Bel Air Man Sentenced In Holiday Party Fight: Report

BEL AIR, MD — A Bel Air man was reportedly sentenced to 18 months in jail this week for manslaughter in the death of a man he assaulted at a holiday party in Carroll County in December. He has been held without bail since Christmas Day.

Todd Michael Dauses, 50, of the 300 block of East Belcrest Road in Bel Air, was charged with manslaughter, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in jail with all but a year and a half suspended Monday, Aug. 19, the Carroll County Times reported.

Dauses reportedly pleaded guilty because had he been found guilty at trial of first-degree assault, he may have received a harsher sentence. In Maryland, manslaughter carries a sentence of up to 10 years, and first-degree assault could result in up to 25 years.

The charges stemmed from a party that Dauses attended in the 2700 block of Coon Club Road near Westminster.

Another guest — Raymond Charles Banz, 43, of Reisterstown — became intoxicated and refused to leave the gathering on Saturday, Dec. 22, according to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office. When someone tried to make him leave, Banz got into a physical altercation with Dauses, officials reported.

Dauses dragged and punched the Reisterstown man before stomping on his abdomen as he was on the ground, according to the Carroll County Times, which cited charging documents stating both parties had been drinking before the fight.

"Words alone...affected your ability to control yourself," Caroll County Circuit Court Judge Maria Oesterreicher reportedly said at Monday's sentencing.

Ultimately, Banz left and returned to his home in the 15000 block of Dover Road in Reisterstown, authorities reported. The friend who drove him home went to check on him at noon the next day, at which point Banz was awake and did not want medical attention, according to the Carroll County Times, but when the friend returned at 9 p.m., the situation was different.

At 9 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 23, officers said they were dispatched to the home after a 911 caller reported the resident needed medical attention. When police arrived, authorities said Banz was deceased.

Internal injuries likely contributed to the death of Banz, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined through an autopsy.

Banz's mother reportedly read a victim impact statement at Dauses' sentencing saying that she forgave him and realized neither man was at his best the night of the party. According to the Carroll County Times, Dauses is a trained paramedic, and his attorney said that he "feels terrible" about what happened.

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