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Police & Fire
Caught On Camera: Suspects Swapping Cards In Maryland ATM Scam At Large, Police Say Caught On Camera: Suspects Swapping Cards In Maryland ATM Scam At Large, Police Say
Caught On Camera: Suspects Swapping Cards In Maryland ATM Scam At Large, Police Say Detectives in Montgomery County are seeking public assistance in identifying two suspects accused of scamming victims at an ATM in Silver Spring earlier this year.  The scam was reported at the Bank of America on Connecticut Avenue in early October, prompting investigators to release surveillance photos of their suspects as they attempt to identify and locate the pair.  On Wednesday, Oct. 2, police say the first victim was approached by two men who claimed the ATM card slot was broken and advised using the tap function.  One suspect grabbed the victim’s card under the guise …

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by Zak Failla
News
Maryland Man Facing Decades Behind Bars For Deadly Drug Deal Gone Wrong: State's Attorney Maryland Man Facing Decades Behind Bars For Deadly Drug Deal Gone Wrong: State's Attorney
Maryland Man Facing Decades Behind Bars For Deadly Drug Deal Gone Wrong: State's Attorney A 22-year-old Maryland man is facing decades in prison after being convicted of murdering Walter Woods during a drug deal gone bad in Montgomery County, the state's attorney's office announced. Javier Reyes, 22, of Silver Spring, was found guilty of felony murder and use of a handgun in a crime of violence in connection to the death of the 20-year-old Takoma Park resident last year. Prosecutors say that on March 7, 2023, Reyes and Woods met at a neighborhood park on Hampshire Green Lane in Silver Spring to conduct a drug deal.  Officers responding to a 911 call for the sound of gunsho…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Grease Grab Gone Wrong: Duo Busted Stealing Used Cooking Oil In Maryland: Police Grease Grab Gone Wrong: Duo Busted Stealing Used Cooking Oil In Maryland: Police
Grease Grab Gone Wrong: Duo Busted Stealing Used Cooking Oil In Maryland: Police A late-night crime turned greasy when two men were caught red-handed siphoning used cooking oil from downtown Silver Spring restaurants, police said. Michael Cordones-Lopez, 24, and Patricio Cardones-Molina, 61, were arrested this week after officers spotted them breaking into grease dumpsters behind local eateries, including the Filmore Silver Spring and Amina Thai, according to the Montgomery County Police Department. The investigation determined that at around 2:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17, officers were conducting an overnight criminal enforcement detail in downtown Silver Spring w…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Hit-Run Driver Apprehended At Dulles Airport After Killing DOT Employee In Maryland: Police Hit-Run Driver Apprehended At Dulles Airport After Killing DOT Employee In Maryland: Police
Hit-Run Driver Apprehended At Dulles Airport After Killing DOT Employee In Maryland: Police A driver wanted in connection to the fatal hit-and-run crash involving a Montgomery County Department of Transportation employee has been apprehended at Dulles International Airport after leaving the country, authorities announced. Potomac resident Ricky Rohan Kapoor, 30, was arrested over the weekend after traveling to Bogota in Columbia following the fateful hit-and-run in November.  According to the Montgomery County Department of Police, at around 9:10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, officers were called to investigate a reported crash involving a pedestrian and driver who fled the…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Speeding Driver Arrested Months After Fatally Striking Lawn Mower Rider In Maryland: Police Speeding Driver Arrested Months After Fatally Striking Lawn Mower Rider In Maryland: Police
Speeding Driver Arrested Months After Fatally Striking Lawn Mower Rider In Maryland: Police The driver responsible for a fatal crash that claimed the life of a 28-year-old man driving a ride-on lawn mower in Montgomery County is facing serious charges, authorities announced. Gaithersburg resident Maxim Galkin, 24, has been arrested and charged with gross negligence manslaughter by a vehicle for his role in the fatal crash that claimed the life of Silver Spring native Juan Guerrero-Moreno over the summer. Early in the afternoon on Aug. 20, members of the Montgomery County Department of Police were called to a stretch of Great Seneca Highway, where they found Guerrero-Moreno unrespo…

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by Zak Failla
News
Homicide Investigation Underway After Man Found Dead In Maryland: Police Homicide Investigation Underway After Man Found Dead In Maryland: Police
Homicide Investigation Underway After Man Found Dead In Maryland: Police A homicide investigation has been launched after a man was found dead in Montgomery County, police officials confirmed. An alert was issued at around 4:45 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 16 when officers were called to the area of Georgia Avenue and East West Highway in Silver Spring to probe a reported death when the man's body was located. TRAFFIC ADVISORY: MCPD is on scene of a death investigation. Georgia Avenue at East West Highway is closed. Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route. Expect significant delays. #MCPD #MCPNews #traffic pic.twitter.com/BiC4rH28gz — Montgomery County Departm…

