2 robberies in 24 hours at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police were busy at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda as the last week in January began. Officers responded to two robberies in 24 hours at the popular retail center at 7101 Democracy Boulevard. A strong-arm robbery was reported at the mall on Sunday, January 26, at 6:30 PM. Less than 24 hours later, on Monday, January 27, a second robbery was called in at 12:40 PM. A business at the mall was the victim in that robbery. The tenant has not yet been identified. An unspecified weapon was implied or employed in the second robbery, but it was not a gun.

Montgomery Mall had nearly made it to the end of the first month of 2025 without a violent crime taking place there. Eleven assaults were reported at the mall in 2024, up from five in 2023. The last assault was on November 12, 2024. A new leadership team was brought into the mall by parent company Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield ten days later. The peak holiday shopping period from Black Friday through Christmas then passed uneventfully, in terms of crime. Only the typical shoplifting calls expected at any mall during the holiday season were reported during that time. January had likewise been violent-crime-free, until this past Sunday.

Armed carjacking in broad daylight in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in downtown Bethesda Sunday afternoon, January 12, 2025. The carjacking was reported in a parking lot in the 4700 block of Miller Avenue at 4:40 PM Sunday. @CordellTraffic on Twitter reported that the vehicle stolen was a Chevrolet Camaro. @MoCoMag on Twitter reported that the Black male suspect was wielding an Uzi and wearing a ski mask, and that the Camaro stolen was black.

Police have not released any further description of the suspect, or the model year of the Camaro, as of this writing. If you can identify the suspect, or have any other information about this incident, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Armed robbery on Bethesda Avenue

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery on Bethesda Avenue on the evening of August 11, 2024. The robbery was reported in the 4900 block of Bethesda Avenue at 9:37 PM. Police say three suspects ganged up on, and assaulted, the adult male victim. They fled with property belonging to the victim.

Police describe the suspects only as three Black males in their early 20s. If you have any information about this incident, or can identify any of the three suspects, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Armed robbery in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in downtown Bethesda Sunday night, August 11, 2024. The robbery was reported in the 4900 block of Bethesda Avenue at 9:37 PM. A firearm was the weapon employed in the robbery.

Armed robbery at Shell gas station in Bethesda

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect in the July 30, 2024 armed robbery of the Shell gas station at 10211 Westlake Drive in Bethesda. Sometime after 11:00 PM that night, the suspect entered the gas station's convenience store and went into the restroom. Around 11:33 PM, he approached the cashier at the store's checkout counter, and displayed a knife. He proceeded to grab unspecified merchandise from behind the counter, and stuffed it into his backpack before fleeing the scene.

Police describe the suspect as a Black male, approximately 26-years-old, 5'6" in height, with a medium build and goatee. He was wearing a black/camouflage cap, black t-shirt, black pants, and black tennis shoes, and carrying a black/camouflage backpack.

Anyone with information regarding this suspect is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477.Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Armed robbery in North Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in North Bethesda Wednesday night, July 17, 2024. The robbery was reported in the 12500 block of Village Square Terrace at 9:50 PM Wednesday. @DCNewsLive on Twitter reported that a vehicle was later pulled over by police on Old Georgetown Road at the interchange with I-495 in Bethesda. At least one person in that vehicle was detained in relation to the armed robbery.

Armed robbery at Potomac mansion

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in Potomac early Sunday morning, June 23, 2024. The robbery was reported in the driveway of a home in the 9100 block of Persimmon Tree Road at 2:26 AM Sunday. That is a two-lane residential road lined with mansions near the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm country club.

Suspect arrested in Geste Beer & Wine armed robberies in Bethesda

Montgomery County police have arrested a suspect in four downtown Bethesda armed robberies, including the two robberies of Geste Beer & Wine at 4801 Edgemoor Lane last week. Nytrell Tyshawn Parrish, 16, of no fixed address, was arrested Saturday. Police allege he was the gunman who robbed the store on May 13 and 14, 2024, and also robbed Tobacco Hub at 7814 Old Georgetown Road twice on May 12. Parrish has been charged with four counts of armed robbery, four counts of firearm used in a violent crime, and "other related charges." 

Parrish's charges do not appear in Maryland court records, and no mugshot has been released. The suspect is a minor, but his identity has been made public by police, and he has been charged as an adult. Parrish is being held without bond.

Police release suspect photos in Geste Beer & Wine robberies in Bethesda

Montgomery County police detectives now concur with the owner of Geste Beer & Wine at 4801 Edgemoor Lane in Bethesda that the two armed robberies of the store this week were committed by the same suspect. They have now released two surveillance camera images of the suspect, and descriptions of the clothes he was wearing at the time of the two robberies, May 13, 2024 at 7:21 PM, and May 14 at 6:26 PM. He displayed a handgun during both incidents.

Alas, the images are quite blurry, and the suspect - described as a Black male in his late teens - is well-disguised. Police describe his attire on May 13 as including a black jacket with floral patterns on the back, light colored jeans and black shoes. The next evening, he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark distressed jeans with rips, black boots and a black face mask.

Anyone with information regarding this suspect or this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org, and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page, or call 1-866-411-8477. Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Armed robbery at Geste Beer & Wine in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at Geste Beer & Wine at 4801 Edgemoor Lane early Tuesday evening. The robbery was reported at the store at 6:32 PM Tuesday. A reader reported having seen at least 10 police cruisers arriving at the store, which is right by the Bethesda Metro station, about 9 minutes after the store owner reported the robbery. That fits what owner Ajay Aggarwal told Fox 5 yesterday. Another reader tweeted video of the scene about 50 minutes after the robbery.

