Family Of Model Home Homicide Victim Starts Fund For Daughters

UPDATE — Authorities arrested and charged a Jessup teen with the fatal shooting of a salesman on Wednesday, Dec. 5, in a model home in Hanover, according to a spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Dillon Nicholas Augustyniak, 18, was apprehended early Friday in Baltimore by a fugitive task force, said Officer Marc Limansky.

The Jessup teen is accused of killing Steven Bernard Wilson, 33, of Annapolis, at the model home. Wilson's family has started an online fundraiser to help with his daughters' education. "Steve was a loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, " the family wrote on its GoFundMe site. "My brother Steve was shot and killed in cold blood. His family needs your help. 100% of the funds raised by this campaign will go toward school expenses for Steve's daughters."

You can donate to the Steve Wilson Memorial Education Fund here.

Augustyniak, of the 7800 block of Clark Road in Jessup, has been charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, theft of between $1,500 to less than $25,000, and use of a firearm in the commission of a violent felony, Limansky said.

In a 10-minute news conference on Friday morning, Anne Arundel Police Chief Timothy Altomare said the motive for the shooting was robbery.

Following an autopsy on Thursday, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore ruled that the cause of Miller's death was a gunshot wound, "with the manner being homicide," the department said in a statement.

Wilson was originally from Edgewater and leaves behind a wife and two children, the Capital Gazette reported Friday.

He was alone in the model home at the time of the robbery, according to media reports. "Impulse met opportunity in this instance," Altomare said.

The arrest of Augustyniak came after Anne Arundel Police detectives pursued the case for 31 straight hours, following the discovery of Wilson's body in the model home shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

The police chief thanked residents in the Hanover-Jessup area for their help in the case. "What brought this case home in 31 hours" was the community's involvement, he said.

Police Ask For Tips

Though an arrest has been made, the police department said the case "is a very active and fluid investigation." Detectives are asking anyone with information on the shooting to come forward by calling the Anne Arundel County Homicide Unit at 410-222-4731.

Those with information who wish to remain anonymous can contact the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line at 410-222-4700 or Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland.

If your tip to Metro Crime Stoppers leads to the arrest or indictment of a person for a felony, you could qualify for a cash reward of up to $2,000. You can submit a tip by:

• calling 1-866-7LOCKUP (1-866-756-2587)
• visiting www.metrocrimestoppers.org
• using the P3 Tips smartphone app. It can be found in the Apple or Android app stores by searching for P3 Tips.

UPDATE — The Anne Arundel County police have made an arrest in the killing Thursday of a salesman who worked alone in a model home in Hanover, according to media reports. Steven Bernard Wilson, 33, of Annapolis was pronounced dead by paramedics who responded to the model home shortly after 5 p.m. in the 7500 block of Newmanstown Drive, the police said.

The police announced Friday morning that they will release details about the arrest at a news conference at 11:30 a.m. at police headquarters in Millersville.

The conference is scheduled to include Police Chief Timothy Altomare and Steuart Pittman, the county executive.

The model home is part of Shipley Homestead, a subdivision of single-family houses being built by Ryan Homes, the Capital Gazette reported Friday.

The subdivision is near Fort Meade, off Annapolis Road (Route 175) and east of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Route 295).

SEVERN, MD — The Anne Arundel County police are investigating the death of an Annapolis man on Wednesday inside a model home in Hanover. Officers discovered the homicide victim after responding to a 911 call coming from the 7500 block of Newmanstown Drive, according to a police report.

Upon arrival, they entered the house and found Steven Bernard Wilson, 33, "suffering from apparent trauma," the police report said (see map below).

Paramedics arrived at the scene and attempted to revive Wilson, but he was pronounced dead, the police said.

The Annapolis man was a sales and marketing representative who worked out of the model home, the police said. Wilson lived in the 500 block of Captain John Brice Way.

The model home is off Annapolis Road (Route 175), just east of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Route 295).

The police did not release further information on the cause of death, but they said that evidence found at the scene indicated it "was the result of a homicide."

Officers and detectives searched the model home and the surrounding area for evidence on Wednesday evening, with the aid of a police helicopter and K-9 units (trained dogs with handlers).

Detectives also went door-to-door in the neighborhood to ask residents about the incident, and they "were able to identify multiple pieces of evidence throughout the night," the police said, without releasing specific information.

They said an autopsy will be performed Thursday by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the cause and manner of the victim's death.

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Image:Courtesy of GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner