gaithersblog.net

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

P1 Beat:

• A residential burglary occurred in the 17000 block of Downing Street in Gaithersburg on Monday, 7/14 between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Unknown entry, nothing taken.

  Suspects: 2 B/Ms, juveniles

• A commercial burglary occurred at LJ’s Café located at 9210 Corporate Boulevard in Gaithersburg between Friday, 7/18 at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, 7/19 at 9:00 a.m. Forced entry and property was removed.
• A theft of auto parts occurred in the 400 block of Muddy Branch Road in Gaithersburg between Monday, 7/14 at 8:40 p.m. and Tuesday, 7/15 at 6:30 a.m. The wheels were stolen from a 2004 Honda. In addition, the Honda and 2001 Dodge Durango had damage to the ignitions.
• An aggravated assault occurred in the parking lot of 17 Water Street in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 7/19 at 10:00 p.m. A group of adult males assaulted an adult male with a pipe.

  Suspects: (8) males, 22-25 years old

P2 Beat:

• A rape occurred on Tuesday, 7/15 in the 800 block of Clopper Road in Gaithersburg that was domestic. Investigation is continuing.

R1 Beat:

• A strong-arm robbery occurred at Contour Road and Horizon Run Road in Montgomery Village on Monday, 7/21 at 11:45 p.m. The adult male victim had just exited a bus when he was assaulted by as many as ten suspects and his property was taken.

  Suspects: (10) H/Ms, 15-18 years old

• A commercial burglary occurred at the Holiday Inn located at 2 Montgomery Village Avenue in Gaithersburg sometime on Thursday, 7/17 between 6:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. No forced entry, property taken.

R2 Beat:

• A residential burglary occurred in the 8800 block of Welbeck Way in Montgomery Village on Sunday, 7/20 around 2:00 p.m. No forced entry, nothing taken. Two 18-year-old males were arrested.
• An armed robbery occurred at Rothbury Lane and Rothbury Drive in Montgomery Village on Monday, 7/21 at 2:45 a.m. A 14 year old victim and his brother were assualted by three suspects, one who displayed a handgun. The suspects fled after obtaining the victim’s property

  Suspect: B/M, 16 to 19 years old, 5’6” to 5’9” tall, muscular, mask
  Suspect: B/M, 16 to 19 years old, 6’0” to 6’2” tall, BB gun, ski mask
  Suspect: B/M, 16 to 19 years old, 5’2” to 5’4” tall, skinny, ski mask

• A vehicle was stolen from the 20100 block of Rothbury Drive in Montgomery Village between Monday, 7/21 at 9:00 p.m. and Tuesday, 7/22 at 4:00 a.m.

  Suspect: B/M 18-22 years, 5’6” to 5’8” tall, 140-160, crew cut, black tee shirt
  Suspect: B/M 18-24 years, 5’8” to 5’10” tall, dredlocks, white tee shirt, dark blue jeans

S1 Beat:

• A commercial burglary occurred at The Ay! Jalisco restaurant located at 425 South Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 7/19 at 3:45 a.m. Forced entry, property taken
• A commercial burglary occurred at the Wow Deli located at 9029 Gaither Road in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 7/19 at 12:13 a.m. Forced entry, property taken.
• A commercial burglary occurred at Zio’s Restaurant located at 9083 Gaither Road in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 7/19 at 12:13 a.m. Forced entry, property taken.
• An attempted commercial burglary occurred at The Shady Grove Barber & Beauty shop located at 9049 Gaither Road on Saturday, 7/19 at 12:13 a.m. Attempted forced entry, nothing taken.
• Five thefts from vehicle occurred along the North Summit Avenue corridor in Gaithersburg between Wednesday, 7/16 and Friday, 7/18. Forced entries, GPS , a car stereo, speakers, and various power tools taken.

S2 Beat:

• An attempted strong-arm robbery occurred at Kildonan Drive and Torran Rocks Way in Gaithersburg on Thursday, 7/17 at 7:20 p.m. The adult male victim was approached from behind by two male suspects and assaulted, nothing taken. A 17-year-old male and an 18-year-old male were arrested.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 8500 block of Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg on Wednesday, 7/23 at 12:30 a.m. Forced entry, unknown property taken. An adult female and a juvenile female were arrested.

Update 4: The second round of charges have been dropped due to a possible error; an attempted carjacking charge may be added. See my more recent post for details.

