gaithersblog.net

Ernesto Londoño writes:

A 7-year-old girl said she had been raped and repeatedly molested over the course of a year. Police in Montgomery County, acting on information from a relative, soon arrested a Liberian immigrant living in Gaithersburg. They marshaled witnesses and DNA evidence to prepare for trial.

What was missing — for much of the nearly three years that followed — was an interpreter fluent in the suspect’s native language. A judge recently dropped the charges, not because she found that Mahamu Kanneh had been wrongly accused but because repeated delays in the case had, in her view, violated his right to a speedy trial.

The trial date was extended repeatedly as the state and the defense argued over whether Kanneh needed an interpreter and whether he understood the legal proceedings. The state noted that Kanneh attended high school and community college in Montgomery and spoke to detectives in English. The defense insisted that he needed an interpreter to fully understand the proceedings.

From the City’s website:

City of Gaithersburg
AGENDA FOR A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING

MONDAY, JULY 23, 2007, 7:30 P.M.

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III. INVOCATION

IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the Mayor and City Council Held July 9, 2007
TBA - Background Material (pdf format)

V. CONSENT ITEMS
(resolutions for approval by the City Council that do not need discussion)

1. Resolution of the Mayor and City Council Authorizing the City Manager to Award a Contract for Rental Equipment for the Celebrate Gaithersburg Festival ($25,000)
   Background Material (pdf format)

2. Resolution of the Mayor and City Council Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract to Purchase Four (4) 2008 Dodge Charger Police Vehicles ($83,511)
   Background Material (pdf format)

3. Resolution of the Mayor and City Council Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract to Purchase One (1) Articulating Municipal Tractor with Implements ($95,480)
   Background Material (pdf format)

VI. PUBLIC APPEARANCES
(public is invited to speak on any subject that is not a public hearing topic on tonight’s agenda – each speaker three minutes)

VII. FROM THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL/ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Upcoming City Events

VIII. FROM THE CITY MANAGER

IX. PUBLIC HEARING

Resolution of the Mayor and City Council to Amend Section 5 and Section 16 of the City Charter to Increase the Salary of the Mayor and the Members of the City Council and to Create a New Section 5A of the City Charter to Require the Appointment of a Mayor and City Council Compensation Committee Every Four Years
Background Material (pdf format)

X. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, AND REGULATIONS
(ordinances, resolutions, and regulations to be introduced or adopted following appropriate procedures required by the City Code, or resolutions that may require discussion by the Mayor and Council prior to approval)

1. Resolution of the Mayor and City Council authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract for Dredging the Watkins Mill Storm Water Management Pond ($302,000)
   Background Material (pdf format)

2. Resolution of the Mayor and City Council Authorizing the City Manager to Enter Into a Contract for Security Services for City Facilities ($110,000)
   Background Material (pdf format)

3. Resolution of the Mayor and City Council Approving a Waiver of the Environmental Standards for Development Regulation to Permit Approximately One Acre of Disturbance Within the Stream Valley Buffer at Asbury Methodist Village

   Background Material (pdf format)

4. Resolution of the Mayor and City Council Approving a Waiver of the Environmental Standards for Development Regulation to Permit, at a Maximum, 0.45 acres of Disturbance Within the Stream Valley Buffer and 7.21 acres of Redevelopment within the Dam Breach Limit at the Fairfield Broadstone Property
   Background Material (pdf format)

XI. POLICY DISCUSSION AND STAFF GUIDANCE
(discussion by the Mayor and Council about previous public hearing topics and other policy matters)

Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of Gaithersburg Granting Approval of Schematic Development Plan SDP-04-001, Quince Orchard Park, Parcel A, The Vistas, Winter Walk Drive and Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland (tentative)
Background Material (pdf format)

XII. FROM THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, CITY ATTORNEY AND OTHER STAFF

• Guidance on a Memorandum Dated July 19, 2007 Concerning the Planning Commission’s Stipend
  Background Material (pdf format)

XIII. ADJOURNMENT

---

ANNOUNCEMENT

Notice to the general public is hereby given that the Mayor and City Council of Gaithersburg will not conduct a work session on Monday, July 30, 2007.

Notice to the general public is hereby given that the Mayor and City Council of the City of Gaithersburg will host a series of public educational workshops concerning the Kentlands Boulevard Commercial District. The educational workshops have been broken down into three key topic areas: transportation and transit issues will be discussed on Tuesday, July 24, retail will be the subject of discussion on Monday, July 30, 2007, and urban design concepts will be explored at a later date. All sessions are open to the public, and will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Lakelands Park Middle School, 1200 Main Street, Gaithersburg, Maryland. For more information contact Planning & Code Administration Director Greg Ossont at 301-258-6330 or gossont@gaithersburgmd.gov

Note that this meeting contains a hearing with a separate announcement:

Notice - Public Hearing: Mayor and Council Compensation, 7/23/2007
Posted 6/27/2007

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING

The Mayor and City Council of the City of Gaithersburg will hold a public hearing on:

MONDAY
July 23, 2007
7:30 p.m.

