Westminster Police

On Friday morning, Westminster police arrested a 45-year-old man they had been seeking in connection with a drug investigation that had begun in the summer.Wayne Austin Safrit of the 200 block of Stone Road in Westminster was arrested at 11 a.m. Friday. He was charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.Mr. Safrit was being held Friday afternoon in the Carroll County Detention Center on $250,000 bail.Police said the arrest came as a result of an investigation that started in July.

Police said a Hanover, Md., man died Saturday after being shot while lying on the couch at a home he was visiting in Westminster. Westminster police said Vygants Tomas Campe, 46, died after being struck by a bullet from a gun that may have discharged accidentally. Police said on March 16 at about 11:45 a.m., officers and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in the 400 block of South Hills Court in Westminster for the report of a shooting. When they arrived they found a man, later identified as Campe, on the first floor of the home suffering from a single gunshot wound.

Westminster police are searching for a man who allegedly assaulted a woman Thursday night. About 10:30 p.m., the woman was getting out of her car behind her home in the first block of Pennsylvania Ave. when an unknown assailant grabbed her around the neck, police said. After a struggle, the man fled on foot toward Winters Street, police said. The woman suffered minor abrasions but did not need medical attention, police said. Police described the man as 30 to 40 years old, between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall, thin and with short, dark hair.

A homeless woman who was killed in a fire outside a Westminster thrift store early Tuesday morning has been identified as 59-year-old Paula Mae Carlisle, state fire officials said Wednesday. A state medical examiner has ruled Carlisle's death was caused by "smoke inhalation and thermal burn injuries," the state fire marshal's office announced. Carlisle's remains were found burning behind The Spare Room at 28 West Main St. in Westminster by firefighters about 1:49 a.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Westminster's mayor and police chief denied accusations leveled by a union chief that they misspent money at the expense of public safety, saying the labor representative is trying to drive a wedge through the city's small police force. Joined by two City Council members and the town manager, the officials went through an hourlong, point-by-point rebuttal of allegations raised by Gary McLhinney, who was hired by the Carroll County Fraternal Order of Police to push for collective bargaining rights for Westminster officers.

Westminster police are investigating the robbery yesterday of the East Main Street branch of Carroll County Bank & Trust Co., where a man fled with an undisclosed amount.No one was injured and no weapon was displayed during the robbery, police said. The suspect was described as a white man with a goatee, tattoos on both arms, about age 30, about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighing about 200 pounds and wearing a white shirt, baggy shorts, white socks and work boots, police said.A police dog unit searched the area soon after the robbery at 10 a.m. without success.

Westminster police had their hands full Wednesday night with two major crimes that occurred within five minutes several blocks apart.A customer walked from the Super Fresh Market in Englar Shopping Center about 10:40 p.m. to her car. She told police a tall man approached and asked for the time. She told him, entered her car and closed the door.The woman said the man yanked the door open and demanded her purse. When she refused, he pulled a chrome-plated handgun from his waistband, pointed it at her andrepeated his demand, police said.

The Westminster Police Department is seeking volunteers for an auxiliary police unit that responds to noncriminal calls.Volunteers must be at least age 15 and able to contribute at least 40 hours each year to Stop Crime on Residential Environments, or SCORE. The 2-year-old program has two volunteers and needs about 10 more, police said."The volunteers start out by helping with community presentations, funeral escorts and traffic control," said Cpl. Michael Bible, community education officer.

Westminster Police Department has announced the winners of its annual "Safety Is Only a Click Away" seat belt poster contest.Awards were presented Nov. 16 and included three winners from each of the county's public elementary schools.The grand-prize winner is Vitalius Brand from Linton Springs Elementary.Other winners are:Carrolltowne: Megan Hoke, Lindzey Galliford, Jessica Geyer.Charles Carroll: Gabrielle Balassone, Madeline Scott, Mandy Talbert.Cranberry Station: Robert Eyler, Kelsey Fendlay, Michael Russo.

Westminster police arrested a 21-year-old man and three juveniles Wednesday on drug and other charges after searching a house in the 100 block of Pennsylvania Ave.Earl Nobles, 21, of no fixed address, was arrested on a warrant charging distribution and possession of drugs, police said. He was released on his own recognizance from the Carroll County Detention Center in Westminster.A 16-year-old girl who lived at the residence was charged with possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.Another 16-year-old Westminster girl was charged with attempted breaking and entering and malicious destruction at the Main Street Cafe, 124 E. Main St., on June 18.Police said a window was broken and telephones wires were cut during that incident.

