Robert Wallace Grim, 66, of Pasadena, was sentenced to 25 years, with all but nine suspended, along with five years of supervised probation upon release.

Grim pleaded guilty to felony first-degree assault in August.

“This was not only a terrible assault by the victim’s boyfriend, but what makes this particularly egregious is that he held the injured victim against her will for hours,” State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said in a news release. “The defendant has shown no remorse or accountability for his actions. This top-of-the-guidelines sentence addresses the need for significant prison time for protection for the victim.”

Michele Vignola, Grim’s public defender, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

On Feb. 4, officers responded around 7:46 p.m. to a home on Queens Park Road in Pasadena in reference to a past assault, according to the release. The 45-year-old victim told police that her boyfriend (Grim) assaulted her the day before at his residence on Fox Court in Pasadena, prosecutors said.

The assault consisted of a verbal argument that turned physical when Grim used two hands to strangle the victim for roughly three seconds, according to the release. Grim then punched the victim in the face and beat her with a wooden bed post, causing multiple lacerations and bruising across the body, including blackened eyes, prosecutors said. Grim additionally took the victim’s phone and blocked the door with a ladder, holding her captive until she was able to escape the next day, according to the release.

Assistant State’s Attorney Shane Nolan represented the state in the case. Anne Arundel County Police led the investigation into the incident.

Capital Gazette reporter Maggie Trovato contributed to this article.

Have a news tip? Contact Danny Tow at datow@sbgtv.com and follow him on X at @TheDannyTow.

The crash took place in the 100 block of Market Place.

According to Baltimore Police, none of the victims’ injuries are life-threatening.

The vehicle involved in the accident remained on the scene.

Have a news tip? Contact Danny Tow at datow@sbgtv.com and follow him on X at @TheDannyTow.

Steven Christopher Kelban, 50, also received a lifetime supervised release as part of his sentence.

According to his guilty plea, Kelban was previously convicted of possessing or distributing child pornography twice — first in Shelby County, Alabama, in 2015, then again in 2016 in Baltimore County.

Kelban was released from an Alabama prison in November 2023 and subsequently returned to Maryland. As required, he registered as a sex offender upon returning to Maryland, listing a Baltimore County address.

One week later, Baltimore County Police were in the midst of an investigation locating offenders sharing images of child sex abuse when they found a torrent of over 2,000 files associated with Kelban’s IP address. At least one of the files contained such materials. Kelban also had about 150 images and 200 videos of child sexual abuse on his cellphone.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, FBI — Baltimore Field Office, Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department.

Have a news tip? Contact Danny Tow at datow@sbgtv.com and follow him on X at @TheDannyTow.

The teen was arrested at the school and charged with firearm-related offenses.

The following statement was sent from Principal Brian Schiffer to the school community:

“Dear Parents and Guardians of Franklin Middle School,

This morning, our School Resource Officer received a report that a student was in possession of marijuana. The student was searched, and an unloaded handgun was recovered. Possession of weapons on school property is a serious offense, and the student was arrested without incident and taken to a local precinct.

Safety is a shared responsibility and as with this case, it is important for all of us — students and parents alike — to inform school staff or police any time you or your child sees, hears, or reads anything that is suspicious or that may pose a threat to the school or its students. We must work together to ensure our school remains a safe and welcoming environment for all students. Please speak with your child(ren) and remind them that harmful choices and disruptive and dangerous behaviors have a significant impact on our entire school community. Weapons are prohibited on school property and any student found to be in possession of a weapon will receive serious school consequences (including one-year expulsion) and legal consequences, in alignment with the BCPS Student Handbook, policy and state law.

Thank you for your continued support of Franklin Middle School. If you have any questions, please call 443-809-1114.”

Have a news tip? Contact Danny Tow at datow@sbgtv.com or on X at @TheDannyTow and Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

MTA services, including local buses, metro subways, light rails and MARC trains, remain operational. Mobility paratransit services are operational as well but cannot schedule new trips or rebook existing trips.

