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Press release via Connected Communities:

DEPARTMENT OF POLICE
MEDIA SERVICES DIVISION
2350 RESEARCH BOULEVARD ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND 20850-3294 240-773-5030
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2008 FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Media Services Division, 240-773-5030

Germantown Man Arrested for Multiple Sexual Offenses

Today, detectives from the Montgomery County Police Major Crimes Division, Homicide/Sex Section arrested Eric David Rose for rape and sexual offenses that span a period from September 2007 to March 2008. Rose, age 31, from the 18000 block of Chalet Drive in Germantown, was charged with second-degree rape, and two counts of a third degree sex offense. He is currently being held on a $500,000 bond in the Montgomery County Detention Center.

On Wednesday, March 19, a 24-year-old woman from Montgomery Village reported that she had been raped by Rose during the early morning hours of March 16. Through the course of the investigation it was learned she was acquainted with Rose and had been drinking with him and other friends earlier in the evening at a Gaithersburg bar. The victim and several co-workers later accompanied him back to his Germantown apartment. Rose provided her with drinks at his apartment and she lost consciousness. She awoke to find Rose having sexual intercourse with her. She subsequently left with a friend whom she told what had happened.

Further investigation revealed that a 20-year-old woman from Dickerson visited Rose’s apartment for a party with friends and co-workers on an evening in mid-November in 2007. This woman, who is also acquainted with Rose, accepted alcoholic drinks from him. At some point in the evening, she lapsed in and out of consciousness and could feel Rose touching her inappropriately while in a bedroom.

A 19-year-old woman from Gaithersburg, also acquainted with Rose, reported that she had accompanied a group of friends and co-workers back to Rose’s apartment on September 16, 2007, from a Gaithersburg bar. Rose served her alcohol in the apartment and she became ill and eventually lost consciousness. She awoke to find Rose touching her inappropriately while she was in a bedroom. She told Rose to stop and pushed him away.

Anyone who has information about any of these incidents is asked to contact the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070. Callers may remain anonymous. Detectives would also like to be contacted by anyone else who may have been victimized by Rose.

From the City’s website:

Agenda - Work Session: Proposed FY2009 Budget, 3/31/2008
Posted 3/21/2008

City of Gaithersburg
WORK SESSION
Mayor and City Council
Monday, March 31, 2008
7:30 P.M.

• Preliminary Guidance on Development of the Proposed FY’09 Budget
  Background Material (pdf file)

From the City’s website:

City Considers Fall Planning Charrette for Montgomery County Fairgrounds Property
Posted 3/28/2008

Members of the Montgomery County Agricultural Center Board of Directors have approached the City of Gaithersburg about possible rezoning considerations for their 62-acre property bordered by Chestnut Street, Perry Parkway and North Frederick Avenue. This property has been privately owned by the Agricultural Center since 1949, and the Board is considering their options as they explore the possibility of relocating the fair elsewhere in Montgomery County.

The prime location and historical significance of this property calls for a broad, community-wide discussion of its potential use. City officials are recommending that City staff coordinate a planning charrette, to be held some time in the Fall of 2008. Used successfully throughout the City for past development opportunities such as the Kentlands and Crown Farm, charrettes, or “planning exercises,” bring together City officials and staff, key stakeholders, the regional community and design teams in a transparent process of discovery and problem-solving. While the Fairgrounds planning consultant has developed a preliminary concept plan that envisions a town center, City officials stress that the charrette will be an open planning exercise with no preconceived notions about the appropriate future of the property. The outcome of the charrette will be a proposed vision for the study area, which can then be incorporated into the City’s Master Plan.

For more information please contact Greg Ossont, Director of Planning and Code Administration, at 301-258-6330.

Also, see my previous posts on this issue. In addtion, this Gazette article by Patricia M. Murret has some interesting background, including a hint about where the fairgrounds might move:

While nothing is final, a possible site for a new fairgrounds has been identified: the 84-acre Linthicum farm located on West Old Baltimore Road in Boyds, Svrcek said.

The grain and livestock farm, near the former Comsat site, is flanked by Interstate 270 and the proposed Corridor Cities Transitway.

