University Police

Daniel Gross had cracked the story of mysterious resignations among student staff at a Towson University dormitory, and, truth be told, he felt pretty good about his work. The student journalist's pride quickly turned to frustration, however, when thousands of newspapers containing his article went missing from racks around campus. Three weeks later, Gross still wants to know who stole the estimated 3,000 editions of the Towerlight, and he says university police are dragging their feet in giving him answers.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with robbing a student at knifepoint last week on the University of Maryland College Park campus, but a second suspect remains at large, campus police said Sunday. Isaiah Graham of Riverdale in Prince George's County was being held by Washington, D.C., police on unrelated robbery charges when University of Maryland police found evidence linking him to the attack Thursday evening on the College Park campus, according to a university police news release.

A 21-year-old Towson University student was raped in her off-campus apartment by an intruder, Baltimore County police said yesterday. The woman was sleeping in the bedroom of her apartment in the Fairways at Towson complex when a man broke in just after 5 a.m. Tuesday, police said. The man assaulted and raped her, police said. She was treated at a nearby hospital and released, said Officer Shawn Vinson, a county police spokesman. Police were not disclosing details of how the man broke into the apartment in the 1300 block of Airlie Way, and they did not release a description of the assailant.

University of Maryland College Park police are looking for two men who robbed a student at knifepoint Thursday evening. University police said the robbery was the first reported on the campus in the past 12 months. The male student was alone, walking from a parking lot near Cecil Hall, a women's dormitory, at about 11:45 p.m. Two men, dressed in dark clothing and wearing masks, approached and threatened the student with a knife, police said. Police did not disclose what was taken from the student, whose identity and age are not being released.

Towson University police have arrested a second person in the March 22 armed robbery of two students in a dorm, officials said. Jarard Larmarr Nelson,19, of Chatham Road in Gwynn Oak, was charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of firstdegree burglary, according to a university police release. It is unclear whether Nelson is a student. He was taken to the Baltimore County Detention Center and a bond was set at $350,000. In March, police arrested university student Jerry Young Jr., 19, of the 5500 block of Peerless Ave. in connection with the robbery.

University of Maryland College Park police are looking for two men who robbed a student at knifepoint Thursday evening. University police said the robbery was the first reported on the campus in the past 12 months. The male student was alone, walking from a parking lot near Cecil Hall, a women's dormitory, at about 11:45 p.m. Two men, dressed in dark clothing and wearing masks, approached and threatened the student with a knife, police said. Police did not disclose what was taken from the student, whose identity and age are not being released.

Two Montgomery County men have been charged with first-degree rape in a case described by Towson State University police as "acquaintance rape" of a freshman in her dormitory room on campus during the weekend.Brereton C. Poole, 19, of the 23000 block of Frederick Road in Clarksburg and Jason A. De Santolo, 20, of the 20000 block of Waterside Drive in Germantown also were charged with third-degree and fourth-degree sex offenses, Towson State University Police Chief Stephen J. Murphy said.The 18-year-old woman was counseled at an area hospital's rape crisis clinic after the attack, alleged to have taken place about 8: 15 a.m. Saturday, Chief Murphy said.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with robbing a student at knifepoint last week on the University of Maryland College Park campus, but a second suspect remains at large, campus police said Sunday. Isaiah Graham of Riverdale in Prince George's County was being held by Washington, D.C., police on unrelated robbery charges when University of Maryland police found evidence linking him to the attack Thursday evening on the College Park campus, according to a university police news release.

University of Maryland campus police in College Park alerted students and workers of a possible cougar sighting reported near the wooded areas of the Comcast Center and Arena Drive yesterday. A university police spokesman said the department received a call about 6 a.m. yesterday from a maintenance worker who said he had seen a 4-foot-long, light tan and tawny brown animal with a 4-foot tail. The description of the animal, which would weigh about 50 pounds, fits that of a cougar, according to campus police.

The suspension of a campus fraternity during an investigation of alleged hazing and injuries to pledges was announced yesterday by the University of Maryland at College Park.Omega Psi Phi's suspension was prompted by an anonymous letter sent to university officials and police, as well as area news organizations.The letter named victims of alleged beatings as well as the "big brothers" of the fraternity who the writer said were responsible for the assaults."The university police immediately began an investigation which may result in the filing of criminal and/or campus disciplinary charges as the facts warrant," Dr. William L. Thomas Jr., the campus vice president for student affairs, said in a prepared statement.

