Laurel Police solve rash of thefts and other serious crimes

It's been a good couple of weeks for the Laurel Police Department, which closed eight cases — including a stabbing incident, sexual assault and a rash of air-conditioning thefts.

According to police reports, from July 17 through Aug. 1 the Main Street corridor experienced a rash of air conditioning unit thefts. Nine air conditioning units were stolen from businesses and churches in the 500 block of Main Street and the unit block of Fourth Street.

Police have charged three men with the thefts: 53-year-old Howard Bradberry, of Laurel; his son, 25-year-old Thomas Bradberry, of Laurel; and his nephew, 27-year-old Melvin Bradberry, of Savage.

Other jurisdictions have reported a rise in thefts of air conditioning units, mostly those located in unsecured outdoor areas of homes and businesses. Laurel Police Chief Richard McLaughlin said it's a big problem in the city as well.

"Any time you have something with a resale value, it's a huge problem," McLaughlin said. "We've identified the suspects, who were stealing the units and selling the parts. I hope this will put an end to these thefts."

In some of the air conditioning cases, the units' copper tubing was stolen. McLaughlin said copper thefts are also on the rise in Laurel and cited a July 16 incident at a medical building in the 13900 block of Baltimore Avenue, where three floors of the building were flooded when thieves tried to steal the building's copper piping. That and other copper theft cases are still being investigated.

Police have solved an Oct. 27 sexual assault that occurred in the 100 block of Bowie Road. Hyattsville resident Marvin Alexander Mendez-Gomez, 25, has been arrested and charged with that crime. McLaughlin said the assault happened in a business in a shopping center.

Police have also charged Laurel resident Israel Escobar-Alvarado, 33, in a stabbing and attempted murder incident that occurred Dec. 11 in the 900 block of Fairlawn Avenue.

"That incident involved a fight where the victim was cut badly in the Laurel Shopping Center parking lot," McLaughlin said.

Police also reported that three burglaries that occurred between March and July have been solved. Alfred Z. Johnson, 31, of Landover Hills, was charged with a March 27 burglary in the 800 block of Kay Court; Mark Goodwin, 52, of Laurel was charged with a July 20 burglary in the 600 block of Washington Boulevard; and Denario Allen Nealis, 18, of Laurel was charged with a July 28 burglary in the 13900 block of Concord Avenue.

Police also solved an Aug. 4 armed robbery of a resident that occurred in the 9600 block of Route 198. William Franklin Pellom, 51, of Laurel has been charged in that case.

And Adrienne King-McCorkle, 39, of Laurel, has been charged in a May 12 theft/fraud case in the 15900 block of Dorset Road.

McLaughlin commended his officers for closing the cases and also residents who may have assisted police in their investigations.

"The 25,000-plus eyes and ears of our residents will make a difference in keeping our community safe," he said. "We work best when we work together."