A Gaithersburg man was arrested early Sunday morning after police say he brandished a handgun during a dispute at a restaurant and was later found in possession of a stolen firearm, prescription narcotics, and more than $8,000 in cash.
According to the Gaithersburg Police Department, officers responded at approximately 2:29 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2026, to La Curvita Restaurant in the unit block of East Diamond Avenue for a reported trespassing incident and dispute. The caller reported that a man, later identified as 29-year-old Andres Melendez of Gaithersburg, had been involved in a verbal altercation and had displayed a black handgun.
Police said that upon their arrival, Melendez entered a vehicle and attempted to leave the area. Officers stopped the vehicle and took him into custody without incident. During the investigation, officers recovered a black handgun from inside the vehicle that was later confirmed to have been reported stolen. Police also recovered more than $8,000 in U.S. currency and prescription narcotics from Melendez.
Melendez was arrested and transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he was processed and formally charged.
