List of slayings in Prince George's County in 2009
This listing was last updated May 7
The Gazette has compiled a list of homicides committed in Prince George's County during 2009 from press releases issued by the county police department. This list on our Web site is updated weekly.
January| February | March | April | May
January
Jan. 10At about 2:10 p.m., officers responded to the 3200 block of Walters Lane in Forestville for the report of a shooting and found Forestville resident Ronaldo Butler, 19, of Forestville suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators learned Butler was driving his vehicle in the area of Pennsylvania Avenue and Walters Lane when a blue Grand Marquis pulled alongside of him at a stop light before firing multiple shots into Butler's car and fleeing the scene. Butler was found further down Pennsylvania Ave after his vehicle lost control and crashed near Silver Hill Rd. Butler was then taken to an area hospital where he succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead. The blue Grand Marquis was then quickly located which led Investigators to develop a suspect. Warren William West of Landover Hills was arrested Jan. 11 and charged with first- and second-degree murder.
Jan. 14
At about 10:26 a.m., officers responded to the 14500 block of Turner Wootton Parkway for a check on the welfare report and found Seth Aidoo, 40, and Eunice Baah, 36, both of Upper Marlboro in the home with trauma to the upper body. They were pronounced dead on the scene. At about 10:56 a.m. on Jan. 13, the victim's silver 2001 Mercedes Benz was found abandoned in the 7900 block of Johnson Avenue in Glenarden.
Jan. 17
At about 2:32 a.m., officers responded to the 3000 block of Naylor Road in Temple Hills for the report of a stabbing. When officers arrived, they discovered Bernard Irving, 27, of the 4200 block of Gault Place N.E. Washington, D.C., suffering from an injury to his upper body. Erving was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Jan. 26
Karen Antoinette Lofton, 45, and her 16-year-old daughter, Karissa Lofton, were found dead at around 2:50 a.m. in their home at 10800 Southall Drive in Upper Marlboro, about 20 minutes after Karissa called 9-1-1 and told police she and her mother had been shot. Both women had been shot in the upper body and were dead by the time police arrived, according to police spokesman Clinton Copeland. Police found no signs of forced entry or indication that anything had been stolen, Copeland said.
Jan 30
Donnell F. Mintz Jr., 19, of the 9500 block of Muirkirk Road was shot at approximately 6:15 p.m. in the 7700 block of Starshine Drive in District Heights. He died shortly afterwards in an area hospital. County police spokesman Larry Johnson said a preliminary investigation revealed Edward Towles 19, of the 600 block of Otis Place NE Washington, D.C., was playing with a handgun when Mintz was shot.
Jan. 31
Darryl Maurice Robinson, 28, of the 2200 block of Ramblewood Drive in District Heights, was shot and killed early the morning of Jan. 31 on the same block as a popular Temple Hills nightclub, according to Prince George's police. After receiving a report of shots fired, officers found Robinson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 5800 block of Allentown Way. Police are investigating whether he may have been visiting Trade Winds, a popular restaurant and nightclub, at 5859 Allentown Way, earlier in the evening on Jan. 30, according to police spokesman Cpl. Mike Rodriguez.
February
Feb. 3Sixteen-year-old Duane Sheldon Hopkins Jr., of the 4000 block of 20th Place in Temple Hills, who was a student at Suitland High School, was found at about 7 a.m. suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the 2100 block of Gaither Street in Temple Hills and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a statement from Prince George's County police.
Feb. 14
At about 1:33 a.m., police responded to the 5100 block of Indian Head Highway in Oxon Hill for the report of a shooting and found Marvin Lynn Johnson, 19, of the 1500 block of Southview Drive lying on the sidewalk in front of Meade's Liquor Store with gunshot wounds to his upper body. He was pronounced dead on scene.
