BERLIN — A Berlin man remains behind bars this week after his arrest last week on assault and multiple sex offense charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a vulnerable male adult over a period of three years.

Jason Paul Carpenter, 30, is being held without bond in the Worcester County Jail following his arrest on June 15 on multiple charges including first-degree assault, first-, second- and third-degree sex offense, vulnerable adult abuse, sodomy and perverted practice after his former girlfriend reported to police he allegedly sexually assaulted her mentally challenged brother several times over a period of three-plus years from January 2008 to May 2011. The complainant and her brother reported the sex abuse and assault at the Berlin Police station on June 8 and the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation was brought in to investigate the charges.

The investigation revealed Carpenter allegedly performed sexual acts on the victim, who has the mental capacity of a third-grader, several times while living together with the victim’s sister in Berlin. According to police reports, Carpenter entered the victim’s bedroom while the victim was asleep and performed the sexual acts. Carpenter is being held without bond pending trial. A preliminary hearing has been set for July 12 in District Court.

Three Arrested For Burglary

OCEAN CITY — Three people were arrested on burglary and other charges after allegedly entering an Ocean City residence to crash before being caught by the owner while they were trying to sneak out a window the following morning.

Last Saturday, Ocean City police responded to a reported breaking and entering in progress at a residence on Robin Drive. Upon arrival, the officers met with a property owner in front of the residence, who told police everybody was in the back. The officers went around the back and found two men, one of whom was the property owner, along with a neighbor, detaining three suspects. The three suspects were later identified as Warner Rivers, 21, of Berlin; Holly McLaughlin, 29, of Salisbury; and James McNemar, 18, of Mifflintown, Pa.

The property owner told police he had just returned to the residence and attempted to enter the front door, but found it was blocked by a folding chair propped against the inside of the door. The owner also said he heard people trying to exit the rear of the residence. The owner told a neighbor there were people in his house and that they were trying to escape.

The owner and the neighbor went around back and discovered Rivers and McLaughlin attempting to help McNemar escape through a rear bathroom window. The two men were able to detain the three suspects until police arrived. Rivers was found to be wanted on an outstanding warrant in Worcester County and he was placed under arrest.

McNemar told police the front door to the residence was partially open and he followed Rivers and McLaughlin in, believing it was their residence. McNemar told police they were just trying to get some sleep and never intended to steal anything. Other OCPD officers arrived and searched the residence, finding no other suspects inside. However, police did find evidence the three suspects had been inside, including empty beer bottles in two of the bedrooms. They also found a knapsack containing drugs and drug paraphernalia including syringes and a crack pipe.

McNemar was later interviewed at police headquarters about the break-in. McNemar told police he had been abandoned in Ocean City and had a bus ticket back to Pennsylvania, but the bus was scheduled to leave until the following day. McNemar told police he went to a local church in hopes of finding a place to sleep for the night, which is when he met Rivers and McLaughlin.

Rivers and McLaughlin offered McNemar a place to sleep later in the night and they remained at the church for several hours. Later that night, the trio went to an area around the Inlet where they drank beer. According to McNemar, the two suspects also showed him two syringes and a spoon, and they also told him they had methadone, but they already used it all.

Rivers and McLaughlin then led McNemar to the residence on Robin Drive. McNemar told police the front door was partially opened and the three went inside. He told police he believed all along it was Rivers’ and McLaughlin’s residence. The trio drank beer for a while in one of the bedrooms before McNemar went to sleep in another room. In the morning, the three suspects were awoken to the owner returning the residence and attempted to flee out a rear bathroom window.

Each of the suspects was charged with fourth-degree burglary. Rivers and McLaughlin were also charged with possession of controlled dangerous substance and paraphernalia.

Pizza Parlor Dispute Leads To Weapons Arrest

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested on carrying a concealed dangerous weapons charge last weekend after allegedly threatening his former business partner and employer with a knife at a midtown restaurant.

Around 6:40 p.m. last Friday, Ocean City Police responded to Romeo’s Pizza on 33rd Street for a reported civil dispute. The officers arrived to find a suspect, later identified as Phillip James Devita, 45, of Ocean City, yelling at the restaurant owner. The restaurant owner told police Devita had quit the business two days earlier and returned on Friday to retrieve some personal property, which is when he threatened and cursed at the business owner.

The business owner told police Devita had pointed to a knife in his back pocket and threatened to stab the owner in the chest with the weapon. The business owner also told police Devita had constantly tried to convince him to go the beach with him so the two of them could fight. Police located Devita outside the restaurant and found him to be in possession of a knife with a fixed blade about four inches long.

OCPD officers took the knife from Devita, and when they questioned him about it, the suspect told police he brought it with him for self-defense. Devita told police another employee had gone to the restaurant a couple of days earlier and had gotten beat up by the owner.

The officers observed Devita appeared to have the odor of alcohol on his breath and person and check revealed he had a suspended driver’s license in Maryland. The officers also noted in their report it appeared Devita had driven to the restaurant and had parked his truck on the sidewalk in front of the establishment. According to police reports, it appeared Devita had gone to the restaurant with the intent of getting into a physical confrontation with the owner. Devita was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed deadly weapon and carrying a concealed deadly weapon with intent to injure.

