Baltimore police have apprehended a 27-year-old man in connection with the vicious assault on two pro-life advocates last year, authorities confirmed to The Daily Wire on Monday.
On May 26, 2023, Dick Schaefer, then 84, and Mark Crosby, then 73, were severely beaten while offering pro-life sidewalk counseling outside a Baltimore Planned Parenthood facility. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) disclosed last week that police had notified Schaefer and Crosby that a suspect had finally been arrested, more than a year after the attack occurred.
The ACLJ did not disclose the suspect’s name.
Detective Niki Fennoy of the Baltimore Police informed The Daily Wire via email on Monday that an arrest had been made in connection with the violent assault.
“I can confirm that Patrick Brice (W/M, D.O.B. 12/15/1996) was arrested on July 1, 2024, for the assault of two men in the 300 block of North Howard Street on May 26, 2023,” Fennoy stated.
According to court records, Brice, who stands 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, faces charges of first-degree felony assault, two counts of second-degree assault, and two counts of assault on the elderly. His initial court appearance is scheduled for August 1 at Baltimore City District Court.
Brice was released on his own recognizance on July 2 without bail being set. When asked for a booking photo, Detective Fennoy explained that one would not be available, as Brice had been charged with assault.
“Unfortunately, we only provide arrest photos for attempted murder and murder,” she added.
The ACLJ, which has been working on behalf of Schaefer and Crosby, noted that both men spent approximately two hours daily, every weekday, outside Planned Parenthood engaging with women about adoption and other alternatives to abortion.
On the day of the assault, Schaefer was blindsided by a man he had been conversing with earlier about abortion. According to reports, the man confronted Schaefer, stating, “God gave everyone free choice” and “God is all merciful. Everyone is forgiven, so what are you doing here?”
Surveillance footage released by Baltimore Police from the time of the incident captured the assailant tackling Schaefer into a large potted plant. Then, Crosby, wearing a blue pro-life shirt, ran to the scene to assist Schaefer. The assailant knocked him down, punched him in the face and kicked him in the head.
Photographs taken after the assault depict Schaefer with purple bruises on his arms and face, his face bloodied and right eye swollen shut.
“Both men sustained serious injuries,” stated the ACLJ. “Mr. Schaefer suffered cuts and scrapes all over his body, along with a hand injury that required special bandaging. Mr. Crosby sustained severe head injuries, including a fractured facial bone, partial blindness, head and neck pain, two fractured fingers, and bruising on his arms and legs. Mr. Crosby underwent multiple facial surgeries.”
