News

State v. Miguel Angel Santana, K17-83

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, a Charles County jury, after an 8-day trial, found Miguel Angel Santana, 28, of Waldorf, guilty of Conspiracy to Commit the Murder of Lydell Wood and Possession of a Firearm with a Disqualifying Crime.

Covington, commenting on the case, said, “This is Mr. Santana’s second conviction for killing somebody. He killed two people within a two-month period and the two murders had nothing to do with each other. He has already been sentenced to Life plus 105 years for the other case. Trust me, the State will be asking the Court to give him another Life sentence. We can’t allow someone to go around killing multiple people – innocent bystanders at that – and think for a minute that they get to walk around a free man ever again.”

On January 6, 2016, officers responded to the 2600 block of Rooks Head Place in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found one victim, Lydell Wood, with a single gunshot wound in his back. The victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.

An investigation into the shooting revealed that an acquaintance of Wood got into a confrontation with Santana earlier that day while Wood and other men were present. The acquaintance brandished a handgun and shot at Santana. Wood had no involvement in the shooting. Santana fled the area unharmed and contacted co-defendant Antonio Ka-Juan Owens to help him retaliate.

Santana and Owens returned to the area in search of the person who shot at Santana earlier in the day. When Wood was spotted, Santana and Owens confronted him. Wood ran away after both men brandished guns. Santana and Owens gave chase and fired several gunshots, striking Wood in the back as he attempted to find safety and enter a house in the neighborhood. After the shooting, both men fled the area.

Santana was later identified as one of the shooters by witness testimony, as well as other extensive corroborating evidence.

Co-defendant Owens was previously found guilty by a Charles County jury of First-Degree Murder and related charges for his involvement. He was sentenced to Life without the possibility of parole plus 50 years on August 30, 2018 by the Honorable Judge H. James West.

A sentencing date for Santana has not yet been scheduled.

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State v. Brian Patrick Weyhenmeyer, K14-1274

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, March 28, 2019, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Amy J. Bragunier sentenced Brian Patrick Weyhenmeyer, 36, to Life suspend all but 45 years for the First-Degree Murder of his wife, Jennifer Lynn Weyhenmeyer.

On November 10, 2016, Weyhenmeyer entered a guilty plea in Charles County Circuit Court in front of the Honorable Judge Steven G. Chappelle.

On October 12, 2014, Jennifer Weyhenmeyer made a frantic phone call to 911 as her husband, Brian Weyhenmeyer, drove erratically northbound on Route 301 near La Plata. She indicated they were together in their vehicle and that he had threatened her. Minutes later, the phone call ended abruptly. Jennifer’s phone was subsequently found in the median strip of Route 301 in White Plains.

Approximately 20 minutes after the phone call ended, Jennifer Weyhenmeyer’s lifeless body was found by police in the rear parking area of a Pizza Hut in Waldorf. It was immediately evident to first responders that she had been struck and run over by a vehicle. Upon further examination, the body appeared to have been run over multiple times.

Soon after Jennifer’s body was located, the vehicle that the couple had traveled in was found in the driveway of their home, also in Waldorf. Officers observed what appeared to be blood on the outside of the vehicle. It was determined that Weyhenmeyer was inside the home but refused to come out of the house – barricading himself in a bedroom. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office had to resort to firing Co2 canisters into the home before Weyhenmeyer surrendered to the police. After his arrest, forensic evidence was gathered. It was later determined that the victim’s blood, hair, and clothing fibers were on the bumpers, undercarriage, tires, and doors of the Weyhenmeyers’ vehicle.

At sentencing, State’s Attorney Tony Covington addressed the Court, “This is a heinous crime -one of the most brutal crimes that I’ve dealt with in my years in law. – The likelihood of the victim being dead before the defendant left her is high, but he left her without getting help. The defendant didn’t do anything but think about himself. Accountability is what needs to happen here. Where there is life, there is hope, there is opportunity. Jennifer has no opportunity, no hope, because she is dead at the hands of the defendant, and he must be held accountable for that.” He furthered, “Murder cases are different than any other case – nothing is more permanent than murder. It impacts the fabric of our universe when you take a life.”