or as soon thereafter as it can be heard in the Council Chambers at Gaithersburg City Hall, 31 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, Maryland on the following:

RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL TO AMEND SECTION 5 AND SECTION 16 OF THE CITY CHARTER TO INCREASE THE SALARY OF THE MAYOR AND THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO CREATE A NEW SECTION 5A OF THE CITY CHARTER TO REQUIRE THE APPOINTMENT OF A MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL COMPENSATION COMMITTEE EVERY FOUR YEARS

Background Material (pdf format)

Further information may be obtained from the City Manager’s Office at City Hall, 31 South Summit Avenue between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

David B. Humpton
City Manager

Ernesto Londoño writes in The Washington Post:

A group opposed to illegal immigration held a two-hour protest yesterday in front of a day-laborer center in Montgomery County, calling on elected officials to stop funding the center that the county set up near Gaithersburg.

From the County’s website:

• An armed robbery occurred at Watkins Mill Road & Crested Iris Drive on Saturday 7/14 at 0330 hours. The victim is homeless and was sleeping in his vehicle. The suspect woke him up by putting a knife through the slightly open window and demanding money. The victim gave up his wallet and the suspect also took his cell phone and vehicle keys. The suspect was last seen running towards Crested Iris Drive. The victim drove to the 7-11 (with a spare key) and called the police. Suspect: B/M, 20-30 yrs. old, 5’9”-5’11”/160-180 lbs., bald head, dark complexion, black bandana, black shirt

  Crested Iris Drive is off Watkins Mill, south of where it meets Apple Ridge Rd.

• The Lake Marion Community Center, 8821 E. Village Avenue was broken into again on Wednesday 7/18 at 0200 hours. A citizen heard banging and called the police. A pipe was used to break the rear locker room window. The suspects opened every locker, and kicked the bottom of the door to gain access to the lobby. They opened several desk drawers and broke into a vending machine. They took a computer from the lobby, as well as three cases of Powerade, an unknown amount of snack food and a fingerprint kit. Officers chased the Suspects but lost them in the area of Delcris Drive. The suspects dropped the computer and keyboard during the pursuit and they were recovered.

  Suspects: four B/M’s, all 16-19 yrs. old, with black shirts, NFD

  Lake Marion Community Center is just south of Warfield Road, between Goshen & Woodfield.

• The aggravated assault at 355 West Side Drive on Wednesday 7/11 at 2355 hours was committed by the victim’s boyfriend. Witnesses intervened after they saw the suspect beating the victim and he fled on foot. Investigation is continuing.

  Suspect: B/M, 42 yrs. old, 6’/170 lbs., bald, black skull cap, grey T-shirt

• The aggravated assault at 17219 King James Way on Monday 7/16 at 0710 hours was committed by a known suspect. The suspect cut the victim with a knife and was arrested on the scene.

  Defendant: Kathy Degraffenreid, B/F, 44 yrs. old, 5’/140 lbs., has priors for gun in vehicle, CDS

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

• An assault occurred at Target, 25 Grand Corner Avenue on Sunday 7/15 at 1950 hours. The victim encountered the suspect at the elevator and exchanged small talk. The suspect followed the victim throughout the store. At one point he told her she had something on her back and fondled her buttocks while he was ‘brushing’ it off. He approached her a third time and was asking her opinion on other products.

  Suspect: W/M, 30’s, 5’7”-5’8”/200 lbs., silky blue shirt, light blue pants, black watch

  That would be the Washingtonian Target.

• On Monday 7/16 at 0244 hours, an aggravated assault against two MCP officers occurred at Emory Grove Road and Gingerbread Lane. Officers saw the suspects run a red light and started a pursuit. The suspects attempted to ram two cruisers and wrecked on Emory Grove Road. The suspect vehicle had been stolen earlier in the night from West Side Drive.

  Gingerbread Lane is east of Goshen, near Strawberry Knoll.

• The burglary at 400 block of Muddy Branch Road on Tuesday 7/10 between 0600 and 1900 hours may have been committed by the maintenance staff. The victim’s 10-year-old son was home alone and heard footsteps in the apartment, and the sound of someone going to the bathroom. He called his mother at work but was too scared to look outside his bedroom. The victim thought it was maintenance and told her son not to worry about it. When she got home, she discovered a jar with approximately $100 of coins missing from a table. She called the management office and no maintenance personnel were scheduled to be in her apartment that day.

• Three of the thefts from vehicles in this beat were from Honda Accords and one was from an Acura product. The three Hondas all had the window broken and the window was forced down in the Acura.

  • 7/10-7/11 TUE-WED 1900-0730 hrs. 200 block of Water Street Took both airbags from a ’02 Honda Accord.
  • 7/11-7/12 WED-THU 1800-0800 hrs. 17000 block of King James Way Took two airbags from a ’02 Honda Accord.
  • 7/15-7/16 SUN-MON 1900-0830 hrs. 400 block of West Side Drive Took a portable GPS from a ’07 Honda Accord.
  • 7/16-7/17 MON-TUE 1930-0630 hrs. Deer Trail Court Took the stereo, speakers and an amplifier from a 97 Acura Integra.

