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July 2007 Robbery, Assault, and Murder

Abduction attempt raises concern - JHU Homewood Campus

Johns Hopkins University, city police seek men who accosted student near campus

By Gus G. Sentementes | sun reporter

July 7, 2007

As the graduate student walked by a dark sport utility vehicle on her way to the Johns Hopkins University's Homewood campus, the men inside the vehicle struck up a conversation with her, asking for directions to North Avenue.

Then a passenger emerged from the parked SUV in the 100 block of W. 29th St. and tried to force the 29-year-old woman into the back seat.

"He grabbed her arm and started to pull her toward the SUV, and threatened her to come with him," said Maj. Michael Pristoop, commander of Baltimore's Northern District. But the attempted abduction about 9 a.m. Thursday was thwarted by the woman's yells, which attracted two bystanders who rushed to her aid, according to police and university officials. The man got back in the SUV and it sped away down an alley, police said.

Baltimore police and Hopkins officials say the incident is rare - there have been no reports of men in vehicles trying to rob or abduct people in the area - and the motives of the men were not clear.

But the attempted abduction, which occurred on the southern edge of Wyman Park, has sounded a cautionary note in and around the Charles Village area.

"This student did very much the right thing in screaming and calling for help," said Dennis O'Shea, a Hopkins spokesman. "We're also grateful for the two witnesses in the area for calling attention to the incident and running toward the scene."

O'Shea said that Hopkins security officials are working with city police to investigate the incident.

Security at the campus was increased after two students were slain in off-campus incidents in 2004 and 2005. The university has deployed a network of 102 surveillance cameras, increased patrols around campus and tightened access to campus buildings.

Without commenting on specific efforts, O'Shea said campus security officers are "attempting to assist Baltimore's investigation in any way we can."

The attempted abduction was also unusual because of the time it occurred, university and police officials said.

The woman had just parked her car and was walking to the campus when she encountered the men in the SUV, described by police as a black Nissan Murano with tinted windows.

Agent Donny Moses, a police spokesman, said the SUV's route took it south on Mace Street, a nearby alley, and police are hoping to find other witnesses who might have seen the vehicle. The woman had minor scratches to her right arm that didn't require medical attention, he said.

Though the incident did not occur on campus, the university's security officers were busy the past two days passing out fliers around campus and at stores in Charles Village, O'Shea said. He also said the school sent a security bulletin out by e-mail to the Hopkins community.

Pristoop, the Northern District commander, said his detectives are taking this case "very seriously."

"We're going to do everything we can ... to bring closure to this investigation," Pristoop said.

Pristoop said Charles Village has seen a small spike in crime recently, but overall, crime has declined this year. Through June 30, there had been 17 robberies, compared with 37 for the same period last year. There have been 14 aggravated assaults this year, one more than at this time last year, Pristoop said.

Burglaries are also down, with 36 incidents this year compared with 48 at this time last year, Pristoop said. Property crime is down 14 percent while violent crime has dropped 38 percent, he said.

There has been one homicide in the neighborhood this year - a road rage incident between a cabdriver and people in another vehicle. The cabdriver was fatally shot.

In the same period last year, there hadn't been any homicides in the neighborhood, Pristoop said.

In the case of Thursday's attempted abduction, Pristoop released descriptions of the two men in the SUV.

The man who tried to grab the woman was described as a 5-foot 9-inch black male, about 250 pounds, who was in his late 20s or early 30s.

The driver was described as a black male with a dark complexion who was in his 30s and had braids in his hair, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Northern District at 410-396-2455.

gus.sentementes@baltsun.com

Husband sought in shooting of woman

City correctional officer charged in wife's death

Police are searching for veteran correctional officer Donald Webb Jr., 48, who is believed to have killed his wife and shot and seriously injured his 13-year-old stepson.

By Ruma Kumar and Bradley Olson | sun reporters

July 29, 2007

Grieving family members and neighbors of a Southwest Baltimore woman who police say was shot to death by her husband -- a veteran correctional officer -- remained shocked yesterday evening, questioning how her four sons will survive without her.

"She was a nice person," said a man who identified himself as one of her sons but would not give his name. "She was such a wonderful person."

Police said Cynthia Webb, 42, was shot several times during a dispute with her husband. An arrest warrant was issued for the husband, Donald Webb Jr., 48, who had not been apprehended late yesterday. Webb also shot and wounded his 13-year-old stepson during the incident late Friday night, police said.

Cynthia Webb's death brought the number of homicides in Baltimore this year to 181.

Donald Webb, a 17-year veteran with the Baltimore City Correctional Center , is a shift supervisor, overseeing three levels of correctional officers, said Maj. Priscilla Doggett, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Division of Correction.

She said Webb has a good work record.

"Lieutenant Webb's co-workers and administrators were devastated to hear that he could be involved in such a tragic situation," Doggett said. "We have ordered grief counselors to help his colleagues through this. The people who worked with him said there was no sign of any trouble."

