A 28-year-old Rockville man has been arrested after allegedly throwing a keg through the front window of Georgetown Cupcake in Northwest Washington, D.C., according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
MPD announced Thursday that Charles Joseph Ali of Rockville was arrested and charged with felony destruction of property in connection with the incident, which occurred around midnight on Monday, May 18.
According to police, the suspect approached the Georgetown Cupcake storefront in the 3300 block of M Street NW and threw a keg through the front window before fleeing the area.
The incident quickly gained widespread attention online after surveillance footage and photos of the shattered storefront circulated on social media. Georgetown Cupcake later thanked the public and MPD for their help in identifying the suspect, posting Thursday that “an arrest has been made.”
In a statement shared on Instagram, the business wrote, “This week, our community showed up for us in the most extraordinary way,” while thanking Detective Leiva and the Metropolitan Police Department for their work on the investigation. Georgetown Cupcake also stated that its shop remains open following the incident.
MPD said the same suspect is also being investigated in connection with a second vandalism case that occurred on April 24 in the 1900 block of M Street NW. In that incident, police say a suspect damaged property outside a business around 4:50am before fleeing.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the April vandalism case and are asking anyone with information to call police at (202) 727-9099 or text tips to 50411. MPD noted that a reward of up to $1,000 is available for information leading to an arrest and indictment in crimes committed in the District.