Update 3: The MCPD has arrested a suspected 17-year-old accomplice from Gaithersburg, and McKenzie-Gude is back in Jail with bail now set at $1 million:

8/1/2008

Update: Charges Filed Against 17-Year-Old in Connection with Illegal Possession of Guns and Explosives

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Firearms Investigative Unit have charged a juvenile in connection with the illegal possession of firearms and chemicals commonly used in the manufacturing of explosives.

At approximately 4:30 p.m. today, a 17-year-old from Gaithersburg who had been developed as a potential accomplice, turned himself in to police at the 1st District station in Rockville. He was charged as a juvenile with theft, computer misuse, and conspiracy. The teen had served as a student intern with the Montgomery County Police 1st District Station from May 19, 2008, until he was developed as a suspect in this incident. Montgomery County Police stationery “letterhead” was found in both the residences of the 17-year-old and McKenzie-Gude. No weapons or explosive materials were found in the residence of the 17-year-old.

On Wednesday, July 30, Collin McKenzie-Gude, age 18, of the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda, turned himself in to police at the Montgomery County Police 1st District Station in Rockville. Montgomery County Police Firearms Unit detectives and Fire Department Fire and Explosives investigators served an arrest warrant charging him with five counts of possession of a regulated firearm or ammunition by a minor, possession of a destructive device, and possession of explosive material. (An individual must be 21 years of age to legally possess certain types of firearms in the state of Maryland.) He was later released after payment of $115,000 bond.

Yesterday, July 31, investigators from the Fire Department Fire and Explosives Investigative Unit placed additional charges against McKenzie-Gude. He was charged with five counts of manufacturing/possession/distribution/use of a destructive device. As Fire and Explosive personnel investigated, they learned that McKenzie-Gude and a 17-year-old male from Gaithersburg had constructed and detonated destructive devices in a field located near the 21500 block of Goshens Edge Court in Gaithersburg. Five devices were reconstructed at the scene by a Fire Department bomb technician. The recovered devices were identical in type and form to those seized in the search of McKenzie-Gude home.

After it was learned that the father of McKenzie-Gude had purchased the firearms found at their residence; Joseph Lane Gude, age 62, of the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda, was charged by District Court Summons with perjury, straw purchase of a firearm (a person purchasing a firearm for someone who can not legally possess it), and straw purchase to a minor prohibited of possessing a firearm

The motive for the possession of the firearms and chemicals remains under investigation. Through the course of the investigation it was learned that McKenzie-Gude was a 2008 graduate St. John’s College High School located at 2607 Military Road in NW Washington, D.C. It is still not known if the list of the home addresses of the faculty members at that private school, which was found at the McKenzie-Gude residence, had anything to do with the firearms and explosive materials. No other evidence has been recovered to connect that list to any specific action.

The investigation began after the Gaithersburg Police Department received a tip from a citizen. Detectives and Fire and Explosives investigators obtained a search warrant for a residence in the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda that might contain illegally possessed firearms. On July 29, at 12:30 p.m. the search warrant was served. Four illegally possessed assault rifles, two shotguns, one handgun, and ammunition were seized. In addition, chemicals and components commonly used to manufacture homemade explosives were also recovered.

McKenzie-Gude is now being held on $1,000,000 bond at the Montgomery County Detention Center. The juvenile has been released into the custody of his parents. Any and all further disposition of the 17-year-old will be handled by the Department of Juvenile Justice.

# # #

Contact: Media Services Division Phone: 240.773.5030

Update 2: Patricia M. Murret and Bradford Pearson write, Bethesda teen jailed on explosives charges posts bond:

According to charging documents, officials found a H & K USP 9mm handgun, two AK-47 assault rifles, an LAR-15 assault rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and two bulletproof vests during a search on Tuesday of Colin McKenzie-Gude’s home in Bethesda’s Ashburton neighborhood.

They also found PVC and threaded metal pipes like those used for pipe bombs, muriatic acid, hydrochloric acid and other assorted chemicals used for bomb making.

A homemade percussion grenade and plans for more explosive devices were also recovered, according to the court documents.

Update: Dan Morse has fleshed out his story in the Washington Post:

McKenzie-Gude’s grandfather, retired Army Col. Joseph L. Gude, 87, of Chevy Chase, said the teenager had been on the rifle team at St. John’s and had earned good grades. “I always thought he was very nice, very polite,” he said of his grandson, adding that he was “pretty enthusiastic about the rifle team.”

