Author: eastbaltco

Essex’s Deep Creek Middle Drama Club named Honorees


The Deep Creek Middle Drama Club has been named one of the six honorees in the 2020 Young Playwrights Festival, presented by Baltimore Center Stage.

The members of the Deep Creek Middle Drama Club are: My’Kelle Carter, Shakiyah Carter, Carlita Church, Aniyah Dangerfield, AaShyah de Vires, Jason Emmanuel, Sarah Francisco, Monique Franklin, Reuben George, Ty’Liyah Green, Sumyah Jacobs, Elijah Kurtyka, Jade Lawrence, Brandon McMurrin, Carter Mills-Franklin, Makayla Powell, Kirsten Tyler, Akeelah Washington. All the club members are in Grade 7, except for Kurtyka, Mills-Franklin, and Washington, who are Grade 8 students. The club is coordinated by Jessica Schmitz, social studies teacher at Deep Creek Middle.

The Young Playwrights Festival and Residency Program has been the flagship education program of Baltimore Center Stage for the past 40 years. Students in Grades K-12 throughout Maryland are eligible to submit plays to the annual competition. The theme of this year’s festival is Seize the Day. Winning playwrights are honored with a playwright mentor to help them refine and edit their scripts before the plays receive a professional production.

The plays by Deep Creek Middle Drama Club (“Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200: A Murder Mystery”) and Nelson (“The Earthlings”) will be performed publicly on Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m. in The Pearlstone Theater at Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St., 21202. Tickets are free ($5 suggested donation) and available online. Seating is limited, and tickets are required.

Police Identify Man Charged in Perry Hall High Robberies


Baltimore County Police have released the name of a man they charged last night in three separate robberies, including one on the property of Perry Hall High School in November. Cameron Jamal Thomas (18) of the 2600 block of Kirk Avenue of Baltimore City (21218} was arrested Monday on a warrant after detectives from the White Marsh Precinct Investigative Services Unit identified him as the suspect involved in all three cases.

Detectives identified Thomas as one of two suspects in the robbery of two teens as they were playing basketball on the courts at Perry Hall High School around 4 p.m. on November 12, 2019Detectives identified Thomas as one of two suspects in the robbery of two teens as they were playing basketball on the courts at Perry Hall High School around 4 p.m. on November 12, 2019Detectives identified Thomas as one of two suspects in the robbery of two teens as they were playing basketball on the courts at Perry Hall High School around 4 p.m. on November 12, 2019.

Thomas and the other suspect, not yet identified, approached the teens under the guise of wanting to join the game. Thomas then implied he had a gun and stole a watch and cell phone from one of the teens. The other suspect pushed the other teen down, causing non-life-threatening injuries to him, and stole his cell phone. Thomas and the other suspect fled the area on foot.

Detectives also identified Thomas as the suspect in a second robbery on January 28, 2020. Around 2:30 p.m., a teen was walking on Ebenezer Road after leaving Perry Hall High School with a cell phone in hand. Thomas ran up from behind the teen, grabbed the cell phone, and fled on foot.

While continuing with the investigations into these two incidents, detectives also linked Thomas to an additional robbery that occurred on November 4, 2019, also on Ebenezer Road. In that incident, Thomas approached the victim around 2:30 p.m., put his arms around her and stated he had a gun, then removed her cell phone from her pocket and fled on foot.
Thomas is charged with multiple counts of robbery, assault and theft and is held in the Baltimore County Detention Center on denied bail status following a bail review hearing.

Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident at Perry Hall High School in an effort to identify the second suspect involved. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at the White Marsh Precinct by calling 410-887-5040.

Arrest Made in January Essex Shooting Death


Detectives from the Baltimore County Police Homicide Unit have charged a man in the shooting death of David Leroy King on Jan. 24.

Calvin Krasheen Fogg (27) with no fixed address is charged with first degree murder in the death of David King and first degree attempted murder in the shooting of a second man during the incident. Fogg is held on no bail status at the Baltimore County Detention Center following a bail review hearing.

On Jan. 24 around 5:11 a.m., officers responded to the 900 block of Holgate Drive for a shooting. Arriving officers found two adult men outside a home who were both suffering gunshot wounds. Medics responded and transported one man to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The second man was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The deceased man was identified as David Leroy King, 29, of the 2100 block of Westfield Road.

Arrest Reportedly Made of Robber Around Perry Hall High School


Baltimore County Police have reportedly made an arrest after multiple incidents of the robbery of students near Perry Hall High School. Councilman David Marks reported the arrest on social media.

“I can confirm that an individual has been arrested in connection with the four thefts in the vicinity of Perry Hall High School. The Baltimore County Police Department will release more details,” Marks said.

The first reported armed robbery took place on Nov. 12 around 3:30 p.m. at the Perry Hall High school basketball courts. According to police, an unknown suspect implied he had a gun and robbed two students of their iPhones and iWatches.

