Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts

Friday, February 14, 2025

Police investigate assault at park in Rockville


Montgomery County police responded to a report of an assault at a park in Rockville late Wednesday afternoon, February 12, 2025. The assault was reported at a park in the 5000 block of Baltic Avenue at 5:00 PM Wednesday. Aspen Hill Local Park is located on that block at 5013 Baltic Avenue.

Monday, February 10, 2025

Police increase visibility at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda after robbery wave


Police were more visible at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this past weekend, following a string of robberies at the popular retail center. In one instance, as seen above in the Dining Terrace food court, a uniformed police officer joined a mall security guard making the rounds of the property. Montgomery County police recently responded to three robberies in a nine-day period at the mall, on January 26 and 27, and on February 4. In the January 27 robbery, the victim was a business inside the mall.

Last year, assaults - not robberies - were the primary type of violent crime taking place at the mall. Eleven assaults were reported at the mall in 2024, up from five in 2023. The last assault was on November 12, 2024. A new leadership team was brought into the mall by parent company Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield ten days later. No assaults have been reported at Montgomery Mall so far in 2025. 

There's no question that a visible police presence can not only deter criminals, but also make mall patrons feel safer. A sense of lawlessness, such as thieves being permitted to escape with large armfuls or bags of merchandise, only attracts more serious criminals as word spreads of easy pickings. TV news reports of New York City Police Department officers on subway platforms and trains, as that city's mayor announced that at least two officers would patrol each train during overnight hours, would give passengers a high degree of confidence in riding the MTA system. 

The newly-deployed NYPD officers are in addition to the existing ones patrolling MTA stations and platforms. Meanwhile, back in Maryland, the Montgomery County Council has defunded the police since 2020. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Maryland lawfare crusade to eliminate gun shops targets Montgomery County first


Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has joined a crusade that aims to use lawfare to ultimately drive all gun stores in the state out of business. The first three businesses in the crosshairs of the campaign are all located in Montgomery County. One of Brown's initial targets is a family-owned gun shop in Rockville operated by retired law enforcement professionals, United Gun Shop, whose owners have already been forced to shell out over $100,000 to defend themselves. Brown's partners in the lawfare effort are the Attorney General of the District of Columbia, and pro-gun-control organization Everytown Law. The other defendants in the civil suit filed last September 3 are Atlantic Guns and Engage Armament, which are also both located in Rockville.


Lawfare is the use of frivolous lawsuits designed to bankrupt political or business opponents either through victory with punitive damages in friendly courtroom venues, or through the cost of defense even if there is little or no chance of prevailing in court. It is often employed as a last resort, when such opponents are not violating criminal law, and their activities are legitimate and legal. You'll notice that Brown has not lodged criminal charges against the store owners.


While the shops are accused of selling guns to a "straw purchaser," the sales were legal. The shop owners have no way to know to whom a legal purchaser might sell a firearm after the transaction at their business. Brown, et al's civil suit argues that the shop owners should have known (through E.S.P., perhaps?) that his large number of legal purchases of firearms meant that he was selling them to criminals. 


The lawfare effort is only the latest attempt by Montgomery County and Maryland elected officials to prevent their constituents from exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. Maryland's gun laws, among the strictest in the nation, have failed to prevent an ongoing violent crime wave, shootings, and homicides. They also happen to be unconstitutional. A forced closure of all gun stores in the county - and, potentially, the state - will make it all the more difficult for residents to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights.


United Gun Shop's owners have started a GiveSendGo fundraising campaign to help defray the tremendous cost of defending themselves from this lawfare in court. While Everytown Law is at least using its own funds in the effort, Brown is using your own tax dollars to strip you of your 2nd Amendment rights.

Friday, February 7, 2025

3rd robbery in 9 days at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda


Montgomery County police responded to a report of a robbery at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda Tuesday afternoon, February 4, 2025. The robbery was reported at the mall at 3:30 PM Tuesday. This was the third robbery at the busy retail center in nine days. The first two took place on January 26 and January 27. 

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Police called after assault at Rockville restaurant


Montgomery County police responded to a report of an assault at a restaurant in Rockville late Saturday night, February 1, 2025. The assault was reported at a restaurant in the 11800 block of Grand Park Avenue at 11:39 PM Saturday. That is at the Pike & Rose development.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Assault at grocery store in Rockville


Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a grocery store Thursday evening, January 30, 2025. The assault was reported at a supermarket in the 1800 block of Rockville Pike at 8:34 PM. There is a Safeway store at 1800 Rockville Pike. An individual was also accused of shoplifting in the same incident.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Road rage attack in Rockville


An apparent episode of road rage ended in assault at a busy Rockville intersection on January 25, 2025, Rockville City police report. The victim was waiting in traffic at the crossroads of Darnestown Road and W. Montgomery Avenue around noon that day. A man unknown to the victim allegedly approached and assaulted the victim, before fleeing in a "white or off-white sedan, possibly a Toyota Corolla." The motive for the alleged attack is not known at this time.

