Rockville Volunteer Fire Department vehicle strikes 2 pedestrians on Beall Avenue

A truck belonging to the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department struck two pedestrians on Beall Avenue Saturday night around 9:30 PM. Montgomery County police say they have not yet determined how or why the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Diane Evans, 59, came to strike the adult male and adult female as it traveled east on Beall.

The female victim was transported to an unidentified local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Although the male victim was also transported, police describe his injuries as "minor."

If anyone witnessed the collision or has additional information regarding this incident, they are asked to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620.

Man charged with murdering his mother outside Rockville church

Montgomery County police have arrested and charged a suspect in the deadly assault of a woman outside St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Rockville last Friday evening.  Kevin Justin McGuigan, 21, of the 10300 block of Grosvenor Place, has been charged with the first-degree murder of his mother, 49-year-old Jaclyn McGuigan, of Marwood Court in Rockville.

Detectives allege McGuigan fatally wounded his mother around 6:00 PM outside of the church with an unidentified "cutting type of instrument." Witnesses who heard the victim's screams say they saw McGuigan standing over his mother, who was laying on the ground at that point, and then fleeing in a Honda sedan.

Police found McGuigan's Honda abandoned at Falls Road Local Park forty minutes after the alleged assault took place. After obtaining an arrest warrant for McGuigan, County officers closed in on him at a Rockville gas station Saturday morning around 7:00 AM, successfully taking McGuigan into custody.

Assault at Twinbrook Safeway

Montgomery County police detectives have released photos of a man they accuse of shoplifting and assault of an employee at the Twinbrook Safeway store, located at 1800 Rockville Pike, on October 17 around 1:00 PM. Detectives say the suspect stuffed merchandise from the Safeway's shelves into a bookbag, and then attempted to walk out of the store without paying for any of it.

Confronted by a "loss prevention employee" as he left, the suspect allegedly then pulled a knife out of his back pocket, and pointed it at the chest of the employee. The suspect was able to then flee the store, and was last seen boarding a Metro train at the Twinbrook Metro station nearby.

Anyone with information about this theft and first-degree assault and/or the suspect involved is asked to call the 1st District Investigative Section at 240-773-6084.  Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided to them that leads to an arrest in this case.

The alleged thief making his getaway
at the Twinbrook Metro station

Derwood hit-and-run victim dies

Montgomery County police announced that one of the victims of a suspected hit-and-run collision in Derwood on November 18 has died. Oscar Eduardo Rivas-Macal, 23, of Gaithersburg was thrown from the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt in which he had been a passenger that night. The car left the roadway and rolled over on an embankment off Muncaster Road. Rivas-Macal died Friday at a local hospital, police revealed over the weekend.

The driver of the Cobalt remains in stable condition. Police are still looking for a dark-colored Ford Mustang, which they believe may have been involved in the accident. However, detectives have released no tag number, model year(s) or other identifying information about the Mustang, making this a needle-in-a-haystack search covering cars from the 1964 to the 2019 model year.

Anyone with information about this accident is asked to call the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620.

Rockville man arrested in Twinbrook rape

Montgomery County police have arrested a suspect in the alleged rape of a teenage girl near the Twinbrook Metro station Monday night. Malachi Peter Raymond, 21, of Autumn Wind Way in Rockville, has been charged with the second-degree rape of a 17-year-old female.

Detectives say Raymond began conversing with the girl when they were both on a Metrobus sometime before 6:30 PM Monday evening. When the bus arrived at Twinbrook Metro station, Raymond and the girl walked to a parking garage at 5701 Fishers Lane. In a sixth-level stairwell of the garage, Raymond attempted to kiss the girl, and she rebuffed his advances, police say. Raymond then allegedly raped the victim. Afterword, detectives say, he then walked the victim back to the Metro station.

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Raymond was identified by the victim and surveillance camera footage. He was arrested last night at his home without incident.

