Beyond MoCo Archives - Page 135 of 187

9-Year-Old Prince George’s County Native Keivonn Woodard Stars in HBO’s The Last of Us

Published February 14, 2023 at 8:29AM

9-Year-Old Keivonn Woodard is cast as Sam in HBO’s The Last of Us, a show based on the popular video game that has become one of HBO Max’s most watched series. This is the first acting job for Keivonn, who is a Bowie native– a city located in neighboring Prince George’s County.

Woodard is part of a six-generation deaf family, many of whom are actors. He also plays hockey locally for the Bowie Hockey Club 10U Team. The photo seen below, courtesy of the Bowie Hockey Club, shows the team after becoming the 2022 Ice Works St. Patrick’s Day Tournament Champions.

Beyond MoCo: $750,000 Worth of Narcotics Seized in Hagerstown

By Patrick Herron

Published February 13, 2023 at 6:16PM

Per the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office: “On Feb. 9, members of the Frederick County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Washington County Narcotics Task Force, and Hagerstown Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) successfully executed three search warrants in Hagerstown, Maryland, with the assistance of SWAT from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO). Deputies obtained the search warrants after a lengthy investigation that originated in Frederick County.

Update: Juvenile Involved in Strong Arm Carjacking That Occurred on Thursday; Charges Pending

By MCS Staff

Published February 12, 2023 at 3:22PM

Per Takoma Park Police: On February 10, at approximately 10:14 pm, a detective from the Takoma Park Police Department responded to the Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department for the recovered carjacked vehicle that was stolen on February 9 from Westmoreland Avenue. Fairfax County Police undercover units located the stolen vehicle in front of a shopping establishment. Four suspects were apprehended. Two of the suspects were 18-year-old adults and the other two were 17-year-old juveniles. Only one of the 17-year-old juveniles, from the District of Columbia, was responsible for the carjacking in Takoma Park. The other juvenile was released to the custody of a guardian. The two adults were charged by Fairfax County Police for theft and possession of stolen property. Charges are pending for the carjacking. This investigation is ongoing and will be updated.

[February 10, 2023] On February 9, at approximately 7:32 pm, Takoma Park Police responded to the area of Westmoreland Avenue and Carroll Avenue for the report of a carjacking that had just occurred. The victim was in his parked vehicle on Westmoreland Avenue conducting work through his employment when he was approached by three suspects walking from Carroll Avenue on to Westmoreland Avenue. The suspects approached the driver’s side door, opened it and demanded the victim get out. The victim complied and the three suspects fled in the vehicle towards Carroll Avenue and made a right turn. All of the victim’s work tools were inside the vehicle.

“Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures” Opens March 24, 2023; Will Feature Black Panther Costume Worn by the Late Chadwick Boseman

By MCS Staff

Published February 12, 2023 at 10:01AM

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will debut a major, thought-provoking new exhibition, “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures,” March 24, 2023. A highlight of the exhibition is the Black Panther hero costume worn by the late Chadwick Boseman. The Black Panther is the first superhero of African descent to appear in mainstream American comics, and the film itself is the first major cinematic production based on the character.

Per the press release: Investigating Afrofuturist expression through art, music, activism and more, this exhibition explores and reveals Afrofuturism’s historic and poignant engagement with African American history and popular culture. From the enslaved looking to the cosmos for freedom to popular sci-fi stories inspiring Black astronauts, to the musical influence of Sun Ra, OutKast, P-Funk and more, this exhibition covers the broad and impactful spectrum of Afrofuturism.

Beyond MoCo: Governor Wes Moore Statement on The Officer-Involved Shootings in Baltimore and Harford Counties

By Patrick Herron

Published February 11, 2023 at 11:21AM

Governor Wes Moore released the following statement on the officer-involved shootings in Baltimore and Harford counties:

“Today I visited with the family and colleagues of the Baltimore County detective who is currently on life support after being shot while in pursuit of the individual who ran from police and this morning was apprehended in Harford County.

Beyond MoCo: Nine Men Indicted for Participating in a Criminal Gang and Operating Open-Air Drug Market; One Indicted for the Murder

By Patrick Herron

Published February 11, 2023 at 8:17AM

Per the Maryland Attorney General (2.6.23): Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced the indictments of nine Baltimore men for their participation in a criminal gang that operated throughout Baltimore City distributing drugs and carrying out violent acts. One of those men is responsible for the November 2022 homicide of Marquis Carter of Baltimore. The defendants are Keontae Moore, 23; Dayvonta Mackey, 27; Daquan Battle, 27; Jawaan Jordan, 28; DaMarvin Singletary, 28; Brandon Ledbetter, 29; Carlos Jordan, 32; Darrell White, 33; and Theodore Easton, 44. The indictments include counts for participating in a criminal gang, the distribution of narcotics, illegal possession of firearms and firearm drug trafficking, and acts of violence, including murder.

