East County Archives - Page 72 of 95

Man Accused of Killing Shell Station Employee and 8-Month Pregnant Woman Ruled Not Competent to Stand Trial

Published December 19, 2022 at 4:28PM

Per the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office: Today in the District Court in Rockville for Montgomery County, MD, defendant, Torrey Moore, appeared before the Honorable Amy Bills for a bond hearing for the charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a violent crime for the death of Ayalew Wondimu that was continued from December 15th for a court diagnostic (mental evaluation). After reviewing the report by the Office of Court-Ordered Evaluations and Placements (OCEP) within the Department of Health (MDH), Judge Bills ruled Moore is not competent to stand trial and scheduled a date for a competency hearing on June 13th, 2023. She also scheduled a preliminary hearing for January 6th, 2023.

Last week, State’s Attorney John McCarthy announced Moore is also being charged in the death of a woman and her unborn child. Once the Department of Corrections transports Moore to the Central Processing Unit to be arraigned on those charges he will have an additional bond hearing. Mr. McCarthy spoke with reporters following today’s hearing and that can be seen here.

Police Identify Body of 38-Week Pregnant Woman Discovered in White Oak Apartment

By Patrick Herron

Published December 15, 2022 at 5:28PM

Officers had obtained a search warrant for Moore’s apartment, located at 11235 Oak Leaf Drive, following the shooting death of 61-year-old Ayalew Wondimu, an employee of the Dash In Convenience Store, located in the 11100 block of New Hampshire Ave. Middleton was found in the bedroom, in an advanced stage of decomposition and transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) for autopsy. The OCME determined that Middleton was approximately 38-weeks pregnant at the time of her death and that the fetus, a boy, would have lived had Middleton delivered at that time. The autopsy also revealed that Middleton had been shot multiple times.

MCFRS Respond to Crash on Old Columbia Pike Thursday Afternoon

By MCS Staff

Published December 15, 2022 at 3:15PM | Updated December 15, 2022 at 4:20PM

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) were called to the scene of a crash on the 13700 block of Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville at approximately 1pm, according to MCFRS Lieutenant Franco Martinez. According to Martinez a person was extracted fro the vehicle, but there is no word on any possible injuries.

13700 BLK of old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville for a vehicle collision with one trapped. PE715, RS715, M715 & BC701. Person extracted from the vehicle. pic.twitter.com/tZNNirgoE0

Last Remaining Office Depot in MoCo to Close

By Patrick Herron

Published December 15, 2022 at 9:14AM | Updated December 15, 2022 at 10:55AM

Office Depot at 11130 New Hampshire Ave in White Oak has announced it is closing. A representative from the store tells us that it will be closing “sometime in January”. Office Depot’s closest competitor Staples has MoCo locations in Chevy Chase, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, and Silver Spring.

The Office Depot that was located at 15790 Shady Grove Road in Gaithersburg closed back in November of 2020 and is the site of the upcoming Amazon Fresh, which will be opening in early 2023, according to signage on the door (exact date still not available). No word yet on what could be replacing the White Oak location.

Burtonsville Crossing Update

By MCS Staff

Published December 14, 2022 at 4:20PM

Montgomery Planning staff has recommended the approval (with conditions) of a site plan that contains an amendment to allow for redeveloping the Burtonsville Shopping Center by demolishing 7,600 square feet of existing retail uses and relocating that retail square footage into two new pad sites with drive- thrus including improvements to open space, landscaping, lighting, and pedestrian circulation. In June it was announced that a lease has been signed by the Phoenix-based company Sprouts Farmers Market in what is seen as the first critical step to kick start the revitalization of a once thriving retail area. It will also be the grocery chain’s first store in Montgomery County. “We are excited to partner with Sprouts on bringing a unique grocery experience to Burtonsville,” said David Germakian, Managing Director, EDENS. Additional information below, courtesy of Montgomery Planning:

The Applicant proposes to redevelop 6.90 acres of the existing shopping center by demolishing a 7,600 square foot area in the center of the existing shopping center to create a community gathering space (seen in our feature photo). This 7,600 square feet of demolished commercial space in the center of the existing shopping center will be reallocated to two new free standing pad sites with new drive-thru accessory uses on the front of the Property for Retail/Service Establishment or Restaurant uses. Separately from this Site Plan Amendment, the Applicant intends to make façade improvements to the existing buildings to enhance the aesthetics of the shopping center. These interim improvements are not subject to review as part of this Site Plan because they are outside the boundary of the amendment area. Additionally, Site Plan 819851040 approved in 1985 did not include any approved architectural drawings or conditions relating to architectural or building design. As a result, moving forward with façade and exterior building improvements is not a violation of any previous approval.

