Essex

An Essex man, who faces criminal charges relating to a May homicide where the body was left inside a burning truck, was shot in the back of the head early Friday morning, according to Baltimore County police. Joseph Thorpe, 27, was found shortly after midnight Friday, lying in the middle of the street at Middle River Road and Compass Road, suffering from a gunshot wound, in addition to other traumatic injuries, according to a police statement. Thorpe, of the unit block of Glenwood Road, was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and was listed in critical condition, police said.

As tax season gets under way, accounting students from Community College of Baltimore County, will help prepare income taxes for free those with annual incomes of $60,000 or less, and who only require the basic schedules for individuals and households. The help comes through the CCBC Community Tax Prep Program, and is held at the Essex and Catonsville campuses. In Essex,  sessions will be held Feb. 19 and 26; and March 5, 12, 19 and 26, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day, in the campus' L building - room 102, 7201 Rossville Boulevard.

ANNAPOLIS - Hundreds of gun rights advocates rallied outside the State House on Wednesday in opposition to new gun control measures proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley. As O'Malley testified in favor of new gun restrictions before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, protesters outside said his plan to ban assault weapons, limit magazine sizes and strengthen licensing measures would erode their rights. Harry H. Fahl, a photographer from Essex, warmed up the crowd in the morning by leading a group recitation of the Second Amendment, which quickly turned into a chant.

A fight in Essex left two men in hospital with stab wounds, Baltimore County Police said. The men got into an altercation around 1 a.m. in the 1000 block of Foxchase Lane, police said. Their wounds were said to be not life threatening. Patrol officers are investigating the incident and no further information was immediately available. iduncan@baltsun.com twitter.com/iduncan

An Essex towing company caught fire Saturday morning, Baltimore County fire officials said. The fire in the 400 block of Back River Neck Road happened at FMR Towing, the fire department said, and was under control by 9 a.m, but fire fighters were still on the scene. iduncan@baltsun.com twitter.com/iduncan

After pushing a female companion out of harm's way, a 19-year-old Essex man was hit by a truck Friday night and hospitalized for his injuries, Baltimore County police said. Kwante Betters and Lauren Bielanski, both 19, were trying to find jumper cables after their van stalled on Southeast Boulevard near Turkey Point Road in Essex about 10 p.m. Friday, according to police. Betters saw a red Ford F-150 pickup truck approaching and pushed Bielanski out of its path. The truck struck the disabled van and Betters, throwing him into the road.

Baltimore County police have arrested an 18-year-old Essex man, charging him with the attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of an off-duty police officer. Michael Jabateh, 18, of the 100 block of Commodore Drive, faces eight charges and is being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center in connection with the shooting of Officer Moorer on Dec. 9 outside an Overlea party. Officials did not release Moorer's first name. Jabateh was arrested on Thursday after police conducted a surveillance operation in the 100 block of Orville Road in Essex.

The Essex man killed Sunday in Northwest Baltimore's Forest Park neighborhood may have been involved in an illicit drug deal, police said. Richard Erdek, 33, of Valley Orb Court, was found at 3:38 p.m. in an alley behind the 3900 of block Woodhaven Ave., near Garrison Boulevard. He was unresponsive from a gunshot wound to the chest when police located him in the driver's seat of his vehicle. The victim was taken to Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:16 p.m., police said.

City work crews have located, removed and replaced the old pipe that ruptured Monday and sent water cascading through several downtown streets, fully restoring service to the affected neighborhood. By 9 a.m. Tuesday, a new 30-inch main had been installed, officials said. Testing of the new main lasted through the afternoon, an official said. Repairs were completed Tuesday night, and service was fully restored to the local customers who had been without water service or had experienced low pressure through much of the day, said Tiffani Church, a spokeswoman for the city's Department of Public Works.

Shortly before 4:30 p.m. Monday, Sarah Weber walked out of Binkert's Meat Products in Essex and locked the door behind her - an early departure for the third-generation sausage and deli meats producer. Just down the hill, traffic narrowed and was pushed onto a shoulder as drivers passed a large, muddy hole in Philadelphia Road, surrounded by orange traffic cones and Baltimore public works crews. A 16-inch-wide, city-owned water main burst under the road Monday morning, cutting water to Binkert's and more than a dozen other businesses, 60 homes and two nearby institutions - MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center and the Community College of Baltimore County's Essex campus.