Burglary/auto theft spree in Massachusetts Avenue corridor of Bethesda

Burglars and auto thieves started December off with a bang in the Massachusetts Avenue corridor of Bethesda. Four homes were burglarized, three others were the target of attempted burglaries, and at least four vehicles were stolen in that area between December 1 and December 4, 2024. Homes were burglarized in the 5700 block of Harwick Road, the 5300 block of Iroqouis Road, the 6000 block of Ramsgate Road, and the 5900 block of Massachusetts Avenue. Burglars attempted to break into homes in the 6100 block of Cromwell Drive, the 5900 block of Welborn Drive, and the 6300 block of Kenhowe Drive. Cars were stolen from the 5700 block of Harwick Road, the 5700 block of Ridgefield Road, the 6000 block of Ramsgate Road, and the 5900 block of Massachusetts Avenue.

One arrest was made in the last stolen car incident. An 18-year-old Bethesda man has been charged with felony 1st-degree burglary, felony theft, felony unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and rogue and vagabond. He has posted a $1500 bond, and has been released to await trial. Montgomery County police report that they have recovered all four stolen vehicles. Suspects in the other cases remain at large.

Car stolen from home in Wood Acres

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in the Wood Acres neighborhood of Bethesda early yesterday morning, January 31, 2022. The vehicle was taken from the driveway of a home in the 6100 block of Cromwell Drive, according to crime data. One or more thieves also took property from a vehicle not far away in the 5300 block of Brookeway Drive over the same night.

Wood Acres intersection stop sign missing

A number of weeks ago, the stop sign on Wiltshire Drive where it meets Welborn Drive in the Wood Acres neighborhood of Bethesda disappeared. It was then temporarily replaced with a short, makeshift stop sign, perhaps by a concerned nearby resident. Now that sign has vanished, as well, leaving the three-way intersection unregulated. As a public safety matter, this is too long a time for a genuine replacement sign to be installed by Montgomery County.

Photos via Google Maps

Utility work closes part of Cromwell Drive in Bethesda tonight

Update - 11:02 PM: Cromwell Drive has reopened

Cromwell Drive is closed in both directions between Welborn and Devonshire Drives for emergency utility work. It looks like a water main break, one of at least three in the Springfield/Woodacres area in the last week, but is not currently shown on the WSSC outage map.

2 cars stolen in Massachusetts Avenue corridor theft spree this week

One or more auto thieves has been prowling the Massachusetts Avenue corridor in Bethesda this week. Property was taken from several vehicles, and two others were stolen entirely.

Valuables were stolen from a vehicle parked in a driveway in the 6000 block of Woodacres Drive in the Wood Acres subdivision over the night of August 24 to 25. Items were also taken from another vehicle parked on that block. Over the same night, a vehicle parked along the street in the 6200 block of Welborn Drive - also in Wood Acres - was stolen. Property was also taken from a vehicle parked in the 5300 block of Allandale Road, in nearby Green Acres.

The same thief/thieves or other perpetrator(s) may have returned to the area the next evening.

Over the night between August 25 and the morning of August 26, a vehicle was stolen from a driveway in the 5300 block of Brookeway Drive in Springfield. Property was taken from two vehicles parked in driveways of two separate homes in the 5600 block of Newington Road, also in Springfield. A credit card taken from at least one vehicle was later used at a gas station, according to crime data.

If you live in this area, be sure to lock your car doors. Remove all valuables (including the car keys!) from the interior, and report suspicious activity to the Montgomery County police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.

Pepco grid fails again in Westbard area of Bethesda

It was another embarrassing episode of "Third World Power" for Pepco this morning, in the Westbard area of Bethesda. Just 13 days after the last power outage, which itself was only the latest of several in early 2018, power went out again in the area between River Road and Massachusetts Avenue - three times in one morning!

The third-world experience began with a power outage around 6:45 AM this morning. Five minutes later, power was restored. At 6:52, power began to fluctuate wildly, straining all electronics and appliances in the affected homes and businesses. Around 7:00, power went entirely out again, only to come back on at 7:02. Power surges and several brownouts then occurred, further damaging appliances. A third full power outage hit at 7:05. About five minutes later, power was restored, and - so far - has remained at normal levels.