Col. Gude added that his son, Joseph, served in Vietnam, spent nine years in the Air Force and has worked for the Treasury Department.

Also, the Montgomery County Police have released a photo of Colin McKenzie-Gude, obtained here via Connected Communities; click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

From the County’s website:

7/30/2008

Update: Illegal Possession of Firearms and Explosives Suspect Turns Himself in to Police

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Firearms Investigative Unit and the Fire and Explosives Investigative Unit are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the illegal possession by an 18-year-old male of firearms and chemicals commonly used in the manufacturing of explosives.

This afternoon, Colin McKenzie-Gude, age 18, of the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda, turned himself in to police at the Montgomery County Police 1st District Station in Rockville. The arrest warrant will be served charging him with five counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a minor, possession of a destructive device, and possession of explosive material. (An individual must be 21 years of age to legally possess certain types of firearms in the state of Maryland.)

The motive for the possession of the firearms and chemicals remains under investigation. Through the course of the investigation it was learned that McKenzie-Gude was a 2008 graduate St. John’s College High School located at 2607 Military Road in NW Washington, D.C. For as yet unknown reasons, it was discovered that McKenzie-Gude was in the process of compiling a list of the addresses of the faculty members at that private school.

The investigation began after the Gaithersburg Police Department received a tip from a citizen. Detectives and fire marshals obtained a search warrant for a residence in the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda that might contain illegally possessed firearms. Yesterday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. the search warrant was served. Four illegally possessed assault rifles, two shotguns, one handgun, and ammunition were seized. In addition, chemicals and components commonly used to manufacture homemade explosives were also recovered.

# # #

Contact: Media Services Division Phone: 240.773.5030

Also from the County’s website:

7/30/2008

Update: Father of 18-Year-Old Charged

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Firearms Investigative Unit and the Fire and Explosives Investigative Unit continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the illegal possession by an 18-year-old male of firearms and chemicals commonly used in the manufacturing of explosives.

While investigating how the teen came to possess the firearms, it was learned that his father, Joseph Lane Gude, age 62, of the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda, had purchased the firearms for his son. He has been charged by District Court Summons with perjury, straw purchase of a firearm (a person purchasing a firearm for someone who can not legally possess it), and straw purchase to a minor prohibited of possessing a firearm

This afternoon, Colin McKenzie-Gude, age 18, of the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda, turned himself in to police at the Montgomery County Police 1st District Station in Rockville. The arrest warrant will be served charging him with five counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a minor, possession of a destructive device, and possession of explosive material. (An individual must be 21 years of age to legally possess certain types of firearms in the state of Maryland.)

The motive for the possession of the firearms and chemicals remains under investigation. Through the course of the investigation it was learned that McKenzie-Gude was a 2008 graduate St. John’s College High School located at 2607 Military Road in NW Washington, D.C. For as yet unknown reasons, it was discovered that McKenzie-Gude was in the process of compiling a list of the addresses of the faculty members at that private school.

The investigation began after the Gaithersburg Police Department received a tip from a citizen. Detectives and fire marshals obtained a search warrant for a residence in the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda that might contain illegally possessed firearms. Yesterday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. the search warrant was served. Four illegally possessed assault rifles, two shotguns, one handgun, and ammunition were seized. In addition, chemicals and components commonly used to manufacture homemade explosives were also recovered.

# # #

Contact: Media Services Division Phone: 240.773.5030

Press reports:

• Patricia M. Murret and Bradford Pearson write in the Gazette, Teen turns himself in to police on weapons charges:
  

  Colin McKenzie-Gude, of the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda, had been compiling a list of addresses of St. John’s faculty members, police said in a statement. They do not know the reason for the list.

  The investigation continues, said Lucille Baur, a county police spokeswoman. Police have not yet determined whether other weapons or explosives could be ‘‘secreted” elsewhere.

  During the investigation, police determined that McKenzie-Gude’s father, Joseph Lane by Gude, 62, of the same address had purchased the guns for his son. He has now been charged court summons with perjury, straw purchase of a firearm (purchasing a firearm for someone not legally allowed to own it) and straw purchase to a minor prohibited of possessing a firearm. He must appear in court to face the charges.

• Dan Morse writes in the Washington Post, Md. Teen Found With Guns Had List of Teachers: Police:
  

  McKenzie-Gude turned himself in to police today at a Montgomery County police district station in Rockville, a day after the police search of his home in the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda.

