Arrest brings men of Harford family to jail, minus one

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - There will be no bittersweet reunion for Reginald Bolden and his father, Johnny.

By the time Reginald was arrested in Baltimore City on Friday on attempted murder charges, his older brother Justin was dead, apparently choking on drugs he tried to hide from deputies at the Harford County Detention Center last week.

Johnny, the Bolden patriarch, was in jail on charges of kidnapping and assault, but he and Reginald would likely be kept separate at the detention center, police said.

“I highly doubt they would have any opportunity to communicate other than through some kind of written communication,” said Harford sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Dave Betz.

“They’re pretty much kept and served food in their own areas.”

Acting on a tip, Harford sheriff’s deputies worked with Baltimore City police to locate Reginald Bolden, 24, on the 2100 block of North Avenue on Friday night, Betz said.

Police could not confirm whether he was in the area for his brother’s viewing, which an obituary said was scheduled for Saturday morning at a North Avenue funeral

home.

After a short chase on foot, Bolden was arrested and charged with the May 24 shooting of Havre de Grace resident Robert Ringgold outside the Waffle House restaurant in Belcamp.

To deputies’ surprise, Bolden made no mention of his brother’s death during the ride back to Harford, Betz said.

The brothers had been sharing a residence on the 2700 block of Forge Hill Road until the weekend of May 23, when the family ran afoul of the law in two separate incidents: Johnny, 48, and Justin, 25, allegedly kidnapped and assaulted Wardell Brooks, of Bel Air, in a dispute over a truck that evening, police said; early the next morning, Reginald allegedly wounded Ringgold.

Johnny remained in custody on $200,000 bail. Justin had made his $50,000 bail, but was picked up again for violating his parole on 2004 possession and attempted robbery charges.

Reginald was being held without bail and has a bail review scheduled for this afternoon.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com

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