Gene Walker, president of the fair board, named the Linthicum farm as a possible new location for the fair during the March 18 meeting. Charlie Linthicum was an original signer of the agricultural center’s articles of incorporation in 1949.

The property has access to water, natural gas, electricity and sewer and plenty of room for parking; still, fair officials insist nothing is a done deal.

Mark Thompson writes, Murder Trial Points to War Trauma:

A Maryland murder trial is being turned into a debate on the lingering traumatic impact of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on the psyche of the Americans who served there. The prosecution is trying to prove that Gary Smith, a one-time Army Ranger, murdered his roommate of 20 days and fellow Ranger Michael McQueen, 22, by putting a .38-caliber revolver to his right temple and pulling the trigger. Smith’s attorney, however, notes that the 25-year-old former sergeant has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following repeated combat tours, and insists that McQueen committed suicide, drunk, despondent and unemployed.

For more on this story, see my previous posts.

While the report below refers to the hotel as the Courtyard Marriott, it has recently changed hands and is now the Wyndham Garden Hotel.

From the City’s website:

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Attempted Armed Robbery

On March 27, 2008 at 2:12 a.m., officers responded to the Courtyard Marriott located at 805 Russell Avenue for an attempted armed robbery of a citizen. The victim advised that he was approached by a suspect, who was armed with a revolver, as he exited his vehicle in the parking lot. The suspect demanded money however the victim advised that he didn’t have any and he ran towards the hotel. The suspect fled the scene on foot. An investigation is ongoing.

Suspect Information: Black Male, 5-09, 170 pounds, medium complexion, short braided hair, and a mustache. Wearing a camoflage jacket and armed with a silver revolver.

Via Connected Communites, where reports for all six districts are available.

P1 Beat:

• A residential burglary occurred on Tuesday, 3/11 between 8:40 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. in the 1100 block of West Side Drive in Gaithersburg. Forced entry, property taken.
• A commercial burglary occurred at the Muddy Branch Veterinarian Center at 333 Muddy Branch Road in Gaithersburg on Sunday, 3/16 around 7:50 p.m. No forced entry, property taken.
• Theft of vehicle parts from Toyota Corollas on Duvall Lane in Gaithersburg.
  • 3/14-15 Fri.-Sat. 100 block of Duvall Lane
  • 3/17-18 Mon.-Tue. 100 block of Duvall Lane
  • 3/17-18 Mon.-Tue. 100 block of Duvall Lane

P2 Beat:

• A theft (purse snatch) occurred on Beacon Square Court in Gaithersburg on Thursday, 3/13 around 6:15 a.m. An arrest was made nearby on Sioux Lane resulting in the recovery of property. A 17-year-old male from Gaithersburg was arrested.
• An aggravated assault occurred in the 700 block of Quince Orchard Boulevard in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 3/15 at 8:35 a.m. It was domestic-related.

  Suspect: H/M 5’7”, 180 lbs., 40 years old

R1 Beat:

• No significant activity to report.

R2 Beat:

• An attempted residential burglary occurred Tuesday, 3/11 between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the unit block of Strath Haven Court in Montgomery Village. No entry was made.
• A commercial burglary was reported after a male was found in the basement of Christ the Servant Church at 9801 Centerway Road in Montgomery Village on Thursday, 3/13 around 7:15 a.m. The burglary suspect (a male) fled immediately upon his discovery. It was later learned that a side window was the point of entry
• Several thefts from vehicles occurred on Cinnabar Drive at East Village Avenue in Montgomery Village between Sunday, 3/16 at 8:00 p.m. and Monday, 3/17 at 7:00 a.m. Some vehicles were vandalized and several more had property stolen from them.