  Detectives and fire marshals found four illegally possessed assault rifles, two shotguns, one handgun, and ammunition, police said. They said they also found more than 50 pounds of chemicals and several gallons of liquids inside the Bethesda home where McKenzie-Gude lives, though they did not specify what these materials were. Police got a tip from a citizen that prompted them to search the house.

• WTOP reports, Dad, son charged after firearms found in home:
  

  Police say Colin’s father, 62-year-old Joseph Lane Gude, bought the firearms for his son. Joseph Lane Gude is charged with perjury, straw purchase of a firearm (a person purchasing a firearm for someone who cannot legally possess it), and straw purchase to a minor prohibited of possessing a firearm.

  It is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess certain firearms in Maryland.

See this post for earlier details.

I’ve received the following press release via email:

Concerned Taxpayers of Montgomery County
C/o Bruce Drury
9309 West Parkhill Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20814

Contact: Neil Harris, neilharris@kentlandsusa.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Petition Protests Montgomery County Acquisition of GE Property

(Gaithersburg, MD, July 29, 2008) A petition drive opposing the County Executive’s plan to acquire the former National Geographic campus, currently known as the GE tech Park, in Gaithersburg has gathered close to 900 signatures from citizens throughout Montgomery County. The first batch of petitions will be delivered to County officials on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 1:00 PM at Room 501, Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD.

The petition drive is led by Concerned Taxpayers of Montgomery County (CTMC), a civic organization. The group has discovered that the County’s plan involves a secretive land swap deal where public land is traded for one of the most expensive available parcels in the County.

Says CTMC member Adrienne Gillen, “In a year when the County is dealing with an enormous budget deficit, it makes no sense to buy this particular tract. It makes even less sense to trade away the public land near the Shady Grove Metro to one developer, excluding other developers who might want to pursue rights to it. At a time of burgeoning budget deficits, the County should not set it sights on acquiring some of the most expensive real estate available anywhere in the County. ”

The CTMC estimates the value of the tract at well over $100 million, and it appears that other tracts in the County are available for between $5 and $40 million. Moreover, the current GE Tech Park buildings will require tens of millions of dollars of improvements, according to County spokespeople.

The County Executive’s office has repeatedly emphasized that the deal is being structured as “cost neutral.” Said Ms. Gillen, “’cost neutral’ sounds good until you realize that it is just a code – the County charter gives the Executive the right to trade items as long as they are cost neutral. We question if this clause should apply to land swaps involving multiple parties, swaps transferring hundreds of millions of dollars. Does using the phrase ‘cost neutral’ eliminate the need for transparency?”

Richard Arkin, a community activist, has filed a Freedom of Information request for details on the County’s financing of the plan. Instead of providing the information, the County Executive’s office asked for more than $16,000 to gather the information.

Aside from the fiscal issues, residents are concerned about the location of the main County liquor warehouse next door to the Lakelands Park Middle School. State law prohibits locating establishments that sell liquor within proximity to schools.

“The County seems to believe that this law does not apply to it,” said Neil Harris of CTMC. “That may be its legal position, but ethically this is just plain wrong. The law exists to set a proper example for our children. Does this make sense?”

Said Rachael Hammoudeh, chairperson of the Concerned Taxpayers, “There are so many things wrong with this plan – it is too expensive, too secret, too vague about the County’s future plans for the land, and it places a liquor distribution operation too close to a Middle School. We are bringing this to the County Council to plead for some sense.”

# # #

The CTMC is a civic organization that is opposed to Montgomery County’s plan to purchase the GE property.
For more information, contact Neil Harris at neilharris@kentlandsusa.com.

Update 2: McKenzie-Gude turns himself in; his father is also charged. See this post for more details.

Update:Patricia M. Murret and Bradford Pearson have posted a story on the Gazette’s website this morning, headlined Guns, explosives discovered in home:

At about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, 10 vehicles, including a bomb squad truck, surrounded a split-level home in the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road, off Old Georgetown Road, which police said is a residence of McKenzie-Gude. Investigators were seen removing several crates, at least one marked ‘‘evidence,” from the home. At one point, a dismantled computer sat in the driveway.

Gaithersburg Police Chief John King said Tuesday that the investigation involves the Bethesda location and a second location in Gaithersburg. He declined to elaborate, citing the impending investigation.

