Arrest Made in Attempted Kidnapping Case


Baltimore County Police have arrested and charged 24-year-old Jawuan Williams with Kidnapping, second degree assault and other related charges in connection to the attempted kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl in the 4400 block of Fullerton Avenue.

The attempted kidnapping was reported on April 3 around 4:30 p.m.

Williams is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center on a no-bail status pending a bail review hearing.

Perry Hall Giant Sells $1 Million Mega Millions Ticket


The sun is shining today on another Maryland millionaire in the Mega Millions game and a $50,000 top-prize winner in the Bonus Match 5 game.

If you bought a ticket at Giant #2304 on Belair Road in Perry Hall for the Tuesday, April 6 Mega Millions drawing, you may be the newest millionaire. Maryland had the only player in the country to match five of the winning numbers in the drawing to capture a $1 million second-tier prize. It is the second consecutive Mega Millions drawing to produce a $1 million winner in Maryland!

No one won the Mega Millions jackpot, which rolls to $201 million for the Friday, April 9 drawing, with a cash option of $135.9 million. The winning Mega Millions numbers from April 6 were 1, 19, 20, 32 and 42. The gold Mega Ball number was 17 and the optional Megaplier number was 3X. Giant will receive a $2,500 bonus for selling the ticket.

Nationally, 587,744 Mega Millions tickets in the April 6 drawing were winners. Maryland saw 15,770 players win prizes ranging from the $1 million second-tier win and two $10,000 prizes down to $2. The 2,457 Marylanders who paid the extra $1 to add Megaplier to the $2 ticket for the drawing saw their prizes triple.

Our Bonus Match 5 winner is celebrating, too! The player bought the $50,000 top-prize winning ticket at Snowden River Liquors located at 9359 Snowden River Parkway in Columbia. The winning numbers were 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30; the Bonus Ball is 8. This is the 17th top-prize-winning Bonus Match 5 ticket sold in 2021. For its role in the lucky sale, Snowden River Liquors earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery.

Meanwhile, the April 6 Bonus Match 5 drawing also produced two third-tier $10,000 winners on tickets sold at Dash In #12091 at 111001 Livingston Road in Fort Washington (Prince George’s County); and at AC&T #130 at 11564 Hopewell Road in Hagerstown (Washington County).

Lottery officials encourage the big winners to sign the back of the tickets immediately and put them in a safe location. Winners typically get 182 days from the date of the drawing to claim prizes. However, the Lottery has temporarily extended claiming deadlines due to Maryland’s COVID-19 state of emergency.

Pedestrian Killed Near Martin State Airport


Baltimore County Police are investigating a fatal crash in Middle River on Tuesday.

The accident occurred on April 6 just after 3:50 p.m. at Martin State Airport located in the 700 block of Wilson Point Road.

The pedestrian, Marion Cieplak Jr. (68) of Esworthy Road was pronounced deceased on scene after being struck by a 2002 Ford F3-50.

The Baltimore County Police Crash Team is continuing its investigation to determine the factors involved in this fatal crash.

Attempted Kidnapping Reported in Fullerton


Detectives are investigating an attempted kidnapping and assault that occurred on Saturday in the Fullerton area.

At approximately on April 3 around 4:30 p.m., a 12-year-old female was walking in the 4400 block of Fullerton Avenue when she was approached by an unknown man who assaulted her and then pulled her into his vehicle.

The girl was able to escape from the vehicle and then flagged down a passing motorist for assistance.

The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 20 – 30 years old, with a slender build, and a goatee.

The suspect’s vehicle is described as a silver Nissan Altima.

Anyone with information on the identity of the individual or vehicle seen in these photos is asked to call 410-307-2020.

Patapsco 2020 Graduate Killed in Crash


Maryland State Police are investigating a single-vehicle crash in which one person died and another was injured early Tuesday morning in Anne Arundel County.

Shortly before 4:15 a.m., troopers from the Maryland State Police Glen Burnie Barrack responded to a single-vehicle crash on northbound MD 295 at West Nursery Road in Linthicum Heights. According to a preliminary investigation, a 2018 Toyota Camry was traveling in in the left lane, when for unknown reasons, the driver failed to maintain control of the vehicle, drove off to the right grassy portion of the roadway and struck a tree. Both the driver and passenger were wearing seatbelt at the time of crash.

The driver of the Toyota, a 19-year-old male, was transported by ambulance to Shock Trauma in Baltimore for treatment of his injuries. The passenger of the vehicle, Sean Ruffin, 19, of Dundalk was pronounced deceased at the scene by Anne Arundel County EMS personnel.

Ruffin is a 2020 gradate of Patapsco High Center for the Arts. According to the Patapsco Patriots Football Facebook page, Ruffin was a 4 year member of the Patapsco Football Program, a Captain for both the JV and Varsity teams, who started at both Wide Receiver and Defensive back for the Patriots.

Sean was the type of kid every coach loves to have apart of their program, always knew the perfect time to crack a joke, but also knew when it was time to strap up and get to work. Sean’s coaches and teammates will always cherish the moments & memories shared during their time together and hold them close to their hearts,” said a statement on the page.

“The Patapsco Football program sends our deepest condolences to Sean’s family, friends, and loved ones during this tragic time.”

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Eastern Tech Student Earns $40,000 Scholarship


Munachiso Nkeonye-Mbaekwe, a senior at Eastern Technical High School, thought she was invited to appear on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on March 31 to talk about college admissions during the pandemic. So she and the 24 other featured students were surprised to learn the real reason for their participation in the live segment: that they were among the 27 students selected to receive $40,000 College Board Opportunity Scholarships.

