(May 12, 2023) According to recently released data, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Worcester County has once again earned the highest conviction rate in the State of Maryland for the prosecution of alcohol and drug-related driving offenses.

According to a news release, the figures, for 2021, were reported by the University of Maryland’s National Study Center for Trauma and EMS.

Worcester County prosecutors handled over 1,000 DUI/DWI cases during the 2021 calendar year, and secured a 92.2 percent conviction rate.

The statewide average conviction rate for the year was 77.2 percent by comparison.

The Maryland State’s Attorney’s Association has recognized Worcester County prosecutors for having the state’s top conviction rate each year since 2019.

“We continue to be very proud of our aggressive efforts in the prosecution of DUI cases,” State’s Attorney Kris Heiser said in the release. “These are results that our citizens expect and deserve, and are results that should serve as caution to would-be drunk drivers. Now more than ever before, there are so many options available to avoid drinking and driving and the tragic impacts that it can

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Adams was suspected to have lifted the credit card information from credit card authorization forms at the hotel.

The same day, police visited the hotel where the three were staying and met the manager. Officers went to the floor they were staying on and found Adams and Johnson trying to flee down a stairwell before they detained them.

Adams admitted to stealing credit card information from the forms, and said he used the cards to pay for rooms because Adams, Johnson and a third person were homeless and had nowhere to go.

Adams also admitted to using the credit cards to rent hotel rooms in Wilmington, Delaware.

Hit-and-run

The Ocean City Police arrested Tonicka C. Ocean, 46, of Harbeson, Delaware, on charges, including DUI, failure to avoid collision and failure to stop after being involved in a car accident, according to a police report.

Around 9 p.m. on May 5, police responded to assist another officer at a traffic stop near 30th Street on Philadelphia Avenue. Police had pulled over Ocean in her Ford Focus, which had reportedly been involved in a hitand-run on 100th Street where people were injured.

The Ford had heavy damage on the front and the airbags had been deployed. Ocean said she knew she had been involved in a crash but she wasn’t hurt and didn’t want paramedics.

She claimed she didn’t know the laws in Maryland and didn’t know if you are required to remain at the scene of a crash.

Police noticed signs that Ocean was drunk, and she failed a field sobriety test. Police found marijuana in the car along with “smoking devices.”

Police arrested Ocean and took her to the police station where she agreed to a breath test and blew a .14 alcohol concentration.

Obstructing and hindering

Officers charged Zachary Michael Esteves, 21, of Mahopac, New York, with obstructing and hindering and resisting arrest, according to a police report.

Just before 2 a.m. on May 6, police were conducting a DUI investigation on a woman they pulled over near 50th Street.

Officers had the woman conducting field sobriety tests, when Esteves walked around the corner and started yelling at the woman, “Say so, say no. You want a lawyer.”

Eventually, Esteves walked out of the officers’ sight.

One minute later Esteves came back and yelled to the woman “Don’t do it.” Police warned Esteves that they would arrest him if he kept hindering the investigation, so Esteves walked away but continued yelling to the woman.

The woman passed the sobriety test and police told her to return to her car so they could finish the traffic stop.

Esteves came back and started talking to the woman through her car window. Police told him to stop or he would be arrested.

Police grabbed Esteves and tried to put him in handcuffs, and he said that he would leave.

Esteves struggled against police as they tried to handcuff him, but they eventually did and arrested him.

Disorderly conduct

Police charged Timothy Eugene Greenhorn, 44, with disturbing the peace and hindering passage, disorderly conduct and failure to obey the “don’t walk” crosswalk signal, according to a police report.

Just before 5 p.m. on May 6, an officer patrolling near Worcester Street and Baltimore Avenue saw Greenhorn walking through the street when there was a nearby crosswalk. Cars had to slow down to avoid hitting Greenhorn. The officer stopped and talked to Greenhorn and issued him a warning not to walk in the middle of the road. Soon after, the officer saw Greenhorn walking in the street again and told him to use the sidewalk. Greenhorn complied.

About 30 minutes later the officer was waved down by a person who told them Greenhorn was acting strange walking down Baltimore Avenue. Then a bus driver waved down the officer and the officer learned that Greenhorn was in front of the bus, blocking it from moving even though the light was green.

The officer told Greenhorn that he was blocking traffic and Greenhorn told the officer he wasn’t in the middle of the road.

The officer arrested Greenhorn, who began screaming profanities and scaring away nearby families, according to the report.

Disturbing the peace

The OCPD charged Justin Mathew Hyatt, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, with disorderly conduct as well as disturbing the peace and hindering passage, according to a police report.

Just before 11:15 p.m. on May 6, an officer on patrol saw Hyatt standing in the median at 23rd Street and Philadelphia Avenue.

Police saw a white van drive up next to Hyatt. Hyatt opened the rear doors and got inside the van. The driver got out, confronted Hyatt and made him leave the van.

When Hyatt noticed the police watching he started running away, but was detained by another officer at a nearby convenience store.

Police spoke with the van’s driver who told them he had stopped the van because he thought Hyatt was about to cross the street. Instead, Hyatt tried to get into the passenger side door, but when he couldn’t open the door he went into the back.

The driver kicked Hyatt out of the van and told police he never told Hyatt he could get in the van.

Heiser praises DUI enforcement

have on our community.”

She added that “drunk driving is a crime that is 100 percent preventable,” and remains a priority for local prosecutors to curtail. “As we prepare for a busy summer, locals and visitors alike should know that DUI enforcement efforts will continue to keep our community safe,” Heiser said.

Se thanked members of all of the county’s police agencies for “actively patrolling the roadways in search of these dangerous drivers, and for their diligence in preparing strong cases” for she and her colleagues to prosecute in court.

Heiser also recognized the dedication of the county’s assistant state’s attorneys, who are responsible for prosecuting the vast majority of the offenses as part of the office’s district court division.

For more information or for an interview, contact Ashley Cramer at the Office of the State’s Attorney at 410632-2166 ext. 9.