Also, Channel 4 has a story up which includes a photograph of McKenzie-Gude; click on the image below for a larger version.

McKenzie-Gude is a recent graduate of St. John’s College High School. Detectives said he does not have a criminal record, and Montgomery County police said they do not know why he allegedly had weapons and chemicals.

“His motive is something that detectives are trying to work on,” Lt. Paul Starks said. “That’s part of the investigation. It’s still very early.”
News of the find quickly spread through the upscale Bethesda community.

“I was literally shocked, because you think you know your neighbors, and they seem like very nice people — very reserved, very friendly when you see them on the street,” neighbor Stacy Riska said. “And you just never expect something like this to happen two houses away from you.”

From the County’s website. Note that this is an “update” because there was a previous version of this release that differs from this one only in that it did not include the name of the suspect. This caught my attention mostly because of the involvement of the Gaithersburg Police Department:

7/29/2008

Update: Illegal Firearms and Explosives Seized From Bethesda Residence

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Firearms Investigative Unit and the Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the illegal possession of firearms and chemicals commonly used in the manufacturing of explosives.

Detectives have obtained a warrant for Colin McKenzie-Gude, age 18, of the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda, charging him with five counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a minor, possession of a destructive device, and possession of explosive material.

Acting on a tip from a citizen to the Gaithersburg Police Department, detectives and fire marshals obtained a search warrant for a residence in the 6300 block of Rockhurst Road in Bethesda. This afternoon at 12:30 p.m. the warrant was served. Five illegally possessed assault rifles, one handgun, and ammunition were seized. In addition, chemicals and components commonly used to manufacture homemade explosives were also recovered.

Anyone who has information concerning the whereabouts of Colin McKenzie-Gude is asked to call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000. The investigation is continuing.

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

P1 Beat:

• An assault occurred in the 100 block of Duvall Lane in Gaithersburg on Friday, 7/11 at 6:30 a.m. The adult male suspect, who was known to the victim, knocked on the female victim’s door asking to use the bathroom. Once inside, the suspect used the victim’s phone, and then assaulted the victim. A 25-year-old male was arrested.
• A strong-arm street robbery occurred on Water Street in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 7/12 around 1:30 a.m. The adult female victim was approached in the lot by the adult male suspect, who called her a derogatory name and when the victim began to call police, he grabbed the phone and fled on foot.

  Suspect: H/M 19-20 years, 5’0” to 5’1” tall, 120 lbs.

R1 Beat:

• An attempted strong-arm robbery occurred in the park in the 18400 block of Lost Knife Circle in Montgomery Village on Thursday, 7/10 around 12:20 a.m. The adult male victim stated he was working on his computer when two suspects approached and tried to take his computer. The victim grabbed his computer and ran. No property was stolen.

  Suspect: W/M, 18-20 years old, 5’7” to 5’9” tall, long blond hair, yellow shirt
  Suspect: B/M, 18-20 years old, 5’6” to 5’8” tall, 140-160 lbs.

• An aggravated assault occurred on a path adjacent to the 9500 block of Treyford Terrace in Montgomery Village on Monday, 7/14 around 4:40 p.m. The juvenile male victim was assaulted by four H/Ms. No property was taken.

  Suspects: (4) H/M’s, NFD

R2 Beat:

• A strong-arm robbery occurred in the parking lot of the Montgomery Village Shopping Center, near Denny’s located at 19290 Montgomery Village Avenue in Montgomery Village on Monday, 7/14 around 7:20 p.m. Four male suspects approached the adult male victim and assaulted him and took property. All suspects fled on foot.

  Suspect: B/M 17-20 years old, 5’9” to 6’0” tall, 130 lbs., corn rows, yellow t-shirt, black shorts
  Suspect: B/M 17-20, 5’9” to 6’0” tall, 120 lbs., dredlocks, white t-shirt, yellow shorts
  Suspects: (2) B/Ms, 17-20 years old, 5’9” to 6’0” tall, one with corn rows

• An attempted armed robbery occurred outside the McDonalds located at 19388 Montgomery Village Avenue in Montgomery Village on Tuesday, 7/15 around 10:50 p.m. Inside the McDonalds the suspect asked the victim if he was selling his mini-motorcycle in the lot. When the victim replied no, the suspect went outside and began walking away with the bike. The victim and others confronted the suspect, who fled in a vehicle occupied by others. An 18-year-old male from Montgomery Village was arrested. Others in the vehicle were described as:

  Suspect: B/M, 18-21 years old, 6’3” to 6’5”, 140 to 160 lbs., dredlocks, chipped tooth
  Suspect: B/M,17-18 years old, crew cut, blue shirt, blue jeans.

