Mail stolen out of home mailbox in Derwood

Montgomery County police responded to a report of postal larceny in Derwood yesterday morning. Mail was stolen out of a mailbox in front of a home in the 16500 block of Grande Vista Drive at 10:27 AM, according to crime data. This is an increasing problem in Montgomery County, although the thefts have tended to be from USPS mailboxes, as opposed to those at individual homes. 

Criminals are typically seeking checks being mailed or received, and have a new way to erase the recipient's name, so they can write in their own name and/or amount. USPS officials have advised that postal customers place mail in USPS mailboxes as close to the collection time as possible. Customers in the Derwood and Rockville areas should be aware that such thieves are currently working the area. If your mail is stolen, call the police, and then the United States Postal Inspection Service stolen mail hotline at 1-877-876-2455. 

Photo courtesy USPS

Don Pollo planning new Rockville location

Don Pollo continues to grow in popularity in the area, and the restaurant chain's expansion is growing as well. A source tells me the charbroiled Peruvian chicken company is looking at opening a new Rockville location in the future at 168 Rollins Avenue. There is an existing Don Pollo at 2206 Veirs Mill Road, in the Twinbrook Shopping Center.

Car stolen from Rockville office park

Montgomery County police were called to investigate the theft of a vehicle from a Rockville office park yesterday morning. The vehicle was taken from a commercial parking lot in the unit block of Research Court, a street lined with hotels and several biotech research facilities. According to crime data, it is believed the vehicle was stolen sometime between 9:30 PM Saturday night, and 9:55 AM Sunday morning.

Apartment burglarized in King Farm area of Rockville

An apartment in the King Farm community of Rockville was burglarized early yesterday morning. Rockville City police found no forced entry, and a suspect was also accused of disorderly conduct. The burglary was reported at an apartment building in the 200 block of King Farm Boulevard at 4:18 AM, according to crime data.

Auto parts stolen outside Rockville apartment building

Rockville City police responded to a report of auto parts being stolen from a vehicle parked outside an apartment building in the Rockville Heights area yesterday afternoon. The theft was reported in the 600 block of Blandford Street at 2:00 PM, according to crime data. In recent times, these thefts are typically of airbags or catalytic converters.

Shady Grove Burger King reopens in Rockville (Photos)

When is the Burger King on Shady Grove Road reopening? That oft-asked question finally has an answer, as the fully-remodeled restaurant reopened today. It is offering the new food court experience the ownership sought to add to increase revenue, with Ripieno's Italian Bistro and JoJo's Express counters also inside the dining room. Burger King still has the biggest counter space. I love the menu board for Ripieno's that says, "Ripieno's of Ocean City," a nod to the bistro and pizzeria's first location inside the venerable Burger King in Ocean City, Maryland.

There's plenty of indoor seating, and you can mix and match menu items from all three restaurants. JoJo's is promoting its salads as the main draw. Ripieno's has pizzas by the pie or slice, subs, calzones, club sandwiches and cheesesteaks that are "near 1 feet long," the menu board boasts. If they could add pizzas to the drive-thru or a curbside pickup, that would be a huge revenue opportunity, I think. But for the moment, they have the benefit of a huge parking lot, with plenty of spaces to accomodate customers for all three restaurants. Stop by soon for a flame-broiled Whopper, and a taste of Ocean City!

Trespasser reported inside Derwood apartment parking garage

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a person trespassing inside the parking garage of an apartment complex in Derwood early Thursday morning. The suspect was also accused of resisting an officer in a garage in the 8000 block of Gramercy Boulevard. The Daley at Shady Grove Metro apartments are located on that block.