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Police & Fire
Elderly Woman Catches Fire In Maryland Home, Succumbs To Injuries, Officials Say Elderly Woman Catches Fire In Maryland Home, Succumbs To Injuries, Officials Say
Elderly Woman Catches Fire In Maryland Home, Succumbs To Injuries, Officials Say An elderly woman died after accidentally catching fire in her Maryland home late Thursday afternoon, officials confirmed. Shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, Montgomery County firefighters were called to the 12100 block of Livingston Street in Wheaton, where a fire broke out on the first floor of a single-family home. The scene of the fire. Twitter According to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service officials, the woman, believed to be in her 80s, was the only person in the house when she accidentally caught fire.  She managed to escape but sustained critical injuries. Mo…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Long Island Man Charged In Montgomery County's First $2.3M Gold Bar Scam, Police Say Long Island Man Charged In Montgomery County's First $2.3M Gold Bar Scam, Police Say
Long Island Man Charged In Montgomery County's First $2.3M Gold Bar Scam, Police Say A Long Island man is accused of orchestrating a $2.3 million gold bar scam that targeted an elderly Montgomery County mother and her daughter, police say.  Montgomery County police have charged 26-year-old Yash Shah of Baldwin, New York, in a government-imposter scam that defrauded an 88-year-old woman and her 61-year-old daughter out of millions worth of gold bars. Authorities said this is the first reported scam of its kind in the county. According to the Montgomery County Department of Police, the scheme began in February 2023, when the victims were contacted by someone claiming to…

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by Zak Failla
News
Speeding DUI Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Maryland Father: Police Speeding DUI Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Maryland Father: Police
Speeding DUI Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Maryland Father: Police A Gaithersburg man is facing serious charges after a high-speed, alcohol-fueled crash claimed the life of a Germantown father earlier this year, police said. Montgomery County police have arrested 45-year-old Agustin E. Jaramillo Lopez of Gaithersburg on charges of negligent manslaughter by vehicle following a fatal collision on July 20 near the intersection of North Frederick Avenue near Travis Avenue. Around 10:12 p.m. on the night of the crash, officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to a crash involving a black 2022 Ram 1500 pick-up truck, driven by Jaramillo Lope…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Teen Committed Commercial Burglaries With Young Children In Maryland, Police Say Teen Committed Commercial Burglaries With Young Children In Maryland, Police Say
Teen Committed Commercial Burglaries With Young Children In Maryland, Police Say In a startling incident, three boys between the ages of 11 and 13 have been charged in connection with two early morning burglaries at auto businesses in Montgomery County, police say. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, at approximately 1 a.m., officers responded to a burglary alarm at Superior Auto Service in the 12200 block of Wilkins Avenue, where they found a front window that was shattered and property missing. While investigating the first incident, officers received a second report of a burglary at RMA Transportation, also in the 12200 block of Wilkins Avenue, where there were employees present at…

