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.

Pickpocket strikes at Bethesda restaurant

Montgomery County police were called to a restaurant in downtown Bethesda Wednesday afternoon, December 4, 2024. An individual reported having had their pocket picked there. The theft was reported at a restaurant in the 7200 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 4:30 PM.

Police investigate embezzlement at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of embezzlement at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda Saturday afternoon, September 14, 2024. The embezzlement was reported at the mall at 1:00 PM Saturday. Which mall tenant or office the funds were allegedly embezzled from has not yet been identified.

Purse snatched at Westbard Giant in Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to the Giant store at 5320 Zenith Overlook in Bethesda Friday afternoon, September 13, 2024. A purse was snatched at the supermarket at the Westbard Square development around 3:53 PM. According to police, no force was used by the thief in grabbing the purse.

Assault in Friendship Heights

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault in Friendship Heights Friday night, July 26, 2024. The assault was reported along the street in the 4400 block of Willard Avenue at 7:20 PM Friday. Police were called for a shoplifting incident seven minutes earlier at the nearby Amazon Fresh store, across the street at 5463 Wisconsin Avenue. It has not been confirmed at this time if the two incidents are related.

Strong-arm robbery at Bethesda Row Giant

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery at the Giant grocery store at 7142 Arlington Road at Bethesda Row late Tuesday morning, June 25, 2024. The robbery was reported at the store at 11:45 AM. At least one individual was also accused of 2nd-degree assault and theft in the same incident.

Assault, theft at downtown Bethesda tobacco shop

Montgomery County police were called to Tobacco & More Mart at 7809 Old Georgetown Road at 5:03 PM on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. A shoplifting incident and a related 2nd-degree assault were reported at the tobacco shop and convenience store. At least six Montgomery County police cruisers responded to the call. Tobacco shops in Bethesda have been increasingly targeted recently by thieves and robbers.

Photos courtesy @MotownMystery

Westbard Giant locks up Dove products

The full line of Dove beauty and skincare products has been put under lock and key at the new Giant grocery store at 5320 Zenith Overlook at Westbard Square in Bethesda. Similar products from other brands remain on open shelves right next to them. I think this is the first time this type of product has been locked up at the Westbard Giant. 

Perhaps this the beginning of the installation of more barriers around more products, and this is how far they got yesterday. It starts like this, and ends like the San Francisco Target store. Another jarring reminder that there's nothing of substance in the Montgomery County Council's FY-2025 budget to address rampant crime. Montgomery County won't enforce the law, and retailers are forced to take it out on customers as a result.

Product lockdowns and armed guards in stores are like Neighborhood Watch signs - super tacky, and simply advertising that you are in a bad neighborhood. When I walk into a grocery store and there's an armed guard inside the door, my first thoughts are, "Am I safe? Have I gone into a dangerous part of town?" Not what you expect in 20816. We're devolving backwards at an ever-increasing rate.

Assault at store in Friendship Heights

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a store in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase early Friday afternoon, April 26, 2024. The assault was reported at a store in the 5400 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 12:16 PM Friday. An individual was also accused of theft in the same incident.

Assault at Target in North Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to the Target store at 5700 Bou Avenue on Sunday afternoon, March 24, 2024, after a 2nd-degree assault was reported there. The assault was reported at the store at 2:44 PM Sunday. At least one person was also accused of shoplifting in the incident.

Assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda yesterday afternoon, March 21, 2024. The assault was reported at the mall at 3:06 PM Thursday. This is the third assault committed at the mall this year. Like the first two in 2024, yesterday's assault was related to a shoplifting incident at a store in the mall. 

The mall is currently on a pace to equal the number of assaults reported at the popular retail center in 2022, which was 12. That would be more than double the total assault reports at the mall last year, when only 5 such incidents were reported. Last year's drop in violent crime at the property came after Montgomery County police established a "resource room" inside the mall.

Assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda late Friday morning, March 1, 2024. The assault was reported at the mall at 11:20 AM. At least one person was also accused of shoplifting in the incident. This is the second assault reported at the mall in 2024; the first in February also involved shoplifting from a business inside the mall. Another accused mall shoplifter allegedly was in possession of a synthetic narcotic a week before Friday's assault.

Suspects sought in assault and theft at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police are looking for three suspects in a February 5, 2024 assault and shoplifting incident at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The three entered Zara and grabbed merchandise, police say. On their way out of the fashion boutique at 12:22 PM, they allegedly assaulted a store employee. This is the second assault reported at the mall this year.

