Maryland
Maryland family's dog severely burned, neighborhood child suspected
FORT WASHINGTON, Md. – The Prince George’s County Fire Marshal is investigating a disturbing case of animal cruelty involving a family dog that was severely burned with a lighter.
The family believes a neighborhood child is responsible for the injuries.
Latricia Jones, the dog’s owner, spoke with FOX 5 about the condition of her 3-and-a-half-year-old pit bull terrier named Bear.
“He’s stable right now. He’s on antibiotics and pain meds, so I think the pain medication is kind of sedating him a little,” Jones said. “He is resting. Sometimes he cries.”
The incident has left the community in shock.
“We’re devastated. My entire family is devastated. The community is devastated. I have neighbors that have known the dog since he was 6 weeks old… they’ve come over and when they see him they’re crying,” Jones added.
Jones and her family suspect a 9-year-old neighborhood boy is responsible for Bear’s injuries.
Their doorbell camera captured images of the boy entering and leaving their backyard.
Jones believes the boy used a torch lighter to burn holes in Bear’s back.
“Without actual footage showing him burning the dog it’s like they’re like, ‘well he didn’t do it,’ but he said he also didn’t go to the backyard. I have him on camera three times going into the backyard when no one else was around,” Jones said.
Veterinarians have informed Jones that Bear needs delicate surgery to remove his dead skin, which could cost around $10,000.
Disclaimer: The photos below may be disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
Dr. Marianne Bailey, a veterinarian from Annapolis, explained, “It’s reasonable that they were quoted a large amount because these wounds can be very difficult to manage. If this is a large dog with a large burn wound along its back, you’re probably looking at weeks if not months for this to heal. There could be complications along the way, and then he’s going to have a crazy scar down his back… and he may never have hair that regrows there ever again.”
Jones hopes the boy who allegedly caused Bear’s injuries receives professional help.
“I know he can’t go to jail. I don’t want to see him go to jail,” Jones said. “He’s 9 years old, but I want to see if maybe he gets some type of professional intervention, you know. I want his parents to be accountable and that they acknowledge that he’s done this. The police said it’s a minor, and there’s not a lot they can really do in a juvenile case like this.”
Prince George’s County Police and the Fire Marshal’s Office have confirmed they are investigating the case.
As of now, no charges have been filed, and the investigation is ongoing.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help raise money to treat Bear’s wounds.
Maryland
Winds ease for a seasonable weekend in Maryland
Happy Saturday, Maryland!
Today is the final day of fall and we’ll have more seasonable conditions and quieter weather this weekend.
Calmer weekend
Maryland’s peak wind gusts reached over 50 mph on Friday. As high pressure remains in control today (although it is moving offshore), we’ll have a couple of quieter days ahead the weekend.
Expect temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s on Saturday with much calmer winds. Sunshine mixes with clouds overhead, but we stay dry.
Tonight, we could have a few more clouds as a cold front approaches. Temperatures cool into the 20s and 30s again tonight.
Ravens-Patriots forecast
Winds pick up slightly again on Sunday, as gusts could surpass 20 mph during the day. Temperatures will be a few degrees warmer, reaching the upper 40s in some neighborhoods.
It’ll be cool if you’re heading to the Ravens game on Sunday night. Kickoff temperatures will be in the low 30s and drop into the 20s through game time.
It will be dry with mainly clear skies during the game.
Holiday travel
We are in the final countdown ahead of the Christmas holiday next week. Overall, it looks like weather will cooperate with your travel plans here in Maryland.
Outside of a low risk for a shower or two with the passing cold front tomorrow, it’s dry over the next couple of days.
Our next chance of rain will come Tuesday as a pair of fronts will pass through. A few snowflakes could mix with showers Monday night into Tuesday. Accumulations are not expected at this point.
Then, the First Alert Weather team will watch another chance for a few showers Wednesday into Thursday. Santa may need the windshield wipers as he moves through on Christmas Eve. He’ll check in with the WJZ First Alert Weather team for updated timing on the late-week chance of showers, just as you should!