• A theft (purse snatch) occurred in the parking lot of 19600 block of Club House Road in Montgomery Village on Monday, 7/7 around 11:45 a.m. The suspect ran up behind the adult female victim, grabbed her purse from her shoulder and fled on foot towards Watkins Mill Road.

  Suspect: B/M, 20-25 years old, 5’9” to 5’11” tall, 160-175 lbs., dredlocks

• A commercial burglary occurred at 19110 Montgomery Village Avenue in Montgomery Village on Tuesday, 7/8 around 5:00 a.m. Forced entry, nothing taken.

  Suspect: W/M, 5’8” to 5’10” tall, 130-150 lbs., long blond hair, grey t-shirt, grey shorts, blue gloves

• A theft from vehicle occurred in the 10700 block of Donovan Court in Montgomery Village on Tuesday, 7/8 around 1:45 a.m. No forced entry, GPS taken.

  Suspect: W/M, 5’10” to 6’0” tall, 160-170 lbs., unshaven, short brown hair.

S1 Beat:

• A commercial burglary occurred at a dental office located at 604 South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg between Thursday, 7/10 at 5:50 p.m. and Friday, 7/11 at 8:15 a.m. Forced entry, property taken.
• A commercial burglary occurred at the El Salvadoreno Market located at 445 South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg on Monday, 7/14 around 11:50 p.m. Forced entry, property taken. Two arrests were made on 7/15.

S2 Beat:

• A strong-arm robbery occurred near the Flower Hill Giant at Woodfield Road and Flower Hill Way in Gaithersburg on Friday, 7/11 around 11:30 p.m. The two male suspects asked the juvenile male victim for money and when the victim declined, they assaulted the victim and took his money.

  Suspect: W/M, 16-17 years old, 6’0” tall, 150-160 lbs., long blond hair
  Suspect: B/M, 15-16 years old, 5’9” tall, 120-130 lbs.

• An attempted residential burglary occurred in the unit block of Stalvey Hill Court in Gaithersburg on Monday, 7/7 around 10:40 p.m. Attempted forced entry, nothing taken.
• A residential garage burglary occurred in the 19900 block of Hamil Circle in Gaithersburg on Wednesday, 7/9 between 1:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. No forced entry, property taken.
• A commercial burglary occurred at the Botanical Decorators located at 5011 Olney Laytonsville Road in Laytonsville on Friday, 7/11 around 3:30 a.m. No forced entry, property taken.

• A theft from vehicle occurred in the 17900 block of Teri Drive in Gaithersburg overnight on Thursday, 7/10 between 12:00 a.m. and 7:55 a.m. Forced entry, nothing taken.
• A theft of vehicle parts occurred in the 19900 block of Tygart Lane in Gaithersburg between Wednesday, 7/9 at 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, 7/10 at 7:00 a.m. Unknown suspects removed the tire/wheel from a vehicle.
• A theft from vehicle occurred in the 8100 block of Crabapple Drive in Gaithersburg between Tuesday, 7/8 at 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday, 7/9 at 10:00 a.m. Forced entry, GPS taken.
• A theft from vehicle occurred in the 8000 block of Crabtree Place in Gaithersburg between Sunday, 7/13 at 4:00 p.m. and Monday, 7/14 at 7:30 a.m. Forced entry, GPS taken.
• A theft from vehicle occurred in the 18400 block of Honey Locust Circle in Gaithersburg on Wednesday, 7/9 between 9:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. No forced entry, purse taken.

From the City’s website:

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Aggravated Assault

At 8:54 p.m., the suspect pulled a knife on known victims in the 300 block of North Summit Avenue and threatened to kill them. Police located suspect who was arrested and charged with First Degree Assault. Victim sustained no injuries.

Burglary

On 07/24/08, between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., unknown suspect(s) entered a residence in the 300 block of Alderwood Drive. Nothing taken. Investigation to continue.

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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Burglary

On 07/22/08, at approximately 1:01 a.m., police responded to the 500 block of S Frederick Avenue for the report of a burglary. The victim woke up and saw the suspect at her window. The suspect fled the scene.