Justin Lewis, who started 12 of 13 games for Maryland's football team last season at right guard, was dismissed from the team Tuesday and turned himself in to authorities to respond to allegations of second-degree assault, according to university and law enforcement officials. University police said a warrant was issued for Lewis, 21, in Prince George's County. "Apparently, somebody filed charges against him," university police spokesman Marc Limansky said. "There was an outstanding warrant and he decided to turn himself in. " Lewis was charged in connection with an alleged June 26 fight.

Daniel Gross had cracked the story of mysterious resignations among student staff at a Towson University dormitory, and, truth be told, he felt pretty good about his work. The student journalist's pride quickly turned to frustration, however, when thousands of newspapers containing his article went missing from racks around campus. Three weeks later, Gross still wants to know who stole the estimated 3,000 editions of the Towerlight, and he says university police are dragging their feet in giving him answers.

Three Towson University detectives have been awarded the campus Police Department's Medal of Merit after solving an armed robbery and home invasion in which a student was clubbed with a crowbar. The three detectives, Frank Remesch, Matthew Tewey and Richard Saylor, were among the first officers to arrive when the call for help came from a campus dormitory March 22, but the attackers had already fled. One attacker was armed with a handgun, the other a crowbar, with which he reportedly struck a student on the forehead after bursting into his room, police said.

Towson University police have arrested a second person in the March 22 armed robbery of two students in a dorm, officials said. Jarard Larmarr Nelson,19, of Chatham Road in Gwynn Oak, was charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of firstdegree burglary, according to a university police release. It is unclear whether Nelson is a student. He was taken to the Baltimore County Detention Center and a bond was set at $350,000. In March, police arrested university student Jerry Young Jr., 19, of the 5500 block of Peerless Ave. in connection with the robbery.

Towson University police have arrested a student in the armed robbery of two other students in a dorm this week. Police said Jerry Young Jr., 19, of the 5500 block Peerless Ave. in Gwynn Oak has been charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of first-degree assault, and two counts of first-degree burglary. The robbery occurred in Tower B, an on-campus dormitory, March 22 at about 3:30 p.m. Police said at the time that two men, one who was masked and armed with a handgun, knocked on a door and forced their way into the room, taking items.

Baltimore homicide detectives don't believe a Johns Hopkins University student had "the intent to kill" when he used a samurai sword to confront an intruder outside his home, a police spokesman said Thursday. Police say John Pontolillo, 20, a chemistry major from New Jersey, killed the man with a single blow early Tuesday. Pontolillo has not been charged in the death of Donald D. Rice, 49, a career criminal who was released from jail just three days before the altercation. Prosecutors will determine whether charges are warranted after consulting with police, a process that could take weeks.

Justin Lewis, who started 12 of 13 games for Maryland's football team last season at right guard, was dismissed from the team Tuesday and turned himself in to authorities to respond to allegations of second-degree assault, according to university and law enforcement officials. University police said a warrant was issued for Lewis, 21, in Prince George's County. "Apparently, somebody filed charges against him," university police spokesman Marc Limansky said. "There was an outstanding warrant and he decided to turn himself in. " Lewis was charged in connection with an alleged June 26 fight.

Towson University police have issued campus-wide safety warnings after two female students were assaulted. Capt. Robert Novak said police e-mailed warnings and posted fliers last week reminding students to lock their doors and not to let unescorted guests into dormitories. Students also are being reminded that the university offers an escort service so that they don't have to walk alone. The two assaults were reported last week and are being investigated by Baltimore County and university police.

University of Maryland campus police in College Park alerted students and workers of a possible cougar sighting reported near the wooded areas of the Comcast Center and Arena Drive yesterday. A university police spokesman said the department received a call about 6 a.m. yesterday from a maintenance worker who said he had seen a 4-foot-long, light tan and tawny brown animal with a 4-foot tail. The description of the animal, which would weigh about 50 pounds, fits that of a cougar, according to campus police.

Coppin State University and city police were seeking a man who escaped yesterday from a work detail at the university. William Spessard, 40, was serving two years for auto theft and was an inmate at the Baltimore City Correctional Center. He was part of a work detail with three other men picking up trash in the Parlett L. Moore Library, in the 2500 block of W. North Ave., about 10:40 a.m. when he asked to use a bathroom and walked off, school officials said. A campus police officer notified authorities and began a search within 10 minutes of Spessard's failure to return, police said.