Airbag thief smashes windows on 9 Hondas on 1 block in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of airbag thefts in the Rockville Town Center area on August 9, 2023. A thief broke the driver's side window on 9 Honda vehicles in the 700 block of Monroe Street sometime between 10:55 PM on August 8 and 6:45 AM on August 9. Airbags were stolen from the vehicles. This is in the area of the Parkside Landing apartments.

Rockville City Manager resigns

Rockville City Manager Rob DiSpirito has resigned. He submitted his resignation to the Mayor and Council after they held a closed session Thursday "to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, promotion, discipline, demotion, compensation, removal, resignation, or performance evaluation of the City Manager, employees (sic) over whom the Mayor and Council has jurisdiction." As with most resignations of city staff, the reason for the resignation is not likely to become public, unless the departing official decides to issue a statement. The Mayor and Council have named Deputy City Manager Barack Matite as acting city manager, effective immediately.

A search for DiSpirito's replacement will be complicated by the rapidly approaching city election this November. With the Mayor and Council now serving four year terms, several City Council candidates have called for the selection of a City Manager to be postponed until the next Mayor and Council take office.

"I was disappointed to learn about the resignation of Rockville City Manager Rob DiSpirito," City Council candidate Adam Van Grack said in a statement Saturday. "Although we do not know the details surrounding this resignation, Rockville must carefully and thoughtfully select its next City Manager, who will have tremendous influence on city policy and decisions going forward."

"The new Mayor and Council will work with the new City Manager for at least four years. Therefore, they should have significant input into the selection of that City Manager through an open process that allows them to determine the City Manager’s qualifications...I urge the current Mayor and Council to hold off any City Manager candidate search or appointment until after the new Mayor and Council are seated in November, and I respectfully request that Barack Matite remain Acting City Manager through the election."

City Council candidate Barry Jackson concurred that Matite should stay on as acting city manager through the election. "We need to have the newly elected Mayor and City Council hire a City Manager through a transparent and thorough process," Jackson said in a statement. "Rockville needs to have a City Manager who has the full confidence of the new Mayor and City Council and of all Rockville’s residents. We can only do this with a process begun after the election of a new Mayor and City Council."

DiSpirito served as Rockville City Manager since November 2016. Matite has served as his deputy since January of this year, and while he probably didn't anticipate having to step into the top job this quickly, he has seven years of experience as city manager of Eudora, Kansas.

Photo via City of Rockville

Diner threatened with gun at Rockville restaurant

Rockville City police are searching for a diner who threatened a fellow customer with a gun at a restaurant in the Rockville Town Center area. A dispute between the two customers at a restaurant in the 100 block of E. Montgomery Avenue broke out around 4:10 PM on August 7, 2023. As the argument escalated, one of the two threatened the other with a handgun. 

Police describe the suspect as a Black male with a beard and a "heavy build," six feet in height. If you have any information about this incident or suspect, call police at 240-314-8900.

Bomb scare at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda Friday night to investigate a bomb threat. A mall patron reported that the shopping center had been evacuated around 7:50 PM. Another patron reported that the evacuation interrupted his showing of the Barbie movie. MCPD officially acknowledged the bomb threat at 8:12 PM. Fifty-eight minutes later, the department stated "Montgomery Mall bomb threat determined not valid. Mall has been cleared and turned back over to mall security."

Police searching for Bone Jour burglars in Bethesda (Video + Photos)

Montgomery County police are asking for the public's help in taking a bite out of crime, by identifying and locating two suspects in a recent break-in at Bone Jour at 4922 Del Ray Avenue in Bethesda. On Monday, August 7, 2023, at an undisclosed time, the rear door of the business was pried open. A female suspect then entered through the door. Police did not identify any property being stolen from inside the business, but report that "a bundle of permanent balloons" outside the business was taken.

Police describe Suspect #1 as a White male in his twenties, with short hair and a medium build, wearing glasses, a t-shirt, shorts and shoes. He is also seen wearing a watch on his left wrist. Suspect #2 is described as a White female in her twenties with long hair, wearing a winter hat, a long-sleeved sweater, shorts and shoes. Neither appeared to realize their faces would be visible on surveillance cameras, footage from which has been released by detectives.

Anyone with information regarding these suspects or this crime is asked 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.  A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects. Tipsters may remain anonymous. 

Rockville police looking for man who punched supermarket employee

Rockville City police are looking for a suspect who is accused of punching a grocery store employee. The assault was reported at a supermarket in the 600 block of Hungerford Drive on August 12, 2023 at 8:45 AM. There is a Giant grocery store on that block, where an aggravated assault was reported the previous evening, August 11. 

Police describe the August 12 suspect as a Black male of 20 to 29 years old with short hair, "some facial hair," and wearing a light green shirt. If you have any information about this incident or suspect, call police at 240-314-8900.

Wentworth Gallery, Nature's Elite close at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Wentworth Gallery has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The upscale art gallery has hosted many celebrity artists over the years, including Paul Stanley of KISS, Rick Allen of Def Leppard and Michael Cartellone of the 1990s supergroup Damn Yankees. It will be greatly missed for that star-drawing power alone. The Wentworth Gallery in Tysons remains open for business.

In other mall news, Nature's Elite has also departed. The facial spa's space next to Beauty Boss has been cleared out and walled off.