King Farm man arrested in Rockville rape

Montgomery County police have arrested and charged the suspect in a Rockville rape. An adult female victim was grabbed while walking just after midnight along Route 355 on October 3, and was pulled into the woods along West Gude Drive, where she was sexually assaulted. She managed to break free and run to a nearby office building,, where a security guard called police.

Detectives from the Special Victims Investigations Division determined Dustin Thomas Rogers, 25, was the suspect. Officers went to his home on Gaither Road in King Farm around 6:00 PM last night, and arrested him without incident.

Rogers has been charged with 1st degree rape and 1st degree assault.  He was also charged with a separate count of 1st degree assault via a warrant stemming from an unrelated event. Rogers is being held without bond and will have bond review today at 1:00 p.m. in Rockville District Court.

Incidents of rape in Montgomery County are up 53% this year.

Derwood man missing

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in finding a missing Derwood man. Marvin Darnell Obrien, 33, lives in a group home on Granby Road. He was last seen by caretakers there on September 7, when police say he left the home on foot.

Police describe Obrien as an African American male, approximately 5’9″ to 6’ 1” tall and weighing 160 pounds. He has short black hair, brown eyes, and a tattoo located on his forehead.

Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of Marvin Darnell Obrien is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (answers 24-7).

Police release composite sketch of suspect in Rockville sexual assault

Montgomery County police detectives have released a composite image of the suspect in an August 13 sexual assault in Rockville, in hopes that the public can help identify him. Officers responded to an apartment in the 200 block of Rollins Avenue around 11:00 PM that night, after a caller reported a sexual assault.

Detectives say the pantless suspect approached the female victim as she was sitting outside the apartment complex, and grabbed her shirt. He then attempted to pull down her pants. The victim fought back, and the suspect fled on foot in an unknown direction.

Police describe the suspect as a "husky" Asian male in his mid-30’s, approximately 5′ 7″ tall. He has a "broad face with a wide jawline," acne on his cheeks, black hair, and brown eyes. The suspect was wearing a tan baseball cap, a tan T-shirt, and was not wearing pants.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about this incident or the suspect to call the Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5050. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided to them that leads to an arrest and/or indictment of the suspect.

Rockville woman missing

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in locating a missing Rockville woman. Natasha “Alex” Mukaka, 18, was last seen leaving her Montrose Road residence on foot Tuesday around 2:00 AM.

Police describe Mukaka as a black female, 5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighing 110 pounds. She has black hair (currently shaved) and brown eyes. When she was last seen, she was wearing black spandex pants, a white t-shirt, and a black shawl.

Police and family are concerned for Mukaka’s emotional and physical welfare. She regularly takes medication but does not have that medication with her. She is unfamiliar with the Washington, D.C. area, detectives say.

Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of Natasha Mukaka is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (available 24-7).

Rockville woman missing

Montgomery County police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing Rockville woman. Tabet Ndortabi Tarh of First Street, age 33, hasn't been seen by her family since early in the morning on June 28 at her home.was last seen by family members in the early morning hours on June 28 at her residence on First Street in Rockville.  Police describe Tarh as an African-American female, 5′ 3″, 130 pounds, with brown eyes and dark brown, shoulder length hair that she is known to sometimes wear in a bun. 

When last seen, Tarh was wearing a white scarf and a long, dark blue dress. However, detectives have not yet been able to obtain a photograph of her to release to the public. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Tabet Ndortabi Tarh is urged to contact police at 301.279.8000.

Police searching for man who vanished in Rockville

Montgomery County police are asking the public's help in locating a man who vanished in Rockville last month. Tibebe Yorannes Shenkute, alias "Michael Johnson," is described by police as a black male, 5′ 6″ tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. When he was last seen in Rockville, he was wearing a brown pullover jacket, sweater, button-down shirt and pants (with no confirmed descriptive colors).

Shenkute is a former resident of Rockville, but had been recently staying in Gaithersburg. He is also known to frequent the Silver Spring area. Police and his family are concerned for his welfare.

Anyone with information regarding Johnson’s whereabouts is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.

