Morning Notes
Cookies By Design President Says Company Closed Bethesda Franchise — The president of recently shuttered Cookies By Design (4913 Cordell Ave.) said the Texas-based company revoked its franchise agreement and ordered it closed after a WUSA9 report on its mice infestation. [WUSA9]
Bethesda Elementary Parents Seeking Pedestrian Safety Changes Start Facebook Page — The group seeking No Turn On Red signs and speed cameras to protect pedestrians on Arlington Road started a “Share The Road Bethesda: page on Facebook after starting an online petition earlier this week. [Share the Road Bethesda via Facebook]
Police Say Carjacking Suspect Was High On Crystal Meth — Glenn Vincent Rhodes, 34, of an unconfirmed address attempted to carjack another vehicle after a police pursuit that took him and a passenger from the White Oak section of Silver Spring to the Loehmann’s Plaza Shopping Center in North Bethesda on Wednesday night. [Montgomery County Police]
MTA Wants Private Sector Help (And Funding) For Purple Line — The state’s transit agency recently issued a Request For Information to private companies to help build and pay for the roughly $2.1 billion light rail that would connect Bethesda to Chevy Chase, Silver Spring and College Park, among others, before terminating in New Carrollton. [Washington Post]
Flikcr photo by Nomadic Insight
Morning Notes
Police Chase Carjacking Suspect After Crash At Chevy Chase Circle — Montgomery County and D.C. Police closed off streets around Chevy Chase Circle early Sunday morning to search for a carjacking suspect. It’s not known if the police apprehended the suspect. [NBC4]
Police Warn of Mail Thefts — Montgomery County Police are warning residents of a series of thefts from mailboxes since November. Police say somebody is stealing outgoing mail, mainly checks to pay bills, from mailboxes with flags up. [Montgomery County Police]
Town of Chevy Chase Coat Drive — The Town of Chevy Chase is sponsoring a January coat drive. Bring lightly used coats, gloves, mittens and scarves to the Town office (4301 Willow Lane) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. [The Gazette]
Flickr photo by g_hanten
Police: North Bethesda Carjacking Suspect Involved in Other Crimes
Montgomery County Police say the man they arrested for an Oct. 31 armed carjacking in North Bethesda was also behind a carjacking a few days earlier on Rockville Pike and a Dunkin’ Donuts robbery in Alexandria, Va.
Byron Deshane Govan, 27, of the 10000 block of Wamsley Court in White Plains, Md., was arrested on Nov. 2 at his residence, according to police, and charged with several counts of auto theft, carjacking and robbery and one county of using a firearm during the commission of a crime.
The North Bethesda carjacking occurred on Halloween, near White Flint Mall. Police say Govan forced a couple from their vehicle using a black handgun. Govan then took their wallets and fled toward Silver Spring. An officer spotted him on the Beltway and pursued him to Colesville Road and Spring Avenue.
Police say Govan then bailed out of the vehicle. Police called for a K-9 unit but Govan eluded them.
Police compared surveillance footage of the suspect to footage from a Sept. 27 carjacking in the Congressional Plaza shopping center, a few miles north of White Flint on Rockville Pike.
They determined Govan was also responsible for taking a female victim’s car and other property in an incident just before 10 p.m. that day.
The victim’s checks were used at various locations around the area, which led police to track down the above video of an Oct. 11 Dunkin’ Donuts robbery in Alexandria, Va., Govan is also accused of.
Police say they did not release news of Govan’s arrest because authorities were still attempting to figure out what crimes he had committed in other jurisdictions.
Crime Report: Oct. 29 to Nov. 6
Police say they’ve arrested 27-year-old Byron Govan from the 10000 block of Wamsley Court in White Plains, Md., in an armed carjacking near Rockville Pike in North Bethesda. Govan led police to downtown Silver Spring where he abandoned the car and escaped pursuit on foot.
He was arrested on Nov. 2, according to court records, and eventually charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, unauthorized removal of property, theft of $10,000 to under $100,000, carjacking and robbery.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7.
The crime report reads, “An armed carjacking occurred in the 11200 block of Rockville Pike, Rockville on Wednesday, 10/31 at approximately 2:10 p.m. The suspect displayed a weapon and obtained the victim’s vehicle.”
Police are also looking for a man they say attempted to rob someone in broad daylight in busy Bethesda Row on Thursday, Nov. 1:
An attempted robbery occurred in the 4800 block of Bethesda Avenue, Bethesda on Thursday, 11/1 at 1:50 p.m. The suspect unsuccessfully attempted to forcefully remove property from the victim.
Suspect: B/M, 23-28, 6’, 180-190 lbs, black cornrows, wearing a blue work uniform.
The rest of the most recent Bethesda-area crime summary after the jump.
Carjacking In North Bethesda
Montgomery County Police are searching for a possibly armed suspect who stole a car near White Flint Mall on Wednesday afternoon before leading police on a pursuit into Silver Spring.
At about 2:15 p.m., a call came in for an armed carjacking of a black Lincoln SUV near the intersection of Rockville Pike and Edson Lane. The suspect stole the car and the victim’s wallet and had a black pistol, according to the call.
The suspect, a black male in a black hooded sweatshirt with a black canvass bag, then traveled south on Rockville Pike and got on to the Beltway. Police pursued the suspect, who bailed out of the vehicle near the Silver Spring Library on Colesville Road.
Police called a K9 unit to the scene and are still searching for the suspect.
