An Essex man has been charged along with city Department of Public Works supervisor Dominic J. "Crowbar" Carozza and two other men in the June 22 shotgun slaying of Russell Charles Baker.
City homicide detectives today filed a warrant charging William "Crazy Bill" Brooks, 32, of the 400 block of Margaret Ave., with first-degree murder in the Baker slaying. Brooks was arrested by Baltimore County police Sunday on unrelated charges of attempted murder, possession of drugs and weapons violations, said Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Ritter.
Brooks was being held on $70,000 bond in the Essex police station.
The city murder charge was filed against Brooks, Ritter said, after detectives obtained information about his alleged role in Baker's death. Ritter said Brooks was believed to have been present when Baker was shot.
Baker's body was found this summer in the middle of the 800 block of Lancaster St., near the Inner Harbor.
Also charged with first-degree murder in the Baker death are Carozza; John Long, 40, of the 1300 block of McHenry St.; and Robert Vizzini, 26, of the 200 block of Dorell Road in Essex. All were being held without bail in the City Jail.
Carozza continued to receive his $35,900 DPW salary, even though he was in jail. On Oct. 5, the agency indefinitely suspended Carozza from his job and took him off the city payroll pending the outcome of his trial. Carozza was arrested on Sept. 19.
Brooks was arrested about 9 p.m. Sunday after he allegedly shot at James Edward Dejarnett, 30, of the 200 block of Wagner Lane, inside the Crews Quarters Bar in Essex. Brooks used an Uzi semiautomatic weapon, police said.