441 customers were affected by the outages and brownouts, according to Pepco. The Exelon-owned utility has taken no action to address what are clear grid problems in the Westbard area. Something is wrong with Pepco's equipment, and it has to be fixed. Weather conditions were entirely normal during this morning's outages, which has been the case earlier this year, as well.

Clocks must be reset, and damages tallied, for the umpteenth time in 2018. This level of service and reliability is completely unacceptable. The Montgomery County Council has failed to act once again, busy raising your taxes this week instead of holding Pepco accountable for the repeated outages in Bethesda.

Power outage in west Bethesda overnight

People waking up to flashing alarm clocks in west Bethesda this morning know there was a power outage overnight. Power went out in parts of the the River Road/Massachusetts Avenue corridor near Goldsboro Road for about an hour after 3:00 AM, before being restored by Pepco. Traffic signals and streetlights along River Road were also affected. There was no storm, extreme temperatures or wind at the time. Pepco has made no statement as to the cause of the outage.

Wood Acres to contribute $5000 to Westbard lawsuit

The Bethesda neighborhood of Wood Acres is the latest community to endorse the Save Westbard lawsuit against Montgomery County with its pocketbook. By a 2:1 margin, Wood Acres has just voted to donate $5000 to the legal effort to have the Westbard sector plan returned to the County Council and Planning Board, for reviews and hearings the suit alleges it illegally did not receive during the plan process.

Wood Acres' contribution follows two other $5000 donations to the legal fund, from Westmoreland Hills and Sumner. As support and momentum behind the lawsuit increase, the Springfield Civic Association is set to vote on whether or not to support the suit financially at its next meeting. Other neighborhoods directly-adjacent to the planned Westbard redevelopment area - such as Kenwood and nearby condo/townhome developments - have not yet given any public indication as to whether they will consider donating to the legal challenge.

FAA drops flight path change over Bethesda

Residents have scored a temporary victory in the air wars over western Bethesda. The Federal Aviation Administration just announced it is dropping a proposed Reagan National Airport departure flight path change that would have increased airplane noise over western Bethesda neighborhoods along the Potomac River. Called LAZIR-B, the proposal went through an extensive review process and stirred outrage among affected Northwest D.C. and Bethesda neighborhoods. It would have moved the departure route closer to - and in some spots over - Bethesda homes.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center Director Ken Hartman represents Montgomery County on the Reagan National Community Noise Working Group. The group overwhelmingly endorsed two recommendations by Montgomery County, which would have kept planes as close to the center of the river as possible, at its November 3 meeting. Combined with overwhelming resident and official opposition, the result was the FAA canceling its plan, which had been advertised as increasing efficiency and lowering the environmental impacts of jet travel.

In a statement, the FAA said it would continue to support the efforts of the Community Noise Working Group.

17 cars broken into in Bethesda, Chevy Chase Monday; assault on Wisconsin Ave. + more - Crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on July 13, according to crime data:

Assault. 7300 block Wisconsin Avenue at 10:58 AM.

Theft from vehicle. 4400 block East-West Highway.

Theft from vehicle. 4600 block Chestnut Street (Rosedale Park).

Vehicle burglary. 8500 block Lynbrook Drive (Glenbrook Village).

Vehicle burglary. 6800 block Glenbrook Road (Edgemoor).

Vehicle burglary. 4800 block De Russey Parkway (Chevy Chase West).

Vehicle burglary. 4700 block Langdrum Lane (Chevy Chase Gardens).

Vehicle burglary. 4600 block De Russey Parkway (Chevy Chase West).

Vehicle burglary. 5600 block McLean Drive (Whitehall Manor).

Vehicle burglary + liquor offense. Cedar Parkway at W. Kirke Street (Chevy Chase Village).

Vehicle burglary. 5900 block Devonshire Drive (Wood Acres).

Vehicle burglary. 6100 block Cromwell Drive (Wood Acres).

Vehicle burglary. 5900 block Woodacres Drive (Wood Acres).

Vehicle burglary. 5400 block Blackistone Road (Westmoreland Hills).

