Reisterstown man faces hate crime charges
A Reisterstown man who was arrested and charged in December in connection with the shooting of a construction worker during a fight on Bryanstone Road is facing additional charges, including four counts of committing a hate crime, according to court records. Brandon Troy Higgs, 24, of the 300 block of Bryanstone Road in Reisterstown faces a total of 12 counts and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for two counts of attempted murder in the first degree. Charging documents state that Higgs assaulted the two construction workers and attempted to murder them specifically because of their color and race. Reisterstown man shot construction worker at neighbor's house after confrontation, police say Higgs also did not have a concealed carry license, court documents said. When arrested, Higgs initially faced charges of first-degree murder, firstdegree assault and use of a firearm in commission of a violent crime involving two black construction workers. He now faces the additional hate crime and concealed weapon charges. James E. Crawford Jr., who is listed as Higgs’ defense attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Higgs was arrested by county police around 1:22 p.m. on Dec. 20 after an altercation with the two men. Higgs allegedly referred to one of the victims as “boy” and told both construction workers to “go back to Africa.” Higgs returned to his home and returned with a handgun, according to court documents. The two black men said that Higgs verbally abused and then pushed one before pulling out the gun and pointing it at one of them. One man attempted to force Higgs to drop the gun; during a struggle, one of the men was shot in the leg, according to court records. Higgs’ account of events is different: It says that one of the men punched him in the back of the head, which is why he drew his gun, and that he was then tackled, according to court documents. The two black men have not been charged in the incident.
House fire in Arundel ignites ammunition
An Anne Arundel County firefighter was hospitalized with a medical issue Thursday as the department battled a fire at a Pasadena home Thursday that caused live ammunition to discharge inside the residence. A department spokesman said firefighters were called to the 8200 block of Old Mill Road at 4:50 p.m. A twostory, single-family home had caught fire, the spokesman said in a news release Friday. Firefighters found an attached garage that had caught on fire, which had extended to the second story of the building. It took about 40 firefighters about 30 minutes to contain the fire, Capt. Russ Davies wrote in an email. During the fire, “there was live ammunition in the house which discharged due to the fire.” No firefighters or nearby residents were injured as a result of the gunfire, but two firefighters were evaluated for medical issues, Davies said. One was taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center but was in good condition. Davies said both were dealing with “elevated blood pressure when they were going through the rehabilitation process.” A Maryland woman faces charges that she assaulted White House counselor Kellyanne Conway during a confrontation last year at a restaurant in a Maryland suburb of Washington. Mary Elizabeth Inabinett, 63, of Chevy Chase, was charged in November with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, court records show. Conway told police she was attending a birthday party on Oct. 14 at a Mexican restaurant in Bethesda when she felt somebody grab her shoulders from behind and shake her, according to a charging document prepared by Montgomery County police. Inabinett’s attorney, William Alden McDaniel Jr., said isaid his client didn’t assault Conway and will plead not guilty.