Temperatures later in the week will also be warming. Wednesday will be in the mid to upper 40s with Thursday and Friday warming into the 50s. Cooler air returns for the final weekend of 2025.
Maryland
Maryland dentist to serve 10 years for pill-splitting scheme with assistant
A Baltimore County dentist was sentenced to 10 years in prison after illegally distributing an opioid to one of his former employees over the course of three years.
According to the Office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown (OAG), Dr. Andrew T. Fried, DMD, a licensed dentist who owned a solo practice dental office in Nottingham, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the following charges in November:
- one count of distributing narcotics
- and one count of prescribing controlled dangerous substances outside the regular course of duties of a dentist and not within the standards of his profession related to controlled dangerous substances.
Dr. Fried prescribed Oxycodone without a legitimate reason to a former employee who worked as an assistant at Perry Hall Family Dental from April 2022 to May 2025.
Dr. Fried admitted that he and the former assistant would split the pills between themselves and that he purchased them weekly from his assistant, who got them from close family members, according to a press release from the OAG.
On Friday, AG Brown announced the charges, stating, “Every Marylander who sits in a dental chair should trust that they’re receiving competent, professional care…This sentence protects Dr. Fried’s patients from further unsafe treatment and eliminates a source of opioids in our communities.”
Baltimore opioid crisis
Oxycodone is a strong prescription painkiller that is classified as a Schedule II-Controlled Substance due to its risk of addiction, illness, and, in some cases, death.
The drug is meant to be distributed by healthcare professionals to treat moderate to severe pain when other pain medicines aren’t sufficient; however, the pills can, at times, be found on the street.
In 2019, police arrested a man after discovering 38 pills of suspected Oxycodone during a traffic stop in Glen Burnie.
In 2018, a licensed pharmacist pleaded guilty to distributing oxycodone in exchange for sexual favors.
Baltimore’s ongoing opioid epidemic is a priority for city leaders.
In October, city leaders met to discuss ways to address Baltimore’s open-air drug market after three mass overdose incidents had taken place in the Penn North neighborhood over a span of four months.
Maryland
No. 7 Maryland routs winless Central Connecticut State 98-30 despite injury issues
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Yarden Garzon scored 12 of her 25 points in the first quarter, and No. 7 Maryland routed Central Connecticut State 98-30 on Friday.
To the delight of the screaming kids in attendance for the team’s annual Field Trip Day game, Terrapins coach Brenda Frese wore a jersey with the number 67 on it before tip-off. Then Maryland nearly won by that margin.
The blowout was no surprise. Maryland entered the game as one of 12 unbeaten teams left in Division I, and Central Connecticut State was one of 10 without a victory. The Terps (13-0) scored the game’s first 10 points and led 39-14 after one quarter.
Garzon made four 3-pointers in the first period.
Oluchi Okananwa had 22 points and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, who appeared to hobble on her right leg before leaving the game in the fourth quarter, had 10 points and nine rebounds. Ozzy-Momodu said after the game she’s OK.
Lucia Noin led Central Connecticut State (0-11) with 12 points.
Maryland guard Saylor Poffenbarger has been dealing with an ankle injury, and she sat out Friday as a planned rest day before the team returns to conference play. The Terrapins have lost Lea Bartelme, Ava McKennie and Kaylene Smikle to season-ending knee injuries, and Bri McDaniel, who tore her ACL 11 months ago, now plans to redshirt this season.
After the Terps took a 64-18 lead, they attempted five straight 3-pointers before Garzon finally made one to gave Maryland exactly 67 points. That drew an excited response from the crowd, as expected.
Central Connecticut State: Hosts Long Island University on Jan. 2.
Maryland: Hosts Wisconsin on Dec. 29.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
-
Iowa6 days agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Iowa1 week agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Maine4 days agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland6 days agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
Technology1 week agoThe Game Awards are losing their luster
-
South Dakota6 days agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
New Mexico4 days agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
Nebraska1 week agoNebraska lands commitment from DL Jayden Travers adding to early Top 5 recruiting class