Alleged Thief Found Passed Out

OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested on robbery, theft, assault and other charges last week after allegedly stealing electronics and several other items from an unlocked vehicle before running away and passing out in a motel room.

Around 11:30 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police met with an individual at 21st Street who reported arriving back at his hotel in time to observe a suspect, later identified as James C. Tomsic, 18, of Allentown, Pa., stealing GPS devices, tools and other items from his vehicle. The victim told police he was being dropped off by friends at 21st Street when he observed an individual later identified as Tomsic rummaging through his Toyota Forerun

ner.

The victim, who turned out to be a computer repair technician, told police at first he thought the individual going through his vehicle was a friend looking for certain tools, but when he approached the suspect and placed his hand on his back, the suspect, later identified as Tomsic, spun around and pushed the victim in the chest, knocking him back into the rear of the vehicle.

Tomsic allegedly had a red power drill in his hand belonging to the victim when he fled the scene on foot. The victim told police Tomsic had left some of his own property behind in his haste to flee the scene including some cash, a set of brass knuckles and red plastic hotel key with Room 316 marked on it. The officers searched the victim’s vehicle and found the center console was broken. Also broken was a computer keyboard with a key missing. The victim told police two GPS systems, a cell phone and charger, a radar detector and other miscellaneous items had been stolen.

The officer then went on a systematic search of other hotels on Baltimore Ave. heading north from 21st Street to determine where the red hotel key tag was from. The officer eventually stopped at the Riviera Motel where a desk clerk informed him the hotel key tag belonged to the establishment. The officer asked who was staying in Room 316 and learned there were three individuals under the age of 21 registered to the room along with a guest who signed in a John Davis.

The officer went to Room 316 and observed through an open door an individual who appeared to match the description provided by the car break-in victim lying on the floor between two beds with their feet sticking out.

The officer called to the individual, who was unresponsive. Through the open windows, the officer observed several beer cans and liquor bottles. The hotel employee came to the room and told police he was going to evict the tenants for violating the hotel’s underage drinking policy. The employee walked into the room, but the officer didn’t immediately follow.

However, when the individual passed out between the two beds did not respond to repeated demands to wake up, the officer did enter the room because of fear of a potential medical emergency. Tomsic briefly woke up and muttered something about drinking too much before passing out again, according to police reports. When the officer and the employee attempted to prop Tomsic up, a silver-colored GPS device matching a description provided by the theft victim fell out of his pocket.

On a dresser in plain sight were several computer power cords, cell phones and GPS devices. Also discovered was a stack of papers with the victim’s name on them including a checkbook and a traffic citation that had been earlier issued to his wife. The officer also found a broken computer keyboard key matching the description provided by the victim. The victim was brought to the scene and positively identified Tomsic as the suspect.

Meanwhile, the occupants of the motel room returned and asked if they could retrieve their personal items before being evicted. The tenants returned to police several power cords, GPS devices and other property belonging to the victim. Tomsic was arrested and charged with robbery, theft, assault, drug charges and weapons charges and other charges.

Three Arrested With Pot, Weapons

OCEAN CITY — Three Pennsylvania men were arrested on marijuana possession and weapons charges last week after a routine traffic stop in Ocean City.

Around 4 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police pulled over a Jeep Cherokee on Baltimore Ave. because the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. During the course of the interaction, the officer noticed the driver, identified as Blake Sigmon, 21, of Ephrata, Pa., and his two passengers, identified as Troy Hickey, 21, of Ephrata, and Kyle Emswiler, 21, of Hanover, Pa., acting in a suspicious manner. According to police reports, the three suspects were acting “very nervous” with their hands shaking and breathing heavy.

A background check revealed Sigmon’s driver’s license was suspended in Pennsylvania from a prior DWI. When Sigmon was asked to step out of the vehicle, a red baseball bat was discovered next to the driver’s seat. When the two passengers were asked to step out of the vehicle, a large, wooden stick was observed in plain view. The suspects told police the bat and the large stick was needed for protection.

Also discovered behind the driver’s seat was marijuana paraphernalia and a small bottle of marijuana was found in the center console. The three suspects were each charged with possession of marijuana, paraphernalia and concealed deadly weapons.

Two Cited For Hundreds

Of Undersized Crabs

BERLIN — Two local men were charged last week with 13 counts each of possession undersized crabs after Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) caught them with 13 bushels totaling over 1,200 undersized crabs.

Last Saturday, NRP officers boarded a commercial fishing boat in the Chincoteague Bay and discovered 1,211 undersized crabs stored in 13 bushel baskets on the vessel. Vernon Edward Smith, 41, of Salisbury, and Ellis Matthew Barton, 39, of Westover, were each charged with 13 counts of possession of undersized crabs. Each count carries a maximum penalty of $1,000. A trial date has been set for Aug. 12 in District Court in Snow Hill.