LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — Martia Shemethia Hayward, 45, of Great Mills, was booked into the St. Mary’s County Detention Center on July 1, 2025, nearly seven weeks after she failed to report for a five-day jail sentence ordered by a district court judge. The charge she now faces — second-degree escape — stems not from a dramatic breakout but from her alleged failure to appear for incarceration as scheduled.
The original sentence was handed down by Judge Karen Christy Holt Chesser on May 13, following Hayward’s conviction on two separate theft charges tied to retail shoplifting incidents in early 2025. Hayward entered guilty pleas to both counts that day, receiving a 180-day sentence, all but five days suspended. She was also placed on 18 months of supervised probation and ordered to pay a combined $164.14 in restitution to the affected businesses.
Per court orders, Hayward was supposed to begin serving her five-day commitment at 10 a.m. on May 14. But when jail officials at the Leonardtown detention center noted her absence later that morning, deputies were dispatched to an Eastwick Lane address that had been listed on Hayward’s paperwork. She wasn’t there — and according to the officer’s report, that address turned out not to be a valid location for her.
Later that day, a deputy made phone contact with Hayward. According to the charging documents, she declined to meet with law enforcement and did not disclose her location. At the time, officers believed she may have been avoiding contact in the Lexington Park area.
The resulting escape charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine under Maryland law. It was added to her record after a warrant was issued by authorities on May 14. She remained unaccounted for until July 1, when she was booked without incident into the county jail.
All underlying cases against Hayward are now closed, with restitution orders active and probation terms in effect. Her failure to appear for sentencing has now elevated a misdemeanor theft case into a more serious legal matter — one that may ultimately eclipse the value of the items she was originally convicted of stealing.
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