Crime Update: Most Crime Down, Office Burglaries Continue
Police thought they stopped a spike in office burglaries when they arrested a D.C. man who officers allege stole laptops and cash by following after-hours cleaning crews and prying open doors with a flathead screwdriver.
But office burglaries continue in the Bethesda area, according to 2nd District Police Commander Capt. David Falcinelli. On Monday, he told a local citizens advisory board officers suspect the man they arrested in May, 29-year-old Andre Antonio Henry, had somebody else working with him.
Henry allegedly broke into 12 offices in White Flint and downtown Bethesda, according to a police press release following his arrest in Prince George’s County. That played a role in the 46 reported commercial office burglaries through April in the 2nd Police District, up 28 from the same period of time last year.
Falcinelli said most every other major crime category is down in the 2nd District compared to the same period of time last year, including robbery (down 20 percent), aggravated assault (down 20 percent), residential burglaries (down 23 percent) and stolen vehicles. Thefts from vehicles is up by about one percent, Faclinelli said.
Falcinelli also reported that officers hope to do a pedestrian safety sting in July in Friendship Heights. In a sting in May on Democracy Boulevard near Walter Johnson High School, police issued 56 citations to drivers who failed to stop for a plainclothes officers crossing a crosswalk.
Police also took a more unconventional method in dealing with a 16-year-old Walter Johnson student who Faclinelli said was part of a group of kids who went on a crime spree involving thefts from cars, robberies and burglaries. The kid’s father, a Kenyan diplomat, had his immunity revoked and he returned to Kenya after Montgomery County Police contacted the U.S. State Department.
Falcinelli said the 16-year-old stole somebody’s iPhone the day before he left the country.
Weekly Crime Report: May 26 to June 4
Montgomery County Police arrested a D.C. man for a home break-in on May 31 in Chevy Chase:
A residential burglary occurred in the 6800 block of Brookville Road in Chevy Chase on Friday, 5/31 at approximately 3:30 a.m.
Arrested: Male, age 35
But two other burglaries and a string of thefts from cars in the same beat remain remain unsolved:
A residential burglary occurred on Tuesday, 5/28 in the 1700 block of East West Highway in Bethesda sometime between midnight and 7:30 a.m. Forced entry; property taken.
A residential burglary occurred in the 3500 block of Cummings Lane in Chevy Chase sometime between 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, 5/30 and 5:30 a.m. on Friday, 5/31. Unknown entry; property taken.
Four thefts from vehicles occurred overnight between Monday, 5/27 and Tuesday, 5/28 in residential driveways in the Village of Chevy Chase; cash and other small valuables were reported taken.
The rest of the most recent 2nd District crime summary is after the jump.
Boloco Releases Video Of Bethesda Break-In
Someone burglarized the Boloco on Bethesda Row a few weeks ago and the fast casual burrito and smoothie chain is looking for help finding the suspect.
The Boston-based company, known for its creative use of social media, released the above surveillance camera footage of the burglar with annotations.
“Wow…nice guess on that safe code,” reads one. “Sweet hat,” reads another.
The burglary happened at 2:50 a.m. on May 27. Boloco opened last July at 4930 Elm St.
The video shows the burglar crawling under a shelf and moving a small cabinet to open the store’s safe and steal an unspecified amount of cash. The burglar wasn’t as lucky with the drawers in the front of the restaurant. There was no money there.
At 3:15 a.m., almost a half hour after the burglary started, the suspect leaves through the front door on Elm Street.
Boloco is asking anyone with information to email buzz@boloco.com.
Council Committees To Review Metro Safety, Crime Stats
County Councilmembers on Thursday will discuss safety and crime issues in and around Montgomery’s 11 Metro stations, which are patrolled by both Montgomery County Police and Metro Transit Police under a concurrent jurisdiction agreement.
The joint meeting of the Council’s Public Safety and Transportation Committees will include a briefing from Metro Transit Police Deputy Chief Jeff Delinski and MCP Special Operations Division director Capt. Bob Bolesta.
According to a Council staff report, Metro Transit Police officers take primary patrol responsibility on Metro tracks, tunnels, trains and below-ground platforms, stations and facilities. Montgomery officers primarily police parking lots and surface platforms and stations.
The police officials will discuss how the two departments coordinate responses in and around stations, homeland security measures and crime trends.
Montgomery County Police report 87 total crimes at the county’s Metro stations from April 2011 to March 2013. More than a third of those were vehicle larceny or auto theft crimes and 53 happened in garages or parking lots.