Feb. 16
At about 5:39 p.m., officers responded to the 6300 block of Seat Pleasant Drive in Seat Pleasant for a welfare check. When officers arrived, they discovered Willie Jones, 68, of the 6300 block of Seat Pleasant Drive unresponsive in his home and suffering from upper body trauma. Jones was pronounced dead on the scene.
Feb. 19
At about 10:50 a.m., police responded to the 2100 block of Alice Avenue in Oxon Hill for a welfare check and found Terrence Anthony Miller, 33, of the same address suffering from trauma to his upper body. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Officers also found evidence of drug activity inside the victim's apartment.
Feb. 20
Police arrested Jose P. Argueta, 27, of the 5500 block of 38th Avenue in Hyattsville in connection with the death of Jose Anibal Argueta. Jose P. Argueta has been charged with first-degree murder and remanded to the Prince George's County Department of Corrections.
At approximately 1:49 a.m., officers responded to the 1400 block of Kanawha Street in Langley Park, Maryland, for the report of a cutting. When officers arrived, they found Jose Anibal Argueta, 43, of the 2500 block of Buck Lodge Road in Hyattsville, who had been stabbed. He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased a short time later. The investigation has revealed that the victim and suspect were involved in an altercation. Sometime during the altercation, police allege the suspect stabbed the victim and fled the area. Patrol officers located the suspect nearby and transported him to the Criminal Investigations Division for questioning where he admitted his involvement in the stabbing.
Feb. 22
At 1:49 a.m., police responded to the intersection of Brightseat Road and Central Avenue in Capitol Heights for a report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they discovered Keith Eugene Brown, 35, of the 4200 block of Urn Street suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body. Brown was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police believe Brown was driving along Central Avenue with three passengers in his car when he became engaged in a traffic altercation with a dark colored vehicle. Passengers then became involved a verbal altercation which resulted in the suspect firing at least one shot at Brown before fleeing the scene.
Feb. 24
At about 11:34 p.m., police responded to a call for a cutting in the 1100 block of Kennebec Street in Langley Park. When officers arrived, they discovered an adult man lying in front of the building suffering from apparent stab wounds to the upper body. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Feb. 26
At about 7:56 p.m., officers responded to a call of an unresponsive man lying on the ground in the 2100 block of Guilford Road in Langley Park, Maryland. When officers arrived, they discovered Jorge Humberto Flores-Morales, 33, of the 8100 block of 15th Avenue in Langley Park suffering from a stab wound to his upper body. He was pronounced dead on scene. Through ongoing investigations homicide detectives were able to identify Galdamez Paz of the 2200 block of University Boulevard in Adelphi as a suspect in the case. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Feb. 27
At about 4:56 p.m., police responded to the 7100 block of Crain Highway in Bowie for a report of a found body. A man was found dead in a wooded area with trauma to the upper body.
Feb. 28
At about 1 a.m., officers from the Bladensburg Police Department responded to the 4100 block of 53rd Place in Bladensburg for the report of an unresponsive woman. Upon arrival, officers found Rozeeta Ann Holley, 23, of the 4100 block of 53rd Place in Bladensburg inside of the home suffering from trauma to the upper body. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Prince George's County Police Department homicide detectives later responded to the scene to assist with the investigation. Preliminary investigation revealed that a family member inquired about the victim's whereabouts to police on Feb. 26. Michael Jones, 31, of the 4100 block of 53rd Place turned himself in on March 5 without incident. He was charged with first-degree murder.
March
March 1At about 2:06 a.m., officers responded to the 1200 block of Capital Center Boulevard for a report of a shooting. As a result of the shooting, Vincent Tyrrell Mastin, 35, of the 15000 block of Everglade Lane in Bowie was located outside and pronounced dead on scene. Six other victims were taken to local hospitals with gunshot wounds that appear to be non-life-threatening. Preliminary investigation has revealed that an argument between two groups inside the bar escalated to the outside where someone fired several shots at a group of people and fled.