Police describe the suspect as an Asian male in his early 30s or 40s, who was wearing a beige hoodie at the time of the attack. If you can identify the suspect, or witnessed the incident, you are asked to call police at 240-314-8900.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

2 robberies in 24 hours at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda


Montgomery County police were busy at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda as the last week in January began. Officers responded to two robberies in 24 hours at the popular retail center at 7101 Democracy Boulevard. A strong-arm robbery was reported at the mall on Sunday, January 26, at 6:30 PM. Less than 24 hours later, on Monday, January 27, a second robbery was called in at 12:40 PM. A business at the mall was the victim in that robbery. The tenant has not yet been identified. An unspecified weapon was implied or employed in the second robbery, but it was not a gun.

Montgomery Mall had nearly made it to the end of the first month of 2025 without a violent crime taking place there. Eleven assaults were reported at the mall in 2024, up from five in 2023. The last assault was on November 12, 2024. A new leadership team was brought into the mall by parent company Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield ten days later. The peak holiday shopping period from Black Friday through Christmas then passed uneventfully, in terms of crime. Only the typical shoplifting calls expected at any mall during the holiday season were reported during that time. January had likewise been violent-crime-free, until this past Sunday.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Assault inside Rockville parking garage


Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault inside a parking garage at Pike & Rose on Rockville Pike last night, January 23, 2025. The assault was reported at 8:37 PM. Police were called to the Trade Street garage at 11860 Trade Street at the property.

Rockville police apprehend alleged hit-and-run driver who struck 3 pedestrians in 2023


Rockville City police, in cooperation with other local law enforcement agencies, have located and arrested a Gaithersburg man they allege struck 3 pedestrians with his vehicle outside of 199 E. Montgomery Avenue in Rockville on December 14, 2023. The driver of the dark SUV that struck the victims drove away after what detectives determined was a deliberate vehicular attack. Police identified Walter Giovanni Marquez-Aviles, 44, of Gaithersburg as the suspect in the attack.

Yesterday at 10:15 AM, police located and arrested Marquez-Aviles in Hyattsville, Maryland. He has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and three counts of 1st-degree assault.

Rockville police thanked the public for their many tips that assisted with the investigation, and successful apprehension of the suspect. They also thanked the agencies that assisted, including the Montgomery County Police Department Repeat Offender Unit, and the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Task Force.

Monday, January 20, 2025

Man charged in Rockville double homicide


Montgomery County police have arrested a man in connection with a double homicide that took place in the early morning hours of Friday, January 17, 2025 in Rockville. The shocking incident first came to the attention of law enforcement when a County police officer was driving along Shady Grove Road at 3:16 AM, and noticed a vehicle stopped in the intersection with Research Boulevard. Inside the white BMW, the officer found Marcell Jordan Hebron, 26, of Rockville. The officer determined that Hebron was deceased. Bullet holes were visible in the windshield of the BMW.

About four hours later, at 7:40 AM, Rockville City police received a call from a nearby parking lot at 2 Research Court. The caller advised there was a dead body in the parking lot. Rockville officers arrived at the scene to find Leilani Marroquin, 27, of Rockville. Marroquin was also deceased. Officers noted she had suffered gunshot wounds, and recovered shell casings in the immediate vicinity.

Montgomery County police detectives investigating both deaths determined they were homicides. They identified Kaloyan Dimov Stoev, 25, of no fixed address, as the suspect in both homicides. By noon on Friday, detectives had located Stoev at an unspecified location in Rockville, and placed him under arrest. Stoev was transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and additional handgun related charges. He is being held without bond. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been established to pay funeral expenses for the victims and their families.

Friday, January 17, 2025

Roofer retaliates with hammer after Rockville homeowner rejects his quote


Rockville City police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a roofer they say damaged a home after the owner rejected his repair quote. The roofer, who police say told the homeowner he worked for Fairfax Roofing and Construction, inspected the chimney of the home in the 1000 block of Scott Avenue early on the afternoon of January 10, 2025. He then gave the homeowner a quote for how much the necessary work would cost. After hearing the estimate, the homeowner declined to hire the roofer.

Around 2:00 PM, neighbors called the homeowner to tell her a man was currently smashing her chimney with a hammer. The suspect was identified as the roofer who had earlier made the rejected estimate. Police say visible damage to the chimney was caused by the hammer attack.