Burglary. 10700 block Weymouth Street at 10:22 AM (Garrett Park).

Theft. Lord & Taylor (White Flint Mall).

Theft from vehicle. 11500 block Rockville Pike (Pike District).

Vehicle burglary. 11800 block Nebel Street (Pike District).

Theft from vehicle. 12000 block Rockville Pike (Pike District).

Theft from vehicle. 8500 block River Road.

Arson on Cordell Ave.; Springfield, Wood Acres, Glen Mar Park hit by thieves + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on July 5, according to crime data:

Theft from vehicle. 7600 block Old Georgetown Road.

Arson. 4900 block Cordell Avenue at 12:21 PM.

Vehicle burglary. 4800 block Bethesda Avenue.

Drug arrest. Brookville Road at Taylor Street (Chevy Chase Section 5).

Vehicle burglary. 7200 block Delfield Street (Martin's Additions).

Vehicle burglary. 5400 block Albia Road (Springfield).

Vehicle burglary. 5800 block Cromwell Drive (Springfield).

Vehicle burglary. 5900 block Welborn Drive (Wood Acres).

Theft from vehicle. 5300 block Marlyn Drive (Glen Mar Park).

Theft from vehicle. 5200 block Augusta Street (Glen Mar Park).

Theft. 10600 block Old Georgetown Road (near I-270 interchange).

Theft. 11400 block Rockville Pike (Pike District).

Drug arrest. 11500 block Rockville Pike (Pike District).

Theft. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard.

Assault on Cordell Ave., burglary in Wood Acres + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on June 14, according to crime data:

Assault. Cordell Avenue at Norfolk Avenue at 2:20 AM.

Vehicle burglary. 7500 block Old Georgetown Road.

Vehicle burglary. 3700 block Curtis Court.

Burglary. 6100 block Wynnwood Road at 5:14 PM (Wood Acres).

Burglary. 4400 block Cambria Avenue at 9:23 AM (Garrett Park).

Assault. 4700 block Wyaconda Road at 9:27 AM (Randolph Hills).

Theft. Westfield Montgomery Mall.

More Wyngate auto break-ins, drug arrest on Woodmont Ave. + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on April 10, according to crime data:

Drug arrest. Woodmont Avenue at Norfolk Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. Elm Street at Bethesda Lane at 8:52 AM (Bethesda Row).

Burglary. 8300 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Burglary. 5500 block Western Avenue (Chevy Chase Village).

Vehicle burglary. 6000 block Woodacres Drive [reported at 6:19 PM] (Wood Acres).

Vehicle burglary. 5800 block Wyngate Drive [reported at 6:01 AM].

Vehicle burglary. 5800 block Wyngate Drive.

Vehicle burglary. 11400 block Rockville Pike (Pike District).

Burglary on Battery Lane, sex offense on Democracy Blvd. + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on March 27, according to crime data:

Burglary. 4900 block Battery Lane.

Theft. 5400 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Burglary. Wisconsin Circle.

Vehicle burglary. 5200 block Pooks Hill Road.

Vehicle burglary. 6400 block Maiden Lane.

Vehicle burglary. 5700 block Gloster Road (Wood Acres).

Theft. 5700 block Brewer House Circle.

Theft. 10400 block Old Georgetown Road (Pike District).

Burglary. 6300 block Berkshire Drive.

Vehicle burglary. Westfield Montgomery Mall.

"Other sexual offense." 7100 block Democracy Boulevard.

2 WEST BETHESDA BURGLARIES, CRIMES AT ALL BETHESDA HIGH SCHOOLS + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on January 29, according to crime data:

Burglary. 5400 block Waneta Road.

Drug arrest. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

Theft. Walt Whitman High School.

Burglary. 6100 block Welborn Drive (Wood Acres).

Theft. 4700 block Wyaconda Road (Randolph Hills).

Drug arrest. Schuylkill Road at Boiling Brook Parkway (Randolph Hills).

"Other sexual offense." Walter Johnson High School.

THEFT ON RAMSGATE RD., SANGAMORE RD. + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on January 10, according to crime data:

Theft. 4700 block Willard Avenue.

Theft. 4400 block Willard Avenue.

