Baltimore Police have charged a 19-year-old woman with violating Gov. Larry Hogan’s executive order requiring residents to stay home, writing that an officer believed she was outside a vacant East Baltimore home only to sell drugs.
At least 14 people have been charged with violations of the governor’s executive order, and charges are pending in about one dozen other cases, a Maryland State Police spokesman said Tuesday. Police in Maryland have responded to 1,064 calls for complaints related to potential violations since March 24. They’ve also performed 14,900 compliance checks to ensure businesses are following the orders.
Baltimore Police said officers warned Danasia Campbell twice about the executive order that requires residents to stay home except for "absolutely necessary” reasons, such as grocery shopping or going to work. Officers decided to issue a criminal citation after she was spotted outside a vacant home in in the Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello neighborhood three times.
A criminal citation typically calls for a suspect to appear in court at a future date, and does not result in arrest. There is no indication in the police report that Campbell was taken into custody.
Police said in an incident report that Campbell was stopped outside vacant homes in the 1600 block of Gorsuch Ave. on Friday and Saturday nights and given warnings each time. On Monday, when an officer again spotted her sitting outside a vacant homem a criminal citation was issued.
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The officer wrote in the report that Campbell, who lives on Chinquapin Parkway in North Baltimore, does not live in the neighborhood and “has not been in this area for any essential reasons.”
It continues, “Due to this Officer’s knowledge of the area and previous interactions and arrest of Ms. Campbell it is believed… by this officer that Ms. Campbell is only in this area to sell drugs.”
Campbell could face one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. She did not have an attorney listed in online court records.
Previously, state police said Ryan M. Serra, of Lutherville, was charged last month with violating the governor’s executive order, along with 10 counts of allowing a minor to possess alcohol. Police said he hosted a party of underage teens at a Westminster motel where officers found open liquor bottle. Police in Charles County charged Shawn Marshall Myers, of Hughesville, after police responded to Myers’ home for a large gathering.
In both cases, police said the men violated the order by hosting gatherings larger than ten people.
Baltimore Police have instructed officers to issue criminal citations after repeated attempts to have individuals comply. Officers can then pursue criminal charges but only after consulting a lieutenant or above to determine if charges are appropriate.
Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton contributed to this article.