The man found guilty of rape at a Salisbury high school in early May pleaded guilty to a gun possession charge this week.

Eighteen-year-old Jocori Scarborough of Delmar was in Wicomico County Circuit Court on Monday, Nov. 10, on charges of possessing a regulated firearm under the age of 21.

In October, he was found guilty of raping a 15-year-old female Parkside High School student at the school.

Scarborough was also found guilty of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, threatening a student and false imprisonment.

After he was accused of the May 5 rape, Scarborough was served with a search warrant in his home, then charged with the gun offense. Police found a loaded handgun, with ammunition, in the Delmar home. He was 17 at the time, four years younger than is legal to own a gun in Maryland.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 11.

Tree house fire sends firefighters scrambling

Nobody was injured in a tree house fire in Parsonsburg Nov. 11, according to the state fire marshal’s office.

Firefighters from Pittsville, Powellville and  Parsonsburg volunteer fire departments responded to the blaze in the wood-frame tree house at 4:49 a.m.

It is owned by Sandra Winter.

The estimated loss of the structure was $500.

The fire was under control in about 20 minutes, the fire marshal said. It started inside the tree house by an unattended candle. The cause was ruled accidental, the fire marshal said.

City man facing robbery charges

A 20-year-old Salisbury man was charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery after Salisbury Police arrested him Nov. 2.

Police said they made the arrest at 7:04 p.m. after being called to the 800 block of Brown Street, in reference to victims who said they had been robbed at gunpoint by two men.

Police said the victims reported one man had a handgun. They fled on foot after taking property from the victims, but the victims were not injured, police said.

On Nov. 3, detectives arrested Aaron Robinson Jones after obtaining a warrant. Police said members of the Maryland State Apprehension Team located Jones at his residence and took him into custody.

Police said they are searching for the other man, who had the gun.

They described him as a black male who is 6 feet tall and heavy set. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information should call Salisbury Police.

City police release shoplifting arrests

In an effort to reduce shoplifting in the city, Salisbury Police have released names of those charged with the crime from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2.

Charged were Shannon Mae MacDonald, 26, of Greenwood, Del.; Alicia Nicole White, 27, of Salisbury;  Kyra Latoya Cook, 24, of Bear, Del.; juvenile male, 16; juvenile male, 16; Amy Christine Winder, 43; and Patrick James Mcgrillies, 29, of Laurel, Del.

Salisbury teen-ager facing assault charges

An 18-year-old Salisbury man was charged with second-degree assault after an incident on Toadvine Road on Nov. 1, according to deputies at the Wicomico  County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said Brandon Thomas Layfield was charged after they went to the residence, in the 1000 block of Toadvine Road, for a reported domestic disturbance.

When they arrived, the deputy was told an argument had ensued between a man  and his grandmother about the man needing a ride.

The argument escalated when the grandmother was struck in the face with a closed fist, deputies said. They said during the investigation, the deputy observed signs of injury that corroborated the victim’s account.

Layfield was arrested, taken before a district court commissioner and released on $30,000 bond, deputies said.

Fire fatalities rate down in Maryland

State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci reported a decrease in the number of fire deaths in 2014, compared to the same period in 2013.

Geraci said 44 Maryland residents died in fires, compared to 55 at this time last year, representing a  20 percent decrease

“Maryland’s fire service is cautiously optimistic with this year’s data, however, everyone must remain vigilant in their fire prevention efforts to continue this trend.  An estimated 80 percent of structure fires in Maryland occur in what most assume to be the safest place, our homes,” the fire marshal said.

He recommended:

*Having smoke alarms on every level of the home and in each sleeping area.

*Testing the alarms monthly and replacing batteries at least once a year.

*Developing a home escape plan with a safe meeting place and practicing the plan with family members.

*Teaching family members to get out and stay out of a fire.

The fire marshal said recent smoke alarm donation programs offered by Pepco and Delmarva power companies provided smoke alarms to fire companies, so they can be donated.

Delmarva Power donated 1,200 10-year smoke alarms to the state fire marshal’s office. They were given to fire companies that serve the Eastern Shore, he said.