Before sentencing Weyhenmeyer, Judge Bragunier stated, “I don’t think there’s any explanation. Sometimes there is just evil. This was a very sadistic act. – The defendant comes today to ask for mercy from the Court, yet no mercy was given to the victim. The act came from pure rage, hatred, and selfishness.”
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State v. Kristopher Raul-Alex McDonald, C-08-CR-19-000241

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, advises that on the afternoon of Friday, March 22, 2019, the Grand Jury for Charles County, Maryland returned an indictment for Kristopher Raul-Alex McDonald, age 16, of La Plata. The Grand Jury indictment charges McDonald with seven crimes. The most serious counts are Possessing Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute and Possessing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.

On March 19, 2019, a teacher at La Plata High School observed McDonald acting erratically and suspected that McDonald was under the influence of a substance. McDonald was then removed from the classroom and a search was conducted on his belongings. During the search, an administrator located a container of brownies in McDonald’s bookbag. McDonald reportedly stated that the brownies were made with marijuana and he intended to give some to his friends at school. The administrator also discovered what appeared to be a handgun in a separate compartment of McDonald’s bookbag. A school resource officer was immediately called to continue the investigation and confirmed that McDonald was in possession of a loaded semi-automatic handgun. McDonald was apprehended at the scene.

According to court documents, after apprehension, McDonald stated that he consumed two of the brownies and stated that he intended to give some to his friends at school. McDonald also stated that the handgun found in his bookbag did belong to him.

Covington, explaining why McDonald has been charged as an adult despite being 16 years old, said, “The State has no choice but to charge this defendant as an adult. The law is very clear: someone 16 years of age or older who is accused of certain crimes must be charged as an adult. Mr. McDonald is accused of at least two crimes that require adult charging: possession of a handgun and possessing a handgun in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Charging him as an adult, however, does not necessarily mean that his case will ultimately be adjudicated in adult court. The law also allows for a juvenile that has been charged as an adult to ask the court to send the case to juvenile court. Such requests are routinely made, and – depending upon the crime, the juvenile’s criminal history and other considerations – the Courts often send these types of cases to Juvenile Court. Each defendant and each case is different so, at this point, it would be foolish of me to predict what the Court might do in this particular case.”

Summary of Charges
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance On School Property
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance
Possessing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
Possession of a Firearm on School Property
Wear, Carry and Transport of Handgun Upon Person
Loaded Handgun on Person
Possession of a Regulated Firearm Under the Age of 21

The charges against McDonald are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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State v. Dominic Xavier Daniel, K17-487

LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on February 25, 2019, Dominic Xavier Daniel, 26 of Waldorf, entered a guilty plea in Charles County Circuit Court, in front of the Honorable Judge Amy J. Bragunier, to the First-Degree Murder of Samuel Gemeny, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence in relation to the murder of Samuel Gemeny, and the First-Degree Assault of Allison Hofmann.

On May 16, 2017, officers responded to an apartment complex located in the 3400 block of Promenade Place in Waldorf for the report of a home invasion and shooting. Upon arrival, officers found victim Gemeny suffering with a gunshot wound to the neck. Officers also made contact with victim Hofmann, who was suffering with non-life-threatening injuries. Gemeny, unfortunately, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

An investigation revealed that during the evening hours of May 16, 2017, the victims were inside of their apartment when Hofmann heard knocking at the front door. Hofmann looked through the peephole of the door but did not see anyone outside of the apartment. In an effort to see if someone had knocked and walked away, she opened the front door. At that time, Daniel, as well as two of his co-defendants, forced entry into the apartment. None of the suspects concealed their faces and Hofmann immediately recognized two of the suspects, including Daniel, as acquaintances of her and Gemeny.

Daniel, who briefly lived at the apartment prior to the incident, yielded a gun and pointed it directly at Hoffman. He began demanding to know where a mattress was that he had while living in the apartment, as well as the whereabouts of Gemeny. The other two suspects demanded money. Gemeny, who was previously in the master bedroom, approached the suspects undetected and hit Daniel in the back of the head with an iPad. Daniel then turned toward Gemeny and shot him at close range. The suspects then fled the area.

During the incident, Hofmann was grabbed by her throat and slammed into a counter, which caused injury to her back.

During the course of the investigation, Daniel admitted to being one of the suspects and shooting Gemeny. He was also identified by accomplice testimony.

Sentencing is set for May 13, 2019 before Charles County Circuit Court Judge Amy J. Bragunier.

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