March 16
At approximately 3:48 a.m., officers responded to the 11000 block of Webbwood Court in Largo for a vehicle fire. When officers arrived, they discovered Delores Renee Dewitt, 42, and her 19-year-old daughter, Ebony Dewitt, deceased inside of the vehicle.
March 26
Police found LePrince Hall, 41, and Maurice Fountain, 24, bound and with their throats slit in their home at 11000 Snow Court in Rosaryville, as well as Hall's 21-year-old daughter, who survived but had been stabbed repeatedly before calling 911, said Prince George's police spokesman Officer Henry Tippett. Lawrence Covington, 34, of Palmer Park was arrested April 15 at his home at 7604 Allendale Circle in connection with the deaths, said Sgt. Tammy Sparkman, a police spokeswoman. Covington — whom police believe was an acquaintance of one of the men killed — is being charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
April
April 2At about 3:49 a.m., officers responded to Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly for the report of a gunshot victim dropped off at the hospital. When officers arrived, the victim, Raphael Tyrone Hayes, 22, of the 8800 block of Cherry Lane in Laurel, had been pronounced dead. Investigators received information that Hayes may have been shot during a gambling dispute near Oates Street and Early Oaks Lane in Capitol Heights.
April 11
At about 2:55 a.m., officers responded to the 3800 block of Regency Parkway for the report of a shooting and found Naomi Cook, 31, of Suitland inside her home suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper body. She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
April 19
At about 2:20 a.m., officers responded to the 8100 block of 15th Avenue in Hyattsville for the report of a shooting and found Miguel Chinchilla, 31, of the 3800 block of 39th Street in Brentwood lying on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body. He was pronounced dead on the scene. On April 19 at about 8:15 p.m., Jorge Morales, 31, of the 11300 block of Evans Trail in Beltsville was arrested without incident and charged with first-degree murder.
April 23
Terrance Christopher Colbert, 29, of the 8700 block of Cumbria Court in Fort Washington was found dead near his home April 23 after an apparent altercation. Colbert was found shortly after 5 p.m. slumped against a vehicle suffering from a cutting trauma to his upper body. Colbert was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead, according to police. Police said Colbert began to attack a man he did not know outside of his home and the man responded in self-defense by attacking Colbert with a knife, according to Officer Henry Tippett, a police spokesman. Tippett said the name of the man connected with the homicide is not being released because has not been charged, adding that the knife allegedly used in the stabbing has been recovered. The evidence has been turned over to the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office.
April 26
Douglas Francis, 36, of the 8900 block of Hickory Hill Avenue in Lanham, died April 26, allegedly during a fight with his brother, a 47-year-old Lanham man of the same address. At about 11 p.m., one of the men in the home called police, according to Pfc. Evan Baxter, a police spokesman. Both brothers suffered from blunt force trauma, said Cpl. Clinton Copeland, a Prince George's police spokesman. Both men were transported to area hospitals, and Francis was pronounced dead.
May
May 1Joseph Dorsey, 25, of the 3900 block of 23rd Parkway in Temple Hills, was found shortly before 10:30 p.m. May 1 lying on the grass by a parking lot along the 3400 block of Parkway Terrace in Suitland with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body, according to police. Dorsey was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Cpl. Clinton Copeland, a police spokesman, police heard gunshot wounds while en route to the report of a disorderly person in the area and stopped to investigate, finding Dorsey lying nearby. Copeland said it is not clear whether the disorderly person report called in from a neighbor was related to the shooting.
May 2
At about 7:46 p.m., an officer on routine patrol in the 5200 block of Indian Head Highway in Oxon Hill heard gunshots and saw two vehicles fleeing the area heading toward Washington D.C. A short time later, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department located one of the vehicles in the 3800 block of Halley Terrace SE in Washington, D.C. Inside the vehicle, officers found a man, Kareem Chenier Ware, 33, of the 3200 block of Ryon Court in Waldorf, with trauma to his upper body. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