Over the course of nine months, an investigation led by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Group 54, and the Baltimore City Police Department’s homicide squad revealed that a criminal enterprise known as the “1800 Boys” operated throughout Baltimore City, including in the 1800 block of Wilkens Avenue where they maintained an open-air drug market. The organization facilitated the sale of various narcotics to undercover officers, including, but not limited to, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. Detectives observed the organization distributing narcotics daily and participating in thousands of apparent hand-to-hand narcotics transactions over the course of the investigation. Through the use of undercover officers, detectives also discovered that the organization was distributing large amounts of narcotics at a time for resale.

Northwest High School/UMBC Alum Among First Peace Corps Volunteers to Return to Service Overseas

By Patrick Herron

Published February 10, 2023 at 5:17PM

Malick Boly is among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service since the agency suspended its global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries in March 2020. Boly grew up in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso in West Africa before moving to Gaithersburg in 2011, where he attended Lakeland Park Middle School and Northwest High School (Class of 2016) in Germantown. Boly graduated from UMBC with a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology and will serve as an English literacy volunteer in Samoa.

“My mother was a volunteer in Gabon during the early 80’s,” said Boly. “Her decision to join Peace Corps sent her on a thirty plus year humanitarian journey that culminated in the creation and management of multiple schools and a happy family of five. I am proud to follow in her footsteps.”

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke announce new partnership between Metro Transit Police and DC Metropolitan Police to enhance public safety on Metro

By MCS Staff

Published February 10, 2023 at 6:43AM

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke announced a new partnership between the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) and the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to enhance public safety and security on the transit system. The partnership will increase police presence and MPD will be the first partner.

“We know that residents and visitors want to see a strong police presence in our community, and that’s what this partnership will allow us to provide,” said Mayor Bowser. “When police are in the community, people feel safer and our officers can respond faster. Hundreds of thousands of people use Metro every day to move around DC, and now, they can expect to see more MPD officers out during their commutes.”

Beyond MoCo: The Bazaar by Chef José Andrés Opens at The Old Post Office Building in DC

By Patrick Herron

Published February 8, 2023 at 2:00PM | Updated February 13, 2023 at 11:53AM

The Bazaar by Chef Josés Andrés is now open at the Old Post Office building at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. According to the restaurant, “The Bazaar takes guests on a sensory adventure where anything is possible and pays homage to José’s Spanish roots and inventive style. The culinary experience in Washington, DC will offer The Bazaar’s signature playful dishes, while infusing new menu items that boast an Americana flair and nod to US history.” Andrés gained fame as the chef at the Washington, D.C., tapas restaurant Jaleo. Locally, Andrés owns Spanish Dinerat 7271 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda (formerly Jaleo) as well as DC restaurants China Chilcano, Jaleo, Oyamel, and Zaytinya. Full details below:

José Andrés Group is proud to introduce The Bazaar by José Andrés in the historic Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., relaunched in 2022 by CGI Merchant Group, in partnership with Hilton under the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand. The opening of The Bazaar at Waldorf Astoria Washington DC signals the culmination of a 30-year journey for Chef Andrés, who has dreamed of opening a restaurant in the historic building since he arrived in Washington, DC in 1993.

Gaithersburg Man Arrested For Phishing Theft of $375K

By MCS Staff

Published February 5, 2023 at 6:50PM | Updated February 5, 2023 at 9:57PM

Per Seymour, Connecticut Police: On February 1, 2023, following a lengthy and complex investigation by the Seymour Police Department Detective Bureau with assistance from the Gaithersburg Police Department in Maryland, Officers from both Departments arrested the following individual, Charles Ukasanya, for his role in the theft of approximately $375,000 in funds from the Town of Seymour.

Mr. Ukasanya was charged with one count of Larceny in the 1 degree which is a Class B felony. He was taken into custody in Maryland on an extraditable warrant issued by a judge in Milford Superior Court, CT. The court set bond on this warrant is $60,000. Mr. Ukasanya is in custody in Maryland, and will be extradited to Connecticut for prosecution. This investigation into the theft of funds is still active and ongoing at this time.

Governor Moore Attends 53rd Annual Taste of Maryland Agriculture Celebration

By Patrick Herron

Published February 4, 2023 at 10:48AM

Per the State of Maryland (2/3/2023): Governor Wes Moore last evening attended the 53rd annual Taste of Maryland Agriculture Celebration at Live! Casino and Hotel in Hanover, MD. Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, Maryland Department of Agriculture Acting Secretary Kevin Atticks, and more than 700 agricultural leaders joined the governor to learn directly from producers and supporters of Maryland agricultural products and business and to induct the Fritz family of Carroll County into the Governor’s Agriculture Hall of Fame.

“For generations, Maryland’s farmers have stewarded the conservation of land and advocated tirelessly for their way of life and industry—all while putting food on our tables,” said Governor Moore. “Together we will build back our farming and agricultural industry to instill lasting strength for generations to come.”