Drive-By Shooting at Newest Crime Area
four arrests made by police
GREAT MILLS --- A drive-by shooting, in the same style as St. Mary's County became accustomed in such hot spot crime areas as Fox Chase Apartments or the Flat Tops took place early on Friday morning at the area's newest repository for the criminal element.  Within 12 hours, fast work on the part of the joint investigation team of the Maryland State Police and the St. Mary's Sheriff's Dept.. resulted in four persons being locked up and a large cache of cocaine being seized.

According to Maryland State Police Cpl. William Rosado, on May 6th, 2005 at approximately 1 am, St. Mary's Sheriff's deputies and Maryland State Troopers responded to the River Bay Estate Town Homes located in Great Mills for the reported shooting. Deputies from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office discovered numerous gunshots had been fired into a residence from the parking lot area with several persons inside. No one inside the residence was injured and the suspects fled the area prior to police arrival.

Detectives from the St. Mary's County Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) further investigated the case and two (2) suspects were located approximately three (3) hours after the incident. At around 12 pm that day, the remaining two (2) suspects were apprehended by detectives in the Lexington Park area. Numerous search and seizure warrants were executed by detectives for the suspects' residences and vehicles. Handguns believed to be used in the shooting were discovered inside one (1) suspect's house as well as suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of $28,000 in one (1) of the suspect's vehicle.

The suspects were identified as 18 year old Yessica Weaver, 24 year old Kese Eman Lyles, 23 year old Allea Lamar James, and 24 year old John Darnell Curtis. All four (4) suspects were arrested and charged with three (3) counts of Attempted 1st Degree Murder, and three (3) counts of 1st Degree Assault. The male suspects were also charged with one (1) count each of Use of a Handgun in the Commission of a Felony. All four (4) suspects are being held at the St. Mary's County Detention Center without Bond and additional charges are pending.