Rockville ride-sharing driver ghosts passenger after devious theft

A ride-sharing passenger had a lighter load after arriving at their destination in the Woodley Gardens area of Rockville on the morning of May 22, 2025, Rockville City police report. The victim exited the car, but the driver allegedly sped off with the victim's belongings before they could be retrieved from the vehicle. When the victim attempted to contact the driver through the ride-sharing app, in case it had been an honest mistake, the driver ghosted the victim and ceased responding. The incident took place in the 600 block of Warfield Drive at 8:28 AM. Police have not released the identity of the driver, and have not identified the ride-sharing company in question.

Dinty Moore Beef Stew recalled due to wood in cans

Dinty Moore Beef Stew is usually one of the best canned products you can buy. But not one recent batch. Manufacturer Hormel has announced a recall of 20-ounce metal cans of the product with “BEST BY Feb 2028” and lot code “T02045” printed on the can. That lot code may also have an additional number at the end on your can. You will also see establishment number “EST 199G” printed on the can. The recall is nationwide.

Hormel received three consumer complaints reporting pieces of wood in the beef stew product. So far, there have been no confirmed reports of injury from the foreign material. Hormel can be contacted with questions and concerns at 800-523-4635.

Teen girls arrested after assault in Rockville park

Two teenage girls were arrested following an altercation in the King Farm area of Rockville on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Rockville City police were called to investigate a 2nd-degree assault at King Farm Park at 401 Watkins Pond Boulevard at 2:50 PM Sunday. Officers took a 17-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl into custody. Their cases will be handled through the juvenile justice system. Police have not yet indicated who was victimized in the alleged assault.

Merlo Point, Chocolate Moonshine officially close at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Merlo Point and Chocolate Moonshine have officially closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Merlo Point's closure was expected and announced in advance, while Chocolate Moonshine made a quiet exit. Chocolate Moonshine had begun clearing its shelves and filling packing boxes as the month of May began. It was also removed from the mall's online directory. As of last evening, signage had been stripped from its space in the Dining Terrace food court. Chocolate Moonshine can still be found online.

Compared to Chocolate Moonshine, which had been a tenant at the mall for nearly a decade, it was a super short run for Merlo Point. The furniture store opened right before Christmas 2024. Although attorneys for regional furniture giant Marlo were no doubt thrilled by the name Merlo, the latter was operating in a niche of Italian and Turkish furnishings and home decor. Last evening, Merlo Point was sealed shut, the windows were covered over, and its signage was also gone.

Sixty Vines opening at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg (Photos)

Sixty Vines is coming soon to Gaithersburg, according to signage posted at its future storefront. It will be at 212 Ellington Boulevard at Downtown Crown. Sixty Vines calls itself "the winemaker's restaurant," and the concept and menu will be familiar to those who have dined at Vino Volo or Cooper's Hawk. Your choice of sixty wines will be poured from the restaurant's "sustainable wine on tap system," which you can see installed in the photo below. I would estimate construction is about 50% complete inside the space, which was formerly home to Pour House.

"Show me all the blueprints."

McDonald's On-the-Go, only the 3rd built in USA, opens in Rockville (Photos)

The new McDonald's On-the-Go restaurant has opened at 11710 Rockville Pike in Rockville. This is only the third of this new restaurant design concept from the chain to open in the United States, with the first two having been in California and Texas. The emphasis is on takeout, delivery, and - above all else - drive-thru service. There is no indoor dining area of the type that you have come to expect from the Golden Arches, and most other traditional fast food restaurants.

However, as you've seen in my ongoing updates during the construction of the building, there is one table in the small lobby. Customers are apparently allowed to dine indoors at that table on a first-come, first-seated basis, and were doing so last evening. All other patrons were standing, awaiting their orders to be handed out from the pickup window, which replaces the traditional open counter. "Fight for $15" touchscreen kiosks likewise replace the cashiers and cash registers of the past.

The two biggest upgrades for nearby residents with this McDonald's are the addition of a drive-thru (the old McDonald's just down the street did not have a drive-thru), and the fact that the drive-thru will be open 24 hours. A 24-hour McDonald's - or a 24-hour fast food restaurant of any brand - is a rare find in moribund Montgomery County. Speaking of which, the new restaurant's debut is being initially hampered by the County's anti-business sign code, which has steadily removed and banned most of the prominent and legible roadside business signage ubiquitous in the rest of the country. There were only four customers in the lobby last night, and few cars using the drive-thru, suggesting that few people driving past were aware the McDonald's was even there or open. A typical McDonald's has a steady line of cars at the drive-thru, even during off hours. Aside from those establishments who still have grandfathered roadside signage, a large percentage of businesses along the Pike are invisible to all but the most careless rubberneckers driving by. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Gaithersburg man dies after assault at Silver Diner in Rockville

A Gaithersburg man was the victim of a fatal assault at Silver Diner at 12276 Rockville Pike at Federal Plaza in Rockville on May 21, 2025, Montgomery County police say. Officers responded to a report of an assault at the popular restaurant at 11:52 PM that evening. When they arrived, they found Fredi Torres, 49, of Gaithersburg to be unresponsive. Officers immediately began lifesaving efforts, until Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services personnel arrived. MCFRS transported Torres to a local hospital, where he tragically later passed away.

Detectives are urging any customers of the restaurant who may have witnessed the incident to 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. Tipsters may remain anonymous.