Police searching for Gaithersburg rapist

Montgomery County police detectives are seeking the public's help in identifying and apprehending the suspect in a Gaithersburg rape. On March 16, just after 1:00 AM, Montgomery County and Gaithersburg police responded to the report of a rape in the 100 block of Park Avenue.

A 27-year-old woman told police she was surprised by a hoodie-wearing Latino man as she entered her home. The man allegedly raped her inside the home, and then fled on foot.

Detectives say the man's hoodie was black with a white fleece lining. He was also wearing dark jeans, and had a thin mustache. The suspect was approximately 5'9", and police have released a composite image of the alleged rapist.

Detectives are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect or who may have information about this rape to call the Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5050.  Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided to their line that leads to an arrest and/or indictment for this crime.

Darnestown woman vanishes leaving courthouse in Rockville

A woman who left the District Court of Maryland courthouse at 191 E. Jefferson Street in Rockville around 9:00 AM yesterday hasn't been seen since. Montgomery County police say Diva Sada Anita Marshall, 28, is African American, approximately 5’5″ tall, and weighs 128 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.

Police and her family are concerned for her welfare, as she functions at a middle-school level. Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Diva Sada Anita Marshall to call the Montgomery County Police Department’s non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.

Theft from auto in Rockville leads to credit card spending spree (Video+Photo)

Here's another example of why you should never leave valuables in your car. And why you should...lock your doors. It sounds elementary, but one victim failed to do so in Rockville, and police say her credit card ended up being used in a 7-Eleven spending spree.

Detectives say that the victim parked her car overnight outside a home in the 4200 block of Flower Valley Drive on December 11, leaving her car unlocked. When she came out the next morning, she found thieves had ransacked the interior, stealing several items, including a credit card.

Police say those alleged thieves used that card at the 7-Eleven on Professional Drive in Gaithersburg, at approximately 4:30 AM on December 12. In the process, they were captured on the store's surveillance cameras (although, strangely, the video timestamp does not match the time police say they were at the store).

It is suspected that there may be more victims from this pair of thieves. Anyone with information regarding these suspects is asked to call the 4th District Patrol Investigations Unit at 240-773-5500. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided that leads to an arrest in this case.

Man disappears from Montgomery County homeless shelter in Rockville

A resident of the Montgomery County men's emergency shelter at 600 East Gude Drive is unaccounted for, according to Montgomery County police. Nathaniel Lee Robinson, 27, has been reported missing by shelter staff.

Robinson is described by police as an African American male, 5’ 9”, and weighing approximately 200 pounds.  He has black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Nathaniel Lee Robinson is asked to call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (available 24 hours). Callers may remain anonymous.

Pedestrian struck on N. Washington St. in Rockville

Montgomery County police are investigating a collision that left a Rockville woman hospitalized with life-threatening injuries yesterday. Dena Elise Balistocky, 57, of the 200 block of North Washington Street, was crossing the southbound lanes of North Washington in the area of Dawson Avenue around 5:25 PM Tuesday, when she was struck by a 2015 Toyota Corolla. The Corolla was driven by Chinthaka Chaturan Amalage Don of Gaithersburg.

Detectives are attempting to learn the circumstances of the collision, including Balistocky’s direction of travel, what the traffic signal indicated at the time of the collision, and whether Balistocky was in the area of the crosswalk.

Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620.

Richard Montgomery HS security leader arrested for having sex with student...again

Montgomery County Public Schools superintendent Jack Smith's apparent giddiness over the shocking decision to drop charges against the two students accused in the alleged Rockville High School gang rape was short-lived, to say the least. Remember the Richard Montgomery High School "security team leader" MCPS didn't run a background check on before hiring him - and who was then arrested for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old female RMHS student? After being bailed out of jail quickly, Montgomery County police say he did it again.

Mark Christopher Yantsos was arrested Friday after a County judge revoked his bond. Police allege Yantsos defied orders to stay away from the student. Instead, they allege, he met with her several times since he was charged, and had sex with her once again.

