LEXINGTON PARK — A 56-year-old Lexington Park man faces three burglary counts after St. Mary’s County sheriff’s deputies say he walked into a Gunston Drive home, made himself a cup of coffee and left when he was told to go.
Mark Aldridge was arrested Thursday, Nov. 5, and charged with first-, third- and fourth-degree burglary, one count of theft, resisting arrest, and obstructing and hindering an officer, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office said in a Nov. 6 news release. He was released on his own recognizance after appearing before a District Court commissioner.
The charges are allegations. Aldridge is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies were called to a home in the 23000 block of Gunston Drive for a reported burglary. A witness told them a man had come into the residence and made coffee before being told to leave, and that he left without incident.
Deputies canvassing the neighborhood found a man who matched the description and identified him as Aldridge. The sheriff’s office said he resisted when deputies moved to take him into custody.
The release did not say how the man got inside, whether he knew anyone at the home or what the theft count covers.
What the charges carry
Maryland grades burglary largely by what a person allegedly intended. First-degree burglary, a felony, covers breaking and entering someone’s dwelling with the intent to commit theft or a crime of violence. It carries up to 20 years in prison when theft is the alleged intent.
- Third-degree burglary: breaking and entering a dwelling with intent to commit any crime; a felony with a maximum of 10 years.
- Fourth-degree burglary: a misdemeanor that includes breaking and entering a dwelling without proof of further intent; up to three years.
- Resisting arrest: a misdemeanor; up to three years and a $5,000 fine.
- Theft: the penalty depends on the value of the property, which the release did not give.
Obstructing and hindering is a common-law misdemeanor in Maryland. Prosecutors often charge several degrees of burglary from one incident; a conviction, if any, would not necessarily come on all of them.
Release on recognizance means a defendant is freed without posting bail on a written promise to appear in court. The sheriff’s office did not announce a court date.
Anyone with information can call the sheriff’s office at 301-475-8008. Anonymous tips can go to Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333, by text to 847411 with a message that begins “SMCSO,” or through the sheriff’s office website.
