4 Confederate statues make their return — but their fate hangs in the balance



On the eve of the Juneteenth observance, it was reported that several Confederate statues, which were removed almost a decade ago, have made a quiet return to Baltimore, Maryland.

The Baltimore Sun reported Thursday that four Confederate statues have made their return to the city, but many details remain unknown.

'They are being stored in a secure facility. We will not be disclosing their location.'

The statues, which were taken down before dawn on August 16, 2017, just days after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, were most recently stored in California. They were on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

Just after the statues were pulled from their pedestals, they were stored for years in a Baltimore impound lot, during which time vandals cost tens of thousands of dollars' worth of damage to the collection.

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Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Nathan Howard/Getty Images

The statues are: the statue of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson that originally stood outside Wyman Park Dell, the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument that stood on Mount Royal Avenue, the Confederate Women's Monument, and the Roger B. Taney Monument.

The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument sustained the most damage during the storage period after vandals "chopped off an arm and a Confederate flag and doused the whole thing with bright red paint," according to the Sun.

But now, officials have confirmed that the statues have been returned to their original city, though questions remain.

“The Confederate monuments are back in Baltimore,” Lauren Schiszik, executive director of the city Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, told commissioners during a June 9 briefing session, according to the Baltimore Sun.

“They are being stored in a secure facility. We will not be disclosing their location.”

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) has been at the forefront of the removal efforts since before they were taken down by his predecessor Mayor Catherine Pugh (D).

Scott has consistently held that these statues and those like them have "ties to the dark side of America's past."

In a resolution at the time, then-Councilman Scott wrote, “Monuments with ties to the dark side of America’s past have come under increased scrutiny in recent years with cities across the country debating on whether they should be removed. Following the acts of domestic terrorism carried out by white supremacist terrorist groups in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past weekend cities must act decisively and immediately by removing these monuments. Baltimore has had more than enough time to think on the issue — it’s time to act.”

Scott's press office did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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Teen thug points gun in face of Marine Corps veteran, demands his car keys. But punk definitely picked wrong victim.



A teenager was caught on surveillance video pointing a gun in the face of a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and demanding his car keys in Maryland earlier this week, but things didn't work out so well for the punk — or his three friends.

Jheyco Borda — who was trained in hand-to-hand combat while in the military — told WTTG-TV he was working on his pickup truck near Oxon Hill High School around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when four teenagers approached him on the sidewalk.

'Once a Marine, always a Marine.'

Borda told the station the suspects — all of whom were dressed in hooded sweatshirts — approached him and demanded his car keys, phone, and other valuables.

WTTG said surveillance video showed one of the teens — dressed in red, white, and blue — pulling out a handgun and pointing it directly at Borda’s head.

However, the station said the gun-toting suspect became distracted for a split second — and Borda said that was all the time he needed to put his military training into practice and fight back.

Borda told WTTG he quickly disarmed the teen — and then his brother noticed the dust-up and ran over to assist.

Video shows that during the struggle, the suspect's gun discharged, the station said.

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No one was hit by the gunfire, WTTG said — instead the bullet struck Borda's truck and left a visible hole.

The station said that as the fight continued, another suspect tried to jump in, but Borda’s brother turned and grabbed him.

The brothers, in the end, managed to pin down the suspects until Prince George’s County Police officers arrived at the scene and took them into custody, Borda told WTTG.

The station said all four suspects were behind bars.

Police are asking anyone with additional information about the incident to contact them immediately, WTTG said.

In the aftermath, Borda told the station: "Once a Marine, always a Marine."

"I'm feeling grateful," the veteran added to WTTG. "I'm still here, safe, with my family."

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Two Lives Upended By Vindictive Prosecutors Underscore The Need For Anti-Weaponization Fund

Jim Troupis and Dr. Ron Elfenbein, dragged through hell by abusive prosecutors, underscore the need for the DOJ's Anti-Weaponization Fund.

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'Shocking and surprising'

Cinco de Mayo violence: 3 shot, 2 stabbed in same parking lot — in apparently unrelated incidents — outside restaurant



Three people were shot and two others were stabbed in apparently unrelated incidents in the same shopping center parking lot in Laurel, Maryland, after a large Cinco de Mayo celebration late Tuesday night, police told WRC-TV.