The suspect is described by police as a White male with an Irish accent, 5'8" in height, and weighing approximately 280 pounds. He was driving a black pickup truck. If you can identify the suspect, you are asked to call police at 240-314-8900.

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Robber gang jumps child in Rockville


A child was jumped by four robbers in the Twinbrook area of Rockville on Christmas morning, December 25, 2024, Montgomery County police allege. The juvenile victim was in the 13000 block of Twinbrook Parkway at 10:26 AM, when he was suddenly assaulted by the four male suspects, who took property from him. Police describe the strong-arm robbers only as four males of unknown age. If you can identify any of the four suspects, call police at (301) 279-8000. 

Monday, January 13, 2025

Rockville shoplifter arrested after slamming employee into display case


Rockville's finest caught one of the many suspects plaguing retail businesses in Montgomery County these days, with an assist from a few Good Samaritan shoppers at the store. The alleged shoplifter attempted to steal items from a store in the 1500 block of Rockville Pike on the afternoon of January 6, 2025. When he was confronted by an employee of the store, he slammed the employee into a display case, and attempted to flee.

Several customers of the store helped the employee subdue the suspect, and held him until Rockville City police arrived at the store. Police took the suspect into custody at 4:14 PM.

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Police called after assault at Rockville grocery store


Rockville City police were called to a grocery store last Wednesday evening, January 8, 2025, after someone reported having been assaulted there. The assault was reported at 6:53 PM at a supermarket in the 1800 block of Rockville Pike, near the Twinbrook Metro station. There is a Safeway store on that block. An individual was accused of shoplifting in the same incident.

Sunday, January 5, 2025

Juvenile steals Tesla Model Y for Christmas in Rockville


A juvenile had a jolly joyride in a Tesla Model Y on Christmas, despite the Rockville Tesla dealership's best efforts to scare him away. Security discovered the juvenile hiding inside the dealership at 1300 Rockville Pike at 11:41 PM on December 25. They "chased him away," Rockville City police said. The next morning, however, Tesla employees found that a 2025 Model Y had been stolen, and remains missing.

Police describe the suspect as a Black male in his early teens, 5’03” tall with a medium build, and wearing a green jacket and brown pants. If you can identify the suspect, call police at 240-314-8900.

Monday, December 30, 2024

Armed carjacking in Rockville parking garage


Rockville City police responded to a report of an armed carjacking Friday afternoon, December 27, 2024, near the Twinbrook Metro station. The carjacking was reported in a residential parking garage in the 1100 block of Higgins Place at 3:01 PM Friday. That is in the area of the Alaire apartments.

Saturday, December 28, 2024

Rockville homeowner victimized during kitchen makeover


A Rockville homeowner having his kitchen remodeled was victimized by one or more thieves during the project between December 8 and December 15, 2024. Rockville City police report that several appliance components left unsecured outside the home were damaged or stolen. The incidents took place at a home in the 5900 block of Holland Road. If you have any information about these incidents, or can identify any suspect(s) involved, call police at 240-314-8900.

Friday, December 27, 2024

Maryland AG office investigating Gaithersburg death in police custody


Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced that his office's Independent Investigations Division (IID) is beginning an investigation into the death of a person who was in Gaithersburg City police custody on the night of December 24, 2024. Officers were dispatched for a disturbing the peace call in the 300 block of N. Summit Avenue at 10:15 PM that night. Arriving at the scene, they found a man covered in blood on the ground outside of an apartment building.

The man was conscious, but acting erratically, Brown said. After the man rose from the ground and began to walk away from the scene, he was grabbed by the officers, and placed back on the ground. The officers called for assistance from Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services, and held the man down while awaiting their arrival. The man then lost consciousness, and stopped breathing. Officers attempted to render lifesaving care, which was taken over by MCFRS personnel after they arrived at the scene.

MCFRS transported the man to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, Brown said. His office said it will release body camera footage from the officers within 20 days of the incident, unless more time is needed for the investigation, or to contact family members of the decedent. 

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Shoe thieves plague Rockville apartment complex


One or more package pirates targeted an apartment complex in Rockville earlier this month, Rockville City police report. While porch pirates were predictably busy citywide during the holiday season, the apartments on Upper Rock Circle suffered "a particularly acute spree" of package thefts. Police say the primary target of those thefts was packages containing shoes. 

In one case on December 8, 2024, a Honda CRV believed to be driven by a package thief gained access to a restricted parking garage at the complex, by tailgating another vehicle around 7:00 PM. Once inside, the alleged thief grabbed a large number of packages from a parcel drop-off area, and fled. 

Police have not yet released descriptions of any suspects in these cases. If you can identify a suspect in these incidents on Upper Rock Circle, or have any information that might assist detectives, call police at 240-314-8900.