Maryland State Police Beat / Trailer Park Knife Fight Leaves Four in Pokey and Three Victims Bleeding

Maryland State Police Beat / Trailer Park Knife Fight Leaves Four in Pokey and Three Victims Bleeding

(North East, MD) – Maryland State Police arrested four suspects on July 2, 2017, in connection with assaults on three people, including one who was stabbed, during related incidents occurring in the North East area of Cecil County.

The suspects are identified as Jose A. Batista, 30, of 214 Lakeside Drive, North East, Md.; Freddy L. Gantier, 39, of the same address as Batista; Luisa Morales, 38, and Amanda S. Thodos, 24.

  Each suspect was charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment.  They were taken to the county central booking center for processing and an initial appearance before a court commissioner.

Gantier was charged on June 24, 2017, with fourteen counts of burglary, property destruction, theft and conspiracy in Cecil County District Court by Cecil County Sheriff Deputy Wight. On June 29, 2017, bail was set at $75,000 by a Judge and Gantier posted bail and was released from jail.

Morales bond was set at $5,000 and she was released from jail after posting bond on July 4, 2017.  Morales has multiple counts of child abuse and neglect pending in Cecil County Circuit Court after being indicted by the Grand Jury on March 29, 2017.

The three victims are adult males, who are all from North East, Md.  One victim, a 26-year-old, sustained a stab wound from a knife and is undergoing treatment at Christiana Hospital.  Another victim sustained cuts reportedly from a broken bottle.  He did not seek medical treatment yesterday for any injuries.  The third victim was struck when he tried to block the suspects’ vehicle with his as they fled the scene of the stabbing.  He was not reported to have been injured.  One of the victims reported a suspect displayed what appeared to be a handgun in a threatening manner from the van as they fled the scene.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m. yesterday, state troopers from the North East Barrack responded to the Lakeside Trailer Park in North East for the report of a fight.  Responding troopers learned the stabbing victim had already been transported to the hospital by his wife.  Cecil County Sheriff’s Office deputies also responded to the scene and provided assistance during the investigation.

Investigators from the State Police Criminal Enforcement Division responded to conduct the investigation.  The preliminary investigation indicates an altercation occurred near the trailer park between the victim who was assaulted with a broken bottle and the suspects.  This victim’s brother-in-law responded to the altercation and attempted to break it up before being stabbed with a knife.

As the four suspects attempted to flee the scene in a van, their path was blocked by a vehicle driven by the brother of the stabbing victim, who was also responding to the scene.  His vehicle was rammed by the suspects’ van, which was driven by Thodos.  Troopers and Cecil County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene of this crash and took all four suspects into custody at that time.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the suspects’ van.  They recovered a revolver-style BB gun and several knives.  The weapons will be forwarded to the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division for examination.