The shooting occurred about 11 p.m. Friday after a heated argument in the upstairs bedroom of the couple's home in the 900 block of W. Lombard St. , police spokesman Troy Harris said.

After the shooting, Webb rushed downstairs, shot his stepson several times and fled in his blue 2006 Chevrolet pickup with Maryland license plate 24R856, police said.

The stepson was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital , where he was being treated yesterday. Police arrived at the scene about 11:20 p.m. and found Cynthia Webb's body upstairs. She was pronounced dead at the scene, Harris said.

Yesterday, a neighbor, who declined to give his name, said the gunshots sounded like firecrackers. He said he couldn't believe what had happened. The couple seemed to get along fine, he said.

"She was friendly, neighborly, good with her kids," he said. "I couldn't see any sign of trouble over there."

The man said he felt sympathy for Webb's four sons, the youngest of whom he presumed was the 13-year-old who was wounded.

About 8 p.m. last night, the man who identified himself as the dead woman's son stood on the steps of the house where the shootings occurred. He spoke on his cell phone to people who seemed to be offering condolences; at other times, he was silent.

He told a reporter that he had just been to see his brother in the hospital and was relieved that he seemed to be doing well. Information about Webb's other children was not available.

Earlier in the day, members of Cynthia Webb's family -- her brother and several cousins and friends -- sat on the home's front steps or waited across the street, covering their heads with towels and T-shirts to stay cool. They said they were waiting for a sign of Donald Webb or police -- anyone who could offer more information about what happened.

Passers-by, who said they had heard about the shooting on television, stopped to hug family members.

Members of Cynthia Webb's family said they were angry and distraught. They said they don't know what happened and asked a reporter if she knew what had happened and where Donald Webb was.

The Webbs rented the rowhouse in which they lived.

Their landlord, Robert Ferguson of Ellicott City , said he met Cynthia Webb more than eight years ago when she began renting the place from him.

"She was a very nice lady," Ferguson said. He said she worked at a church day care center, caring for developmentally disabled children.

ruma.kumar@baltsun.com bradley.olson@baltsun.com
Source: www.baltimoresun.com

Elkridge doctor's office robbed at gunpoint

A doctor's office in the 5800 block of Main Street in Elkridge was held up by three men at gunpoint July 13, police said.

At about 5:24 p.m., a male wearing a ski mask entered the office of Soon Ja Kim brandishing a black semi-automatic handgun, police said.

The intruder told a female seated in the office to give him her purse which she did, police said. Two more males entered the doctor's office with their faces covered and took money, purses, wallets and other personal belongings from people in the waiting room, police said.

Kim was not available for comment July 18.

-- Mike Santa Rita
Source:  www.howardcountytimes.com

Carjackers rob woman in east Columbia

Police are investigating a carjacking that took place outside the Wal-Mart at the Dobbin Center in east Columbia on July 12.

According to police, a woman driving a car was stopped outside the Wal-Mart by two females around 2:15 p.m. One of the females who flagged the car down asked the woman for money and then got into the front passenger side of the car. The other female got in the rear passenger seat.

Both females then brandished guns and told the driver to take them to an ATM where they forced the driver to withdraw cash and then fled from the scene, police said.

A police spokesman declined to disclose the location of the ATM citing an ongoing investigation. No further information was available at press time.

--Mike Santa Rita
Source:  www.howardcountytimes.com

Local Crimelogs

The following is compiled from police reports. The Howard County Times includes descriptions of perpetrators only when the description makes identification possible.

Elkridge, Jessup

Marshalee Drive, 6000 block, 10:57 p.m. July 22. Male entered Hollywood Video and ordered employees to open registers. Male stole cash and fled.

Ellicott City

Route 40, 8400 block, 6:22 p.m. July 23. Male entered Dunkin Donuts, ordered coffee and announced robbery. Male took cash and fled.

Daniels Road and Old Frederick Road , between 9:30 a.m. and 9:40 a.m. July 17. Naked male spotted in Patapsco State Park .

Savage/North Laurel

Livery Lane, 9200 block, 8:26 p.m. July 23. Delivery man robbed by two males one of whom was armed with a gun. Victim's wallet and cell phone stolen.

Eden Brook Drive , 7200 block, 11:23 p.m. July 21. Person entered Exxon gas station and demanded cash from clerk. Assailant got cash and fled.

Clocktower Lane , no block number given, 5:45 p.m. July 18. Three people approached male juvenile on a bicycle. One of the assailants punched the juvenile in the eye and took his cell phone.

West County

Interstate 70 and Woodbine Road , 5:44 p.m. July 22. Passenger in a vehicle exposed himself to the occupants of another car. Assailant arrested.

If you have any information about these crimes call Howard County police at 410-313-2200.