Suspect - Hispanic male, wearing dark clothing.

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Monday, July 21, 2008

Burglary

On 07/21/08, at approximately 9:30 a.m., police responded to Salon Red located at 224 Main Street for the report of a burglary. There were no signs of forced entry. Property had been taken.

On 07/21/08, at approximately 11:30 a.m., police responded to the 200 block of Booth Street for the report of a burglary. There were no signs of forced entry. Property was taken.

From the City’s website:

Angel Jones Appointed Gaithersburg City Manager
Posted 7/28/2008

Following a six month search process the Mayor and City Council announce the appointment of Angel Jones as Gaithersburg’s new City Manager. She will begin on September 29, 2008.

“Angel was our top candidate for the position and we are delighted that she has agreed to come to Gaithersburg,” said Mayor Sidney Katz. “She has an extensive background in community development and collaboration, and we look forward to Angel working closely with residents, staff and elected officials to help our community navigate a future that is filled with both challenge and opportunity.”

“The time has come to where a culmination of all of my experiences will afford me the opportunity to provide leadership to a great city!” said Jones. “I am committed to ensuring transparency, responsiveness and accountability. I consider myself fortunate to have an engaged citizenry, a dedicated group of elected officials and a professional and responsive organizational team as my first city manager assignment. I’m also excited to be returning to the east coast to join family and reconnect with friends.”

With a municipal background spanning more than two decades, Jones brings a range of experience to her new position. Most recently she served as Assistant City Manager in Eugene, Oregon, a community with just over 150,000 residents, 1,547 municipal employees and a budget of $475.7 million. Other experiences include Executive Director of Eugene’s Department of Library, Recreation and Cultural Services, Deputy Director of the City of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, and Financial Manager/Analyst with Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Virginia Union University.

“Ms. Jones has the leadership qualities and commitment to public service that exemplifies all that we have come to expect from our employees. Her skills and style of leadership will keep us moving forward in the next era for Gaithersburg to make it an even greater place to live, work, learn and play,” added Council Member Mike Sesma. Council Member Jud Ashman also noted that “with her experience in management and budgeting, her passion for municipal government and community outreach, a truly inspirational story and a long string of successes to her name, Angel Jones is going to be a great leader for our great City.”

Gaithersburg’s City Manager is appointed by the City Council and serves as the chief administrative officer for the City. Jones will manage Gaithersburg’s administrative operations in accordance with policies and procedures set forth by the City Council, with a professional staff of 258 full time employees and a City budget of $52.3 million. Her starting salary will be $165,000, making her the highest paid employee in the City.

Acting City Manager James Arnoult has been serving in the position since the October, 2007 retirement of David Humpton. “Jim has done an amazing job during this period of transition,” said Mayor Katz. “He guided us through a very challenging budget process and worked diligently to keep the City’s operations running smoothly. The Council and I are indebted to him for keeping the staff motivated and for keeping the City moving forward.” Arnoult will return to his position as Director of Public Works after September 28.

In making their decision the Mayor and Council commented that Jones has risen through the ranks of municipal government and has a strong understanding of the importance of City staff and services. “She is very committed to building a sense of community, fostering open and ethical government, and receiving regular feedback from our citizens,” said Council Member Ryan Spiegel.

For more information please contact the Gaithersburg City Manager’s office at 301-258-6310.

I would recommend pulling up the background materials document for this work session and going through it. One of the interesting facts in there is the order of dispatch. I had been under the impression that a recent change in policy had the County responding first to calls in the City, then the City police. However, it appears the first two calls go out to the county:

Order of Dispatch

• MCP has 3 Sectors in the City – Paul, Robert and Sam
• Each sector has 2 beats. GPD officers are to answer calls for service in their beat when they are available
• CAD recommended order of dispatch is to deplete MCP sector cars before calling GPD. For example, a call in the Sam 1 beat, the order of dispatch is as follows:
• MCP Sam 1 car(s)
• MCP Sam 2 car(s)
• GPD Frederick beat car(s)
• GPD Citywide unit(s)
• GPD Seneca beat car(s)
• All other MCP cars

Note that, in reading this document, the beats are a bit confusing if you don’t already know about them. As mentioned, the County sectors — Paul, Robert and Sam — are each split into two beats, e.g. Sam 1 and Sam 2. These territories are shown in this map. The map shown in the background materials, on the other hand, also shows six beats, but those are the City beats, which don’t line up precisely with the County beats (note e.g. that City beats 5 and 6 as shown in the PDF are split along Quince Orchard Road, while that road is fully within County beat Paul 2). However, you’ll only see two City beats mentioned in the PDF, “Frederick” and “Seneca”. As I understand it, the City has a long-range plan for six beats, but they don’t have the staff to do this at this time. The Frederick beat is what is shown as beats 1 through 3 (east of I-270), and the Seneca beat is the other three beats.

