Henry Culvyhouse

hculvyhous@dmg.gannett.com

An Ocean City man took a Chihuahua hostage and lit a love seat on fire July 27 because a check wouldn't clear, according to a victim.

"We didn't really know him, he was like a friend of a friend," the victim said. "My roommate needed money for groceries, but her check was being held by the bank for seven to 10 business days for it to clear. He came by and said he heard she needed the money so he lent it to her.

"He just wouldn't understand why none of us had the money because the check was being held," the victim said of his return visit.

Wicomico deputies say 46-year-old Chris A. Walden was trying to a collect the $330 debt when he busted into the victim's mobile home in the area of Mount Hermon and Walston Switch roads on the morning of July 27. District court filings show Walden held the dog, Bandit, hostage, assaulted the three human victims with a knife and lit a couch on fire.

Walden, according to a Worcester County warrant, had beaten his girlfriend three days prior to the attack, causing her nose to bleed heavily. The next day, July 25, Ocean City police say he stole her car. On July 27, the day of the debt collection incident, Walden's girlfriend turned over a shoe box to authorities containing a pipe covered in crack cocaine residue, the warrant states.

The male victim in the debt collection case said Walden was able to overpower them because two of the three roommates were disabled.

"It's like he was taking advantage of us," he said. "Taking advantage of disabled folks. You just don't do that ... you also just don't take my dog, put him on the coffee table and threaten to stick him like a pig. Normal people don't do that kind of thing.

"When he lit the couch on fire, he had actually threw on a match on a bed sheet that was laying on it. That's what caught on fire, but it started burning the couch a little. One of my roommates was able to take it outside and beat the fire out," the victim added.

READ MORE:Chihuahua at knifepoint, then set a love seat on fire

When one of the victims was able to run out of the mobile home to get help, Walden chased after her, according to the male victim. That's when the male victim took the chance to get help by going across the street to get a neighbor to call for help.

"I didn't like calling the law in here, but something needed to be done," he said.

Walden, according to district court filings, was able to avoid capture when deputies arrived. While the suspect was on the loose, the victim said he had to hide Bandit at his cousin's house so Walden wouldn't kill the pet.

"We were definitely tramutized," he said. "Even after we heard he got arrested, we still couldn't sleep at night because we were afraid he'd get bonded out or something."

Walden, much to the victim's relief, is being held without bond at the Wicomico County Detention Center.

A history of violence

Walden, who has robbery convictions dating back to 1996 out of Baltimore City, was sentenced to 40 years in prison in connection with a 2006 robbery at the America's Best Value Inn, located at 2625 N. Salisbury Blvd. in Salisbury.

On Aug. 14, 2006, Walden knocked on a first-floor room and asked the occupant to borrow a phone charger. After making a phone call, Walden left, leaving his cellphone inside the room. When he returned, the victim gave Walden the phone. That's when Salisbury detectives say Walden whipped out a pistol and struck the victim across the face.

The then-36-year-old robber pilfered the victim's wallet, which contained $1,400 in cash, police say.

Four days later, an armed Walden threatened a man, demanding the victim give him some bags inside a car, police say. While never pointing the gun at the victim, Walden did get the bags and ran off with them. Police tracked him down shortly thereafter in a wooded area, at which point Walden gave himself up.

The car Walden was driving at the time was believed to be stolen, although he was later acquitted of that charge. Cocaine was also found on him at the time of his arrest, along with the gun used in the motel room robbery.

In the car robbery, Walden received four years in prison to be served alongside his 40 year sentence. However, that conviction — for possessing the firearm — was overturned on the grounds that he had already been convicted of illegally possessing the gun in the motel case.

That's double jeopardy the Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled in 2009.

Later on, Walden received post conviction relief in the motel case. He eventually pleaded guilty to armed robbery and received a suspended sentence of 10 years in prison, in favor of probation.

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