Investigators said the chaos began just after 10 p.m.

'Ridiculous.'

WRC said a big crowd gathered at Amigos Mexican Grill — which is part of the Centre at Laurel shopping center — for a large Cinco de Mayo celebration; social media posts showed numerous groups of people inside and outside the restaurant.

Police were dispersing the crowd after the event ended when at least one person fired gunshots, WRC said. Three were wounded in front of Longhorn Steakhouse, which is next to Amigos Mexican Grill.

The shooting was captured on video and posted on social media, WRC reported, adding that video shows several males arguing and punching each other in front of the steakhouse; a burst of gunfire is audible. People began to run away when the gunfire erupted, the station said.

The victims were taken to a nearby hospital, WRC said.

The Laurel Police Department on Wednesday posted images of who they say is the shooting suspect and asked "all community members to watch and share the video linked below to help ensure the individual is identified as quickly as possible. If you recognize the person in the footage or have any information that may aid investigators, please contact the Laurel Police Department. Your cooperation is vital to the progress of this investigation and the safety of our community."

The WRC video report below shows a car parked in front of Longhorn Steakhouse with several bullet holes on its side as well as a shattered window.

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The station said that while police were dealing with the shooting, a stabbing occurred near Amigos Mexican Grill in which two people were hurt.

Police told WRC said that all five victims of the shooting and stabbing are in stable condition and expected to survive.

The station said at this point it doesn't appear that the two incidents are connected — they just happened in the same parking lot, one right after the other.

A man who drove by Amigos Mexican Grill told WRC he decided to not attend the Cinco de Mayo event after he noticed the size of the crowd: "We attempted to come. My daughter and everybody wanted to come up here, but we knew this was an unusual amount of people ... since last year. It was just way more people this year."

Another man added to the station that it's "horrible" that people "can't come enjoy themselves without that happening. I mean, that's ridiculous."

WRC said police are asking those with video of the incidents to upload them to the Laurel police website by using a QR code since no arrests have been made yet.

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Wes Moore Shirked His Military Obligations for Years, Investigation Finds, Barely Showing Up Despite Army Paying Tuition: Democrat’s Service Record Again Under Fire

Maryland governor Wes Moore’s (D.) military service record has once again come under scrutiny, with a coalition of local news outlets reporting a slew of gaps and discrepancies in his file that suggest the presidential hopeful treated his 17 years in the military as little more than a ticket-punch for his political career.

The post Wes Moore Shirked His Military Obligations for Years, Investigation Finds, Barely Showing Up Despite Army Paying Tuition: Democrat’s Service Record Again Under Fire appeared first on .

EXCLUSIVE: In Cities Across America, Homeless Services Are Doled Out Based on Race and Sexual Identity

The homelessness crisis in Multnomah County, Oregon, is among the worst in the country. Home to deep-blue Portland, where the deaths of homeless people quadrupled between 2019 and 2023, according to data from the county health department, Multnomah has a per-capita homeless rate of 1.3 percent, and some shelters are closing due to budget problems.

The post EXCLUSIVE: In Cities Across America, Homeless Services Are Doled Out Based on Race and Sexual Identity appeared first on .

Thugs ages 11 to 14 gang up on, mercilessly beat up victim on sidewalk — and adults are done: 'I'm very fearful for my life'



A gang of youths ages 11 to 14 were caught on cellphone video last week mercilessly pummeling a lone victim on a street corner in Towson, Maryland.

Nine juveniles have been identified, and second-degree assault charges are pending against five of them after Baltimore County police officers responded to the incident, WBFF-TV reported.

'You can see the kids are laughing. ... They just don't care, because no one is going to hold them accountable.'

Police said officers were called around 3:40 p.m. April 20 to the unit block of Lambourne Road for a “physical disturbance," the station reported.

Police said it's believed the incident stems from a verbal altercation in school and that the juveniles involved — who range in age from 11 to 14 — know each other, WBFF said.

Two juveniles under the age of 13 will not be charged, police told the station, which added that none of the juveniles are in custody as officers are trying to notify their parents.

The incident drew attention after video recorded outside the Towson Promenade appeared to show a group of juveniles surrounding and beating one victim. You can view unredacted video of the broad-daylight beatdown here, which shows a gang of youths repeatedly punching, kicking, and stomping the victim.

More from WBFF:

A second incident happened Tuesday involving some of the same students inside Dumbarton Middle School during a meeting with the School Resource Officer, police said. During the meeting, a student and their parent left the office and got involved in a physical fight with another student in a hallway. The parent was later trespassed from the school, authorities said.

Police are working with Baltimore County Public Schools, which is conducting its own administrative investigation.

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The April 20 incident occurred across the street from Towson Diner, and owner Nick Kourtsounis told WBFF in a separate story he's frustrated by what he sees as ongoing juvenile violence in the area.

"This looks like nine on one, is what it looks like," Kourtsounis told the station while viewing video presumably showing the attack. "I don't see how that's just middle schoolers being middle schoolers. That is a learned behavior, and I don't know how you unlearn that, but something has to be done."

He added to WBFF, "Where's the accountability? That's what we want. We want accountability, we want action, and this stuff about, 'Oh, it's just kids being kids' — no, it's not."

Baltimore County resident Mary Shanahan told the station, "I'm very fearful for my life because you never know what they have in their backpacks, what they have in their pockets, what they're going to say to you."

A retired Baltimore County Police sergeant told WBFF in another story that the youths involved simply don't care about consequences.

"You can see the kids are laughing. They're looking at the camera, they're looking around, but they're committing the crime," Mickey Hoppert, who retired from the Baltimore County Police Department after 20 years of service as an officer, told the station. "They just don't care, because no one is going to hold them accountable. And unfortunately, somebody has to hold them accountable."

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Female shoots gas station store clerk amid 'incredibly brazen' attempted robbery — then strangely leaves empty-handed: Police



A female shot a Maryland gas station store clerk amid an "incredibly brazen" attempted robbery Friday — and then strangely left the store empty-handed, police said.

Howard County Police said officers were called to the Shell gas station in the 7200 block of Cradlerock Way in Columbia around 7:43 p.m. for a report of a shooting.

'We don't see incidents like this very often. We have robberies and some thefts in gas stations where somebody may imply a weapon or show a weapon but not use it, and they usually leave with something.'

An adult male gas station employee was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with serious injuries, police said, adding that the victim was listed in serious condition.

Police released surveillance video Monday and offered a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the suspect.

Police on Tuesday said Shantay Lashay O’Donnell, 46, of Virginia, was identified as the shooter in the attempted robbery.

Police said she was in custody in another state on unrelated charges.

O'Donnell will be served with multiple Howard County charges in the coming days, police said.

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"What we know is that this woman walked into the Shell store, walked around a little bit, and then as soon as she approached the counter, that's when she took out the gun and fired," Howard County police spokesman Seth Hoffman told WBAL-TV. "We know that she demanded the clerk to open the cash register, but as you can see, it all unfolded so quickly."

Hoffman added to the station that the barely 20-second surveillance video shows nearly the entire incident.

Police told WBAL they're investigating the incident as an attempted robbery and noted that the female in the clip didn't steal anything.

"We don't even think that [the clerk] had time [to open the register]. We don't believe he did," Hoffman also told the station. "She started shooting and then left without anything."

Hoffman added to WBAL that "this is incredibly brazen; we don't see incidents like this very often. We have robberies and some thefts in gas stations where somebody may imply a weapon or show a weapon but not use it, and they usually leave with something. Here, we have somebody who just shot and left with nothing."

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Maryland Governor Wes Moore's 'Climate Study' Is Bankrolled by Left-Wing Rockefeller Fund Amid Push To Force Oil Companies To Pay Billions in Damages

The left-wing environmental nonprofit Rockefeller Family Fund (RFF) is bankrolling a study commissioned by Maryland governor Wes Moore (D.) to "assess the undue burden Marylanders are paying for extreme weather events," records show. The group says the study is the first step in passing a law that would require oil companies to pay the state billions of dollars in climate damages.

The post Maryland Governor Wes Moore's 'Climate Study' Is Bankrolled by Left-Wing Rockefeller Fund Amid Push To Force Oil Companies To Pay Billions in Damages appeared first on .