Also note that on page 29, where the monthly statistics are shown, the headings on the top table should be the same as the headings on the lower table. Once I figured that out, it made a lot more sense.

From the City’s website:

Agenda - Work Session: Emergency Management, Police Beat, 7/28/2008
Posted 7/18/2008

City of Gaithersburg
WORK SESSION

Mayor and City Council
Monday, July 28, 2008
7:30 P.M.

• Emergency Management Update
  
• Beat Plan Update
  Background Material (pdf format)

MCPD Police press release via Connected Communities:

Montgomery County Department of Police

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First Quarter 2008 Crime Statistics
Show Increase in Overall Crime

Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger announced today that the crime statistics for the first quarter of 2008 show a 5.0 % increase in total reported crime within Montgomery County. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics for the first quarter of 2008 as compared to the same period of 2007 indicate:

• Part I Crime increased 14.9% (from 5,355 to 6,154)
• Part II Crime decreased 0.1% (from 10,488 to 10,475)
• Overall, Total Crime (Part I and Part II totals) increased 5.0% (from 15,843 to 16,629)

Part I Crimes Increased by 14.9%:

• Murder: increased by 200% (from 2 to 6)
• Rape: increased by 73.7% (from 19 to 33)
• Robbery: increased by 5.0% (from 238 to 250)
• Aggravated Assault: increased by 33.8% (from 151 to 202)
• Burglary: decreased 1.9% (from 806 to 791)
• Larceny: increased 18.3% (from 3,585 to 4,240)
• Auto Theft: increased by 14.1% (from 554 to 632)

Part II Crimes Decreased by 0.1%:

Part II crimes are defined as minor assaults, arson, forgery-counterfeiting, bad checks, embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism, weapons offenses, prostitution, sex offenses, controlled dangerous substance (CDS) violations, gambling, family offenses, juvenile offenses, liquor law violations, disorderly conduct, suicide, and non-traffic offenses.

The following is a brief analysis of the Part II statistics:

Homicide: When broken down, the percentage increase for murder is high because the number of murders is small, increasing by 4 reports (2 to 6). Therefore, the percentage increase computes larger. Of the six homicides, the suspect and victim were known to each other in two incidents, in three incidents the death was a result of a fight, an assault, and an attempted robbery. In the final incident the suspect(s) and motive remain unknown. Suspects were charged in five of the six homicides.

Rape: The 33 reported rapes are just above the ten-year average of 29 to 30 reports during the first quarter of the year and the 2007 figure was unusually low. Of the reported events, 26 of them involved some relationship (family member, boyfriend, acquaintance) between the victim and the offender.

Robbery: While there was an increase in robberies comparing the first quarter of 2007 to first quarter of 2008, there was a 17.2% decrease in robberies from the 4th quarter of 2007 to the 1st quarter of 2008. Robberies decreased county-wide in January and February. Over 40% of robberies in this period occurred in hours of darkness between 9:00 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.

Aggravated Assault: Of the 202 aggravated assaults reported, 77 or 38% were domestic. Furthermore, approximately 67% of these events involved some relationship between the victim and the assailant.

Burglary: There was a decrease in burglaries across the county during this quarter.

Larceny: Thefts from automobiles continue to occur throughout the county. This is a crime of opportunity. Experience shows that most suspects will walk down a street or through a parking lot trying car doors until they find one unlocked. The department continues to urge residents to always remove valuables their vehicles, and lock their doors at all times.

Auto Theft: According to UCR crime reporting standards, attempted thefts are to be included in the count of completed auto thefts. Approximately 20% of the vehicles targeted for theft were attempted thefts only. Arrests for auto theft have also increased in virtually all the police districts in Montgomery County.

Note: A copy of these crime statistics, as well as, those from previous years are available on the Montgomery County Police website under the Crime Stats link on the Media Services/Press Release page at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/police. Or a copy can be picked up at the Montgomery County Police Headquarters, 2350 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD.