Two people are facing attempted murder and home invasion charges after St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to two separate violent incidents roughly 12 minutes apart in Lexington Park on the night of Thursday, Aug. 13.
Deputies were first called to the 21000 block of Great Mills Road around 9:23 p.m. for a reported burglary. A witness told investigators that people had entered the residence and assaulted a man inside; deputies found the victim with lacerations to his face and arm, and he was treated at the scene. At about 9:35 p.m., deputies responded to a second call, this one a reported stabbing in the 46000 block of Midway Drive. A male victim there had injuries to his leg, arm and stomach and was flown to a hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.
The Sheriff’s Office says its investigation connected both scenes and led detectives to Tina Marie Tippett, 37, listed as having no fixed address, and Javone Lawrence Warrick, 35, of Lexington Park. Both were arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, home invasion and third-degree burglary.
As is standard practice, it’s worth stating plainly: an arrest and a criminal charge are accusations, not findings of guilt. Both Tippett and Warrick are presumed innocent unless and until a court determines otherwise. The Sheriff’s Office says the investigation remains open and has been handed to the Criminal Investigations Division.
What the charges mean, and what they carry under Maryland law
Maryland groups its most serious violent charges by statute in the Criminal Law Article, and each of the six charges here carries a different maximum penalty:
Attempted first-degree murder (Crim. Law § 2-205): Maryland does not have a standalone “attempted murder” statute with its own fixed range — the attempt statute borrows its structure from the completed-crime statutes it attaches to. First-degree murder requires proof of a deliberate, premeditated and willful killing (or a killing during certain other serious felonies). Under § 2-205, someone convicted of attempting it faces up to life in prison — the same ceiling as first-degree murder itself, minus the possibility of a death sentence, which Maryland abolished in 2013.
Attempted second-degree murder (Crim. Law § 2-206): Second-degree murder covers intentional killings that don’t meet the premeditation standard of first-degree murder. A conviction for attempting it carries up to 30 years.
First-degree assault (Crim. Law § 3-202): Often called “aggravated assault” by defense attorneys, this felony applies when someone intentionally causes or attempts to cause serious physical injury — meaning an injury that creates a substantial risk of death or causes permanent or protracted disfigurement or loss of a body part or organ — or commits assault with a firearm. It carries up to 25 years.
Second-degree assault (Crim. Law § 3-203): This is Maryland’s general assault statute, covering everything from a shove to a serious beating that doesn’t rise to “serious physical injury.” It’s typically a misdemeanor, but still carries up to 10 years and a fine of up to $2,500. Under Maryland law, a first-degree assault charge automatically includes a second-degree assault charge for the same conduct, which is why both appear together here.
Home invasion (Crim. Law § 6-202(b), (d)): This is a distinct, more serious version of first-degree burglary. Ordinary first-degree burglary — breaking and entering a home to commit theft — carries up to 20 years. Home invasion applies when someone breaks into a dwelling specifically intending to commit a crime of violence once inside, and it carries a higher maximum of 25 years — a harsher ceiling than several other violent felonies, including robbery.
Third-degree burglary (Crim. Law § 6-204): This covers breaking and entering a dwelling to commit any crime that isn’t theft or a crime of violence — for example, vandalism. It’s a felony carrying up to 10 years. Prosecutors sometimes file this alongside more serious burglary or home-invasion counts as a fallback if the more serious intent element becomes harder to prove at trial.
How sentencing actually works from here
Maryland doesn’t use fixed mandatory sentences for most of these offenses. Instead, judges consult the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines, an advisory worksheet system maintained by the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy that scores each offense’s severity alongside the defendant’s prior record to produce a recommended sentencing range — well below the statutory maximums in most cases. Judges aren’t bound by the guidelines and can sentence anywhere up to the statutory maximum, but wide departures are unusual and can be appealed.
A few other factors will likely shape how this case actually proceeds:
- Merger: Maryland’s double jeopardy protections generally prevent a defendant from being punished twice for the same underlying conduct. If Tippett or Warrick are convicted on multiple overlapping counts here — for instance, both attempted first- and second-degree murder for the same act, or both assault degrees — some charges would likely merge into the more serious offense for sentencing purposes rather than stack on top of it.
- Concurrent vs. consecutive sentences: Because two separate victims are involved at two separate addresses, a judge could choose to run sentences for the two incidents consecutively (back-to-back) rather than concurrently, which would significantly raise the practical maximum exposure beyond any single charge’s cap.
- Bail and pretrial detention: Home invasion and attempted murder are both classified as crimes of violence under Maryland law, which affects bail review hearings and can support a judge’s decision to hold a defendant without bond pending trial, particularly if the defendant is considered a danger to the community or a flight risk.
Additional context
Public arrest records reviewed for this story show a person by the same name, Javone Lawrence Warrick of Lexington Park, was charged in July 2024 with two counts of second-degree assault on an incarcerated individual of the Division of Correction, according to a Sheriff’s Office weekly notable-arrests summary. That case is separate from this one, and it isn’t confirmation of any outcome in the current charges — it’s included here only as part of the public record.
Detective Andrew Burgess is leading the investigation and is asking anyone with information to call 301-475-4200, ext. 8041, or email Andrew.Burgess@stmaryscountymd.gov. Tips can also go to the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 301-475-8008, or anonymously through tip411 — by texting “SMCSO” plus a tip to 847411, online at FirstSheriff.com/tips, through the SMCSO app, or by calling Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333, where tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
This article explains general Maryland criminal statutes for informational purposes. It is not legal advice, and the specific penalties any defendant ultimately faces depend on the facts proven at trial, prior record, and a judge’s discretion.
