Columbia Man

A 27-year-old Columbia man pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder in a 2003 shooting at a house party in Columbia. Clarence Michael Banks entered the plea after a motions hearing in front of Howard County Circuit Judge Richard S. Bernhardt had been adjourned for lunch. Banks was indicted in May. According to Senior Assistant State's Attorney Claude de Vastey Jones, Banks shot fellow Columbia resident Terrence Armstead after an argument at a party in the 5700 block of Stevens Forest Road in Columbia.

A Pennsylvania state trooper fatally shot a Maryland motorist who attacked the officer during an accident investigation on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Tuesday night. The officer found Daryl Jerome Berry, 45, of Columbia, arguing with another motorist at the scene of a collision that occurred just before 9 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of the highway in Brush Creek Township, Fulton County. Berry approached the officer with two aggressive Rottweiler dogs and then hit the officer repeatedly with a flashlight, police said.

A 53-year old Columbia man was sentenced to six months in jail for hitting an 82-year-old woman in a crosswalk last November and then leaving the scene of the accident. James Walden Beaman Jr., of the 6300 block of Rainbow Span, which is near the accident scene, was sentenced Wednesday by Judge Lenore Gelfman to 18 months in jail, with all but six months suspended. He also must complete 500 hours of community service and two years supervised probation on convictions for failing to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk and leaving the scene of the accident, said Wayne Kirwan, a spokesman for State's Attorney Dario Broccolino.

Howard County police are investigating a shooting of a 20-year-old man Wednesday evening in Columbia. Officers called about 8:30 p.m. to a Sam's Mart store in the 5800 block of Stevens Forest Road found Marcus Lee suffering from a single gunshot wound. Lee, a Columbia resident, told police he was shot nearby on Stevens Forest Road near Whiteacre Road and had run to the store for help. He was taken to an area hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening, police said. A preliminary investigation has led officers to believe the victim and assailant are acquainted.

A 24-year-old Columbia man was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in the Howard County detention center for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Elijah Jackson of the 5200 block of Rivendell Lane was running away from police after a fight outside a house party last June when 23 packets of crack cocaine and one packet of powdered cocaine fell out of his hat, prosecutors said. They had asked Circuit Judge Lenore R. Gelfman to sentence Jackson to three years in prison, but Gelfman opted to send him to the detention center out of concern for his safety.

A 72-year-old man was injured in a single-vehicle accident in Columbia when his car slid off a road and struck a tree shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday, according to Howard County police. James Dennis Ellis, of Columbia, was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in stable condition Saturday night, police said. The crash happened while Ellis was driving eastbound in the area of 10400 Little Patuxent Parkway, police said, adding that Ellis was traveling too fast for the wet roads.

A Pennsylvania state trooper fatally shot a Maryland motorist who attacked the officer during an accident investigation on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Tuesday night. The officer found Daryl Jerome Berry, 45, of Columbia, arguing with another motorist at the scene of a collision that occurred just before 9 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of the highway in Brush Creek Township, Fulton County. Berry approached the officer with two aggressive Rottweiler dogs and then hit the officer repeatedly with a flashlight, police said.

A 56-year old Columbia man was indicted Wednesday on charges that he used his laptop to forge prescriptions for Xanax, then sold the pills, earning about $3,000 a month. Martin Edward Mullineaux, of the 8700 block Hayshed Lane, faces 15 counts of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and four charges of prescription forgery. According to charging documents, a Costco pharmacist who spotted a forged prescription followed a man from the store July 29 and wrote down his vehicle license plate number.

The house fire that killed a 62-year-old Columbia man last week was set by the victim, Howard County police said Tuesday. Soo Wan Hong of the 7200 block of Riding Hood Circle had to be identified through dental records because his body was so badly burned, police said. "Our investigators took a number of things into account before making a determination that this was a suicide, including some of Mr. Hong's actions in the days leading up to the fire, as well as some information they gathered since the incident occurred, " police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said.

A 53-year-old Columbia man whose pickup truck struck and killed an elderly woman last November was found guilty Friday by a Howard County Circuit Court judge of failing to stop at a crosswalk and leaving the scene of an accident. James Beaman had pleaded not guilty. On Friday, he agreed with an account of the accident told in court by Assistant State's Attorney Danielle Duclaux. Prosecutors said they will ask Judge Lenore R. Gelfman to impose a one-year jail term when Beamen is sentenced July 14. Gelfman called the fatal accident "a terrible tragedy."

