A Taneytown teen-ager will be tried as an adult on charges that he and others ambushed a Pizza Hut delivery woman outside the city in February.
Judge Raymond E. Beck Sr. rejected arguments last week that Leo Joseph "Joey" Brandenburg, 17, be tried as a juvenile in the shooting of Linda D. Bond, 47, of Westminster. Bond was injured.
Brandenburg, who is being held at Carroll County Detention Center, is the youngest of four teens accused of conspiring to lure the delivery woman to a remote location five miles from Taneytown on the night of Feb. 20.
A trial has been set for next month, defense attorney Frank D. Coleman said.
Six guards were in the courtroom with the teen-ager, who has been accused since his arrest of assaulting another inmate at the center. He remained quiet throughout the hours-long hearing Wednesday.
Brandenburg's mother and a psychologist for the defense said Brandenburg began drinking and using marijuana and LSD at age 13, and by 14 was out of control -- often losing his temper when confronted. He has attention deficit disorder that was not diagnosed in school, they said.
They testified he did well under the state Department of Juvenile Justice, especially during placement at a state forestry camp from January 1996 to October.
Michael Lathe, his counselor in Carroll County, disagreed.
"Juvenile Services has exhausted its resources in trying to help Mr. Brandenburg," he said. The new charges of assault at the jail "just add proof that we would probably be ineffective in dealing with him."
Cases against Brandenburg that were pursued by the Department of Juvenile Services included a physical confrontation with his mother in 1994; an incident in which he and other boys tied up a youth in 1995; an arrest for a fight with a boy in October 1995; and an assault on police officers at the Taneytown station after the police stopped a car in which Brandenburg was riding to investigate reports of a gunshot and found suspected marijuana. That case led to his placement at the forestry camp.
The judge had signaled his impatience early, during testimony by defense psychologist Lawrence J. Raifman about Brandenburg's need for supervision.
"I guess it's Mr. Lathe's fault this lady was shot, is that correct?" Beck asked. "You're talking about having someone follow someone around to see that they're taking their medicine that he urinates in a bottle. Where does individual responsibility come in?"
Beck told Brandenburg, "You conned and manipulated your agent, your mother. You were expelled from school, and now the Department of Juvenile Justice wants to expel you, as well."
Charged with Brandenburg in the ambush case are Edward F. Sible, 18, of Harney and Corey A. Coil, 19, and Melissa A. Redding, 18, both of Taneytown.
All four are charged with first-degree assault, attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, reckless endangerment, and use of a handgun in the commission of a felony. Sible is also charged with attempted first-degree murder and carjacking.
Pub Date: 7/07/97
