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Update: As of 2:45 this afternoon, the weather has begun to destabilize. From Alert Montgomery via Altert Gaithersburg:

The National Weather Service has issued a TORNADO WATCH for Montgomery County effective immediately. Thunderstorms have formed West of the County, and are rapidly intensifying and moving East. Atmospheric conditions are favorable for tornadic development in some of these storms. Lightning, heavy rain, and hail are also possible.

THOSE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS THIS EVENING SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKIES AND REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER. LIGHTNING IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER KILLER IN THE US. RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR ADDITIONAL WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION!!!

Be prepared. Tornadoes can form from severe thunderstorms with little or no advanced warning. Know your safe room in your home, at school, and at work. If driving and a tornado is spotted, leave your car immediately and move to shelter or a low lying area. Do not use highway overpasses as shelters. Remain alert for the issuance of warnings.

SKYWARN activation has been requested and spotters are asked to relay any damage reports to the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service.

AL

According to the National Weather Service forcast as of 11:00 am today, it should be a typical 4th, warm with a chance of thunderstorms:

Independence Day: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Partly cloudy, with a high near 84. South wind between 14 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind between 13 and 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

From the City’s website:

Bring a blanket, bring a picnic and bring the whole family to enjoy the City of Gaithersburg Independence Day Celebration on Wednesday, July 4. Gates to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds open at 5 p.m., and the folks from 97.1 WASH-FM will be on hand with some fun pre-concert games and activities at 6 p.m. A rollicking concert featuring the ever-popular band, Retrospect, starts at 7 p.m., followed by a few brief remarks from the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council. The exciting fireworks display begins at dusk.

Walk in at Chestnut or Dalamar Streets; the Perry Parkway entrance to the Fairgrounds will be closed. No cars will be allowed in the Fairgrounds.

Food will be sold at the celebration. Absolutely NO alcoholic beverages, glass containers, rollerblades, skates, bikes, pets, or fireworks of any kind will be permitted.

In the event of rain, the fireworks only will be held on Thursday, July 5. The Montgomery County Fairgrounds is located at 16 Chestnut Street in Gaithersburg. For information please call 301-258-6350 or parksrec@gaithersburgmd.gov.

From the County’s website:

• A sexual assault occurred on a Ride-On bus at Shady Grove Road and Muncaster Mill Road on Wednesday 6/20 at 0800 hours; the victim is learning disabled. She got on the bus at Shady Grove Metro at the same time as the suspect. He sat beside her and made small talk, then he began rubbing the victim’s groin area outside her clothing. She told him to stop but was afraid to move. The victim got off at her stop and then called the police.

  Suspect: B/M, 27-39 yrs. old, 5’11”-6’3”/150-190 lbs., uniform shirt with an ‘NIH’ logo, grey uniform pants

• The aggravated assault at 7635 Laytonia Drive on Tuesday 6/19 at 1500 hours was committed by the victim’s boyfriend. He beat the victim and cut her with a pocket knife. When he was arrested, he started yelling threats to the victim that he would kill her.

  Defendant: John Calder, 2/M, 28 yrs. old, 6’1”/170 lbs., multiple tattoos, has priors for burglary, theft, assault, and arson

  Laytonia Drive is south of Muncaster Mill and east of Woodfield

• Gaithersburg City officers responded to the Gaithersburg Middle School on Sunday 6/24 at 2131 hours for three juveniles trespassing. While the officer was there, the suspect rode up on his bike and approached the officer from behind. He had brass knuckles on his hand and was arrested. He had a wallet with an ATM card and a Guatemalan ID inside (neither belonging to the suspect).

  Defendant: Jose Argueta, H/M, 26 yrs. old, 5’7”/160 lbs.

• A strong-armed robbery occurred in the 17000 block of King James Way on Monday 6/25 at 2200 hours. A pizza delivery person was making a delivery to that address (report not clear if this was a legitimate delivery or not). The suspects approached, displayed possibly a weapon and took the victim’s wallet with cash inside. The suspects fled towards Muddy Branch Road and Killarney Lane.

  Suspect: B/M, 20-30 yrs. old, 5’11”-6’/175-185 lbs., white shirt, blue jeans

  Suspect: B/M, 20-30 yrs. old, 5’8”-5’11”/160-170 lbs., white shirt

  King James Way is in the triangle formed by Muddy Branch, W. Diamond and I-270.

• There were two vehicles taken in the area of Washingtonian Boulevard/Rio Boulevard.

