Police nab suspect as knife-wielding peeping Tom stalks Derwood, Gaithersburg

Montgomery County police have arrested a suspect in a series of peeping Tom incidents in Gaithersburg and Derwood. Steven Jarezz Adams, 32, of Silver Spring has been charged with indecent exposure, trespassing, first-degree assault and related charges. For over a month, authorities say, he stalked families, exposed himself, and even jabbed a knife at a resident who confronted him. He is being held without bond at the County jail.

Here's how events unfolded, according to the timeline released by detectives:

It started on Christmas Eve—December 24, 2025, around 3:46 a.m. A woman inside her home in the 8300 block of McCullough Lane in Gaithersburg looked toward her sliding glass door and saw Adams exposing himself right there, staring in at her. He fled into the night, leaving her shaken.

Then, on January 7, 2026, he struck twice in the same area. At about 6:40 p.m., another woman in the 8300 block of McCullough Lane spotted a shadow at her window. She pulled back the blinds—and there was Adams. He took off when confronted.

Later that same night, around 10:30 p.m., a neighbor in the 17700 block of Silkcotton Way saw Adams shining a flashlight through the sliding glass door of a home, peering inside before vanishing.

The escalation came on January 15, 2026, about 7:05 p.m. A man in the 8300 block of McCullough Lane got a motion alert from his patio security camera. He went outside to check—and confronted Adams face-to-face. That's when Adams allegedly pulled a knife and swung it at the victim before running off. This wasn't just voyeurism anymore. This was a dangerous assault.

Investigators dug in. They identified Adams as the suspect and discovered he had a prior arrest for peeping tom incidents back in 2022. With that history staring them in the face, detectives secured an arrest warrant.

The takedown came on January 20, 2026, around 7:30 p.m. Detectives spotted Adams heading to the rear of a multi-level apartment complex in the 8000 block of Gramercy Boulevard in Derwood. Using the department's Air Support Unit drone, they watched from a safe distance as Adams moved from window to window and door to door, looking in and exposing himself again.

When officers from the 1st, 5th, and 6th District Special Assignment Teams moved in to make the arrest, Adams bolted. But it was a short chase. They caught him, cuffed him, and took him straight to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.

Police believe Steven Jarezz Adams has violated others who haven't come forward. Take a look at his photo. Does this man look familiar? Did you see him lurking around your neighborhood?

If you were a victim of indecent exposure by this man, or have any information that could assist detectives, you are asked to call police at 240-773-5770, or visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Rockville cancels trash, recycling pickup for Monday, January 26 due to snow

No trash, recycling, or yard waste will be picked up in the City of Rockville tomorrow, Monday, January 26, 2026. The City announced late this afternoon that this is due to the snow and ice generated by this weekend's storm. If your pickup day is Monday, it will slide to Tuesday, and each pickup day will be a day later for everyone else this week. However, due to the poor road conditions, be prepared for further delays in refuse collection that might be announced.

Sinners guitar case popcorn bucket available at 2 AMC Theatres in Montgomery County

Sinners, one of the biggest blockbuster movies of 2025, just set a new record in 2026 for the most Oscar nominations of all time. While an anticipated nomination haul had already spurred a return to the big screen for the vampire flick, AMC Theatres has sweetened the even-better-than-fans-expected 16 nominations celebration with a very limited-edition Sinners guitar case popcorn bucket. So limited-edition, that the chain has currently removed the collectible from its website, where some lucky fans have successfully scored one when it has intermittently appeared in the online store.

That leaves buying one the old-fashioned way as your best bet. But the guitar case is not available at every AMC cineplex. Fortunately for Montgomery County moviegoers, two AMC locations here are on the list: AMC Montgomery 16 at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, and AMC Dine-in Rio Cinemas 18 at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. If they sell out there, or if it's more convenient for you, the bucket is also available at the AMC Columbia 14 in Howard County, the AMC Georgetown 14 in Washington, D.C., and the AMC Tysons Corner 16.

You may want to call ahead to confirm they still have some in stock. Tonight's showing of Sinners is already sold-out at AMC Montgomery 16. You don't have to see the movie to buy the popcorn bucket, though. Tomorrow is likely to be a no-go due to the expected impact of the winter storm that is hitting the area tonight, but tickets are still being sold for Sunday's screening as of this writing.

Police investigate shots-fired incident in Rockville

Rockville City police are investigating a shots-fired incident that was reported on a residential street in the Twinbrook neighborhood on January 19, 2026. Police received a report of multiple suspects discharging firearms in the 1200 block of Allison Drive at 3:45 AM. There is no description of the suspects at this time, and no indication yet of any injuries or property damage. It's worth noting that a firearm was stolen from an unlocked vehicle a block away a day earlier, in the 1200 block of Clagett Drive. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call police at 240-314-8900.

