City prosecutors dropped attempted-murder charges this week against a 27-year-old East Baltimore man, who also had previous charges related to a raid on a violence intervention program’s office dropped last year.
Barak Olds was charged in May 2016 with the shooting that month of a 42-year-old man in the 1800 block of Caroline St. Police had said the victim was working on his vehicle when he was approached by a male gunman, who began shooting.
The State’s Attorney’s Office did not provide an explanation for why the charges were dropped.
Olds’ public defender said she was only told that prosecutors were not moving forward, and she declined further comment.
Olds’ arrest in the shooting occurred two months after all charges had been dropped against him, as well as eight others in a case that led to the temporary suspension of the East Baltimore offices of the Safe Streets anti-violence program.
In that case, police said a robbery investigation led them to the East Monument Street office, where officers found guns, heroin, cocaine and other items used in the manufacture and sale of drugs. The discovery led to the arrest of two Safe Streets workers.
Olds had been charged with the initial robbery, after police said the victim identified him and a second man as the men who robbed him.
Prosecutors said last year that in the robbery case they had received "exculpatory information that called into question the identify of the defendants," and dropped all charges.
Baltimore Police found the body of Tonja Deshaun Chadwick, a 20-year-old mother from the city. Her body was in a wooded area in southwest Baltimore. Her boyfriend Marco Jamal Holmes, 22, is a "person of interest" in the case. (Baltimore Sun video)
Baltimore Police found the body of Tonja Deshaun Chadwick, a 20-year-old mother from the city. Her body was in a wooded area in southwest Baltimore. Her boyfriend Marco Jamal Holmes, 22, is a “person of interest” in the case. (Baltimore Sun video)
Baltimore Police investigating a shooting at Red Emma’s, a coffee shop in the Station North neighborhood. (Kevin Richardson/Baltimore Sun video)
Baltimore Police investigating a shooting at Red Emma’s, a coffee shop in the Station North neighborhood. (Kevin Richardson/Baltimore Sun video)
Olds spent 17 of the past 19 months in jail on the two charges that are now dropped.
jfenton@baltsun.com
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