Critical Condition

Two burn victims from the deadly Cecil Avenue fire were released from a hospital yesterday, while authorities continued struggling to identify five of the six people who died. Family members had initially hoped to hold one funeral for all of their loved ones, but those plans cannot go forward since authorities have had difficulty obtaining dental records they need to make conclusive identifications, a family member said. Instead, relatives will bury only one victim Tuesday, Marquis D. Ellis, 7, a second-grader at Highlandtown Elementary School.

A man was reported in very critical condition at an area hospital after he was struck by a car last night while walking along West Patapsco Avenue near Morrell Park, police said. The man's name was withheld pending notification of family members. Shortly after 9 p.m., the man was walking in the 2900 block of W. Patapsco Ave. toward Washington Boulevard on a dirt footpath between the road and a guardrail, when he was struck from behind by a Dodge Intrepid, whose driver left several yards of skid marks before hitting the man. After the collision, the car continued along the path for several yards before turning sideways and crashing into a 30-foot aluminum light pole.

Overcome by a roaring fire in her Roland Park home, an 11-year-old girl died at Sinai Hospital yesterday after being pulled from the flames by Baltimore firefighters, while her 16-year-old brother clung to life in the same medical center. Their father, Stephen A. Young, a deputy copy desk chief at The Sun, was found outside the front door. Choking, he managed to tell firefighters that his children were trapped inside, a city Fire Department spokesman said. Young was rushed to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in critical condition and stable last night, recovering from a broken hip and suffering from smoke inhalation.

A 5-year-old boy who was not breathing when he was pulled by a lifeguard from a Columbia pool this week remained in critical condition yesterday at Children's National Medical Center in Washington. The boy, Darren Powell of Columbia, was swimming in the Bryant Woods Pool about 1:50 p.m. Tuesday as a participant in the Wilde Lake Junior Nature Camp, Howard County police said. The lifeguard administered "life-saving measures" and the child began breathing, according to police. The circumstances of the near-drowning do not appear suspicious, police said.

Anne Arundel County police responding last night to a report of shots fired in a townhouse in Brooklyn Heights found one man dead and another wounded, said a police spokesman. Their names were withheld pending notification of family members. No arrests had been made, and police knew of no motive for the double shooting. About 9 p.m., police entered an apartment in the 200 block of Southerly Road and found one man dead from at least one bullet wound and another man wounded, said Capt. Joe Jordan, a police night commander.

A 25-year-old Joppatowne woman was charged yesterday with attempted murder after three teen-agers apparently overdosed on prescription drugs, the Harford County Sheriff's Office said.Deputies found more than 200 prescription drugs, including muscle relaxants and morphine, inside a Joppatowne townhouse where two of the teens were found, said Detective Tom Walsh, a spokesman for the Harford County Sheriff's Office. The other teen was found outside the dwelling.A boy who went into cardiac arrest was flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he was in critical condition, Walsh said.

Gridlock happened after all yesterday. But not for long, and not for the reasons the experts predicted.A two-vehicle accident that left a 3-year-old boy in critical condition and five others injured shut down Interstate 95 in both directions shortly after 3 p.m. -- just as 35,000 Ravens fans began filtering out of PSINet Stadium and thousands of others headed into town for an Orioles night game.The crash produced a combined 18 miles of backups in both directions as northbound lanes were closed for more than an hour and southbound for a half-hour.

A 3-year-old Salisbury boy remained in critical condition last night at a Baltimore hospital, where he was being treated for burns and smoke inhalation he suffered in a fire he started at his home, said a spokesman for the state fire marshal's office.Allen Gosnell said Jason Bolin Jr. of the 300 block of Hammond St. was alone in his mother's bedroom about noon playing with matches and set the bed on fire. A baby sitter, Jared M. Waller, 21, tried to rescue Jason but was driven back by smoke, Gosnell said.

An unidentified man died early yesterday when he and two other men were shot multiple times in the 400 block of Bloom St. near Druid Hill Avenue, Baltimore police reported.The man was shot in the upper torso and died at the scene shortly after 2 a.m., said Agent Angelique Cook-Hayes, a police spokeswoman. The other two men were taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where they were being treated for gunshot wounds yesterday, police said.Ricky Miller, 31, of the 1700 block of Abbotston St., was in critical condition, and Kevin Dorsey, 33, of the 1500 block of McKean Ave., was in stable condition yesterday, police said.

Fifteen people were shot in seven unrelated incidents in Baltimore between Saturday night and early yesterday, and police made an arrest in one of the shootings.About 4: 45 a.m. yesterday, a 26-year-old resident of the 6800 block of Southern Cross Court in Baltimore County was shot by a man in the 3200 block of Presstman St. in West Baltimore. He was in stable condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center.About 2: 15 a.m. yesterday, two men, one 25 and the other 22, were at a private party at Uncle Lee's Restaurant in the first block of South St. downtown when an argument broke out. Another man pulled a handgun and shot them, police said.

