AROUND THE REGION
West Baltimore carryout owner, 64, convicted of shooting at customer A 64-year-old West Baltimore carryout owner who has been jailed for a year on charges of shooting and injuring a customer will be released soon after being convicted Monday at a short bench trial, his attorney said. Public defender Martin Cohen said Circuit Judge Alfred Nance convicted his client, Fu Tan, of reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm. Nance sentenced him to a three years in prison, with all but 18 months suspended. In Maryland, inmates convicted of violent crimes generally serve twothirds of their sentence with good behavior, and Cohen said Tan could be released this week.
“Mr. Tan is very excited that he’s going to be able to come home and be with his family,” Cohen said. “I think justice was served in the most fair way.” At a jury trial late last year, jurors deadlocked, leading to a mistrial. The Baltimore state’s attorney’s office had sought in that case to convict Tan of attempted murder. Assistant State’s Attorney Linda Ramirez told jurors in opening statements of that trial that Tan intentionally tried to shoot the customer because he was upset or angry at a group of people who had been in the store causing trouble. Tan took the stand during the trial that he did not intend to injure anyone, but fired shots from his gun to scare unruly customers from his store in the 1800 block of W. North Ave. With a new trial set to begin Monday morning, Tan elected a bench trial.
—Justin Fenton Man convicted in shooting of Baltimore police officer Ajury on Monday convicted a man in the shooting of a Baltimore police officer in 2014. Gregg Thomas, 37, was convicted of charges of ata crime of violence and prohibited possession of a gun, according to the Baltimore state’s attorney’s office. His sentencing is set for May 15.
Thomas was accused of shooting Sgt. Keith Mcneill in March 2014. Mcneill was outside of an automotive shop in the Berea neighborhood of East Baltimore when he was shot. The trial was Thomas’s fourth — three previous trials resulted in mistrials or else the jury could not come a unanimous verdict. “The result deserved by Sgt.
Mcneill and the Baltimore Police Department took nearly three years to materialize, but the price paid for justice is always worth the cost of its pursuit,” Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said in a statement. Thomas’ attorneys have said that the state’s case relied on a single witness who was unreliable; prosecutors argued witness testimony and closed-circuit television footage identified Thomas as the gunman. Prosecutors have said Mcneill was having his truck worked on at a Belair Road automotive shop owned by a friend when a masked man banged on the door of his truck, then fired eight shots at him. Mcneill was hospitalized for more than a year.
—Carrie Wells Second arrest made in Horseshoe Casino shooting Police have arrested and charged a 27-year-old man suspected in a shooting late last month in the parking garage of Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.
Joseph Jennings, of the Waltherson neighborhood in Northeast Baltimore, was arrested Friday and charged with attempted firstdegree murder. Online court records did not list an attorney for Jennings, who lives on the 3200 block of Echodale Ave. Police had previously said they arrested Roosevelt Oneal, 26, and charged him with attempted first-degree murder in the shooting. Oneal, of the Upton neighborhood, was the driver, police said. Two 21- year-old men were shot — one in the hand, one in wounded men told detectives the shooting was the result of an earlier argument.
—Tim Prudente Maryland inmate died of blunt force trauma Astate prison inmate who was slain over the weekend died from blunt-force trauma, Maryland State Police said Monday. The state medical examiner's office ruled the death of 69-year-old Roger Largent a homicide, police spokesman Greg Shipley said. A correctional officer found Largent unresponsive in a cell at the maximumsecurity Western Correctional Institution shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said. Investigators have identified an inmate suspect, the prison agency said. No charges have been filed yet, Shipley said. Largent was sentenced in May to18 years in prison for second-degree rape.
The Herald-Mail reports that a Washington County jury convicted him of attacking a mentally and physically disabled woman in her home while her blind husband was upstairs.
—Associated Press South Bethany ponders beach smoking ban South Bethany, Del., is considering banning smoking on its beach. Councilman Frank Weisgerber introduced the ordinance that would create the ban. It comes after officials realized South Bethany was the last coastal town in the area to still permit smoking on the beach, Weisgerber said. The town sent a survey to all 1,400 homeowners asking their opinion. Weisgerber said 72 percent of those who responded favored aban. Before a vote can take place, the ordinance must be read to the public three times. The first reading will take place at Friday's town council meeting. If the ordinance proceeds, Weisgerber said it could be voted on as early as April.