State police said Saturday that David M. Montgomery, 28, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man in Westminster this morning. Edward C. Zepp, 61, of the 100 block of West Main Street, Westminster, was found dead on the back porch of his residence early Saturday morning. Shortly after 4 a.m. Jan. 5, Westminster Police responded to a 911 call reporting an assault at the address. Police said they found Zepp on the back porch of his residence with trauma to his neck.  Medics pronounced him dead.

WEATHER Today's forecast calls for cloudy skies and a high around 54 degrees. The low temperature is expected to be around 42 degrees tonight. TRAFFIC Here are today's morning traffic issues . FROM LAST NIGHT... Explore Howard: Parents of student who died after dental surgery sue for malpractice : The parents of a Woodstock teen who died 10 days after losing oxygen during a routine wisdom tooth surgery March 28 in Columbia are suing the anesthesiologist and the oral surgeon involved for medical malpractice, according to court records filed Nov. 30. Westminster police chief, mayor attack union chief over allegations of misspent money : Westminster's mayor and police chief denied accusations leveled by a union chief that they misspent money at the expense of public safety, saying the labor representative is trying to drive a wedge through the city's small police force.

One little girl was looking for a purple dress for her mother. A teenager looked at curtains for his little sister. A little boy was looking for anything with Tinkerbell. For the past eight years, the aisles of Walmart in Westminster have hosted more than 175 youngsters in their quest to find holiday presents for members of their families. On Dec. 10, their search is aided by members of Westminster's police department, as each child was accompanied by an officer during the annual Shop with A Cop event.

Westminster's mayor and police chief denied accusations leveled by a union chief that they misspent money at the expense of public safety, saying the labor representative is trying to drive a wedge through the city's small police force. Joined by two City Council members and the town manager, the officials went through an hourlong, point-by-point rebuttal of allegations raised by Gary McLhinney, who was hired by the Carroll County Fraternal Order of Police to push for collective bargaining rights for Westminster officers.

Rank-and-file police officers are accusing the small department in Westminster of misspending money seized from drug suspects by buying iPads and iPhones for top commanders. The Carroll County Fraternal Order of Police, through a Baltimore law firm it hired, also alleges in a news release that department leaders have pressured officers to work extra-duty shifts at Walmart, sometimes at the expense of patrolling city streets. "We're looking for answers," said Gary McLhinney, a labor negotiator for Schlachman, Belsky and Weiner, a firm that represents police labor unions around the state.

WESTMINSTER — The Westminster Police Department, Westminster Walmart and other sponsors are seeking donations for the annual Shop With a Cop Angel Tree, which helps provide Christmas gifts for needy children. The tree was formally unveiled on Oct. 27 at the Westminster Walmart, on Woodward Drive, and is decorated with gift tags. The tags depict gifts ranging in price from $10 and higher, and shoppers are asked to selected a tag from the angel tree as they enter the store. Later, closer to the holidays, the program will pair children with Westminster Police officers, providing money to shop for Christmas presents for their families.

Westminster police are seeking witnesses to an accident that injured one driver and closed westbound Route 140 for about 45 minutes yesterday morning. The 10:22 a.m. collision on Route 140 at Center Street involved a truck and a car, but might have been caused by a third vehicle, said Capt. Randy Barnes, a city police spokesman. The third vehicle apparently made an unsafe lane change but was not hit and did not stop, Barnes said. Witnesses told police that a silver Lexus with a North Carolina license plate moved from the middle to the fast lane in front of a westbound 1994 International box truck owned by the Church of the Brethren in New Windsor, Barnes said.

Pfc. James Cooper Jr.'s 56 drunken-driving arrests and 190 criminal arrests during 1991 led to his selection as the Westminster Police Department's Officer of the Year.Police Chief Sam R. Leppo presented the award to Patrolman Cooper at a ceremony Friday.Chief Leppo, who congratulated the officer for excellent work in his two and a half years with the city police, said that Patrolman Cooper was Officer of the Month four times in 1991 and Top Enforcement Officer (TEO) in June of this year.

WESTMINSTER - A lifelong resident of Carroll County has been named as the new commander of the Westminster Barrack for the Maryland State Police. Lt. Jim DeWees, 40, was transferred to the new position, effective this past week, by State Police Superintendent Col. Marcus Brown. He replaces former commander Lt. Andrew Winner, who was promoted to captain and will become the commander of the Central Troop, the police division that includes the Westminster Barrack. DeWees is a 20-year veteran of the State Police.

Diane Stephan has attended the National Night Out ceremonies at PNC Bank's parking lot in Westminster the last few years for one reason - her grandson. "My grandson enjoys it," said Stephan, opening a bag filled with candy. "It's like Halloween. He won a gift card from Target. " Celebrated around the nation for the last 28 years, National Night Out festivities revolve around local law enforcement and communities coming together in a fun setting. In Westminster, there were five different communities celebrating on a pleasant warm Aug. 2 evening.