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Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter
Anne Arundel County – On Saturday, July 14, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Damon Earl Pruitt, 44, of Davidsonville with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol and operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol.
U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) originally stopped Pruitt’s 23-foot motorboat in the area of the Route 2 Bridge on the South River for a routine inspection. USCG contacted NRP and requested assistance for a possible intoxicated operator. He was subsequently arrested by NRP and transported to the Anne Arundel County Police Southern District where he refused a breath test. He was charged and released to family members.
Baltimore City - On Monday, July 16, Michael Sean Buchanan, 47, of Fresno, Calif. pled guilty in Baltimore City District Court to operating a tree expert business without a license and false advertising or soliciting an unlicensed tree expert business.
Maryland Natural Resources Police filed charges after the Maryland Forest Service received a complaint from a neighbor of a client of Buchanan's business, Tree Solutions, Inc. of Baltimore. The complainant alleges that in February of 2006, Buchanan's crews dropped a portion of a tree on her home during tree care operations on the adjacent property, causing over $6,000 worth of damage. Buchanan was reportedly unresponsive to the complainant's attempts to get resolution. The neighbor spent weeks during the coldest portion of the year with a hole in her roof and other significant outstanding property damage while trying to get Buchanan to repair the damages.
In April of 2006, Buchanan failed to appear at his trial date and sometime afterward moved to Fresno. In November of 2006, a warrant was issued for Buchanan failing to appear for trial, which was served in December.
According to District Court officials, just prior to the April 2007 trial a woman identifying herself as Buchanan's mother called the court and advised that Buchanan was deceased, having passed away at St. Agnes Hospital in March of this year. She refused to provide a death certificate to substantiate the allegation.
Buchanan was fined a total of $245 for both offenses.
Baltimore County – On Thursday, July 12, at 11:30 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police investigated a boating accident on the Patapsco River near the Dundalk Marine Terminal.
Francis John Paxton, 47, of Baltimore was operating his 17-foot vessel with two passengers onboard when he struck the Francis Scott Key Memorial Buoy. Both passengers were thrown from the vessel on impact. Jill R. Schubert, 40, of Edgemere was transported to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Wade C. Graham, 38, of Baltimore and Paxton were not injured.
NRP transported Paxton to shore for field sobriety tests. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Maryland State Police Golden Ring Barrack. Paxton took a breath test, which showed a result of a blood alcohol concentration of .16 percent. Charges are pending.
Baltimore City Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted NRP with the incident.
Worcester County – On Friday, July 13, at 7:30 p.m., Maryland Natural Resources Police charged a Connecticut man for underage drinking in the campground of Assateague State Park.
Brandon Fuller Grant, 20, of Pomfret Center, Conn. was observed consuming an alcoholic beverage in plain view as officers patrolled the campground. He was charged with possession of an alcoholic beverage by a person under 21 years of age.
Worcester County – On Saturday, July 14, at 1 a.m., Maryland Natural Resources Police charged three Ohioans for underage drinking in the campground of Assateague State Park.
Grace A. Johnson, 19, of Vandalia, Ohio; Anna D. Samela, 19, of Dayton, Ohio; and David M. Ludewigelr, 18, of Mingo Jet, Ohio were charged with possession of an alcoholic beverage by a person under 21 years of age. NRP responded to the area after receiving complaints of loud noise coming from the campsite.
Worcester County – On Sunday, July 15, at 3:15 a.m., Maryland Natural Resources Police arrested a New Jersey man on drug charges in the campground of Assateague State Park.
Domenic D. Spagnola, 42, of Garfield, N.J. was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), marijuana, and possession of CDS paraphernalia after officers observed a multi-colored glass pipe containing suspected marijuana on the passenger’s floorboard of his truck. Officers noticed the pipe while checking vehicles in the camper parking lot for valid camping permits. A search of the vehicle also uncovered two clear plastic bags of suspected marijuana.
A court date of October 5 has been scheduled for Spagnola in Worcester County District Court.
Worcester County – On Friday, July 13, at 12 p.m., Maryland Natural Resources Police arrested a Bishopville man after responding to the Milburn Landing campground area of Pocomoke State Park for a report of a domestic disturbance.
The incident was reported that Brian Hudson, 30, of Bishopville was arguing with his girlfriend at one of the cabins in the campground. As officers arrived, the incident had seemed to calm down. As officers questioned both individuals, Hudson became angered again and punched his hand through the rear side glass of his girlfriend’s vehicle.
Hudson was placed under arrest and transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center by EMS for treatment to a laceration on his hand. Afterwards, Hudson was charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, and two counts of malicious destruction of property. He was taken before a Worcester County District Court Commissioner and held on $35,000 bond.
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office assisted NRP with the incident.
July 17, 2007The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 280 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov