Ex-Baltimore man guilty in 1997 rape
A former Baltimore man entered an Alford plea to first-degree rape, acknowledging Friday that prosecutors had evidence to convict him in the rape of a 66-year-old woman in 1997. Under terms of the plea, Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Philip T. Caroom can sentence Vander Davis, 41, to up to 30 years in prison when he returns for sentencing in December. The victim had interrupted her gardening outside her Glen Burnie home on April 30, 1997, to quiet her dog. When she went inside her house, she was raped, prosecutors said. The case remained unsolved until last year, when DNA from a crime scene and then a palm print from the victim's house were matched to his. Davis' lengthy criminal record includes convictions on burglary, indecent exposure and drug charges. In an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit guilt but concedes that the prosecution has enough evidence to convict.
- Andrea F. Siegel
Often-cited driver gets 3 1/2 years for fraudulent license
A 39-year-old Carroll County truck driver who was caught using a fraudulent driver's license after being stopped at a Howard County weigh station in December 2007 was sentenced Friday to 31/2 years in jail by a Howard County Circuit Court judge. Gerald Titus of the 2200 block of Gillis Road in Woodbine had assumed the identity of a childhood friend to obtain a Florida license after his Maryland license had been revoked. Titus, who was cited for traffic violations, signed the name of John Karr of Frederick. Assistant State's Attorney Scott Hammond told the court that Titus was out on work release when he was stopped. According to police, Titus had eight alcohol-related driving offenses and that he had accumulated 155 points on his revoked license. Becker sentenced Titus to two years in jail for driving with a revoked license and 18 months for using a fraudulent identity to avoid prosecution.
- Don Markus
Columbia man gets 8 1/2 years in assault on security guard
An 18-year-old Columbia man who pleaded guilty to assaulting an apartment security guard was sentenced Friday to 81/2 years in jail, with all but 18 months suspended. Derrod Petterson of the 8800 block of Flowestock Way was one of several teenagers to confront the guard in May while the man sat off-duty in an unmarked car. One of the teenagers fired a shot that shattered the car window but did not strike the guard, who was punched as he left the vehicle. Senior Assistant State's Attorney Colleen McGuinn said the guard was attacked in retaliation for an altercation earlier in the day between one of the attackers and another guard. Petterson, who apologized during Friday's hearing in Howard County Circuit Court, will also serve five years of supervised probation after his release.