S1 Beat:

• An attempted theft (purse snatching) in the 400 block of South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg occurred on Thursday, 3/13 around 10:15 p.m. The female victim was approached by the two suspects who began tugging at her backpack and demanding money. The victim ran to the other side of the street and MCP was contacted. Both men, one age 39 of no fixed address, and a 19-year-old from Gaithersburg, were arrested nearby.
• A commercial burglary occurred at the law office at 320 East Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg between Wednesday, 3/12 at 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, 3/13 at 1:00 p.m. Forced entry, property taken.
• An attempted vehicle theft occurred overnight between Saturday, 3/15 and Sunday, 3/16 on Sapling Hill Way in Gaithersburg. Damage was done to the vehicle.
• Thefts from vehicles in Gaithersburg. Vehicles were either unlocked or showed no signs of forced entry:
  • 3/12-13 Wed.-Thu. Hutton Street
  • 3/13 Thu. Olde Town Avenue
  • 3/16-17 Sun.-Mon. Peony Drive

S2 Beat:

• An aggravated assault occurred at China Jay’s restaurant, 16805 Crabbs Branch Way in Rockville, on Saturday, 3/15 around 9:30 p.m. Two employees had a dispute over how a dish should be prepared.
• Two attempted stolen vehicle incidents both occurred overnight between Saturday, 3/15 and Sunday, 3/16. Each vehicle was damaged.
  • 18300 block of Streamside Drive in Gaithersburg 1994 Honda Accord 4-Door
  • 18800 block of Cross Country Lane in Gaithersburg 1998 Plymouth Voyager

For those of you who haven’t been reading the comments, Freeman Klopott writes:

A Montgomery County-based MS-13 gang member and illegal immigrant who allegedly stabbed a man almost to death after being released on bond following an earlier attack is now in custody in Prince William County, where his immigration status may complicate his extradition.

Milton Calderon-Melendez, 25, of El Salvador, is awaiting extradition from Prince William to Montgomery to face charges of assault and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder. Meanwhile, as Prince William’s policy dictates, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have already been informed of his illegal presence in the U.S.

The “earlier attack” referred to occurred near Odend’hal and Lost Knife — I imagine at the Lakeforest Transit Center — Calderon-Melendez is accused of punching a 15-year-old in the face, and was charged with 2nd degree assault. For those of you who think that the police tell us everything that goes on in their crime summaries, I have scoured my Gaithersblog postings from that time, as well as re-reading the police crime reports. I’ve not been able to find any previous mention of this incident. If anyone can find a contemporaneous record, please let me know.

On Aug. 20, he and Jose Gagoberto Flores Cardova allegedly assaulted Cardova’s roommate, known only as Salguero in court documents, in their 8200 Iron Clad Court apartment in Gaithersburg.

According to police, Cardova beat Salguero in the head with a baseball bat and Calderon-Melendez stabbed him in the sternum with a knife. Police found the bloody bat and a broken knife in the house after the two had already fled.

I did find a reference to this incident in the MCPD crime summaries. It says:

An aggravated assault occurred the Monday 8/20, time unknown in the 8200 block of Ironclad Court.

Keep this in mind the next time you see the words “aggravated assault”. Just for reference, the charges filed in that incident were attempted 2nd degree murder, 1st degree assault and conspiracy to commit 1st degree assault, 2nd degree assault and conspiracy to commit 2nd degree assault.

Now, a major point of the Examiner article is that Calderon-Melendez was here illegally, and if Montgomery County were more aggressive about checking immigration status in these cases, the second assault may never have happened. I don’t disagree with this point. However, I think that it is something of a distraction from the real problem, which is the extent to which people charged with crimes like this are routinely walking out of jail with a pittance for bond. In this one case perhaps the immigration issue could have forced the Court’s hand and kept them from letting Calderon-Melendez go. But citizen criminals are spinning around in this same revolving door on a daily basis, and people continue to be hurt because of it. In my mind, this is at least as much a criminal justice issue as an immigration issue..

Update: The man has returned home.

From the County’s website:

3/27/2008

Update:  Missing Gaithersburg Man Returns Home

Jonathan Oxenham, the 25-year-old missing Gaithersburg man, returned home unharmed early this morning. The family of Jonathan Oxenham and the Montgomery County Police thank the members of the media for their assistance in publicizing this missing person incident.

###

Press release via Connected Communities:

DEPARTMENT OF POLICE
MEDIA SERVICES DIVISION
2350 RESEARCH BOULEVARD ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND 20850-3294 240-773-5030
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2008 FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Media Services Division, 240-773-5030

Police Seek Public’s Help in Locating Missing Gaithersburg Man

Detectives from the 1st District Investigative Section are seeking the public’s help to locate a 25-year-old man who was last seen by his family on March 24 at approximately 1:00 a.m. at his residence in the 13800 block of Grey Colt Drive in Gaithersburg.