Police reported other incidents took place on Nov. 4 and again on Jan. 28. In both cases, the suspect approached female students and demanded their cellphones. One victim chased the suspect, but she stopped when the suspect implied he had a gun and would shoot her. There was a report of another robbery of a female high school student on Friday night.

In some cases, the suspect was reported running in a wooded area near Parlo Road.

Two Way Traffic Set for Harbor Tunnel This Weekend


The northbound bore of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel (I-895) will continuously close through the weekend. Two-way traffic (one adjacent lane in each direction) will operate in the southbound bore. We remind motorists to obey speed limits and stay in your lane.

The northbound bore will be closed from Friday, Feb. 28, at 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. Monday, March 2.

Crews will be performing work on the fire suppression system. The closure is part of the Maryland Transportation Authority’s (MDTA) three-year, $189 million I-895 Bridge Project to replace the 60-year-old bridge and Holabird Avenue exit ramp north of the Harbor Tunnel and to rehabilitate the Harbor Tunnel. The project began in April 2018 and is expected to be completed in summer 2021.

In the coming weeks, the southbound bridge will close and two-way traffic will operate on the newly rebuilt northbound bridge with one lane open in each direction.

Man Dies After Shooting Death in Parkville


Baltimore County Police homicide detectives are investigating a shooting on Comet Court in Parkville. The victim was transported to Sinai Hospital where he later died.

The initial investigation determined that the man, identified as Anthony Laron Richardson, Jr. (23) of the unit block of Solar Circle, 21234, was shot at least once in the unit block of Comet Court in Parkville around 10:25 p.m.

Detectives are continuing to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting and ask anyone who may have seen or heard anything to contact police at 410-307-2020.

Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward when submitting tips through Metro Crime Stoppers.

Driver Dies After Feb. 9th Crash in Dundalk


The driver of a vehicle involved in a Dundalk crash on Peninsula Expressway on Feb. 9 has died.

The man, identified as Scout Nelson Custer (24) of the 300 block of Dye Plant Road in Martinsville, Virginia, died of his injuries this morning at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center after suffering critical injuries during the crash.

The investigation revealed that Custer was driving a Chevrolet Corvette southbound on Peninsula Expressway south of the Bear Creak drawbridge when he stopped on the shoulder, then attempted to make a u-turn and was struck on the driver side by a Chevrolet Tahoe, also traveling south on Peninsula Expressway.

A passenger in the corvette suffered non-life-threatening injuries. No occupants of the Tahoe were injured.
The Baltimore County Police Crash Investigation Team will continue the investigation into this crash.

Police Identify Body Found Near Back River Waste Water Treatment Plant Water


Baltimore County Police have identified the man found deceased in a waterway at the Back River Waste Water Treatment Plant Friday morning as William Edward Deaver (31) with no fixed address.

Detectives are awaiting autopsy results by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine cause and manner of death but do not believe foul play is involved.

Officers were called to the 8200 block of Eastern Avenue, 21224 at 8:24 a.m. when the body of a man was discovered in the water near the Back River Waste Water Treatment Plant. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Detectives are on the scene investigating the circumstances of the man’s death. The body is being transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy to determine cause and manner of death.

Two 2nd Congressional GOP Forums Set on Eastside


It is Election Season again and the 2020 Presidential Primary is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28. While most will have their eyes on the race for the White House, there is a local Congressional race. 2nd District Democratic Congressman C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger is seeking his 10th term, but there is a battle on the Republican side to see who will face Ruppersberger in November.

On the GOP side, the candidates that have filed in the 2nd District are Scott M. Collier, Tim Fazenbaker, Rick Impallaria, Genevieve Morris, Johnny Ray Salling, Jim Simpson and Blaine Taylor. This race has prompted two candidates forums in eastern Baltimore County.

The first forum is called the Maryland Republican 2nd Congressional Candidate Forum and will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the North Point Edgemere Volunteer Fire Hall, 7500 North Point Road in Edgemere. The forum starts at 6:30 p.m. It will be hosted by the Roosevelt Republican Club. For more information on the event, go to their Facebook page

The second event is called the Republican 2nd Congressional District Forum and will take place on Thursday, March 5 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Essex Library. This event will be hosted by Maryland Young Republicans. For more information on the event, go to the Facebook page.

Dundalk Man Dies After Valentine’s Day Stabbing in Essex


The man injured in a stabbing on Bennett Road in Essex last Friday, February 14, has died.

Margarito Miron (42) of the 7400 block of Berkshire Road in Dundalk died on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

The suspect, identified as Vidal Trinidad-Hernandez (61), of the 100 block of Bennett Road in Essex was charged with attempted first degree murder and first degree assault after being released from the hospital on Tuesday, February 18. The case will now be reviewed by the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for additional charges. He remains held at the Baltimore County Detention Center on no bail status following a bail review hearing yesterday.

Detectives are continuing to investigate the motive behind this incident.