A 43-year-old Columbia man was hospitalized after his motorcycle collided with a Howard County police cruiser in North Laurel, county police said. Police said the accident occurred at about 9:40 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Route 216 and Leishear Road. The officer, identified as nine-year veteran Bryan Mason, was traveling with his emergency lights and siren activated when he slowed to enter the intersection and was struck by a Harley Davidson motorcycle being operated by Frederick Lee Adkins, according to Cpl. Christopher Krieger.

A 72-year-old man was injured in a single-vehicle accident in Columbia when his car slid off a road and struck a tree shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday, according to Howard County police. James Dennis Ellis, of Columbia, was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in stable condition Saturday night, police said. The crash happened while Ellis was driving eastbound in the area of 10400 Little Patuxent Parkway, police said, adding that Ellis was traveling too fast for the wet roads.

A 30-year-old Columbia man died Saturday after he lost control of his motorcycle and slammed into the rear of a tractor-trailer parked on Brookdale Road in Elkridge, according to Howard County police. The victim was not wearing a helmet and was not licensed to drive the vehicle, police said. The accident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. near Brookdale Road and Route 1, police said. Police said the motorcyclist, Juan Carlos Calderon Mejia, was taken to University of Maryland Shock Trauma, where he died of his injuries.

Originally published in the Aug. 30, 2007 edition of The Howard County Times. A 19-year-old Columbia man, whose body was found this week near a footpath in Hickory Ridge, was beaten to death, according to an autopsy performed Aug. 28. Wasel Ali, whose body was discovered on Aug. 27, died as a result of injuries caused during a physical altercation, Howard County police said. Police refused to disclose other details about Ali's injuries. "This is an open investigation so we are limited in how much information we can make public at this time," said Sherry Llewellyn, a police spokeswoman, on Aug. 29. Police do not know when or where Ali -- who a family member reported missing on Aug. 22 -- was killed, Llewellyn said.

A 21-year-old Columbia man who was out on bond has been charged in the fatal shooting of a bail bondswoman who police think was meeting him to collect a payment. Dominique Davon McDonald was charged with first- and second-degree murder and first- and second-degree assault and has been jailed in lieu of $2 million bail in the killing of Nichole Bernadette McNair of Baltimore, according to Howard County police. According to court records, McDonald was on probation and had recently been released from jail on bond in two cases, including an incident in which police say he had a gun on the grounds of a school.

The following is compiled from police reports. The Columbia Flier includes descriptions of perpetrators only when the description makes identification possible. East Columbia Cobblefield Drive, 8600 block, between 7:30 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. May 26. Entry gained. Video game system and sound system stolen. Good Lion Road, 9400 block, between 4 and 4:55 am. May 26. Entry gained through garage door. Laptop, television and video game system stolen.

A 21-year-old Columbia man who was out on bond has been charged in the fatal shooting of a bail bondswoman who police think was meeting him to collect a payment. Dominique Davon McDonald was charged with first- and second-degree murder and first- and second-degree assault and has been jailed in lieu of $2 million bail in the killing of Nichole Bernadette McNair of Baltimore, according to Howard County police. According to court records, McDonald was on probation and had recently been released from jail on bond in two cases, including an incident in which police say he had a gun on the grounds of a school.

A 33-year-old Columbia man who had spent more than half of his adult life in jail during seven different prison terms was sentenced to 50 more years for a violent home invasion in Elkridge last April. Howard County Circuit Judge Timothy J. McCrone sentenced Kareem Eugene Hunt on Tuesday to 30 years without parole for attempted armed robbery and a firearm charge, with an additional 20 years for armed robbery. During a three-day jury trial, witnesses said that Hunt and two others had contacted a resident of the home who agreed to meet Hunt on April 25. After gaining entry, Hunt brandished a sawed-off shotgun, holding the residents captive and later hitting one of his victims in the face with the barrel of the gun. Hunt, of the 7200 block of Eden Brook Drive, was convicted of multiple counts of armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, first-degree assault and gun possession charges.

A 43-year-old Columbia man was sentenced in U.S. District in Baltimore Thursday for sexually abusing and taking explicit photos of a teenage girl, officials said. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Philip Wayne Barto to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and required him to register as a sex offender, according to a statement from the U. S. State's Attorney's office. According to his plea agreement, Barto sexually abused the girl, in addition to taking photos of her and showing her images of child pornography.

A 34-year-old Columbia man who has been charged in nine separate burglaries throughout Howard County was found guilty Monday by a Howard County Circuit Court judge for stealing jewelry valued at more than $10,000 from an Ellicott City residence last May. Charles Kurtinitis, of the 8600 block of Skyrock Court, will be sentenced by Judge Diane O. Leasure in April and faces up to 20 years in jail for first-degree burglary. Kurtinitis was also charged with second- and fourth-degree burglary, as well as theft.