Jonathan Andrew Oxenham is described as a white male, 5’11” tall and weighing 225 pounds. He has brown eyes and short brown hair. He may have a few days growth of facial hair. He is believed to be wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and gray tennis shoes.

Jonathan Oxenham suffers from Bi-polar Disorder and may be suicidal. Family members do not believe he has his medication with him and are concerned for his welfare.

Anyone who has information about Jonathan Oxenham’s whereabouts is asked to call the Montgomery County Police

• Meghan Tierney writes, Man who fled police indicted for manslaughter:
  

  The man accused of killing a Gaithersburg woman while fleeing police last month has been indicted on vehicular manslaughter and other charges in connection with her death.

  Anthony James Kutten, 19, of no fixed address was indicted for leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury, failure to control speed to prevent an accident, driving without a license, two counts of fleeing to elude a police officer and two counts of failing to obey a red light, according to an online state court records database.

• Melissa A. Chadwick writes, Men indicted for three carjackings, murder:
  

  Three men have been indicted on first-degree murder charges for the stabbing death of a Wheaton man. Two of the men have also been indicted in connection with three carjacking cases in Gaithersburg and Germantown last month.

  Calvin Fitzgerald Currica, 22, of Clarksburg, Harrison Jay Bryant, 20, of Williamsburg, Va., and Randall Anthony Francis, 20, of New Carrollton, were each indicted on first-degree murder and robbery charges in connection with the Feb. 16 stabbing death of Gerald Lacayo, 22, who was found dead in an Aspen Hill apartment building.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Former Baptist minister, choir director charged with sex offense, child abuse:
  

  A former Baptist minister and youth choir director in Gaithersburg has been charged with third-degree sex offense and child abuse of a female youth choir singer that allegedly occurred over four years in the 1990s.

  Timothy Chun-Chock Mann, 47, of Hoover, Ala., a former minister at First Baptist Church of Gaithersburg, and choir director at a Alabama congregation, turned himself in to Montgomery County police on Thursday, said Lucille Baur, a county police spokeswoman. He was released on $100,000 bond the same day.

• Meghan Tierney writes, Fire rescue budget takes hit to close deficit:
  

  Four new fire stations scheduled to be built in the upcounty over the next several years are still on track, but other rescue services may be eliminated in order to help close the county’s projected $296 million budget deficit.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Gateway to Olde Towne will soon start construction:
  

  Following four years of planning and revisions, the Archstone-Smith development slated for Olde Towne Gaithersburg’s main drag was approved by the city’s planning commissioners.

  Demolition permits have been issued for 320 to 408 E. Diamond Ave. Building permits are expected to be approved in a few months and construction could begin in six months, said Greg Ossont, director of the city‘s planning and code enforcement department.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, County fairgrounds could be developed:
  

  After two years of study, county fair officials said economic considerations have forced them to entertain discussions of selling the 62-acre fairgrounds in Gaithersburg.

  While nothing is final, a possible site for a new fairgrounds has been identified: the 84-acre Linthicum farm located on West Old Baltimore Road in Boyds, Svrcek said.

• Sebastian Montes writes, Belward property questions center on deed:
  

  Some neighbors of a key piece of land where Johns Hopkins University plans to build a biotech and research campus say the proposal does not hold true to the wishes of the woman who sold the university the parcel.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Of Note Around Gaithersburg:

  • City readies to revise election code

    Gaithersburg’s mayor and council has created the Ad Hoc Elections Ordinance Review Committee, facilitated by city staff and made up of residents, to revise city election code, which was last updated in 1998 and recently came into question during a campaign finance investigation.

  • Enterprise zoneapplication authorized

    The Montgomery County Council voted last week to allow Gaithersburg’s application to designate the majority of the city’s Olde Towne Central Business District as an enterprise zone.

  • New sidewalks in Olde Towne

    With help from a state grant, the city plans to build a brick sidewalk along the south side of Olde Towne’s East Diamond Avenue, from the Cannery to the old Fire House.