Somerset County (MD) Sheriff's Office

On 11-10-17 at appr. 11:00 pm Somerset Co. Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to Rt 413 north of Marion in reference to a Reckless Driving complaint. Deputies Daum and White located a pickup truck on the side of the highway in that vicinity. The truck was occupied by 6 juveniles from Wicomico County. The operator had no drivers license. The operator advised Deputies that he received a call from a male friend (one of the other juveniles in the truck) who needed a ride because his truck had broken down on the highway near their present location. Further investigation by the Deputies revealed that this other truck was possibly stolen. 

Dep. White located this other pickup truck and confirmed with the Salisbury Police Dept. that it had been stolen on 11-09-17 in the Salisbury area. This stolen truck now had front end damage and a broken radiator. A female juvenile passenger in the stolen truck was interviewed and advised that the operator of the truck was swerving, left the highway and struck a church sign near where the Deputies had located them. 

Based on that information, Dep. White went a little further south to the area of the Christ Fellowship Church and discovered that the sign had been struck and destroyed. He also observed tire tracks "donuts" in the church yard where a vehicle had been spinning around in circles creating damage to the yard. Church personnel were contacted. 

Based on the investigation, parents were contacted for all the juveniles in the first truck and they responded to the scene and took custody of their children. The first truck was released to the owner. Operator of the first truck was charged with driving w/o a license. 

The second truck, stolen vehicle was towed to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office impound lot. The female passenger of that truck was charged as a juvenile with Motor Vehicle/Unlawful Taking and released to her grandmother. The operator of the stolen truck was charged as a juvenile with Motor Vehicle/Unlawful Taking, MDOP and Driving w/o a Licence. In regards to this juvenile, the Dept. of Juvenile Justice was contacted and a commitment to the Lower Eastern Shore Children's Center was ordered. Dep. White transported the juvenile there (Wicomico Co.) where he was held. Deputies are waiting on the church to survey the damage and to provide a monetary amount.

Sheriff Howard commends Sgt. Daum and Dfc. White on a fine job and investigation.