Fox 5 reported that the store had been robbed at gunpoint only one night earlier. Aggarwal said police "made me close the shop" earlier than the usual midnight closing time. He complied, but said he cannot afford to do that every night, and wished there were more police on patrol in downtown Bethesda. Montgomery County has lost 194 police officers in the last 5 years, there are 179 sworn officer vacancies, and police priority response time has increased "more than 17%" since 2019, a County Council staff member reported in March.

Despite that and the ample evidence of crime all around us, the Council has not taken any substantive action on public safety. The record of no results speaks for itself. It will be interesting to see how much longer business owners can take this, before they take concerted action to elect leaders who will actually address the crime plaguing Montgomery County.

Armed robbery reported at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda late Monday afternoon. The robbery was reported at the mall at 5:04 PM Monday. A knife was the weapon employed in the robbery.

Armed robbery at AT&T Store in Bethesda

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect in connection with the robbery of an AT&T Store last month in downtown Bethesda. On December 6, 2023 around 6:30 PM, the suspect entered the store at 4957 Elm Street. He asked about purchasing an iPhone 15 Pro Max, and allegedly may have furnished a false ID card to the store employee. 

When the employee brought out the requested phone, the suspect allegedly implied that he had a firearm in his jacket pocket, and would not be paying for the device. The employee handed the phone to the suspect, who fled the scene on foot. 

The suspect is described as a Black male, "hair styled in twists," wearing sunglasses and a black and blue coat. Anyone with information regarding this suspect or this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org (http://www.crimesolversmcmd.org/) and click on the “www.p3tips.com (http://www.p3tips.com/)” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. A reward of up to $10,000 is offered for information leading to the suspect's arrest. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Armed robbery in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery early Saturday morning, January 6, 2024, in downtown Bethesda. The robbery was reported in the 4900 block of Cordell Avenue, in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood, at 2:42 AM Saturday. A firearm was the weapon used in the robbery.

Armed robbery at Amazon Fresh in Friendship Heights

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating four suspects in the November 20, 2023 armed robbery of the Amazon Fresh store at the Collection at Chevy Chase in Friendship Heights. Detectives say four people entered the store sometime prior to 12:43 PM Monday, and began to fill bags with merchandise. When an employee approached two of the suspects, one of them raised his shirt to display a handgun in his waistband, and announced that this was an armed robbery of the store.

The employee backed away, and allowed the suspects to leave with bags filled with merchandise of undisclosed value. When the suspects were last seen, they were carrying their bags toward the Friendship Heights Metro station. Police have now released surveillance footage of the four suspects.

Suspect one is described by police as a Black male with a medium build, approximately 6-feet, 1-inch tall and 180 pounds with a beard. Suspect two is described as a Black female, approximately 5-feet, 2-inches tall and 220 pounds. Her hair was dyed orange and worn in braids. Suspect three and four are described as two Black males, one with a medium build and the other with a beard.

Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this crime or the suspects involved to call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects. Callers may remain anonymous.  

Armed carjacking in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in downtown Bethesda Thursday night, October 12, 2023. The carjacking was reported in the 8000 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 9:06 PM.

5 teens charged, one as adult, in violence after BCC-Walter Johnson football game in Bethesda

Five alleged participants in violence after a Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School-Walter Johnson High School football game last Friday in downtown Bethesda have been charged, one as an adult, Montgomery County police announced today. The arrests follow public outrage over a joint letter from Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County police chief two days earlier, the content of which led many to conclude no charges would be filed in the video-recorded violence, which went viral on the internet and TV news. But the letter noted that a criminal investigation was ongoing, and police said today that they expect more arrests to be made as additional participants are identified.

16-year-old Kharon Crosby of Bethesda has been charged as an adult with armed robbery and second-degree assault. Two other teenagers, aged 15 and 16, have been charged as juveniles with robbery and second-degree assault offenses. Another two 15-year-olds are facing first-degree-assault charges. The armed robbery charge appears to confirm an allegation that one teen's shoes were stolen, and rumors that a weapon was involved in the incident, which took place at the Bethesda Metro Center after the September 1 football game.

Police did not release a mugshot of Crosby. Anyone with additional information or video related to this case is asked to contact the Montgomery County Department of Police 2nd District Investigative Section at (240) 773-6710.

Armed robbery in Grosvenor area of Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in the Grosvenor area of Bethesda early yesterday morning, July 31, 2023. The robbery was reported in a residential parking garage in the 5400 block of Tuckerman Lane at 3:00 AM Monday.

Armed carjacking in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in Bethesda early Thursday morning, March 23, 2023. The carjacking was reported in the 4600 block of Sangamore Road at 5:00 AM Thursday. That is a typically quiet area in the Sumner neighborhood, near The Shops at Sumner Place, the Sumner Highlands apartments, and the Intelligence Community Campus.

Armed carjacking in Hillmead neighborhood of Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in the Hillmead neighborhood of Bethesda on the evening of March 5, 2023. According to a source, a resident drove up to his home in the 8700 block of Lowell Street around 8:15 PM Sunday night, and began to walk to the door. At that point, four or five African-American men emerged from a stolen vehicle parked in front of the next house. Two of the men brandished firearms and demanded property from the victim. The resident complied, and handed over his car keys, cash and a cell phone. Stay alert!

Armed carjacking in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in downtown Bethesda this past Sunday afternoon, February 19, 2023. The broad-daylight carjacking was reported in the 4800 block of Fairmont Avenue at 3:40 PM. 7-Eleven and the Fairmont Plaza condominium building are located along that block. 

An elderly man was assaulted and carjacked two days later on Chevy Chase Drive. Police have now confirmed the man suffered minor injuries in the attack, in which his 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee was stolen.