Montgomery County Police didn’t handle much crime in Bethesda area stations. There was one reported aggravated assault, one vehicle larceny, one larceny pickpocket, one auto theft and two CDS arrests in that almost two-year span.
Bethesda was the third-most used Metro station in 2012 in the county, judging by average weekday boardings. Bethesda had an average of 10,8888 weekday boardings, behind Shady Grove (13,870) and Silver Spring (13,621). Medical Center had an average of 6,010 boardings, Grosvenor-Strathmore 5,862 and White Flint 4,151.
There were no reported crimes to Montgomery County Police in the two-year period at Medical Center, which doesn’t have its own parking facility. White Flint also had no reported crimes by Montgomery County Police, which reported three larceny from vehicle incidents at Grosvenor-Strathmore.
In May, Metro reported record lows in crime at its parking facilities.
Police Looking For Two Friendship Heights Shoplifters
Police are looking for two suspects in a shoplifting incident from another upscale store in Friendship Heights.
Officer Janelle Smith, a police spokesperson, said two black males, 18-21-years-old, were seen shoplifting at the Bloomingdales in Wisconsin Place (5300 Western Ave.) a little after 12:45 p.m. on Thursday. They left the store on foot, Smith said.
According to scanner traffic, the suspects had a car waiting but left the vehicle behind when police were called. A store employee called police to report two men stuffing merchandise into bags.
Shoplifting is not a rare occurrence in the high-end mix of shops and department stores in Friendship Heights. The FBI recently arrested two men it says were involved in a smash-and-grab and police chase on April 30 at the Cartier Store on Wisconsin Avenue. A group of men allegedly stole 13 watches worth $131,000.
About 40 minutes after that incident, a man walked into the Gap across Wisconsin Avenue and robbed the store. Police characterized that incident as shoplifting.
Weekly Crime Report: May 20 to May 28
Home break-ins, including a spate of three in one Kensington neighborhood, lead off the latest weekly crime summary from Montgomery County Police:
A residential burglary occurred in the 4500 block of Everett Street in Kensington on Wednesday, 5/22 between 7:15 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Forced entry; property taken.
A residential burglary occurred in the 10200 block of Parkwood Drive in Kensington on Wednesday, 5/22 between 6:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. No forced entry; property taken.
A residential burglary occurred in the 10200 block of Parkwood Drive in Kensington on Wednesday, 5/22 between 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. No forced entry; property taken.
A residential burglary occurred on Tuesday, 5/28 in the 1700 block of East West Highway in Bethesda sometime between midnight and 7:30 a.m. Forced entry; property taken.
Police are also looking into a burglary at Boloco on Bethesda Row, a vehicle theft on Battery Lane and a series of thefts from vehicles in surrounding neighborhoods:
A commercial burglary occurred at Boloco, 4930 Elm Street in Bethesda on Monday, 5/27 at approximate 9:00 a.m. No further details are available at this time.
A stolen vehicle occurred in the 4900 block of Battery Lane in Bethesda on Thursday, 5/23 between 4:00 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.
Four thefts from vehicles occurred during the overnight hours on several nights during this time period. The four incidents (involving five vehicles) were reported in residential neighborhoods in Bethesda; mostly those bordering DC (Chevy Chase Boulevard, Bradley Boulevard, Bayard Boulevard, and Worthington Drive.) One vehicle was found with forced entry, the rest had all been left unsecured. Vehicles were searched and loose valuables (cash, GPS, glasses etc.) were taken.
Four thefts from vehicles occurred overnight in Bethesda from Wednesday, 5/22 to Thursday, 5/23. The incidents occurred in residential neighborhoods in Oakmont (two on Southwick Street, one on Sonoma Road, and one on Singleton Drive.) Three vehicles were entered by force, and one vehicle had been left unsecured. Vehicles were searched and any loose valuables (cash, GPS, glasses etc.) were taken.
