Ex-Baltimore Officer Shot By Wife, Who Accused Him Of Assaulting Kids At Her Day Care, Is Charged With Child Sex Abuse, Police Say

 

James S. Weems Jr., 57, was arrested in the hospital on multiple charges Monday, accused of sexually abusing at least three children at a day care center in Owings Mills, Maryland.

By Marlene Lenthang

A former Baltimore police officer shot by his wife, who accused him of sexually abusing children at her day care center, was arrested Monday in the hospital on child sex abuse charges, police say. 

Shanteari Weems, 50, of Randallstown, shot her husband, James S. Weems Jr., 57, on Thursday at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the 1300 block of Maryland Avenue in Washington D.C., according to a police news release.

Caution tape at the scene of a shooting at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington on July 22.WRC

Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department arrived to the scene after 7:30 p.m. on a report of a shooting and found James Weems in a hotel room suffering apparent gunshot wounds, the release stated.

He was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. 

At the scene, police found two guns in the room and letters Shanteari Weems wrote apologizing to the children, saying she didn’t know what was going on at the day care, NBC Washington reported.  

Shanteari Weems was arrested by responding officers and charged with assault with intent to kill with a gun. A preliminary hearing is set for her Friday. 

NBC News has reached out to her attorney for comment. 

Days after the shooting, an arrest warrant was issued for James Weems on accusations of child sex abuse Monday.

The warrant came after “allegations surfaced that Weems sexually abused at least three children while working at a day care facility in Owings Mills,” the Baltimore County Police Department announced Tuesday. 

According to records, Shanteari Weems owns Lil Kidz Kastle Daycare Center, which is in the Baltimore suburb of Owings Mills. 

Detectives with Baltimore County began to investigate James Weems this month after they were notified of the abuse, and he now faces multiple charges, Baltimore County police said.

Baltimore County Police said he remains hospitalized in police custody in Washington pending extradition. It was not immediately known if he has legal representation.

Baltimore police did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for details on the charges.

Weems was hired by the Baltimore City Police Department in June 1996. He retired in 2005 and continued to work for the department as a contract specialist until 2008, the department said. Shanteari Weems told police she and James Weems were married for five years, according to NBC Washington.

The investigation into James Weems is underway by Baltimore County detectives, Metropolitan Police Department, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Department of Human Services, Child Protective Services.

Police are asking for families who may have been affected to contact Baltimore County detectives. 

7-years later in DC - Relisha Rudd is still missing...

Relisha Rudd is still missing, and police are still looking for her.

It has been seven years since the then 8-year-old Relisha Rudd went missing from a D.C. homeless shelter.

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Author: Kolbie Satterfield (WUSA 9)

WASHINGTON — July 11 is designated as Relisha Rudd Awareness Day.

The then 8-year-old girl went missing seven years ago on March 1, 2014, but wasn’t reported missing until 18 days later on March 19, 2014.

Relisha disappeared from a homeless shelter her family was staying at in Northeast D.C.

The young girl was last seen on surveillance video at a hotel with Kahlil Tatum, a 51-year-old janitor at D.C. General Family Shelter, the shelter her family was staying at.

Tatum’s wife was murdered in an Oxon Hill motel shortly after Relisha was reported missing.

RELATED: Relisha Rudd suspect Kahlil Tatum's Divorce papers

On April 1, 2014, Tatum was found dead at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, according to D.C. Police. It was later discovered that Tatum killed himself before he could be questioned by police. There was no sign of Relisha.

"We kind of failed Relisha Rudd on so many different levels, so many different people, from the community, from family, from government, law enforcement,” Henderson Long, a missing person’s advocate and CEO of D.C.’s Missing Voice said.

Credit: National Association of Missing and Exploited Children

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children along with the DC Metropolitan Police Department released a new age progression for Relisha Rudd.

“Always keep hope, never give up, never stop searching,” Long said. “My main message today (July 11) is that so anybody who knows anything, even if it’s the least little thing about the disappearance or the whereabouts of Relsiha Rudd to dial into MPD.”

If you know anything about Relisha’s disappearance or whereabouts, call 202-727-9099.

There is a $50,000 reward for information.

for information.

Distance learning sparks safety concerns from some child advocates:

Author: Michael Quander

The coronavirus pandemic has forced children across the D.C. area to take school classes from home, which means they are spending a lot more time on the internet.

WASHINGTON — The coronavirus pandemic has forced children across the D.C.-area to take school classes from home and that means they are spending a lot more time on the internet.

Child safety advocates are sounding the alarm about dangers kids may be facing while distance learning.

"Anytime somebody harms a child, in my book, they deserve a special place in hell. That begins on the inside of a jail cell," said Callahan Walsh, with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The NCMEC hotline has been blowing up, according to Walsh.

He said the nonprofit organization has seen a spike in cases since the coronavirus pandemic started.

"We're analyzing those cases as we speak to spot trends so we can put this information back out to the public," Walsh said.


Distance learning sparks safety concerns from some child advocates:

The coronavirus pandemic has forced children across the D.C. area to take school classes from home, which means they are spending a lot more time on the internet.

Author: Michael Quander

WASHINGTON — The coronavirus pandemic has forced children across the D.C.-area to take school classes from home and that means they are spending a lot more time on the internet.

Child safety advocates are sounding the alarm about dangers kids may be facing while distance learning.

"Anytime somebody harms a child, in my book, they deserve a special place in hell. That begins on the inside of a jail cell," said Callahan Walsh, with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The NCMEC hotline has been blowing up, according to Walsh.


He said the nonprofit organization has seen a spike in cases since the coronavirus pandemic started.

"We're analyzing those cases as we speak to spot trends so we can put this information back out to the public," Walsh said.

The D.C.-based center is working to pinpoint how the increased cases might be connected to effects of the coronavirus.

Walsh explained, for now, it's important for the public to realize home is not the safest place for many children in America.

"We know that a person, who is likely to abuse a child or sexually abuses a child, is somebody who has direct access to that child whether that's a family member, direct parent, a neighbor," Walsh said.

With children being home more because of distance learning, adults should pay close attention to what they are doing on the internet.

Walsh suggested parents do three things: Understand the technology, set ground rules, and have ongoing conversations with children about safety.

If you are concerned about a child’s safety, or know the whereabouts of a missing child call the NCMEC hotline at 1-800-843-5678.