City police make arrests in two recent homicides

Baltimore police charged two men in two recent homicides, the department announced Friday. Damonte Johnson, 21, of the 5300 block of Fourth St. in Brooklyn Park, the primary suspect in the killing of Ronald Rice in Carrollton Ridge last month, was arrested by warrant apprehension task force detectives Wednesday, police said. Police said Rice, 29, was shot while walking in the 2100 block of Ashton St. around 9 p.m. April 27. He was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was later pronounced dead. Police said Johnson is also responsible for a nonfatal shooting on Tuesday in the 500 block of Freeman St. in Brooklyn. Johnson was arrested in the 100 block of Mountain Road in Glen Burnie, and police discovered a handgun in his possession possibly connected to the homicide and nonfatal shooting, police said. Johnson was taken to the city’s Central Booking and Intake Center, where he was charged with firstdegree murder, attempted first-degree murder and related charges. City police said Johnson also faces charges in Anne Arundel County for possession of a handgun. Police also arrested Avon Byrd, 29, of the 4800 block of Lorelly Ave. in Frankford last week in connections with a homicide April 28 in the 200 block of East St. in East Baltimore. Police said Byrd fatally shot 41year-old Andrew Terrell of the 700 block of Bethnal Road in Southwest Baltimore after the two men argued. Byrd was charged with first-degree murder and related charges.