Ellicott City teen blamed for party in vacant apartment

This week, it was reported that an Ellicott City teen faces multiple charges after allegedly throwing a party at a vacant apartment. Howard County Police charged the 19-year-old with burglary, possession of marijuana and several other offenses.

Apparently, the manager of the recently-opened Orchard Meadow Apartments notified police last week that someone used one of the vacant apartments to throw a party. He said the apartment, which was available for lease, had been trashed and was filled with empty alcohol bottles, food and tobacco products.

The manager also said the carpet in the apartment was stained and appliances had been damaged. Overall, the manager claimed the damages would cost around $5,000 to fix.

After an investigation, it was determined that party-goers broke a window on the side of the building to gain access. Police believed that the party host would return to the vacant apartment to collect the unfinished alcohol and food, so police hid in the apartment and waited. They said after about 25 minutes, the 19-year-old entered the apartment and was arrested.

The young man now faces two counts of burglary, two counts of malicious destruction and one count of marijuana possession. These are all serious charges that could greatly impact this young man’s future. That is why it is imperative that the 19-year-old has an experienced criminal defense attorney on his side.

Sometimes after incidents like this, police are simply looking for someone to take the blame. However, it is unfair for one person to take the blame for the actions of a group of people. For all we know, this man merely attended the party and returned for the un-used items but was not responsible for the destruction.

Source: The Howard County Times, “Teen arrested for using vacant Ellicott City apartment as ‘party house’,” Luke Lavoie, Nov. 29, 2012