July 11, 2012|By Mary Gail Hare, The Baltimore Sun
One man's arrest on an Annapolis street became another's opportunity to steal his car.
Howard E. Durley, 29, left his Chevrolet Tahoe idling late Monday in the middle of the intersection of Juliana Circle and Newtowne Drive. City police officers, patrolling the area, spotted Durley assaulting a woman at the location and pursued him. He dropped suspected drugs on a chase through the neighborhood. While they were arresting Durley for possession and other charges, Barry J. Butler, 31, hopped into the driver's seat of the Tahoe and sped off, leading officers on a second chase, this one by car. Both city residents are now incarcerated at the Jennifer Road Detention Center.
"This is a case of bad decisions on the part of both men," said Amy Miguez, police spokeswoman.
When Butler drove away with the car, officers in pursuit said they witnessed nearly two dozen traffic offenses, which later included driving without a license. Butler and the Tahoe were eventually located in the 1400 block of Tyler Avenue, near Forest Drive, where he was arrested.
In addition to traffic violations, Butler is being held on $75,000 bond for theft and assault. Durley is charged with possession of CDS and paraphernalia as well as disorderly conduct and is held on $25,000 bond. He avoided assault charges, since the victim of the assault, which started the melee, fled the scene and could not be located. Based on the presence of illegal drugs, police have seized the Tahoe for possible forfeiture.
Mary.gail.hare@baltsun.com.
Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts 
