Dorchester Co. inmate accidentally released, now wanted
The Dorchester County Detention Center has apparently mistakenly released an inmate who was awaiting trial.
The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office says on Wednesday, the Detention Center released 19-year-old Dontay Richard Johnson Jr., of Cambridge. Officials say he was incarcerated on a $100,000 bond, while awaiting trial for his alleged involvement in an assault that took place in Cambridge, back in January.
Officials aren’t releasing much on how the accidental release happened, but 47 ABC spoke with the Detention Center’s warden, Steve Mills, who would only say they are “aware of the situation and working on correcting the problem so it doesn’t happen again.”
The County Manager has confirmed an internal investigation is underway.
The Sheriff’s Office and Cambridge Police Department say a warrant has now been issued for Johnson’s arrest, and they are working on locating him. While he was technically released, the State’s Attorney’s office says anyone helping a wanted individual could face charges.
The actual charges he was facing stem from an incident on a school bus. Officials say Johnson was a high school student at the time, riding a bus involved in an altercation. They say something was thrown from the bus towards the driver of a car, that driver reportedly boarded the bus and a group of kids, including Johnson, allegedly assaulted that driver.
Anyone with information on Johnson’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 410-228-4141 or the Cambridge City Police at 410-228-3333.