Nkeonye-Mbaekwe and the other students were selected from a pool of students who completed The College Board’s six college planning steps: building a college list, practicing for the SAT, exploring scholarships, strengthening their college list, completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and applying to colleges. As part of the program, drawings for $500 scholarships are held for the completion of each of the six steps.

Nkeonye-Mbaekwe is enrolled in Eastern Tech’s Academy of Health Professions/Allied Health Magnet Program.

“Our Academy of Health Professions/Allied Health curriculum is one of the most challenging magnet programs that we offer,” said school counselor Donna Murphy. “Through her participation in this program, Munachiso has gained a wealth of knowledge about the medical field, exploring the body and distinguishing between diseases and disorders that affect various body systems. She is OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] 10-hour HealthCare-certified as well as American Heart Association HealthCare Provider BLS/CPR [Basic Life Support/ Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation] and First Aid-certified.”

Active in her school, community, and church, and a caregiver in her family, Nkeonye-Mbaekwe is a member of the African Student Association, Latin Honor Society, National Honor Society, National Science Honor Society, Step Squad, and a mentor for Grade 9 students.

“Munachiso actively pursues opportunities to engage in service and learning in the community,” Murphy added. During summer 2019, Nkeonye-Mbaekwe earned an internship with the REAP (Research & Engineering Apprenticeship) Program at Morgan State University.

The College Board Opportunity Scholarships program is open to students in the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories, regardless of citizenship status. U.S. citizens and residents attending Department of Defense Education Activity schools abroad may also participate.

This program is open to students regardless of their family income. At least half of all scholarships (more than $2 million) will be designated for students whose families earn less than $60,000 a year. Whenever students who meet these requirements complete a step, they earn an extra entry in monthly drawings for scholarships.

OLH/SL Spring Carnival Returns to Dundalk


After being forced to shutdown in 2020 because of COVID-19, Our Lady of Hope & St. Luke Parishes announced the return of their annual spring carnival to the Dundalk area.

The event will return to its usual spot at the Our Lady of Hope fields on Lynch Road near Wise Avenue. It will be held for two weekends (six days) from Friday, April 3 to Sunday, May 2 and again on Friday, May 7 to Sunday, May 9, but face masks and social distancing are required.

We are excited to welcome you back to our annual spring carnival featuring rides & amusements from Shaw & Sons and a variety of dining offerings from local food trucks,” said a statement on the OLH/SL Spring Carnival Facebook page

“This year’s event will look a little different as we have adjusted our format to ensure public health & safety guidelines are met. Masks are required and social distancing is encouraged wherever possible.”

Baltimore County to Hold Spring Restaurant Week


In the latest effort to support Baltimore County’s restaurant and hospitality industry, County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced Baltimore County’s first Spring Restaurant Week will be held from April 16- May 2.

For the first time, Baltimore County Restaurant Week deals and special menu items at more than 50 participating establishments will expand to include dine-in, takeout, or curbside pick-up to provide flexible, safe options for residents.

“We are excited to partner with our local restaurants to bring back this beloved Baltimore County tradition in an innovative, new way,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “We’re encouraging the residents of Baltimore County and beyond to come out and support our hard-hit restaurant community—whether it’s trying something new or returning to an old favorite—and to take full advantage of these options to dine safely and comfortably.”

To continue to prioritize the recovery of our local restaurant partners, all registration fees required for participation in this year’s promotion have been waived.

Baltimore County Restaurant Week allows diners to discover new restaurants or old favorites at a discounted price. All Baltimore County restaurants must follow the County’s COVID-19 restrictions and CDC guidelines.

Participating restaurants, menus and special deals will be updated regularly on the eastbaltcoPosted on Categories Business Matters, NewsTags

Youtube Channel Profiles Golden Ring Mall


-photo courtesy of YouTube-

There is a YouTube channel that profiles the history of local malls in the region.

One of the malls featured is the former Golden Ring Mall in the Rossville area.

The mall opened in the 70s and closed in 2001. The mall’s old location has been the current home of The Centre at Golden Ring shopping center since its opening in 2002.

The video details the popularity of Golden Ring in the 1980s and early 90s as it housed the only movie theater in the area.

Then it is explained that the opening of Towsontown Mall in 1992 and the opening of the movie theater at The Avenue White Marsh in 1997 as a reason for the decline of Golden Ring.

I agreed with that assessment but felt that the creation of Campbell Boulevard also hurt Golden Ring.

The only way to get from Golden Ring to White Marsh Mall in the early 90s was to drive on the fast paced I-95. Once Campbell was built, motorists could drive safely from Golden Ring on Philadelphia Road to Campbell to White Marsh Mall.

The video was a nice trip down memory lane. I was hoping the author would have posted some old videos from inside the mall and had more original photos.

Some of the photos included the ironic Montgomery Wards photo and an outdoor picture of the old Stewarts from the highway.

I have seen many of these photos on social media, but it is probably difficult to find original photos of the old mall.

It is worth a view.

Two Adults and A Child Shot in Overlea


Baltimore County Police reported three people were shot in Rosedale last night.

Shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday night, patrol officers responded to the scene of a triple shooting in the 5500 block of Lanham Way in Rosedale. Officers found three people suffering from gunshot wounds.

All three victims were transported to the hospital; two of the victims later died as a result of their injuries.

42-year-old Nyatiaha Faltz
19-year-old Grantley Herbert
8-year-old (non-fatal injury)

An initial investigation indicates this shooting stemmed from an argument that occurred during a family gathering.

Homicide detectives are actively conducting their investigation at this time. If you have any information about this case, please call Baltimore County Police at 410-307-2020.