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by Zak Failla
News
Gold Bar Scammer Preying On Elderly Becomes First In Montgomery County Sentenced To Prison Gold Bar Scammer Preying On Elderly Becomes First In Montgomery County Sentenced To Prison
Gold Bar Scammer Preying On Elderly Becomes First In Montgomery County Sentenced To Prison The first gold bar scammer linked to an international crime ring targeting elderly residents in Maryland received a harsh sentence while making history in Montgomery County. On Monday, Dec. 11, Circuit Court Judge Margaret Schweitzer sentenced 26-year-old Ravinklejeet Mathon, of Rockville, to 10 years in prison, suspending all but five years, followed by five years of probation, well above the suggested guidelines for sentencing. Mathon was arrested in May after picking up the gold bars under the guise of being a courier.  The elderly victim, manipulated into believing his identity wa…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Coordinated Crew Caught On Camera During 21-Vehicle Crime Spree In Maryland: Police (VIDEO) Coordinated Crew Caught On Camera During 21-Vehicle Crime Spree In Maryland: Police (VIDEO)
Coordinated Crew Caught On Camera During 21-Vehicle Crime Spree In Maryland: Police (Video) A group of wanted suspects put police through their paces during a wild one-night crime spree that saw them targeting nearly two dozen vehicles in Montgomery County.  Four suspects vandalized and looted 21 vehicles across multiple Silver Spring streets in the early hours of Monday, Dec. 2, officials say, with one flashing a handgun at a residence. According to a Montgomery County Department of Police spokesperson, the group began terrorizing several neighborhoods beginning at around 2:30 a.m., hitting vehicles in the areas of Belvedere Boulevard, Woodland Road, Dameron Drive, Fore…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Fugitive Wanted For 1997 Maryland Shooting Captured In El Salvador After 27 Years On The Run Fugitive Wanted For 1997 Maryland Shooting Captured In El Salvador After 27 Years On The Run
Fugitive Wanted For 1997 Maryland Shooting Captured In El Salvador After 27 Years On The Run A fugitive who spent nearly three decades on the run after a 1997 shooting in Silver Spring has been captured in El Salvador and returned to Montgomery County to face charges. Jose Mauricio Rivera, 58, was extradited to Maryland on Thursday, Dec. 5, after being arrested by Salvadoran authorities in April 2023. He is charged with second-degree attempted murder and two counts of first-degree assault, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. Rivera is accused of shooting his estranged wife multiple times on Oct. 9, 1997, in the elevator of her apartment building in the 8100 blo…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Prime Coffee & Bakery To Celebrate Grand Opening In Montgomery County Prime Coffee & Bakery To Celebrate Grand Opening In Montgomery County
Prime Coffee & Bakery To Celebrate Grand Opening In Montgomery County A long-awaited bakery and coffee shop in downtown Silver Spring is set to open its doors this week, much to the delight of Montgomery County residents. Prime Coffee & Bakery will be hosting a grand opening celebration beginning at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 at its new location on Thayer Avenue, where they will serve freshly roasted beverages, pastries, sandwiches, soups, and salads. "At Prime Coffee & Bakery, we believe in making a difference beyond the coffee cup," the owners stated. "We are deeply committed to fostering community connections, creating local job opportunities, and s…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Game-Changing Tech: Drone Evidence Sends Man to Prison in Maryland Stabbing: State's Attorney Game-Changing Tech: Drone Evidence Sends Man to Prison in Maryland Stabbing: State's Attorney
Game-Changing Tech: Drone Evidence Sends Man to Prison in Maryland Stabbing: State's Attorney For the first time, investigators in Montgomery County have secured a conviction largely through evidence collected by drones, and a 45-year-old man is heading to prison.  Fairfax County resident Jovan Ali, 45, was found guilty by a jury last month of second-degree assault in connection to a stabbing in April. On Thursday, Dec. 5, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office announced that Ali has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being caught on camera by the drone. Prosecutors say that on April 17, Ali was involved in an altercation near the intersection of Georgia Av…

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by Zak Failla
News
Two Arrested Months After Fatal Hit-And-Run Kills Maryland Father: Police Two Arrested Months After Fatal Hit-And-Run Kills Maryland Father: Police
Two Arrested Months After Fatal Hit-And-Run Kills Maryland Father: Police Two drivers have been arrested months after a fatal hit-and-run in Montgomery County claimed the life of 52-year-old father Ron Franzese, officials announced. Thanh Phan, 71, and Jose Saravia Gonzalez, 27, both of Silver Spring, face charges stemming from the April crash that left Franzese dead on Randolph Road. Around 10:15 p.m. on April 5, police say Franzese was walking along Randolph Road when Phan, driving a Honda Odyssey, jumped the curb and struck him, forcing him into the roadway. Moments later, Saravia Gonzalez, driving a four-door Acura, hit Franzese and fled the scene without st…

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by Zak Failla