OFFICE of the SHERIFF for QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY
PRESS RELEASE
INCIDENT: BURGLARIES & ARRESTS
DATE & TIME: 09/15/2015 @ 0438 Hours
LOCATION: 100 Block of Hess Road, Grasonville, MD
DETAILS: Sheriff Gary Hofmann is reporting that Deputies were dispatched to a burglary in progress on Hess Road. On arrival the victim was identified as Jarod Towers who reported his residential alarm had gone off and heard a door slam. The victim, who is a police officer armed himself and checked the residence finding a wet footprint on his garage floor and sidewalk. The area of Hess Road and Evans Avenue was checked without locating any suspects.
While on that call, a second call came in from the 100 block of Grasonville Cemetery Road for subjects attempting to break into a storage shed. The search for the suspects was expanded with the assistance of MSP Aviation and QACSO K-9.
A third call was received from a subject in his garage who confronted a male suspect who started in the door then ran away. Another caller reported two suspicious subjects hiding behind his car parked in his driveway in the 200 block of Grasonville Cemetery Road. Deputy Hogan located and detained a subject a short distance from the last calls wearing a dark gray sweatshirt with the hood up, wet shoes and carrying a flashlight. The subject’s responses to questions were found to be false and he was transported to Sheriff’s Headquarters for questioning. He was identified as Nicholas D. Smith of Grasonville.
Based on the suspect’s questioning and other information, search warrants were prepared for several locations. Investigation also linked additional burglaries which occurred last week in the Grasonville area. (Original Press Release below)
Detectives assisted by the QACSO SWAT Team and Patrol units conducted the searches at several locations in Grasonville on Tuesday evening.
At a residence on Grasonville Cemetery Road, the second suspect Wade D. Felton was taken into custody without incident during the search.
At this time both subjects are still in custody at Sheriff’s Headquarters for processing and questioning. They will go before a District Court Commissioner later this evening for an initial appearance.
Sheriff Hofmann praised both the Deputy’s actions and the area residents who aided in the capture of the two suspects saying “Together we have made the Grasonville community a safer place tonight”.
CHARGED: Nicholas Derek Smith (18) of Grasonville, MD
CHARGES: Burglary 1st Degree, Burglary 3rd Degree, Burglary 4th Degree, Theft, Rogue & Vagabond and Conspiracy
CHARGED: Wade Delray Felton (18) of Grasonville, MD
CHARGES: Burglary 1st Degree, Burglary 3rd Degree, Burglary 4th Degree, Theft, Rogue & Vagabond and Conspiracy
DEPUTY: Dfc. Charles Harris, Deputy Scott Hogan, QACSO CIU, Cpl. Sean Hampton, MSP Aviation, Dfc. Chris Ahearn & K9 Blek
CASE: 15-28156
************************************
ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE
INCIDENT: BURGLARIES
DATE / TIME: 09/04/2015 @ 2101 Hours (Reported)
LOCATION: See Narrative
DETAILS: Deputy responded to 500 Block of Caspian Drive in Grasonville for a burglary which occurred earlier that morning. Michael Riley stated sometime between the hours of 0100 to 0600 someone entered the residence and removed five handguns from a locked gun cabinet. The guns were described as a Glock 22, S&W 38, Colt .38 Detective Special, a .380 automatic and a .32 automatic and valued at $2400. Victim advised he and his family were home at the time of the burglary and that the rear door had been left unlocked.
In the same 500 block, Alison Warren reported finding her rear door open that morning and was missing a small amount of cash, cigarettes and alcohol.
Robert Calhoun in the 600 block reported the theft of beer and canned mixed drinks from an outside bar.
One street over on the 100 block of Jewell Court, Walter George stated someone had entered his garage during the night and stole a long board skateboard with painted blue waves valued at $200. Victim advised the garage door was open.
Further down Jewell Court, Travis Hess reported the theft of a case & ½ of beer and $20 from his wallet after accessing the garage thru an unlocked door.
The Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Unit has been assigned all of these cases.
DEPUTY: Dfc. Brad Martz – Det. Maria Bassaro
CASE: 15-27068
************************************
PHOTOS
#1 – Nicholas D. Smith (Facebook)
#2 – Wade D. Felton being taken into custody – (Dfc. Andrew Neall cuffing suspect – Face Hidden) Lt. Dwayne Embert and Cpl. Troy Lowery to the right of suspect
#3 – Dfc. Andrew Neall escorting Wade Felton to Patrol Car. Sheriff’s SWAT Team members in background