Some MTA services and information systems, including real-time information about train arrival/departure times, might be impacted.

“We are encouraging all riders, including students taking transit for the first day of school, to allow extra travel time and arrive early at their pick-up locations,” the MTA’s statement reads.

The MTA is working with law enforcement as well as outside cybersecurity experts to determine the cause and scale of the incident.

The MTA also announced that it will have additional staff present throughout Baltimore City to ensure “smooth and safe commutes.”

Several school districts in the Baltimore region return Monday, including the city’s, and Baltimore City Public Schools mostly rely on city buses rather than traditional yellow school buses.

Have a news tip? Contact Danny Tow at datow@sbgtv.com. 

The governor previously visited Westernport on May 15, two days after rising water levels damaged over 200 homes and buildings in the area.

“Today, I once again saw the strength of Western Maryland — a community that mobilized in the wake of disaster. Our resolve hasn’t wavered and there is no question that our recovery requires more time and resources,” Moore said.

Despite a joint preliminary damage assessment estimating over $15.8 million in emergency response costs and infrastructure damage, the federal government denied Maryland’s request for federal disaster assistance. While Moore’s administration is appealing that decision, the governor pointed his ire towards the White House for the initial response.

“The Trump Administration denied our request for federal disaster assistance, even though Maryland met long-standing criteria for FEMA support,” Moore said. “This cruel choice by the federal government won’t stop us from moving forward. We will appeal their decision and continue fighting for the people of Allegany and Garrett counties.”

During the governor’s visit, he attended a morning church service alongside Westernport’s mayor and sat for lunch at a restaurant directly impacted by flood damage alongside roughly a dozen state and local officials, including Democratic Congresswoman April McClain Delaney.

“I’m grateful to Governor Moore and our local and state delegation for their leadership and partnership. Today showed what recovery should look like: an all-hands effort to support our communities after tragedy,” McClain Delaney said. “The resilience of our neighbors has been nothing short of inspiring. While I remain disappointed by the Administration’s denial of our FEMA request, we will continue to fight for the resources Mountain Maryland needs to recover and rebuild even stronger.”

The state has allocated nearly $1.5 million towards recovery efforts so far, though some officials said they will continue to work to secure further funding.

“The community of Westernport has shown immense resilience in the face of devastating May floods,” Maryland Department of Emergency Management Secretary Russell Strickland said. “We are committed to seeking every available recovery resource to support the residents and businesses that were impacted, and are working closely with communities across Allegany and Garrett to gather the necessary information to appeal the decision to deny Maryland federal disaster assistance.”

No timeline was given on when a decision can be expected on the state’s appeal for disaster relief funding.

Have a news tip? Contact Danny Tow at datow@sbgtv.com. 

The second set of shootings took place in the 2500 block of Edmondson Avenue.

According to Police Commissioner Richard Worley, a ShotSpotter alert was received around 9:40 p.m.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found four gunshot victims: a 19-year-old man, a 43-year-old man, a 52-year-old man, and a 66-year-old man.

The 19-year-old is listed in critical condition. As a result, BPD’s homicide unit has joined the investigation.

The other three victims are listed in stable condition, though Worley noted one of those three is more serious than the others.

Worley said police have not identified any suspects yet, though they do know that the shooters came from up the street and shot down Edmondson Avenue towards the victims.

On this being the second quadruple shooting of the day, Worley called it “challenging” to deal with multiple investigations at once, but said the department has stepped up before and would do so again.

Mayor Brandon Scott, speaking alongside Worley, called the shooting “the second of two cowardly incidents.” He later referred to the shooters as “cowards doing cowardly things.”

Asked about both quadruple shootings taking place on Baltimore’s west side, Scott replied that “we’re going to continue to be in West Baltimore to work and push. This is why we started [anti-violence initiatives] in West Baltimore first.”