Morning Notes
FBI Arrests Two For Cartier Store Smash and Grab — Federal investigators nabbed two men they say stole 13 watches valued at $131,000 on April 30 from the Cartier store in Chevy Chase. Court records say Walter Andrew Douglas, 33, of Washington, D.C. and Floyd Davis, 43, of Washington, D.C., were connected to the Cartier robbery and several others at similar luxury stores in Northern Virginia. [The Gazette]
Local Food Truck Gets Some BBQ Love — Curley’s Q BBQ, a Montgomery County food truck that makes frequent stops in Bethesda, made a list of the best barbecue joints in Washington. [DCist]
Little Falls Cleanup This Weekend — The Little Falls Watershed Alliance is hosting two events Saturday, both starting at 10 a.m. and running until noon. A group of volunteers will meet at the west end of Norwood Park (4700 Norwood Dr.) to remove weeds and invasive vines from the Little Falls Stream Valley Park. Another group will meet at the gravel parking lot at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Little Falls Parkway to clean up Little Falls Parkway and the adjacent creek. Both events are pre-approved for MCPS SSL hours. [Little Falls Watershed Alliance]
Police Looking For Third Suspect In Bizarre ‘Moorish Nation’ Break-In
Montgomery County Police are looking for a third suspect in the bizarre break-in at an empty Bethesda mansion earlier this year. Today, police released photos of the unidentified man apparently taking photos of himself inside the home.
Police have already charged Lamont Butler, 29, of Waldorf and his girlfriend, Sakita Shanik Holly, 34, with first-degree burglary. Police say they arrived to the home, in the 7000 block of Natelli Woods Lane, on Jan. 5 for the call of a burglary in progress and arrested Butler and Holly.
Butler claimed the vacant property belonged to “his people and his tribe,” and that he was a Moorish American National who owned the mansion based on a 1787 peace treaty and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Butler and Holly have a trial date scheduled for Sept. 17.
Now, police say they have obtained photographs of a third suspect involved in the burglary taken from inside the home. Officer Rebecca Innocenti, a police spokesperson, said investigators won’t say where the photos were obtained or how they were taken, but the man appears to be taking the photos with his own camera phone, smiling for the photo in the process.
Investigators are asking anyone who can identify this suspect to please call the Vice and Intelligence Unit at 240-773-5958. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or leave a Crime Solvers tip here. Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided to them that leads to an arrest and/or indictment for this felony
Photos via MCP
Weekly Crime Report: May 13 to May 22
The most recent 2nd District crime summary includes a number of burglaries at homes and commercial buildings across the area:
A commercial burglary occurred at 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda sometime overnight between Tuesday, 5/14 and Wednesday, 5/15. Unknown entry; property taken.
A commercial burglary occurred at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda sometime overnight between Monday, 5/20 and Tuesday, 5/21. Attempted forced entry; nothing taken.
A residential burglary occurred in the 4200 block of East West Highway, Bethesda on Monday, 5/13 between 9:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. No forced entry; property taken.
An attempted residential burglary occurred in the 10800 block of Hobson Street, Kensington on Friday, 5/14 between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Attempted forced entry; nothing taken.
A residential burglary occurred in the 10800 block of Hobson Street, Kensington between 7:40 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Forced entry; property taken.
An attempted residential burglary occurred in the 9400 block of Rockville Pike, Bethesda on Monday, 5/20 between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Attempted forced entry; nothing taken.
A vehicle-related theft occurred in the 9600 block of Hawick Lane, Kensington on Friday, 5/17 at approximately 1:30 p.m. No forced entry; a cell phone was taken.
A residential burglary occurred in the 4400 block of Willard Avenue, Bethesda sometime between Wednesday, 5/15 and Friday, 5/17. No forced entry; property taken.
A residential burglary occurred in the 7000 block of Heatherhill Road, Bethesda sometime between Sunday, 5/19 and Monday, 5/20. Forced entry; nothing taken.
Weekly Crime Report: May 6 to May 14
A recent Friday night snatch and grab near White Flint Mall leads off this week’s weekly crime summary:
A snatch & grab incident occurred in the 11300 block of Rockville Pike, Kensington on Friday, 5/10 at 10:00 p.m. The suspect forcefully removed property from the victim.
Suspect: B/M, 6’, thin, short hair.
And police are also looking into a commercial burglary on East-West Highway:
A commercial burglary occurred at 4302 East West Highway, Bethesda sometime over the weekend from Friday, 5/10 to Sunday, 5/12. Forced entry; nothing taken.
The rest of the most recent 2nd District crime summary includes five residential burglaries:
A residential burglary occurred in the 4200 block of East West Highway, Bethesda on Monday, 5/13 at approximately 5:15 p.m. No further details available at this time.
Two residential burglaries occurred on Tuesday, 5/14 in the 10800 block of Hobson Street, Kensington:
Between 7:40 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Forced entry; property taken.
Between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Attempted forced entry; nothing taken.
