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
Weekly Crime Report: April 15 to April 23
Police are looking into a morning assault and robbery that happened along Wisconsin Avenue near the northern edge of downtown Bethesda:
A strong-arm robbery occurred at Wisconsin Avenue and Highland Avenue, Bethesda on Monday, 4/15 at approximately 6:00 a.m. The suspect assaulted the victim, then removed property.
Suspect: B/M, 6’1”, 190 lbs., black hair, beard.
Police also reported an incident of inappropriate touching near White Flint that’s being treated as a sexual assault:
A sexual assault occurred in the 5100 block of Nicholson Lane, Bethesda on Saturday, 4/20 at approximately 5:30 p.m. The suspect inappropriately touched the victim, then fled.
Suspect: W/M, 5’10”, 210 lbs.
The rest of the most recent Montgomery County Police 2nd District crime summary is after the jump.
Thieves ‘Take Control’ Of, Rob Chevy Chase Cartier Store
UPDATE 2:45 p.m. A group of men took control of the Cartier jewelry and watch store in Chevy Chase this morning before robbing it and leading police on a high-speed chase into D.C, according to Montgomery County Police.
The robbery call came at 11:08 a.m. at the store (5471 Wisconsin Ave.), on a main stretch of Chevy Chase’s high-end shopping district. According to police scanner traffic, the men stole 12 watches worth around $150,000.
Capt. Paul Starks, a police spokesperson, said detectives do not want to release information about the merchandise that was stolen.
Starks said one unmasked man gained entry into the store, which has a buzzer at the front door. The first man then held the door open for a number of masked and gloved men who entered the store and quickly took control.
Starks said the suspects did not use a weapon and that the four Cartier employees complied with protocol by abiding by their demands. A security guard was involved in a physical altercation, but Starks said there were no serious injuries. The suspects then smashed a glass case with Cartier merchandise before fleeing in a late-model black Dodge Charger with both Illinois and Virginia plates.
The robbery took less than a minute, Starks said.
The store is along a row of luxury stores with security guards. Some of those guards are police officers and Starks said an off-duty police officer in the area of the robbery assisted in the response.
The suspects went north on Wisconsin Avenue before maneuvering east to Connecticut Avenue. One car was hit in the chase, according to scanner traffic, before the car turned south on Connecticut and entered D.C.
A Montgomery County Police officer chased the robbers into D.C., but per County Police protocol had to stop the pursuit. NBC4 reported that chase led to a police-involved crash in Southeast D.C. Starks said the suspects remain at large, to the best of his knowledge.
About 40 minutes after the Chevy Chase Cartier store robbery, a man walked into the Gap across Wisconsin Avenue and robbed the store. Police are now saying that robbery did not include a weapon.
Officer Janelle Smith, a police spokesperson, said police were called at 11:51 a.m. to the store at 5430 Wisconsin Ave. for the report of a man robbing the store with a six-inch Swiss Army knife. The man then fled toward the Friendship Heights Metro station. Smith said the robberies were unrelated.
Starks, at a press conference later this afternoon, spoke with employees of the store and said it was a simple case of shoplifting.
Across the street from the Gap incident, police were already on the scene of the Cartier robbery. A crew of news cameras was lined up in front of the store as detectives spoke with store employees.
Starks said detectives are now looking at surveillance footage.
Off-Duty Cop Helps Catch 3 Who Police Say Punched, Attempted to Rob Woman
An off-duty police officer followed and helped arrest three suspects who had just attempted to take cash from a woman leaving the White Flint Mall on Tuesday.
At about 5:48 p.m., police say they received a call for a woman screaming in the 5800 block of Nicholson Lane. They found out the 56-year-old victim had just left White Flint Mall and was walking when three suspects came up behind her and demanded cash.
Police say one of the suspects punched her in the head before fleeing when she started screaming.