  • 6/22-6/23 FRI-SAT 2100-1000 hrs. 200 block of Rio Boulevard ’01 Ford Focus 4D
  • 6/26 TUE 1100-1830 hrs. 9800 block of Washingtonian Boulevard Sodexho Marriott garage – 4th level 04 Pontiac Grand Prix 4D

• The burglaries and thefts from vehicles in the beat were mostly concentrated in the Kentlands area and occurred overnight Thursday 6/21 to Friday 6/22. All of the burglaries pictured here were of the garages, most had unlocked vehicles inside searched. Unlocked vehicles in the community were also searched; loose items inside were taken.

• Neither of the reports for the commercial burglaries in this beat has been received yet.

  • 6/21 THU 18564 Office Park Drive All State
  • 6/24 SUN 701 Russell Avenue Unknown store

  Office Park Drive is near Montgomery Village Ave and Midcounty Highway

• A burglary at the Lake Marion Community Center occurred between 1830 hours on Thursday 6/21 and 0730 hours on Friday 6/22. Entry was through a rear gym door and a piece of aluminum bat was used to break an interior office window. Security said the doors were last checked at 0210 hours on 6/22. Three computers, two monitors and $72 were taken.

  Lake Marion Community Center is on East Village Ave.

• The Grape & Grain Boutique, 19223 Watkins Mill Road, was broken into between midnight and 0010 hours on Monday 6/25. Officers responded for an alarm call and found the front door glass broken with a rock. An unknown number of cigarette cartons and rolled coins from under the register were taken.

• Three of the thefts from vehicles occurred the night of Thursday 6/21 to Friday 6/22. All but one had the windows broken .

  • 1700-0630 hrs. 9800 block of Dellcastle Road – Broke window, nothing taken.
  • 1700-0600 hrs. Apple Ridge Road & Montgomery Village Avenue Pried lock that secured a generator in the back of a pickup truck.
  • 1500-0730 hrs. Apple Ridge Road & Montgomery Village Avenue Broke both front vent windows, took the stereo and two speakers.
  • 2100-1000 hrs. Watkins Mill Road & Crested Iris Road Broke the cab window, took the victim’s license from his wallet and left it behind, along with two screwdrivers. Took a wallet, stereo, a 14” TV and a power converter.

  Dellcastle Road is south of Apple Ridge Road, between Montgomery Village Ave & Watkins Mill; Crested Iris Road is on the other side of Watkins Mill. All four of these addresses are in the same general area.

• In the burglary at 16500 block of Walnut Hill Road on Tuesday 6/19, the suspect is the victim’s ex-boyfriend. He woke the victim up but fled when she attempted to call the police. He was arrested later that day.

  Defendant: Danny Bryan, W/M, 41 yrs. old, 5’11”/195 lbs.

  Vehicle: silver Chevrolet Silverado, MD/tags

• The two other burglaries occurred on Thursday 6/21, but do not appear to be related.

  • 0830-1700 hrs. 400 block of Sunburst Court The unknown suspect(s) removed the screws from the handle and lock of the rear basement sliding glass door. Two bedroom doors in the basement were forced open, as well as the door from the basement to the rest of the house. The victim came home and found the front door open and multiple pieces of jewelry taken.
  • 1840-1856 hrs. 300 block of N. Summit Avenue Police responded for a domestic dispute call, and the victim claimed she had heard someone at her door but did not know who it was. The front door had severe damage but no entry was made. The unknown suspect(s) also discharged the fire extinguisher.

  Sunburst Ct. is near Gaithersburg Middle School.

• Possible gang-related graffiti was found on a sign at Brighton Drive and West Deer Park Road on Friday 6/22 at 0820 hours. A black marker was used to write “Dip Shit”, “Joker” and “Juni”, as well as a Star of David and a personalized gang sign. The word “Scrib” and an unintelligible drawing were found on the other side of the sign.

  Brighton Drive is between Summit Hall Farm Park & I-270.

• A burglary occurred on Calabar Court on Sunday 6/24 between 1900 and 2140 hours. The victim is in the process of moving out and left the front and rear doors unlocked. A neighbor saw the suspects jump the fence between 1900 and 1930 and go into the victim’s yard. They were loading ‘stuff’ into a white bag and the neighbor told them they should not be there, but did not call the police. Two Playstations, a lap top computer, Air Jordan shoes, an IPod Nano, a DVD player, and ten video games were taken.

  Suspect: B/M, 14-17 yrs. old, 5’6”-5’9”, red T-shirt, carrying a black backpack

  Suspect: B/M, 14-17 yrs. old, 5’6”-5’10”, white T-shirt

  Calabar Court is near Midcounty Highway & Washington Grove Lane.

• A witness reported seeing suspects spray painting a fence and padlock at Maple Lake, 300 Grove Avenue on Friday 6/22 at 1030 hours. The suspects fled down the trail towards Kelley Park. There was nothing in the report to indicate what was written on the fence.

  Suspects: two B/M’s, both 11-12 yrs. old, 5’-5’5”/115-130 lbs.

  Grove Avenue is in Washington Grove.