspicious suspects were seen breaking into cars.  Their shenanigans w…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Merchant Marine Chief Steward Killed In MD Motorcycle Crash Had 'Larger-Than-Life Personality' Merchant Marine Chief Steward Killed In MD Motorcycle Crash Had 'Larger-Than-Life Personality'
Merchant Marine Chief Steward Killed In MD Motorcycle Crash Had 'Larger-Than-Life Personality' A 24-year-old man who served his country overseas and died in a Southern Maryland motorcycle crash over the weekend is being remembered by loved ones for his larger-than-life personality and a smile that could light up a room. Nanjemoy native Luke Robert Vandegrift was identified by Maryland State Police as the person on a Suzuki GSXR-1000 who was killed after striking the side of a pick-up truck on Saturday afternoon in La Plata. Daytona beach bike week 2024 Posted by Luke Vandegrift on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 Now, friends and family are rallying as they continue to come to t…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Charles County Volunteer Firefighter Jeff Garner Dies, 61: 'Invaluable Leader' Charles County Volunteer Firefighter Jeff Garner Dies, 61: 'Invaluable Leader'
Charles County Volunteer Firefighter Jeff Garner Dies, 61: 'Invaluable Leader' A popular Charles County community member is being remembered for his work ethic and a lifetime of service to his neighbors following his death. Flags across the county will be flown at half-mast to honor Jeff Garner, 61, a longtime member of the Charles County Volunteer Fire and EMS agency who spent nearly 40 decades as a popular civil servant in his hometown of La Plata. "Jeff dedicated his life to serving our town, beginning in an entry-level role and working his way up to become an invaluable leader in the Public Works Department," the town posted in a tribute on Facebook. "But Jeff wa…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Repeat DUI Offender Drove 43 Miles Drunk From Maryland To Virginia, Sheriff Says Repeat DUI Offender Drove 43 Miles Drunk From Maryland To Virginia, Sheriff Says
Repeat DUI Offender Drove 43 Miles Drunk From Maryland To Virginia, Sheriff Says A La Plata woman who traveled more than 40 miles from Maryland to Virginia before stopping for a nap at a traffic light is facing another DUI offense, according to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. Shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, deputies were called to investigate a possible drunk driver, where they found Amy Cooksey, 59, parked at the traffic light in front of Sheetz on Kings Highway unconscious behind the wheel. Upon arrival, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said that Cooksey had her vehicle in park at the time and her foot was still on the gas. Onc…

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by Zak Failla
News
Man Who 'Permanently Erased' Woman During Maryland Argument Gets Life In Prison For Murder Man Who 'Permanently Erased' Woman During Maryland Argument Gets Life In Prison For Murder
Man Who 'Permanently Erased' Woman During Maryland Argument Gets Life In Prison For Murder It took a jury approximately two hours to convict a man of the murder of a woman whose body was found in Charles County last spring, now he will spend the rest of his life in prison and isn't going to get out. Deanthony Lamont Warrick, 35, of Indian Head, was convicted by a jury following a four-day trial for his role in the violent death of 29-year-old La Plata resident Jasmine Lakesha Hicks in April 2023, according to the state prosecutor's office. On Friday, Aug. 9, Charles County State's Attorney Tony Covington announced that Warrick has been sentenced to life in prison without par…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Child Killed In Tragic Bounce House Accident Remembered By Maryland Community Child Killed In Tragic Bounce House Accident Remembered By Maryland Community
Child Killed In Tragic Bounce House Accident Remembered By Maryland Community Declan Hicks had a passion for dinosaurs, loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and had a penchant for "crazy socks" before he was killed in a freak accident at an independent baseball game over the weekend. The 5-year-old boy from La Plata was playing in a bounce house on Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf when it was swept away by wind and flew approximately 15 to 20 feet into the air before landing on the field, officials said. Another child also suffered injuries during the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs game on Aug. 2. Both were airlifted to area hospitals by state po…

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by Zak Failla
News
5-Year-Old Boy Killed In Tragic Bounce House Accident At Maryland Blue Crabs Game 5-Year-Old Boy Killed In Tragic Bounce House Accident At Maryland Blue Crabs Game
5-Year-Old Boy Killed In Tragic Bounce House Accident At Maryland Blue Crabs Game A child was killed and at least one other injured when a wind gust sent a bounce house airborne at Regency Furniture Stadium during a Southern Maryland Blue Crabs game on Friday night. Shortly after 9:20 p.m. on Aug. 2, first responders were called to the stadium during the game when the moon bounce was swept away, going approximately 15 to 20 feet in the air, causing it to fall before landing on the field, officials say. Maryland Blue Crabs Google Maps street view Charles County paramedics already stationed at the stadium for the game, as well as trainers from the team, and volunte…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Armed Man Shot TV, Threatened Pair Before Arrest In Charles County, Sheriff Says Armed Man Shot TV, Threatened Pair Before Arrest In Charles County, Sheriff Says
Armed Man Shot TV, Threatened Pair Before Arrest In Charles County, Sheriff Says A man who fired shots at a TV and threatened two people inside a Charles County home was apprehended peacefully due to the measured work of officers, according to the sheriff's office. La Plata resident Alfredo Arroyo, 45, is facing charges following an incident that played out over the weekend that led to a large police presence and could have ended tragically if not for officers de-escalating the situation, officials said on Wednesday. On the morning of Saturday, July 13, officers were called to the La Plata home, where there was a report of shots fired.  "Responding officers i…

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by Zak Failla
News
Man Who Threatened To Kill Woman During Argument Convicted Of Murder In MD: State's Attorney Man Who Threatened To Kill Woman During Argument Convicted Of Murder In MD: State's Attorney
Man Who Threatened To Kill Woman During Argument Convicted Of Murder In MD: State's Attorney It took a jury approximately two hours to convict a man of the murder of a woman whose body was found in Charles County last spring. Deanthony Lamont Warrick, 35, of Indian Head, was convicted by a jury following a 4-day trial for his role in the death of 29-year-old La Plata resident Jasmine Lakesha Hicks in April 2023, according to the state prosecutor's office. At approximately 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 officers from the Charles County Sheriff's Office responded to the 2300 block of Woodberry Drive in Bryans Road, where there was a report of a woman - later identified a…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
'First-Timer' Hits $190K Lottery Jackpot In Maryland 'First-Timer' Hits $190K Lottery Jackpot In Maryland
'First-Timer' Hits $190K Lottery Jackpot In Maryland A bit of beginner's luck and a spontaneous decision led to a life-altering Lottery win for a Maryland woman. A first-time player from La Plata struck gold on a FAST PLAY ticket, winning a $190,383 progressive jackpot prize that reportedly left the first-time player speechless when she realized her massive win. The woman said that she purchased a $10 FAST PLAY Grand Progressive ticket on a whim after seeing how large the jackpot had risen during a trip to Walmart on Drury Drive in La Plata. "It was surreal," the anonymous player, going only by the moniker "First Timer," stated. "I’ve always…

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by Zak Failla