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by Zak Failla
News
Former Maryland Teacher Learns Fate After Years-Old Sex Abuse Case With Student Comes to Light Former Maryland Teacher Learns Fate After Years-Old Sex Abuse Case With Student Comes to Light
Former Maryland Teacher Learns Fate After Years-Old Sex Abuse Case With Student Comes to Light A former middle school teacher in Maryland will have to register as a sex offender for 25 years once she completes her prison term for sexually abusing a student, authorities announced on Tuesday. Melissa Marie Curtis, 31, of Upper Marlboro, was sentenced to 30 years in prison with all suspended but 12 months to serve, followed by five years of supervised probation after pleading guilty in June to three counts of third-degree sex offense in connection to the abuse of a teen. In November 2023, police in Montgomery County launched an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse that ha…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Transit Center Assault Caught On Camera Lands Two Behind Bars In Maryland: Police (VIDEO) Transit Center Assault Caught On Camera Lands Two Behind Bars In Maryland: Police (VIDEO)
Transit Center Assault Caught On Camera Lands Two Behind Bars In Maryland: Police (Video) A violent assault caught on camera landed two men behind bars after they attacked their victim and robbed him in Montgomery County. Gaithersburg resident Davon Lopez, 30, and 25-year-old Anthony Tyrone Slater, Jr., of Germantown, are both facing multiple charges following an assault at the transit center earlier this week.  According to the Montgomery County Department of Police, shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, officers from multiple agencies were called to the 9600 block of Lost Knife Road in Gaithersburg, where there was a reported robbery in progress. A witness desc…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Stores Evacuated At Maryland Shopping Center Due To Ruptured Gas Line (DEVELOPING) Stores Evacuated At Maryland Shopping Center Due To Ruptured Gas Line (DEVELOPING)
Stores Evacuated At Maryland Shopping Center Due To Ruptured Gas Line (Developing) Some businesses were evacuated on Friday morning in Montgomery County when gas leak was reported outside an area shopping center. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue crews were called before 11 a.m. on Nov. 15 to the 19700 block of Frederick Road in Germantown, when a two-inch gas line ruptured. First responders evacuated some businesses in the area and monitored the structures while Washington Gas responded to shut off the gas and make repairs. No injuries were reported as of noon on Friday. This is a developing story.  Want breaking news in the DMV as it happens, or want to contribu…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
First-Grade Teacher Left Classroom To Sell Drugs On School Property In Maryland: Complaint First-Grade Teacher Left Classroom To Sell Drugs On School Property In Maryland: Complaint
First-Grade Teacher Left Classroom To Sell Drugs On School Property In Maryland: Complaint A teacher in Maryland who allegedly left her classroom to sell drugs to people on school property is facing charges for distributing a fatal dose of fentanyl, according to federal authorities. Sarah Katherine Magid, 34, has been charged with distributing fentanyl that resulted in serious bodily injury and the death of a victim, according to a criminal complaint that was unsealed this week in District Court. Magid, a first-grade teacher at a Montgomery County school was arrested in August following a search and seizure warrant by the DEA and local police at her Burtonsville home fo…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Driver Hospitalized After Striking Maryland School Bus: Police Driver Hospitalized After Striking Maryland School Bus: Police
Driver Hospitalized After Striking Maryland School Bus: Police One person was hospitalized after crashing into the back of a Montgomery County Public School bus on Thursday, officials confirmed. Early on Nov. 14, first responders were called to the area of Bondy Lane and Darnestown Road in Darnestown, where there was a reported crash involving a driver who struck the bus. According to a Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson, the driver of the sedan was taken to the hospital by paramedics with traumatic injuries that were described as non-life-threatening. Ten students who were on the bus were evaluated and were all uninjured and later release…

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by Zak Failla
News
Reward Offered For Info About Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found Outside Maryland School, Synagogue Reward Offered For Info About Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found Outside Maryland School, Synagogue
Reward Offered For Info About Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found Outside Maryland School, Synagogue The community is coming together in an effort to track down the suspects involved in a series of anti-Semitic incidents over the summer in Montgomery County. A $7,000 reward has been donated by local community organizations as they seek the public's assistance in identifying, arresting, and prosecuting whomever is responsible for vandalism found in the Bethesda area in August. The first incident was reported on Sunday, Aug. 11 at Bethesda Elementary School in the 7600 block of Arlington Road that was quickly scrubbed clean by crews the following day. "Free Gaza" and "Israel Rapes" were amo…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Accused Of Rape, Sexual Abuse Of Underage Girls In Maryland: Police Man Accused Of Rape, Sexual Abuse Of Underage Girls In Maryland: Police
Man Accused Of Rape, Sexual Abuse Of Underage Girls In Maryland: Police Police in Montgomery County are concerned there may be more potential victims following the recent arrest of a Damascus man who was accused of the rape and sexual abuse of multiple underage girls. Irvin Ariel Portillo, 28, was charged following an investigation after being tipped off late last month about a possible rape involving a minor. On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the Montgomery County Department of Police launched an investigation into the alleged rape of a teenage girl by Portillo, and during the probe, two other underage victims were identified. According to police, on Friday, Nov. 8, Porti…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Charged For Multiple Indecent Exposure Incidents At Maryland Businesses: Police Man Charged For Multiple Indecent Exposure Incidents At Maryland Businesses: Police
Man Charged For Multiple Indecent Exposure Incidents At Maryland Businesses: Police A man who first exposed himself to employees at an area restaurant then at Safeway in Montgomery County days later has been charged, now investigators are concerned there could be additional victims. Steven Randolph, 31, was arrested at a bus stop and charged with indecent exposure following a pair of incidents that were reported at multiple businesses. According to the Montgomery County Department of Police, early on Thursday, Oct. 31, Randolph walked into Olney Ledo's Pizza in the 3400 block of Olney Laytonsville Road while employees were prepping the restaurant for the day. Randolph was…

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by Zak Failla