Sydney Strain Charged with Lexington Park Gunfire Rampage

LEXINGTON PARK, MD.  – St. Mary’s Sheriff Tim Cameron reports the arrest of local thug Sydney Strain, the second suspect in the gangland style series of shootings which had the Lexington Park area on pins and needles for several days.  While Sydney is a really sissy name for an aspiring hoodlum, his street cred for allegedly being involved in a series of shooting may result in him being able to obtain a new nickname if and when he goes into the Maryland prison system.  Maybe he will be able to get good nickname like “Spike” or “Fifty-Nine Cents” or even “Ghetto-Blaster”!

The wild-west Anacostia and Baltimore ghetto-type of shootings resulted in the deployment of most of the Sheriff’s Department into the Great Mills, California and Lexington Park communities for several days.

Cameron noted that the first incident took place on January 18, 2015, when deputies responded to the area of Ronald Drive, for the report of shots being fired.

Cameron reported that Deputies determined multiple gunshots had been fired at an occupied vehicle, which left the area prior to their arrival.

Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.

A short time later, the vehicle was located in the Westbury subdivision and the operator was subsequently identified.

Sheriff Cameron reports that following an extensive investigation, detectives were able to identify a suspect in the case.  Warrants were obtained for the arrest of Sydney Antwan Strain, age 26, of no fixed address (meaning he is either a hobo living in one of the area’s hobo camps or moves around between residences of family members.

Police say that on January 22, 2015, Strain was taken into custody, charged with 2 counts of Assault 1st Degree and 2 counts of Assault 2nd Degree and incarcerated in the St. Mary’s County Detention Center where he is being held on a $250,000 bond.

Strain’s first brush with the law took place on Nov. 17, 2007 when he was arrested by St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Deputy Patrick Handy and charged with animal cruelty and dog fighting. In a plea deal arranged by St. Mary’s States Attorney Richard Fritz on Feb. 28, 2008, Strain got off with a simple Stet Docket and no time and fine. On Sept. 20, 2014, St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Shultz charged Strain, who had listed 21997 Spring Valley Drive in Lexington Park as his address, with burglary and assault. As an either homeless/bum/hobo or dog trainer without an income, his defense is being provided by taxpayer funded Maryland Public Defender Ryan Posey. Court records list Feb. 24, 2015 as a trial date unless his mouthpiece obtains another plea bargain from Fritz.