Yantsos made headlines after it was revealed MCPS had hired him without doing a background check, which was proven by the fact that his previous run-in with the law - brandishing a revolver toward a woman he was trying to pick up at a topless bar - is easily called up in a simple Google search. Yet he was hired by MCPS to run security at Richard Montgomery. You can't make this stuff up, folks.

Rockville Town Square's Toy Kingdom assists MCPD's annual Autism Outreach Holiday Party (Photos)

Toy Kingdom's Paula Aulestia,
Officer Laurie Reyes, and
Officer Tara Bond

More than 50 children and their siblings celebrated the holidays just before Christmas at the annual Montgomery County Police Department Autism Outreach Holiday Party, held at the county's Public Safety Headquarters. MCPD's Autism/IDD/Alzheimer's Outreach Program teamed up with local attorney John Malouf, and Toy Kingdom to sponsor this year's event.

Toy Kingdom, an independent toy store located at Rockville Town Square, donated the toys for the event and assisted officers in choosing the right ones for the kids who would be attending. They also helped organize and wrap the gifts. Malouf contributed about $250 to the event, as well.

Reyes and Aulestia pose with
two of the attendees

“Because we are a specialty toy store, we are able to select the best toys for kids with autism meeting their sensory needs,” said Paula Aulestia, whose family owns Toy Kingdom. She has been involved with the MCPS autism program for nearly 10 years. Aulestia said her involvement with the autistic community led her family to take on this giving project.

Rockville Town Square developer Federal Realty praised Toy Kingdom's participation in the event. Deirdre Johnson, VP of asset management at Federal Realty called it "an example of the important role small, independently-owned businesses play in the fabric of our community."

Reyes hands out
gifts to children

Officer Laurie Reyes also lauded the toy store's role in the event, at which kids enjoyed pizza, cookies, a ballon artist and live music.  “Toy Kingdom has been such a great resource and a wonderful partner for us for this program, and Mr. Malouf’s generosity has enabled us to engage with the members of our Austism IDD community and encourage a trusting relationship between those children and our officers. It’s really great to see these children interact with our officers in a positive way,” said Reyes, of MCPD's special operations division.

Trump supporter victim of hate crime in Montgomery County (Photo)

Montgomery County Police are investigating an incident of vandalism in Silver Spring they believe is "bias-based." On Sunday morning, a Donald Trump supporter in the Four Corners neighborhood in Silver Spring awoke to find a swastika had been spray painted on his front storm door, and his American flag had been stolen. Police responded to the home in the 200 block of Williamsburg Drive at 7:22 AM.

A preliminary investigation determined that this was the third time the Trump supporter's home had been targeted. The home was previously vandalized on October 16, police said, and a Trump-Pence sign was stolen from the front yard of the property in late October.

This incident shows the danger of jumping to conclusions, as the Montgomery County Council has, in regard to a handful of hate-based vandalism incidents since the election. With no evidence, and not a single suspect having been arrested and questioned, our County Council has alleged these incidents were inspired by Trump and/or perpetrated by his supporters.

The Council has now been wrong twice in the last week; the only physical hate violence in the County so far has been directed against a Trump supporter, during a student protest last Wednesday in Rockville. And now in Four Corners, the only case where we have a clear motive, all evidence again points to anti-Trump forces.

Fortunately, the police are not taking a political approach, and are examining all cases objectively in their investigations. In a statement, detectives said they believe the homeowner's support for Trump is the motivation for the thefts and vandalism in the Four Corners case.

Anyone with information about these thefts or the vandalism incidents is asked to contact the 3rd District Investigative Section at 240-773-6870.  For those who wish to remain anonymous, Crime Solvers of Montgomery County is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the suspect(s).  Tipsters can call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Photo courtesy Montgomery County Police

Montgomery County 911 service is down

Montgomery County's 911 emergency line, and non-emergency police lines are temporarily down, according to the Montgomery County Police Department. They are advising citizens seeking police help to call their district station directly, which can be found online. 240-773-6070 is the number for the 1st District station in Rockville.

For fire and rescue, call your closest station directly, using this site.

No cause for the outage has been reported yet.