  Water Street is near Muddy Branch & W Diamond. Deer Trail Ct. is off Alderwood, which is off MD28 west of Muddy Branch.

• A ’03 Kawasaki Ninja was taken from Plum Grove Way between 2300 hours on Tuesday 7/10 and 0430 hours on Wednesday 7/11. The vehicle was found abandoned in the water in Malcolm-King Park in the P1 beat on 7/11.

  Plum Grove Way is between Muddy Branch & Sam Eig, north of Diamondback.

• A ’95 Honda Accord was taken from an unknown address on West Side Drive sometime around 2300 hours on Sunday 7/15. The suspects were involved in a police pursuit in the S2 beat and were ultimately arrested. There were multiple screwdrivers found in the vehicle. The suspects could possibly be involved with several recent thefts from and of vehicles in the area.
  Defendant: Juvenile, B/M, 17 yrs. old, 5’9”/160 lbs,. “MOB” tattoo on his right arm, has priors for robbery, burglary, auto theft & CDS, of 18000 block of Royal Bonnet Circle

  Defendant: Oscar Noyola, H/M, 18 yrs. old, 5’7”/180 lbs. , “MOB” tattoo on his right arm, has priors for burglary, auto theft, CDS, of 8031 Harbor Tree Way

• A garage burglary occurred at Winter Walk Drive on Thursday 7/12 between 1645 and 1700 hours. The victim had left the door open and came back to find a bicycle missing. A small red Pacifica bike was left behind by the suspect. The victim has seen the suspect riding that Pacifica bike in the area earlier that day. The bike was left on the scene for AAU to pick up.

  Suspect: B/M, 13-14 yrs. old, 5’5”-5’7”, heavy build, NFD

• There was a burglary at the construction site at 655 Watkins Mill Drive between 1600 hours on Thursday 7/12 and 0530 hours on Friday 7/13. A rock was used to break a side door window and seven rolls of copper wire were taken. There have been similar events in the S2 beat recently.

  Winter Walk Drive is in Quince Orchard Park.

• The residential burglary in the 9500 block of Horizon Run Road on Wednesday 7/11 between 0730 and 2330 may have been committed by known suspects. The suspects called the victim several times during the day to see if he was home. A watch that the first Suspect gave the victim was in plain view on a table and was untouched. However, there is no proof at this time that they are involved.

  Horizon Run Road is south of Midcounty Hwy, between Goshen & Montgomery Village Ave

• A possible attempted burglary occurred at 10240 Ridgeline Drive between 1300 and 1630 hours on Wednesday 7/11. The victim came home and found the front door frame kicked and severely damaged but no entry was made.

  Ridgeline Drive parallels Club House Road, between Watkins Mill and Montgomery Village Ave.

• There were several thefts from vehicles in the beat, with a variety of methods. Only loose property was taken in all the events except one. The stereo was also taken in a theft at Stedwick Drive & Capehart Drive on Tuesday 7/17 at midnight. A witness saw the suspects break the vehicle window, with one suspect acting as a lookout. Officers chased the Suspects and three ran towards Watkins Mill and one ran towards Capehart Drive. A cell phone fell out of the named suspect’s hand. Officers were able to use the information on the phone to determine his name but that have not talked to him yet.

  Capheart Dr. is a bit west of Watkins Mill, off Stedwick.

• A residential burglary occurred on De Sellum Avenue on Sunday 7/15 at 0445 hours. The victim woke up and came downstairs to find the suspect leaving the victim’s son’s bedroom. The suspect fled out the door but the victim did not pursue him. The victim found a strange key in the front door deadbolt lock. Nothing was taken.

  Suspect: Unknown race M, 6’/160 lbs., grey hooded sweatshirt, grey sweatpants

  De Sellum is near Gaithersburg High School.

• A commercial burglary occurred at Singleton Electric Company, 8013 Queenair Drive between Friday 7/13 and Monday 7/16. Entry was made by breaking a side door window. A forklift inside was used to take the property. On 7/14 at about 1500 hours, a witness saw the suspect vehicle drive past the business and park for a time in front of the business. The witness gave the tag number to the officer.

  Queenair Drive is in the Air Park.

• A residential burglary occurred on Wheat Fall Drive on Monday 7/16 at 2244 hours. The victim was in the basement and heard footsteps upstairs. The victim’s dog ran outside barking. The side door had been open with the screen door unlocked. The victim saw the Suspect vehicle drive slowly past his residence. The victim’s lap top computer had been just inside the door and the victim found it on top of his vehicle in the driveway. A neighbor told officers that he has seen the suspect vehicle in the area previously.

  Vehicle: white medium-sized sedan, right front ¼ panel was black, NFD

  Wheat Fall Drive is near Midcounty & Shady Grove.

• Officers found suspects drinking alcohol in the area of Washington Grove Lane and Flower Hill Way on Friday 7/13 at 2115 hours. The suspects were written citations and officers obtained consent to search the vehicle. Four shotgun shells were found in the glove box and a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun was in the trunk. The first suspect claimed he found it behind a house in PG County the week before. No gun charges were placed. Investigation is continuing.