A residential burglary occurred in the 5100 block of Cape Cod Court, Bethesda on Monday, 5/13 at 2:45 p.m. Forced entry; unknown what was taken.
A residential burglary occurred in the 5100 block of Brookview Drive, Bethesda sometime between Monday, 5/6 and Thursday, 5/9. No forced entry; property taken.
Police Looking For Man Who Threw Rocks At Chevy Chase House
Police say a man walked to the back of a house in Chevy Chase and threw rocks at an expensive set of French doors and a window, causing thousands of dollars of damage.
The Chevy Chase Village Police Department said the incident happened at about 1 p.m. on April 29 in the 5500 block of Montgomery Street. The Department is hoping photos of the suspect captured by Village security cameras lead to his arrest.
The suspect, a black male about six-feet tall and 230 pounds with a red-hooded sweatshirt and blue backpack, apparently never made it into the house. Chevy Chase Village Police said he is a suspect for vandalism only.
Police said the man threw “several large rocks,” at the doors and a rear window.
Anyone with information can contact the Chevy Chase Village Police Department at 301-654-7300. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County at 1-866-411-8477. Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided that leads to an arrest in this crime.
Photos via Chevy Chase Village Police Department
Weekly Crime Report: April 29 to May 7
Police made three arrests in two late-April residential burglary cases:
A residential burglary occurred in the 4600 block of Windsor Lane, Bethesda on Tuesday, 4/30 at approximately 4:30 a.m. Unforced entry; nothing taken.
Arrested: Male, age 31, from Washington, DC
A residential burglary occurred in the 10000 block of Sinnott Court, Bethesda on Tuesday, 4/30. Unknown entry; unknown what was taken.
Arrested: Male, age 33, from Silver Spring; Male, age 20, from Silver Spring.
The rest of the most recent 2nd District crime summary is after the jump.
Hockey Coach Accused Of Stealing Credit Cards In Locker Room
A youth hockey coach from Bethesda was charged in March with stealing credit cards at the Kettler Capitals Ice Plex in Arlington, according to the Arlington County Police Department.
The Department released information about the arrest last week. It is seeking other potential victims of the suspect, 34-year-old Barry Fig, who Arlington Police say stole credit cards from the equipment bags of recreational hockey players who left their bags in a locker room before heading to the rink.
Fig was charged with five counts of felony credit card theft on March 27 in Montgomery County.
Arlington Police said Fig entered unattended and unlocked locker rooms and stole items from equipment bags. He then used the credit cards at retail stores. Police said they found several credit cards on Fig that belonged to hockey players at Kettler when they arrested him. They said they also found credit cards that belonged to players at other area ice rinks.
“Information revealed in the investigation indicates that there are potentially other victims or persons with information regarding this subject,” Arlington Police said in the release.
The Washington Post named Fig the High School Hockey Coach of the Year in 2008. He coached at St. John’s in D.C. Court records and a social media account indicate he lives in Bethesda.
Fig has a trial date set for Tuesday morning in Rockville, according to the Maryland Courts database. He has also been charged with similar crimes in Fairfax County, according to Arlington County.
Photo via Arlington County Police Department
Weekly Crime Report: April 22 to April 30
This week’s edition of the Montgomery County Police 2nd District crime summary leads off with last week’s Cartier jewelry store robbery and includes a late-night assault in Woodmont Triangle:
A robbery occurred at Cartier, 5471 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda on Tuesday, 4/30 just before 11:00 a.m.
An aggravated assault occurred in the 4900 block of St Elmo Avenue, Bethesda on Friday, 4/26 at approximately 1:15 a.m. The suspects assaulted the victim, then fled.
Suspect: A/M, 25, 5’7”, 160 lbs., black hair; W/M, 23, 5’10”, 170 lbs., black hair; W/M, 24, 5’7”, 150 lbs., short hair.
The rest of the most recent crime summary is after the jump.
Photos From Potomac Bank ATM Robbery Attempt
Montgomery County Police have released the above surveillance images of a brazen attempt this morning to steal an ATM from the Bank of America in Potomac.
Police say they received a call from bank security personnel at 1:57 a.m. for an in-progress theft. Those security officials watched remotely as crooks used a backhoe, which officials believe to be stolen, to rip the ATM from the wall of the bank at 10217 Falls Rd.
Police raced to the scene where they located the backhoe and a pick-up truck in the parking lot. The ATM, attached by chains to the backhoe, was hanging over the bed of the pick-up truck.
The suspects fled and have not been located.
Photos via Montgomery County Police