“Mr. Tan is very excited that he’s going to be able to come home and be with his family,” Cohen said. “I think justice was served in the most fair way.” At a jury trial late last year, jurors deadlocked, leading to a mistrial. The Baltimore state’s attorney’s office had sought in that case to convict Tan of attempted murder. Assistant State’s Attorney Linda Ramirez told jurors in opening statements of that trial that Tan intentionally tried to shoot the customer because he was upset or angry at a group of people who had been in the store causing trouble. Tan took the stand during the trial that he did not intend to injure anyone, but fired shots from his gun to scare unruly customers from his store in the 1800 block of W. North Ave. With a new trial set to begin Monday morning, Tan elected a bench trial.
—Justin Fenton Man convicted in shooting of Baltimore police officer Ajury on Monday convicted a man in the shooting of a Baltimore police officer in 2014. Gregg Thomas, 37, was convicted of charges of ata crime of violence and prohibited possession of a gun, according to the Baltimore state’s attorney’s office. His sentencing is set for May 15.
Thomas was accused of shooting Sgt. Keith Mcneill in March 2014. Mcneill was outside of an automotive shop in the Berea neighborhood of East Baltimore when he was shot. The trial was Thomas’s fourth — three previous trials resulted in mistrials or else the jury could not come a unanimous verdict. “The result deserved by Sgt.
Mcneill and the Baltimore Police Department took nearly three years to materialize, but the price paid for justice is always worth the cost of its pursuit,” Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said in a statement. Thomas’ attorneys have said that the state’s case relied on a single witness who was unreliable; prosecutors argued witness testimony and closed-circuit television footage identified Thomas as the gunman. Prosecutors have said Mcneill was having his truck worked on at a Belair Road automotive shop owned by a friend when a masked man banged on the door of his truck, then fired eight shots at him. Mcneill was hospitalized for more than a year.
—Carrie Wells Second arrest made in Horseshoe Casino shooting Police have arrested and charged a 27-year-old man suspected in a shooting late last month in the parking garage of Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.
Joseph Jennings, of the Waltherson neighborhood in Northeast Baltimore, was arrested Friday and charged with attempted firstdegree murder. Online court records did not list an attorney for Jennings, who lives on the 3200 block of Echodale Ave. Police had previously said they arrested Roosevelt Oneal, 26, and charged him with attempted first-degree murder in the shooting. Oneal, of the Upton neighborhood, was the driver, police said. Two 21- year-old men were shot — one in the hand, one in wounded men told detectives the shooting was the result of an earlier argument.
—Tim Prudente Maryland inmate died of blunt force trauma Astate prison inmate who was slain over the weekend died from blunt-force trauma, Maryland State Police said Monday. The state medical examiner's office ruled the death of 69-year-old Roger Largent a homicide, police spokesman Greg Shipley said. A correctional officer found Largent unresponsive in a cell at the maximumsecurity Western Correctional Institution shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said. Investigators have identified an inmate suspect, the prison agency said. No charges have been filed yet, Shipley said. Largent was sentenced in May to18 years in prison for second-degree rape.
The Herald-Mail reports that a Washington County jury convicted him of attacking a mentally and physically disabled woman in her home while her blind husband was upstairs.
—Associated Press South Bethany ponders beach smoking ban South Bethany, Del., is considering banning smoking on its beach. Councilman Frank Weisgerber introduced the ordinance that would create the ban. It comes after officials realized South Bethany was the last coastal town in the area to still permit smoking on the beach, Weisgerber said. The town sent a survey to all 1,400 homeowners asking their opinion. Weisgerber said 72 percent of those who responded favored aban. Before a vote can take place, the ordinance must be read to the public three times. The first reading will take place at Friday's town council meeting. If the ordinance proceeds, Weisgerber said it could be voted on as early as April.
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