Crime & Safety

Homeless Woman Found Dead in Flooded Woods of Maryland City

Anne Arundel County Police are confirm that a homeless person was found dead in Maryland City.

The body of an African American woman was found in the water in Maryland City.

Lt. T.J. Smith, an Anne Arundel Count Police spokesman, said the body was found in a wooded area off Route 198 and Laurel Racetrack Road Thursday morning.

Police received a 911 call around 11:30 a.m. for a body floating in the water. Fire officials were already on the scene, Smith reported, and found the woman dead from an apparent drowning.

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The body was found prior to officials releasing water from Patuxent River dams.

Police believe the woman is homeless because she was found in a low-lying wooded area known as a "tent city" or where homeless people set up encampments for overnight stays, Smith added. A witness told police that they told the woman to leave the area around 9:30 a.m. because it was unsafe due to rising waters. At that time she left, according to the report, but she was found dead around 11:26 a.m.

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Police continue to investigate the death and have not released the identity of the woman.


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