Although some of the charges against Howard Baker have now been dropped, two of them are headed for the grand jury and he's still in a heap of trouble with the law. Baker is accused of assaulting a local police officer and vandalizing a Centreville woman's car.
The incidents date back to Feb. 29 and, when the dust cleared that night, Fairfax County police charged Baker, 37, with six offenses. He lives at 15955 Crowfoot Court in Brandywine, Md.
Police say that around 9 p.m. that evening, a 31-year-old Centreville woman called and reported that an acquaintance was vandalizing her vehicle. An officer from the Sully District Police Station responded to the home, in the 14000 block of Flower Hill Drive, in Sully Station, and spotted a suspect near the woman's car.
As the officer approached, the man ran away. The officer pursued him, and police say the man kept reaching into his waistband while fleeing. The officer eventually caught up with the man — later reportedly identified as Baker — but police say Baker allegedly struggled with the officer and "bit him several times."
However, with the help of nearby residents, police were able to apprehend Baker and take him into custody. Police say a search of his person revealed a 9-mm handgun and a large knife in his waistband. They then charged him with two counts of possession of a concealed weapon, plus destruction of property, assault on a police officer, possession of burglary tools and stalking.
He originally had an April 7 court date, but the case was later continued until last week. On Tuesday, July 6, before Judge Conrad Waters in General District Court, the burglary tools and concealed weapons charges were dropped. One of the property-destruction charges was continued to Friday, July 9, before Judge Thomas Gallihue, and it, too, was dropped.
However, Baker's stalking charge was rescheduled to Oct. 5, and Judge Waters certified the other count of destruction of property — as well as the charge of assaulting a police officer — to the next grand jury for possible indictment. If convicted of assaulting a police officer, Baker could be sentenced to as much as five years in prison.