The off-duty cop followed them to the White Flint Metro station. There, officers arrested Jalonte Malki Cole, 17, of the 1100 block of Sumner Road in Southeast D.C., Tywone Omid Sommers, 16, also of the 1100 block of Sumner Road in Southeast D.C. and a 15-year-old male of the 8400 block of Hamlin Street in Glenarden, who was charged as a juvenile.
Cole was charged as an adult with armed robbery, second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit both and concealing a dangerous weapon. Police say he was carrying a BB gun pistol in his waist band. Sommers was charged with armed robbery, second-degree assault and conspiracy to commit both and was released yesterday on bond. Cole is still being held on a $50,000 bond, according to police.
Weekly Crime Report: Nov. 26 to Dec. 4
Police now say a pair of attempted robberies on a recent weekend near the Bethesda Metro station are likely related:
At Woodmont Avenue and Montgomery Lane on Friday, 11/30 at 10:00 p.m. The suspects assaulted the victim and unsuccessfully attempted to remove property.
Suspects: Three B/Ms, 25-29, 5’10”-6’.
At Hampden Lane and Wisconsin Avenue on Sunday, 12/2 at approximately 1:00 a.m. The suspects approached the victim from behind. The suspects assaulted the victim and unsuccessfully attempted to remove property.
Suspects: Five B/Ms wearing ski masks
Also from Friday, Nov. 30, police are still searching for the two suspects who assaulted and robbed a victim over a Craigslist sale at an apartment on Battery Lane before cruising away in a white Lincoln Towncar or Ford Crown Victoria:
A robbery occurred in the 4900 block of Battery Lane, Bethesda on Friday, 11/30 between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The suspects assaulted the victim and removed property.
Suspect: B/M, 20-26, 200-220 lbs, beard, dreadlocks; B/M, 25-30, 170-180 lbs, beard, dreadlocks;
The rest of the most recent Bethesda crime summary after the jump.
Police Commander Details Recent Crime Binge
Bethesda Police District commander Capt. David Falcinelli today urged residents to be vigilant and immediately report crimes after a daytime burglary binge in River Road neighborhoods and three recent robberies in the downtown area.
Falcinelli said police have seen an increase in burglaries from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in neighborhoods near River Road and Massachusetts Avenue. Burglars have struck a reported eight times since September, targeting jewelry and electronics when residents aren’t home.
In one case, Falcinelli said suspects triggered an alarm very shortly after a resident had left their home, indicating they had been casing the neighborhood and noticed the resident leave.
There was only one incident where suspect information was provided to the police. A neighbor observed two black males in their 30’s, one with a beard, to the rear of one of the burglarized homes. In response to this activity, my uniformed officers have been directed to provide increased day time patrol and covert resources have also been allocated. Please pay careful attention to your neighborhood and call the police immediately for suspicious activity at 301-279-800 (non-emergency) or 911 if you observe a crime in progress.
Falcinelli also described three incidents — a robbery and two attempted robberies — from the Central Business District over last weekend.
On Friday, BethesdaNow.com reported a strong-arm robbery near an apartment in the 4900 block of Battery Lane. Falcinelli said a resident of the building was selling electronics through Craigslist when the suspects, two black males in their 20′s with dreadlocks, tried to pay in counterfeit bills.
When the victim realized this and tried to end the deal, the suspects assaulted him and took the electronics, consistent with events in neighboring jurisdictions, Falcinelli said.
The two other incidents, both attempted robbery are described by Falcinelli below:
Also on Friday, an employee of a business on Bethesda Ave. was walking to the Bethesda Metro after work (10pm) when he was accosted by three black male suspects that assaulted him and tried to take his back-pack. The victim did not report the offense and we learned about it via a list-serve. We have since identified the victim and assigned his case to our detectives. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of reporting crime. Even if the police are unable to make an arrest, the victim is provided services through our Victim Assistance Coordinators.
During the investigation of the above robbery, a citizen approached the officers and told a story about a robbery she had witnessed on Saturday night where the victim was leaving a bar on Montgomery Ln. and became separated from his friends. As he walked on Hampden Ln., a group of five suspects, described only as black males, demanded the victim’s wallet and pushed him to the ground. The victim received injuries in this attack, but it was also never reported to the police. We were also able to identify this victim and this case has also been assigned to a detective.