Worley added that, in response to Monday’s shootings, BPD will increase resources in that part of the city to get ahead of any future violence taking place there.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 410-396-2100.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may use the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line, at 1-866-7LOCKUP. They may also anonymously text a tip by visiting the Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland website.

The 31-year-old mother, Darrian Randle, of Newark, told officers she had pulled over to calm her daughter after the girl became upset. While comforting Nola, Randle told police that a white male armed with a handgun approached the vehicle and took the child.

The report led authorities to issue an Amber Alert and launch a large-scale investigation involving the New Castle County Division of Police Criminal Investigations Unit and the FBI.

However, in a dramatic development on Wednesday, police announced that detectives had determined the mother’s story was made-up. Investigators also found human remains consistent with a child in a vacant lot in North East, Maryland, state police said in a news release Wednesday.

The Amber Alert was canceled, and New Castle police contacted Maryland State Police, requesting officers respond to Randle’s last known address in North East, Maryland. Randle and 44-year-old Cedrick Antoine Britten have been arrested in connection with the missing child, the Maryland State Police announced.

Randle is charged with first- and second-degree murder, and first-degree child abuse resulting in death of a minor under 13, as well as additional charges. She was taken into custody at the New Castle County Division of Police, waiting for extradition, authorities said.

Britten is charged with accessory to first- and second-degree murder after the fact, the failure to report child death, and other additional charges. Britten was taken into custody in Maryland and will be transported to the Cecil County District Court for an initial appearance, officials said.

Authorities continue to work in coordination with the FBI and Maryland State Police to investigate the case. ]]> 11500537 2025-06-11T23:51:01+00:00 2025-06-12T10:21:23+00:00 https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/06/10/fox45-severna-park-man-pleads-guilty-in-fatal-car-crash-case/ Tue, 10 Jun 2025 23:48:27 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11497830 A 63-year-old from Severna Park pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a fatal car crash in February 2024 and was sentenced, the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office announced in a statement.

William John Sternhagen, 63, plead guilty to negligent manslaughter and reckless driving in the incident that left Joseph Richard Muniz, 38, of York, Pennsylvania, dead on last February.

Sternhagen was sentenced to 10 years, all but 18 months suspended, of incarceration in the Anne Arundel County Detention Center. He will also serve five years of supervised probation upon release.

Around 7:41 a.m. on Feb. 7, 2024, Anne Arundel County Police officers responded to a reported multi-vehicle crash on Annapolis Road at Piedmont Lane in Hanover. An investigation revealed that a 2015 Dodge Dart driven by Muniz was making a left turn onto Piedmont Lane from the eastbound side of Annapolis Road when it was struck by a 2020 Tesla Model X driven by Sternhagen that was traveling westbound. The Dodge overturned as both vehicles came to a rest in a grassy section next to the road.

Investigators said Sternhagen was driving 90 mph in a posted 40 mph zone. Witnesses added that Sternhagen had been driving aggressively, weaving in and out of traffic before the accident.

Muniz was pronounced dead on the scene. Sternhagen was not injured.

“The excessive speed and aggressive driving demonstrates the defendant’s complete disregard for the safety of other drivers on the road, many who were on their way to work that morning,” Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said.

“When he chose to drive 50 miles over the speed limit, his actions were as dangerous as an impaired driver. This sentence is a reminder that aggressive driving and speeding can result in tragedies that devastate families. Mr. Muniz was a military veteran, husband, father of three, and a beloved youth football coach in York Township, PA. I hope that this sentence provides some solace to his family and friends in this difficult time,” Leitess said.

Have a news tip? Contact Danny Tow at datow@sbgtv.com and follow him on X at @TheDannyTow.

Officers responded to the 1500 block of North Patterson Park Avenue around 7:52 p.m. for a reported vehicle accident.

There, they saw a truck had driven into a building, causing a partial collapse of the structure.

The truck’s driver, a 64-year-old male, was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Baltimore City firefighters remain on the scene. A building inspector has also been notified.