On Friday, October 28, 2022, Stas Urbanski-Hughes, age 20, of Frankford, Delaware, was the second of 2 co-defendants to be sentenced for his convictions on 2 counts of first-degree assault and 2 counts of reckless endangerment. Urbanski-Hughes pleaded guilty to the charges on January 5, 2022. The Honorable Brian D. Shockley of the Worcester County Circuit Court sentenced Urbanski-Hughes to serve 35 years in the Division of Corrections and suspended all but 13 years of the sentence,
placing Urbanski-Hughes on 3 years of supervised probation upon his release.
The charges arose out of an incident which occurred on May 28, 2021, when Ocean City Police Department officers responded to Ocean City Fire Department Station 4 in reference to multiple stabbings. Officers identified 3 victims suffering from multiple stab wounds and lacerations to the face, torso and chest, who were initially treated by Ocean City EMS and then flown out by helicopter for medical interventions at local hospitals. After getting a description of 1 of 2 suspects involved, officers were able to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of 136ᵗʰ St. and observed dried blood on the driver who was identified as Urbanski-Hughes. A 4ᵗʰ victim with slash wounds on his arm was located in the area along with another witness who positively identified Urbanski-Hughes as the stabber and the passenger, Brandon Messick, as having participated in the assault. Both were placed under arrest. Messick pleaded guilty to 2 counts of second-degree assault in March of 2022 and was sentenced to serve 14 years in the Division of Corrections with all but 3 years suspended and placed on 8 years of supervised probation upon release.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser thanked the numerous officers of the Ocean City Police Department and Ocean City EMS personnel who acted quickly to treat the victims and apprehend the suspects in this case. Heiser also commended Assistant State’s Attorney Jared Monteiro who prosecuted the case.