The downtown Bethesda area already has increased police presence from the MCPD’s Shop with a Cop program, but Falcinelli said he has brought in additional overtime officers from other districts to beef up MCPD’s presence.
He cited a drug arrest Tuesday night outside Montgomery Mall as evidence as that strategy working. Both people arrested had significant criminal histories, Falcinelli said.
Strong-Arm Robbery On Battery Lane
Police responded to the report of a strong-arm robbery this afternoon outside an apartment at 4900 Battery Lane.
Two suspects, both reportedly in a white Ford Crown Victoria-like vehicle, took property from a victim around 1 p.m., according to a Montgomery County Police spokesperson. They did not yet have information on the property taken or if any weapons were used.
The vehicle with the two suspects was last seen on Old Georgetown Road traveling toward the Beltway.
Crime Report: Nov. 5 to Nov. 13
Police are looking for four suspects they think were involved in an early morning robbery along Wisconsin Avenue’s “Green Mile,” similar to another attack on the same stretch of road in August.
A robbery occurred at Wisconsin Avenue and Chevy Chase Boulevard, Chevy Chase on Friday, 11/9 at approximately 2:00 a.m. The suspects assaulted the victim and obtained property.
Suspect: W/M, 22-25, 5’10”, 180 lbs; Suspect: W/M, 22-25; Suspects: Two Unknown/M’s, each 22-25; Vehicle: Grey 4-door sedan, 2 bright stripes on the trunk.
The rest of the most recent Bethesda/Chevy Chase crime summary after the jump.
Robberies Down, Assaults Up In Latest Crime Statistics
In an update this afternoon from 2nd District Police Commander Capt. David Falcinelli were year-to-date stats comparing crime numbers to last year.
Despite 784 reported thefts from autos (211 fewer than at this time last year) Falcinelli said property crime was down in all categories entering the holiday season, when criminals are notorious for stealing holiday gifts from mall parking lots or after delivery companies drop off packages at doorsteps.
“While the property crime numbers have improved since last year, there is no reason to get comfortable with your efforts or ours. Recently, there have been a number of residential burglaries occurring across the district. Some are a result of transient criminals utilizing a false story to gain entry to a home (i.e. “We are here to check the water meters and then they distract the homeowner and steal” or “I lost my dog and when you decide to help, another suspect enters the unlocked home”),” Falcinelli wrote. “Some are occurring when residents leave their home for a short period during the day and the burglars force entry or enter through unlocked doors and windows. In these cases, it is most likely a stranger in the neighborhood watching for movement in and out of homes so it is critically important that you call us ASAP anytime you encounter a suspicious situation or person. Have your neighbors perform regular checks on your home if you will be away. Consider adding extra lighting at night, or using motion sensor lights.”
Falcinelli said the 47 reported robberies, an increase of nine from this time last year, is due in large part to a spike earlier in the year. He said many of those cases have been closed.
Falcinelli also said the Special Assignment Team was responsible for arresting Byron Govan, the suspect in an Oct. 31 armed carjacking near White Flint and a carjacking a few days earlier in Congressional Plaza farther north on Rockville Pike.
Falcinelli attributed the spike in aggravated assaults, a more than 100 percent increase from this time last year, to a number of domestic situations and bar fights in which the victims knew the assailant.
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.
Crime Report: Sept. 17 to Sept. 25
Someone was mugged and robbed at Old Georgetown Road and Democracy Boulevard on Friday, Sept. 21, according to the latest Bethesda crime summary from Montgomery County Police:
A robbery occurred at Old Georgetown Road and Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda on Friday, 9/21 at 9:00 p.m. The suspect assaulted the victim and obtained property.
Suspect: Unk/M, 17, 6′, 160 lbs.
The rest of the Sept. 17 to Sept. 25 crime summary after the jump:
