Derrick Lamont Estep
Prince Frederick, MD – A Calvert County man was indicted by a grand jury Aug. 15 in connection with an alleged burglary that occurred in late May at the Cliffs Motel in St. Leonard, circuit court records stated. The three indictment counts in the state’s case against the defendant—Derrick Lamont Estep, 26 of St. Leonard—are first-degree burglary, a felony; theft less than $1,000 and making a false statement to an officer.
According to a statement of charges filed in District Court by Deputy Buck of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, the probe into Estep’s activities of May 31 began the morning of June 3 after he (Buck) was dispatched to the motel on St. Leonard Road, which rents units for residency. The manager told Buck she noticed a vacant room “had the curtains drawn closed and that was suspicious” because she always leaves vacant rooms’ curtains open. The manager found a cellphone charging on the dresser.
The manager “turned the phone on and on the background of the phone she noticed a picture of Derrick Lamont Estep. [She] recognized Mr. Estep from her numerous interactions with him in the St. Leonard area and around the Cliffs Motel. Further search of the room revealed a brown tote bag, a gray duffel bag and two plastic Walmart bags located in between the second bed in the room, and the wall.”
According to Buck, while he was interviewing the manager, “Mr. Estep walked by the room and looked into the room at the door. I stopped Mr. Estep, placed him in handcuffs and advised him that he was being detained until I can conclude my investigation. I read Mr. Estep his Miranda rights and he agreed to speak to me without a lawyer present.”
In the court documents, Buck outlines details of Estep’s alibi—claiming that his (Estep’s) sister had a key to the room, the clothes belonged to her and the cellphone was his. As Buck dug deeper into the case he learned that another tenant had a missing cellphone matching the description of the phone Estep claimed was his. Buck’s investigation also revealed that the clothes found in the room belonged to Estep’s girlfriend—identified in court documents as Ashley Nicole Ballenger, 25 of Mechanicsville.
Buck interviewed other residents and determined that Estep broke into another room and stole the cellphone. Later, in a text message to his sister, Estep admitted he stole the phone, Buck reported in court documents. The investigation also revealed that Estep and Ballenger were unauthorized occupants of the room where the cellphone was found.
Ballenger is facing charges of theft less than $1,000 in connection with the May 31 incident and fourth degree burglary for breaking into the room. Her case will be heard in district court Sept. 23.
Estep has a hearing in circuit court scheduled for Sept. 6.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com