Police Investigating Attempted Armed Robbery of Seafood Restaurant

By Patrick Herron

Published December 14, 2022 at 3:01PM | Updated December 14, 2022 at 3:32PM

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police -Major Crimes Division are investigating an attempted commercial armed robbery that occurred inside Karen’s Seafood in the 13800 block of Outlet Drive. Detectives have released surveillance video of the suspect and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him.

At approximately 7:28 p.m., 3rd District officers responded to the location for the report of an attempted armed robbery that just occurred. The investigation by detectives has determined that an unknown suspect entered Karen’s Seafood, armed with a firearm. The suspect approached multiple patrons inside the restaurant, pointed his firearm at them and demanded money. When the patrons failed to comply with the suspect’s demands, he approached an employee at the cash register. For reasons still under investigation, the suspect fled the scene without obtaining any currency from the establishment.

Worker Injured at Pepco Facility in White Oak; Power Reported Out in Some Surrounding Areas

By MCS Staff

Published December 13, 2022 at 8:05PM

At approximately 6:10PM on Tuesday, a worker suffered significant burns at the Pepco facility off of New Hampshire Avenue near Lockwood Drive in White Oak, according to our public safety reporter Cordell Pugh. The worker is being transported with significant burns after some sort of electric malfunction. Paramedics are transporting the patient to The Burn Center.

A loss of power was also reported at Planet Fitness in White Oak, as well as in areas surrounding it. At this moment, it’s unclear if the two situations are related. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.

Silver Spring Man Charged with Shell Station Homicide Will Also be Charged With Murder of Woman and Unborn Child

By Patrick Herron

Published December 12, 2022 at 7:24PM

Torrey Moore, 31, of Silver Spring will continue to be held without bond while he undergoes a mental health evaluation. His next appearance in court is on December 19. Moore was charged last week with first degree murder and possession of a firearm while committing a felony in connection with the shooting death of 61-year-old Ayalew Wondimu at a White Oak Shell station on December 8. Today Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy announced that the county plans on charging Moore with additional murder charges for the death of a pregnant 26-year-old woman who was found decomposing in Moore’s apartment, as well as her unborn viable fetus. McCarthy revealed that the woman had been shot and its believed her dead body had been in the apartment over a month.

Details on the case courtesy of MCPD, “Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division have arrested and charged 31-year-old Torrey Moore of Silver Spring, with a homicide that occurred on Thursday, December 8, 2022, in the 11100 block of New Hampshire Ave.

Suspect Arrested in Connection to Thursday Homicide at Shell Station

By Patrick Herron

Published December 9, 2022 at 1:50PM | Updated December 9, 2022 at 2:16PM

Montgomery County Police have announced that an arrest has been made in connection to yesterday’s shooting death of a Shell Station employee at 11500 New Hampshire Ave. According to MCPD, “Chief Marcus Jones will address the media regarding the arrest of a suspect involved in the shooting death of a gas station employee on Thursday, December 8. Chief Jones and representatives from the Major Crimes Division will provide details surrounding the arrest of the suspect.”

Per MCPD: On Thursday, December 8, 2022, at approximately 3:03 p.m., 3^rd District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue responded to a Shell Station in the 11100 block of New Hampshire Avenue for the report of a shooting that just occurred. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim, who was an employee of the business, was pronounced dead on scene.

Shooting at Shell Gas Station Thursday Afternoon Now Confirmed as Homicide

By MCS Staff

Published December 8, 2022 at 5:24PM

4:11pm Update per MCPD: MCPD PIO is en route to a confirmed homicide in the 1100 block of New Hampshire Ave.

Montgomery County Police is investigating a shooting at the Shell gas station in the 11100 block of New Hampshire Ave. According to our public safety reporter Cordell Pugh, the shooting occurred at approximately 3PM on Thursday at the White Oak Shell/Dash In gas station/convenience store on the corner of New Hampshire Avenue and Lockwood Drive in White Oak, MD (Montgomery County). The victim was shot and critically injured. This story will be updated with additional information as it becomes available. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.

Fryer’s Roadside Has Reopened Under New Ownership

By MCS Staff

Published December 8, 2022 at 12:20PM

Fryer’s Roadside first opened in 2021, serving fried chicken, sides, soft-serve ice cream and snowballs to the Montgomery County community. After a year, previous ownership announced that the eatery was available for sale, prompting Chef Reavis and Meltzer to purchase the restaurant in September 2022. Chef Reavis, who grew up eating Southern cooking in a small southeastern Virginia town, has thoughtfully overhauled the menu which now features reimagined versions of some Fryer’s favorites alongside unique new additions.

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