Police describe the suspects as a Black male around 40 years of age, a Black male aged 20-25, and a Black female aged 20-25. If you can identify any of the suspects, or have any information related to this incident, you are asked to call police at the anonymous Crime Solvers tipline at 1-866-411-8477, or the non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.

Home broken into in Town of Somerset

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a burglary at a home in the Town of Somerset this past Thursday evening, February 1, 2024. The burglary was reported in the 4500 block of Dorset Avenue at 10:35 PM. Officers arriving at the scene found evidence of forced entry at the home. It was determined that property was stolen from inside the house.

USPS rolls out latest attempt at theft-proof mailbox in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

The United States Postal Service is beginning to install its latest effort toward a theft-proof mailbox in downtown Bethesda. This one was just placed at the intersection of Cordell and Norfolk Avenues in the Woodmont Triangle, and is the first one I have noticed. It does not have a door you pull open, only a slot. To get your envelope into the slot successfully, as the Joker once said, "all it takes is a little push." The new boxes will only defeat attempts to fish mail out of the box, and won't stop the more aggressive crooks who steal or buy the keys to them, as long as the USPS continues to use their skeleton "arrow keys."

Alleged Westbard mail thief arrested; accomplice still at large

One of two suspects who allegedly stole multiple packages from an apartment building in the Westbard area of Bethesda last August has been arrested by Montgomery County police. Dawud Aubry Drayton, 19, of Oxon Hill is already free on bond, but during his brief time in custody, he was charged with burglary and theft. His alleged accomplice, not yet named by detectives, remains at large. Police also did not identify which of the two suspects pictured is Drayton.

Both men are accused of sneaking into the building in the 5400 block of Westbard Avenue behind a food delivery person at an undisclosed time on August 19, 2023. Once inside, they allegedly grabbed multiple parcels belonging to residents of the building, and fled on foot. 

Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this crime or Draytons’ accomplice 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.

Bethesda Row Nike store robbed

The Nike Store at 7117 Arlington Road at Bethesda Row was robbed yesterday afternoon. Montgomery County police were called to the store at 3:30 PM Monday for a report of shoplifting. A Twitter user tweeted a photo of several youths running north on Arlington Road, carrying armfuls of Nike merchandise, shortly after the incident. This is not the first time this Nike Store has been victimized in this manner.

Smashing Pumpkins fan accused of pickpocketing at Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda

A Smashing Pumpkins fan is allegedly one half of a duo accused of snatching wallets at two businesses at the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda on Thursday, September 21, 2023. Montgomery County police have released photos of the two suspects, and are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating them. They are accused of stealing wallets from victims at Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria and Fish Taco that day.

Suspect #1 is described by police as a White female, wearing sunglasses, a purple Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt, a black zip-up sweatshirt, white and red Nike sneakers, and carrying a black purse. She was also seen wearing a bright blue shirt with the word ‘NASA’ written across the front, a black hoodie, white and red Nike sneakers, and again carrying a black purse.  

Suspect #2 is described as a Black male, wearing a black baseball hat, sunglasses, a grey tracksuit, with a white t-shirt underneath (that reads, "JUST DID IT"), and black Nike sneakers. He was also seen wearing an Eagles baseball hat, sunglasses, a white t-shirt, black pants, and black shoes. The reason both are seen wearing different clothing is that they allegedly attempted to later use credit cards found in the wallets. 

Anyone with information regarding these suspects 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. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Menorah display stolen outside CVS Pharmacy at Cabin John Village

The Chanukah portion of the outdoor holiday decor at CVS Pharmacy at 7955 Tuckerman Lane at Cabin John Village in Potomac was stolen sometime between Saturday night, November 18, 2023 and Sunday morning, November 19. A reader forwarded these before-and-after photos, which show the inflatable menorah gone on Sunday. The Christmas-themed inflatables remained untouched. A torah scroll holder was recently ripped off of a resident's door in the Congressional Plaza area of Rockville. Like this area of Potomac on the border with Rockville, that is also a community with a large Jewish population.

Pickpocket incident reported at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a pickpocket incident at Georgetown Preparatory School at 10900 Rockville Pike Thursday afternoon, November 2, 2023. The theft was reported at the campus at 2:00 PM.