Police arrest man for burglaries, stolen car

Howard County police arrested a Prince George's County man in West Friendship April 25 and charged him with burglarizing businesses in Clarksville, North Laurel and Columbia, as well as stealing the van he was driving.

Steven Randall Kent, 37, of Hyattsville, faces multiple charges including two counts of second-degree burglary, three counts of fourth-degree burglary, six counts of theft more than $500 and two counts of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, according to charging documents.

When Howard police stopped the van Kent was driving in a shopping center in the 12800 block of Frederick Road, in West Friendship, at about 3 a.m., April 25, they noticed that the van's ignition appeared to be tampered with and saw several cash registers in the vehicle, charging documents state.

According to charging documents, Kent admitted to police that earlier that morning he had burglarized Clarksville Cleaners in the 12100 block of Clarksville Pike, in Clarksville, Cherry Tree Liquors, in the 11200 block of Scaggsville Road, in North Laurel, and Subway fast food restaurant, on Freetown Road, in Columbia.

Kent remained held on $100,000 at the Howard County Detention Center April 30, a District Court spokeswoman said.

-- Mike Santa Rita

Odenton man killed after being struck

An Anne Arundel County man was killed April 23 in Sykesville as he attempted to refuel his pickup truck along Route 32 and was struck by a truck driven by a Carroll County man who was driving while intoxicated, according to Howard County police.

The collision killed Luther Beamer III, 23, of Odenton.

Police charged Aleksandr V. Dyubanov, 46, of Taneytown, with manslaughter by automobile, homicide by motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, driving while intoxicated and driving while impaired by alcohol in connection with the incident.

The collision occurred at 11:17 p.m. on Route 32 near Deer Hill Road, police said.

Beamer had stopped on the right shoulder of northbound Route 32 and was attempting to put gas into his GMC Sierra when he was struck by a 2002 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven by Dyubanov, police said.

Beamer was transported to Howard County General Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Dyubanov was released from the Howard County Detention Center April 26 on $50,000 bond, a District Court spokeswoman said.

-- Mike Santa Rita

West Friendship man honored on memorial

A Montgomery County police officer who also served as a firefighter for the West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department, was memorialized April 29 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Luke T. Hoffman's name was engraved on the memorial Tuesday during a ceremony. Hoffman died in the line of a duty a year ago.

On April 27, 2007, Hoffman was pursuing a suspect on foot when he was accidentally struck by another responding police cruiser at the scene, said Tracie Copeland, a corporal with Montgomery county police. Hoffman died of his injuries, Copeland said.

Hoffman, who was a long-time resident of Howard County, was a volunteer with the West Friendship Fire Department for seven years, until his death, and received the department's training award in 2005, said Mickey Day, chief of the department.

The annual training award has since been named in Hoffman's honor, Day said.

-- Sarah Daniels

Former Glenelg teacher sentenced for abuse

Joseph Samuel Ellis, the former Glenelg High School teacher who was convicted of sexually abusing a student, wept as he turned to apologize to his former student and her family during his sentencing hearing April 25.

Circuit Court Judge Richard Bernhardt sentenced Ellis, 27, of Elkridge, to five years in prison after an emotional eight-hour sentencing hearing. Ellis was potentially facing 29 to 32 years in prison.

After his release from prison, Ellis will be required to serve five years of probation and complete sexual offender treatment. Ellis also is prohibited from holding a position as a teacher or coach upon his release and will be required to register as a sex offender.

Ellis was a social studies teacher and coach at Glenelg High prior to his firing by the Board of Education in April 2007.

-- Sarah Daniels

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