Man arrested in connection with controversial for-profit pool parties in Baltimore County
A 61-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a series of for-profit pool parties that sparked complaints from neighbors in a Baltimore County community last summer.
Norman Johnson was taken into custody Nov. 2 in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to the Baltimore County Police Department. He is being held at the Wake County Detention Center pending extradition to Maryland.
The parties, held at a home along Collinsway Road in Catonsville, drew hundreds of people and angered neighbors who said the gatherings caused major disruptions in their normally quiet residential community.
Johnson was charged in July with maintaining a disorderly house in connection with the parties, and an arrest warrant was issued.
Police said Johnson initially agreed to surrender to Baltimore County authorities but later left Maryland. He also failed to appear in a separate vehicle theft case in Carroll County on Sept. 29, according to police.
Johnson was located through a joint operation involving local law enforcement, the Baltimore U.S. Marshals Task Force and the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Police said Johnson barricaded himself inside a home in North Carolina, and U.S. Marshals had to force him out.
"I think this brings a sense of closure that hopefully we won't have anything like this happening in our neighborhood again," Baltimore County neighbor Danielle Stingley said.
The arrest comes after Baltimore County officials recently enacted legislation targeting commercial house parties in residential neighborhoods. Violations can carry fines of up to $5,000.
The issue gained attention after multiple pool parties were held at a home off Rolling Road in Catonsville.
Johnson spoke with WJZ Investigates in July, identifying himself as a representative of the homeowner hosting the gatherings. At the time, he said there were no plans to stop the parties despite widespread complaints from neighbors.
Neighbors describe disruptive pool parties
Danielle Singley, who lives in the neighborhood, told WJZ she loves her home but became frustrated with the large pool parties at a neighboring property on Collinsway Road.
She said the gatherings began in May and sometimes attracted hundreds of people two or three times a week.
"It's outrageous. These parties are beyond what a typical residential swimming pool should be used for. It is clear that he is operating a commercial business," Singley told WJZ investigator Mike Hellgren. "We have hundreds of people who come to this neighborhood — a quiet neighborhood on any given day. Every event brings in hundreds of people. We can't get to our homes."
Singley also described what she called lewd behavior, including people allegedly using the bathroom on private property and climbing on top of cars.
One party flyer advertised an event with a capacity of up to 125 people, charging $20 per person.
"We had dirt bikes that came to our neighborhood and were circling the block," Stingley said. "After the party was over with, there were people on the streets, there were girls jumping on top of vehicles."
Another neighbor, Mutahir Iftikhar, described the gatherings as disruptive to the surrounding community.
"Imagine 150 people, streets filled with people, with cars, after-parties at 8:30 or 9 o'clock, they're drinking over here. They have a big speaker. They're doing a party on the street. It looks like 1 a.m. in a club," Iftikhar told WJZ.
During the July interview, Johnson showed WJZ Investigates the backyard setup, which included a portable toilet and several tables around the swimming pool.
He also played a song he made criticizing neighbors who complained about the parties.
"Leave us alone. Stop sending people, calling police on us, messing with us," Johnson said. "We ain't doing nothing to nobody, man."
Johnson maintained that nothing inappropriate was happening at the parties and said the homeowner was a retired veteran who minded her own business.
