MAY 9, 2012 -- More than half of the 24 charges filed against four young people accused in the brutal St. Patrick's Day attack and robbery of a tourist in Baltimore, which was videotaped and widely viewed online, have been dropped, according to Internet court records.


This video went viral and forced the media to report the story.


Aaron Jacob Parsons, 20; Shayona Mikia Davis, 20; Shatia Baldwin, 21; and Deangelo Carter, 19 were each charged with first-degree assault in the incident, in which an Alexandria, Va. man was beaten, robbed, stripped of his clothes and left unconscious in front of the Baltimore circuit courthouse on North Calvert Street.

But prosecutors have since dropped those charges and whittled many others during the past three weeks. In all, 13 out of 24 charges have been removed. A call to the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office seeking explanation was not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.

The videotaped attack shocked viewers and police, who used the digital recording to track down the defendants, the last of whom was arrested April 25. The video appears to show an unprovoked assault on an intoxicated tourist,who later told police he was trying to get back to his Mount Vernon hotel. He was robbed of his iPhone, a $1,300 watch and the key to his Audi, police said.

Parsons, a party promoter from Rosedale who police say punched the victim, was originally charged with eight crimes in the incident, but three of them have been cut, including the first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault and reckless endangerment. Robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault and theft remain.

Charges of armed robbery, robbery and first-degree assault against Davis, who lives in Baltimore and is accused of slapping the victim after he fell to the ground and assaulting him with a high-heeled shoe, were also dropped, leaving one count of second-degree assault.

Baldwin, of Brooklyn, is still charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, theft and second-degree assault, though four other charges have been dropped (first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault and conspiracy to commit second-degree assault).

A single charge of second-degree assault remains against Carter, who lives in Baltimore and also had been charged with armed robbery, robbery, and first-degree assault.


SOURCE: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/blog/bal-baltimore-videotaped-beating-case-cuts-charges-20120509,0,4466950.story