Theft. 5900 block Ramsgate Road (Wood Acres).

Theft. 4700 block Sangamore Road.

Vehicle burglary. Westfield Montgomery Mall.

THEFT ON CAPITAL CRESCENT TRAIL, ASSAULT ON OLD GEORGETOWN RD. - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on January 3, according to crime data:

Theft. Capital Crescent Trail (between Bradley Boulevard and Little Falls Parkway).

Assault. 8600 block Old Georgetown Road.

Drug arrest. 9000 block Old Georgetown Road.

Burglary. 5900 block Anniston Road.

Theft. 6000 block Milo Drive (Wood Acres).

Drug arrest. 6800 block Laverock Court.

VEHICLE BREAK-IN ON WELBORN DRIVE IN BETHESDA

A car was broken into in the 6000 block of Welborn Drive in Wood Acres on Sunday, according to crime data.

18 CARS BROKEN INTO IN BETHESDA, ROBBERY IN PARKSIDE, BURGLARY AT BETHESDA METRO CENTER

Why make sure your car doors are locked, and all valuables removed from the interior? A good reminder of why came this past Thursday, when at least 18 vehicles were burglarized in multiple neighborhoods in Bethesda. Hardest hit were west Bethesda (Glen Echo, Wood Acres, Crestview, Glen Mar Park), and neighborhoods north of Cedar Lane. Two more break-ins were reported in Chevy Chase Section 3.

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on October 16, according to crime data:

Burglary. Bethesda Metro Center.

Vehicle burglary. 4700 block Bradley Boulevard.

Vehicle burglary. 5500 block Glenwood Road.

Vehicle burglary. 7100 block Georgia Street (Chevy Chase Section 3).

Vehicle burglary. 7100 block Georgia Street (Chevy Chase Section 3).

Theft. 5400 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 5600 block Johnson Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 5900 block Woodacres Drive (Wood Acres).

Vehicle burglary. 6000 block Gloster Road (Wood Acres).

Vehicle burglary. 4900 block Crescent Street (Crestview).

Vehicle burglary. 9100 block Ewing Drive.

Vehicle burglary. 9500 block Nowell Drive.

Assault. 5200 block Grosvenor Lane.

Vehicle burglary. 5200 block Augusta Street (Glen Mar Park).

Vehicle burglary. 6600 block Rannoch Road (Fairway Hills/Merrimack Park).

Robbery. 10600 block Montrose Avenue (Parkside area).

Vehicle burglary. 6000 block Cairn Terrace (Fairway Hills/Merrimack Park).

Vehicle burglary. 6200 block Yorkshire Terrace (Grosvenor).

Vehicle burglary. 10900 block Clermont Avenue (Garrett Park).

Vehicle burglary. Unit block of Wellesley Circle (Glen Echo).

Vehicle burglary. Unit block of Wellesley Circle (Glen Echo).

Vehicle burglary. 10500 block Aubinoe Farm Drive (Wildwood Manor).

Assault. 5100 block Nicholson Lane.

REPORT: BURGLAR CAUGHT BY WOOD ACRES HOMEOWNER, ASSAULT IN GROSVENOR - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

I received a report Thursday about a burglary the previous night on Devonshire Drive in Wood Acres. The burglar was apparently encountered by the homeowner. I'm checking to find out if the alleged perpetrator escaped and is still at large, or was captured by police. In the meantime, it would be a good time to ensure your doors and windows are locked, to prevent or slow down would-be burglars.

Here's a round-up of crimes reported across Bethesda on September 23, according to crime data:

Theft. Montgomery Lane at East Lane.

Vehicle burglary. Bethesda Avenue at Bethesda Lane.

Theft. 4700 block Rosedale Avenue.

Theft. 4500 block Chase Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 6800 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Theft. 3700 block Taylor Street (Chevy Chase Section 3).

Theft. 5400 block Uppingham Street (Somerset).

Vehicle burglary. 5400 block Kirkwood Drive (Springfield).

Vehicle burglary. 3200 block Pauline Drive.

Vehicle burglary. 6100 block Temple Street.

Vehicle burglary. 6100 block Temple Street.

Assault. 10300 block Grosvenor Place.