Affordable senior complex planned in Randallstown Enterprise Housing Corp. is set to develop 9 acres in Randallstown into a $15.7 million affordable senior housing complex called the Greens at Liberty Road. Construction is expected to begin this month on the site in the 9700 block of Liberty Road, and to be completed in June 2011. The complex will include 105 rental units reserved for qualified residents 62 and older. The state is providing a $2 million tax credit. Baltimore County has agreed to a property tax reduction that amounts to about $150 per unit, and also has promised a $500,000 loan.

Man arrested in drug raid critical after suffering seizure An East Baltimore man taken into custody during a Friday morning drug raid is in critical condition after suffering a seizure after ingesting drugs, officials said. The 32-year-old man was identified as Bernard Harris. He was one of several people inside a home in the Oliver neighborhood in the 1400 block of N. Bond St., where police executed a search-and-seizure warrant on a suspected gang stash house early Friday looking for guns, police said.

Five men were shot in three separate incidents over a four-hour span late Wednesday and into early Thursday on Baltimore's west and east sides, according to police. None of the shootings was fatal. Officers patrolling the 2300 block of Presbury St. in West Baltimore about 10:25 p.m. Wednesday asked a group of men standing on a corner to move, and a short time later, as the men were walking toward Baker Street, a man shot two people, police said. An 18-year-old found in the 1600 block of Moreland Ave. suffered a gunshot wound to his right leg and was taken by paramedics to an area hospital, where police said he was in critical condition.

Man, woman critically injured in shooting at city strip club A man and a woman were shot early Tuesday inside an East Baltimore strip club just before the business was to close for the night, according to city police. The woman was shot in the wrist and chest and the man was shot in the back about 2 a.m. at the Eldorado Lounge in the 4100 block of E. Lombard St., police said. Both victims were taken to an area hospital and were in critical condition. Police have made no arrests. - Brent Jones Ambushed officer worsens, is moved to Shock Trauma A Baltimore police officer who was shot during an attempted robbery late Thursday outside his Northwest Baltimore home was moved Tuesday morning from Sinai Hospital to Maryland Shock Trauma Center after he was downgraded from serious to critical condition, police said.

17-year-old charged in fatal shooting in city A 29-year-old man who was shot Sept. 2 in the 4400 block of Pimlico Road near Wylie Avenue died two days later, and a 17-year-old boy has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder. Police know of no motive for the slaying. Arrested Tuesday and charged with the shooting of Kevin Taylor of the 3100 block of Sumter Ave. is Anthony Chapman of the 2600 block of Oswego Ave. said Agent Donny Moses, a police spokesman. Moses said Taylor was shot in the head about 3 p.m. and remained in critical condition at Sinai Hospital before dying Friday night.

Reward offered in Howard County escape Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Devin Champagne, a convicted felon who escaped custody Thursday night as he was being transported from Howard County Circuit Court to the county detention center. Champagne, 20, is accused of the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer for allegedly using his handcuffs to choke a sheriff's deputy during the escape. He had been convicted Thursday of felony theft.

Teenage suspect arrested in fatal stabbing downtown 1 Baltimore police have arrested a 17-year-old suspect who they said stabbed a man in the chest as two groups fought in the 300 block of N. Paca St. early Saturday. The victim, whose identity was unknown, was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:28 a.m., said Agent Donny Moses, a police spokesman. With the help of CitiWatch cameras, police distributed a description of the attacker and Oscar Skinner, of the 400 block Whitridge Ave. in Charles Village was apprehended moments after the 1:40 a.m. incident.

Frederick Co. woman killed in head-on crash 1 A 51-year-old Frederick County woman was killed in a head-on collision Saturday afternoon on Route 26 at Old Liberty Road, state police said. Police said Patricia Marie Ryan was killed when the car she was driving east on Route 26 crossed the center line and collided with a pickup truck, causing the truck to overturn. Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck, Alfonso Contreras Balderas, 32, of Frederick County and two passengers were taken to Washington County Hospital, where they were treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said.

1 A 5-year-old girl remained in critical condition Friday after being hit by a stray bullet while walking home with a relative after a shopping trip. The child, who has not been officially identified but whom an aunt said was named Raven, was on a ventilator and in pediatric intensive care at the University of Maryland Medical Center, a hospital representative said. Family members were at her side. She suffered a head wound and was bleeding from the mouth, said a neighbor who attempted to comfort the child after the shooting.

Lusby man critically hurt in 2-vehicle crash 2 A Lusby man was taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center with life-threatening injuries after a two-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon in Lothian, Anne Arundel County police said. A Ford pickup truck westbound on Lower Pindell Road collided with a Hyundai Genesis headed south on Route 4, police said. The Hyundai traveled about 65 feet on Lower Pindell Road before stopping, and the pickup went down an embankment into woods about 75 feet from the road, police said.