Barely halfway through April, Ocean City already saw its first bachelorette party of the year end in criminal charges.
Ocean City is the go-to vacation spot on the Eastern Shore. Long a family destination, the town has also become -- for better or worse -- the go-to spot for adults as well. That includes becoming a hot spot for bachelor and bachelorette parties. These don't always end up going well. Last year, a bachelorette party got a little out of hand on the boardwalk, with one of the bridesmaids getting into a fist fight with the bride-to-be (and giving her a bloody nose). In that case, the violent bridesmaid -- Ashley Stolley -- ended up getting a 10-day jail sentence for her antics. It isn't officially tourist season yet in Ocean City, but one bachelorette party is already on the books for getting a police response this year. On April 20, members of a bachelorette party took their "celebration" to the street. And by celebration, I mean they hurled expletives at anyone within earshot.
Ocean City Police arrived at the scene around 10:50 p.m. to investigate reports of three disorderly women walking down the street. The officer quickly realized that the reports were completely accurate.
When the officer approached the revelers, two of the women stopped what they were doing and cooperated. A third woman -- 25-year-old Jasmine Thomas of Glen Burnie -- decided that she wasn't ready to stop partying.
Against the officer's orders, she continued to yell and shout in what police describe as an "expletive-laden tirade."
"We’re just trying to go back to our room to ******." You can use your own imagination to figure out what that expletive was ...
The two responsive women actually initially succeeded in calming Thomas down. They were so successful that the responding officer actually let them go with a warning to keep it down.
They were in the clear. All they had to do was keep their voices down and go back to their hotel. But Thomas allegedly had another idea.
Mere moments later, the same Ocean City police officer noticed the three women standing in front of a convenience store. Thomas was again seen (and heard) shouting expletives. According to the report, the officer heard Thomas shouting from at least 100 feet away, which is a violation of Ocean City's noise ordinance. As the officer was writing a noise citation, Thomas again started to get loud and angry.
Eventually, she decided to give up screaming the expletives and went with singing them instead, causing a small crowd to gather to watch what was going on. The officer was only going to write her a noise citation, but her actions forced his hand.
Thomas was arrested and charged with a noise violation and disorderly conduct.
While the tourist season may not have officially started, it is clear that the seasonal drunk-in-public crimes have begun. Residents and visitors alike are hoping that 2018 proves quieter and more family-friendly than 2017 was. However, township officials are preparing for the worst.
Do you still consider Ocean City to be a family vacation destination? Tell us in the comment section below!
