Driver hit two officers with car in Ocean City, tried to flee in bay: police

Rose Velazquez
The Daily Times

Correction: This report has been updated to correct the name of the Maryland Natural Resources Police spokesperson. Her name is Candy Thomson.

State police say a car hit two law enforcement officers working in Ocean City on Saturday night as a pair of men were attempting to avoid arrest.

The 33rd Street Shopping Center where two law enforcement officers were struck by a car on Saturday, Sept. 30 in Ocean City.

One of the individuals struck was a supervisor for the Worcester County Sheriff's Office assigned to the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team task force, according to police. The other was an Ocean City police officer.

Maryland State Police said they were both taken to the hospital for treatment and have been released.

RELATED:Pedestrian struck by Ocean City police officer on 56th Street and Coastal Highway

Officers fired at the suspects as they were being struck, but state police said neither of the suspects in the vehicle were injured during the incident.

The driver, Antonio Ambrosino, 18, of Seaford, has been arrested and charged with two counts each of attempted first- and second-degree murder, attempted manslaughter and first- and second-degree assault, as well as one count each of reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, according to state police.

His passenger, 20-year-old Arkad Espinal of Shillington, Pennsylvania, has also been arrested and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, state police said.

At the request of the sheriff's office and Ocean City police, the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit will be investigating the police-involved shooting. Police said the results will be presented to the Worcester County State's Attorney's Office for review.

Police said the preliminary investigation indicates the deputy spotted a Chevrolet Malibu in the parking lot of a shopping center between 33rd and 34th Streets just after 11 p.m. Saturday while he was on assignment.

He pulled into the parking lot, according to police, and told dispatch he was going to check out the car. An Ocean City police patrol unit of three officers responded to assist.

The deputy and an Ocean City officer approached the car from opposite sides, police said, with two officers in positions by the rear of the car. When the suspects spotted the officers, police said they tried to hide marijuana.

RELATED: H2Oi driver 'behavior has been sad,' Ocean City official says

The area just south of the Ocean City Convention Center on 41st Street where police say Antonio Ambrosino, 18 of Seaford, jumped in the Assawoman Bay to elude police after striking two officers with a car.

The suspects ignored commands from the deputy, according to police, and the driver turned the car on and put it in reverse. Police said Ambrosino accelerated and turned the car to the right, hitting the deputy.

He then turned the car to the left, police said, and drove toward and struck one of the Ocean City police officers who was catapulted onto the car's roof and then thrown onto the hood of a parked car as Ambrosino continued to drive away.

The area just south of the Ocean City Convention Center on 41st Street where police say Antonio Ambrosino, 18 of Seaford, jumped in the Assawoman Bay to elude police after striking two officers with a car.

Police said the officer who was hit fired at the 18-year-old driver after being struck and another officer fired shots at the driver during the incident as well. The suspects drove away, according to police, but reached a dead end on 41st Street.

Espinal was taken into custody by the car, police said, but Ambrosino jumped into the bay and was taken into custody eight blocks north.

A bay access point near and 42nd Street where Antonio Ambrosino, 18 of Seaford, attempted to escape police officers in pursuit Saturday night into Sunday morning in Ocean City. He was caught on 49th Street by authorities.

Maryland Natural Resources Police spokesperson Candy Thomson said he was apprehended and taken back to shore by NRP officers wearing night vision goggles.

During the incident, investigators say Ambrosino told officers "he would rather die than go to jail."

A bay access point near and 42nd Street where Antonio Ambrosino, 18 of Seaford, attempted to escape police officers in pursuit Saturday night into Sunday morning in Ocean City. He was caught on 49th Street by authorities.

Investigators have impounded the car and a search warrant is being obtained, according to police. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

There is an increased law enforcement presence in Ocean City as officials have been expecting large crowds despite the cancellation of the popular, but often notorious, H2Oi event.

On Saturday, Ocean City communications director Jessica Waters said the behavior of those visiting for the unsanctioned event had been "disappointing on many levels."

Though she didn't have numbers immediately available for the Saturday and Sunday calls for service, Ocean City police spokeswoman Lindsay Richard said it was clear the weekend had been challenging.

"I think it's definitely safe to say that it was certainly a challenging weekend for all of our officers," she said. "There was quite a bit of disrespect for our town."

Ocean City police were assisted this weekend by Maryland State Police, the Maryland Transportation Authority and sheriff's offices for Worcester, Wicomico and Queen Anne's Counties.

Because there aren't many seasonal officers still working this time of year, Richard said she was grateful to have the support of those allied agencies. Without their help, she said it would have been hard to keep up with the calls for service.

"There was a lot of visitors in town, and just like any other weekend where we have a big event in town, we need extra assistance," Richard said. "It’s greatly appreciated that we have these agencies come to assist us."

This year's unofficial event definitely seemed much busier than the previous two years when H2Oi had pretty much been "rained out," she said.

Police officials will likely meet this week to evaluate how the weekend worked out overall, Richard said, and discuss how to move forward.

Between Thursday and Friday, Ocean City police preliminary statistics show officers responded to 1,300 calls for service, including one Thursday traffic accident and seven Friday accidents.

On Friday, at about 9:30 p.m., police said a marked patrol car hit a 26-year-old pedestrian at the intersection of 56th Street and Coastal Highway. The Ocean City Police Department Traffic Safety Unit is investigating the incident.

The preliminary investigation indicates the patrol car was headed down 56th Street and made a left onto Coastal Highway just before the Connecticut man was struck, according to police.

The patrol car had a green light, police said, and the pedestrian was legally in the crosswalk. The pedestrian was flown to Peninsula Regional Medical Center by state police and released later that night after being treated for minor injuries.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police said they will not be releasing the name of the pedestrian or the officer involved in the accident at this time.