Panic grocery buying begins ahead of snow in Montgomery County (Photos)

Several days of media coverage of the snow storm expected to arrive Saturday night in the Washington, D.C. area has inspired a run on essential items at local grocery stores. Empty shelves were visible in some aisles at Harris Teeter in downtown Bethesda last night. Products being snapped up include the old stalwarts of milk, toilet paper, and paper towels. 

Shoppers are dutifully following new health advice from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and are buying whole milk over the low-fat options. Of course, if power goes out due to ice or falling trees, massive supplies of milk will be of little value. Also going fast under RFK, Jr.'s guidelines: red meat. 

Snow totals were expected to top 13" in initial guesses, but the National Weather Service Winter Storm Watch is now talking about 5-10" of snow accumulation. Given the decline of area government resilience in the face of even a few inches of snow this century, 5-10" could paralyze the region for days. Back in the 90s, Metrobus and Ride On kept going on major routes under reduced frequency, and Metro certainly ran on underground segments if not aboveground with more intense snow plowing operations. In recent years, the entire transit system shuts down during moderate to heavy snowstorms, and governments urge residents to "shelter in place." Heckuva job, Brownie!

Incompetence of government means you're on your own until plows and utility crews belatedly reach your neighborhood. Make sure you have plenty of batteries for flashlights and a transistor radio to receive news and weather updates in the event of a power outage. Warm clothes and blankets are essential, as well. Shelf-stable milk will be a lot more useful than those perishable plastic jugs people are hoarding. And fill your gas tank at least halfway.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich to hold data center community forum Feb. 3

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich announced today that he will host a community forum on the hot button issue of data centers on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Montgomery County Executive Office Building at 101 Monroe Street in Rockville. The forum will be held in the Auditorium of the building, and will also allow virtual participation online via Microsoft Teams. 

Input collected from the public at the forum will be considered as the County government formulates new legislation, policies, and regulations regarding data centers. The controversial facilities are considered essential, along with ample energy resources, to the development of artificial intelligence and related economic and job growth. But the lack of jobs provided by the facilities themselves, their heavy energy use and cooling needs, imposing size, and noise pollution have generated strong community opposition. Adding to the increasing focus on data centers has been a vigorous attempt by states to divert attention from the impact of their past moves to shutter power plants and force the purchase of wind and solar power, which along with government fees have jacked up energy bills in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, by placing the blame on data centers.

"Data centers are part of the modern economy, and we need to have an honest conversation about what they mean for Montgomery County," Elrich said in a statement today. "Data centers can bring investment and jobs, but they also place real demands on our power grid, our water supply, and our land use. I want residents, businesses, and environmental advocates at the table, so we need to get this right. The decisions we make now will affect our climate goals, our neighborhoods, and energy costs for years to come. This forum is about listening first and making sure any policy we adopt reflects the values and priorities of the people who live here."

Montgomery County Council President Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) and Councilmembers Balcombe (D-Dist. 2) and Sayles (D-At-Large) have already proposed a zoning text amendment that would limit data center locations to industrially-zoned sections of the county. At-Large Councilmember Evan Glass (D) has introduced his own bill, which would establish a data center task force, if passed.

Chris Burnett, a Republican running for the 6th Congressional District in Maryland, which includes part of Montgomery County, warned against the Council pursuing a "piecemeal" approach to data center regulation. "Whatever the Councilmembers decide should be aligned to a part of a strategic plan. I offer real leadership strategies instead of knee-jerk reactions and band-aid solutions through my Innovation Corridor plan," Burnett, a retired Marine Corps officer and national security lawyer, said in a statement. "The piecemeal approach being proposed is what got Virginia into the mess it's in, and we appear to be wading into the exact same scenario without any long-term solutions. This shortsighted approach that doesn't align with national security strategies will inevitably lead to short-term gains at the expense of local residents without any opportunity for strategic growth."

Shocking dinnertime shooting at McDonald's in Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg City police are investigating a shooting that took place at the McDonald's restaurant at 465 N. Frederick Avenue last night, January 19, 2026. Officers from the City and Montgomery County police responded to a report of a shooting there at 7:08 PM Monday. They found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg. He was transported to a local hospital, where his injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening. 

Police refer to there being multiple suspects in the shooting, who fled the scene and remain at large. Anyone with information related to this incident is urged to contact the Gaithersburg Police Department Investigative Section at 301-258-6400. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call the Gaithersburg Tip Line at 301-330-4471.