A driver who told police he intentionally hit a man with his car, killing him, in Montgomery County on Friday has been ordered held without bond.
Ryan Anthony Salandy, 22, of Germantown, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of William Dean McDaniel, 21, of Clarksburg. Police said Salandy admitted he intentionally struck McDaniel with his car in a Clarksburg neighborhood Friday afternoon after the two men argued.
Salandy is a Christian rapper and college student, friends and family who prayed outside the courthouse in Rockville said Monday afternoon. He and McDaniel are believed to have known each other and argued over a transaction related to a music recording, Montgomery County Police Capt. Paul Starks said.
"Investigators believe there was some relationship where Mr. McDaniel was formatting or doing something with music given to him by Mr. Salandy," he said.
A charging document shows Salandy's mother called police after the deadly crash, telling them where they could find her son.
The prosecutor had requested Salandy be held without bond, arguing he was a risk to the community and that he struck McDaniel on purpose. Salandy's lawyer, Luis Gomez, said his client -- who had no criminal record -- was not a threat to the community or a flight risk.
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McDaniel was found unconscious around 12:30 p.m. Friday, lying in the roadway in the 23000 block of Sweetspire Drive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the charging document, a witness told detectives that the victim and another man -- whom police say is Salandy -- had a heated argument. Salandy drove away but returned shortly after, speeding toward McDaniel and striking him, according to the document. The car then sped away, the document said.
Salandy's mother then called police, telling them that her son had been involved in the crash and was at their home. Salandy was arrested about 30 minutes after McDaniel was struck.
Authorities found a silver Saab sedan a shattered windshield parked in a driveway, and a substance that may have been blood, the document said.
The McDaniel family issued a statement Friday saying their son was killed in a "senseless act of rage that need not have happened."
Salandy told authorities he hit McDaniel because he was angry, police said.
His lawyer questioned the validity of the confession, saying Salandy was "held until 4 a.m. to get whatever confession they may have." No information on how long Salandy was questioned was immediately available. Gomez declined to comment further on the interrogation.
