Burtonsville

“Lucky Great-Grandma” Wins 3rd $50,000 Lottery Prize; Plans to Use Money on Dental Work and a Vacation

By Patrick Herron

The married great-grandmother chose to keep the winning news to herself. She shared with Lottery officials, when she claimed the prize, that she’ll use the winnings for dental work and a vacation. The Lottery retailer, Williams Beer & Wine, located at 15440 Old Columbia Pike is also celebrating this win. For selling a top-prize winning Bonus Match 5 ticket, the Montgomery County business will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery. This is one of 17 $50,000 top-prize winning Bonus Match 5 tickets sold in 2023.

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Crime

12 Year Sentence for Defendant in Gang Related Shooting

By Patrick Herron

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Michael McAuliffe has sentenced defendant, Aaron Jefferson, 28, of Washington D.C., to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised probation upon release, for a shooting on the 7900 Block of Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. Judge McAuliffe issued the sentence on July 17th, 2023. On May 31, 2023, Jefferson pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and reckless endangerment for his role in the incident, which occurred on October 2, 2021. Investigators believe this shooting was the result of a rival gang dispute.

More than 40 rifle and handgun casings were recovered from the scene. Bullets struck a man in the hand and leg. That victim survived. Three commercial businesses and five vehicles were also hit by bullets. The investigation by Montgomery County Police showed that Jefferson was one of multiple individuals shooting handguns and a rifle. Jefferson was shot in the back and back of his neck. It’s believed he sustained his injuries as a result of the other shooters hitting him from behind. The search continues for additional suspects. Assistant State’s Attorney Thea Zumwalt prosecuted this case.”

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Gaithersburg

Several Gaithersburg Neighborhoods To Participate in ‘National Night Out’ Campaign Against Crime

By MCS Staff

Per the City of Gaithersburg: Several Gaithersburg neighborhoods are joining communities across the country to participate in the National Night Out (NNO) Against Crime campaign.

On Tuesday, August 1, these neighborhoods will hold events to increase drug prevention awareness, generate support for anti-crime programs, encourage residents to be involved in their communities, and send a message that neighborhoods and businesses are organized to fight back against crime. The NNO programs help bring together residents, law enforcement agencies, local officials, civic groups, and neighborhood organizations. Participating neighborhoods will be posted closer to event. Participating neighborhoods include:

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Chevy Chase

Three Arrested With Over $15K in Stolen Property From MoCo Department Store

By MCS Staff

Per Fairfax County Police: Officers assigned to the Tysons Urban Team (TUT) successfully prevented an organized retail theft crew from carrying out their intended plan and made a swift arrest. On July 13, officers received a tip from Sak’s Fifth Ave Regional Loss Prevention team that the Saks Fifth Avenue store located in Chevy Chase, Maryland reported a retail theft crew left the store in a gold Chevrolet Impala with Pennsylvania tags.

With this information, TUT officers utilized LPR technology and learned that the vehicle had entered Virginia and was in the immediate vicinity. The vehicle was located and observed by TUT units heading in the direction of Saks Fifth Avenue in McLean. The vehicle’s occupants were observed by the TUT team entering the store. Once in the store, they selected multiple high-end handbags and other luxury merchandise and headed toward the exit without paying. When approached by the store’s Loss Prevention team, the two suspects ran. TUT units were already in the area and were able to take one suspect into custody. The other suspect was found in a nearby dumpster after a brief search of the area. The driver of the vehicle was soon located and taken into custody, as well.

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King Farm

Pet Wants Coming Soon to King Farm

By Patrick Herron

Pet Wants is coming to 302 King Farm Blvd Ste 130 in Rockville, next to Montgomery County’s last remaining Baja Fresh. Pet Wants offers pet food that contains no corn, wheat, soy, or animal byproducts.  Pet Wants Rockville has been in business since 2021 operating as a delivery service and vendor at local farmers markets, and this will be its first brick-and-mortar location. The store is targeting a fall opening and plans to host regular pet adoption events with local rescues.

According to owner Anita Kostadinova, “We focus on small batch, natural and minimally processed treats, chews and food for dogs and cats. Most of our treats are good enough for people to eat! Through our Pet Wants franchise we also have proprietary recipes for freshly made dog and cat dry food. The food is always soy, corn, wheat, and by-product free. It is made in small batches monthly and is sold by the pound, so the food you feed your pet will never be older than a month or two!”

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Crime

Police Investigating Montgomery County Liquor and Wine Store Burglary

By Patrick Herron

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 3rd District Investigative Section are investigating a commercial burglary that occurred on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at the Montgomery County Liquor and Wine store in the 11200 block of New Hampshire Ave. in Silver Spring. Detectives have released surveillance video of the six suspects and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying them.

At approximately 5:49 a.m., 3rd District officers responded to the location for the report of burglary. The investigation by detectives has revealed that the six suspects arrived at the store in a black Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan and a black BMW 5-Series sedan. The suspects forced entry into the store, stole an undisclosed amount of merchandise and left the scene in their vehicles.  Detectives reviewed the surveillance video of the store and obtained a description of the suspects.

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Germantown

Concern for Missing 50-Year-Old Woman

By Patrick Herron

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 5th District Investigative Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Tina Louise Martinez, a missing 50-year-old. Martinez was last seen on Sunday, June 18, 2023, in the 19900 block of Sweetgum Circle in Germantown. She is 5’5″, 210 Ibs., with blonde hair and green eyes and was last seen wearing a tan shirt. Police and family are concerned for her welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Tina Louise Martinez is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).

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Beyond MoCo

Two $1 Million Winning Powerball Tickets Sold in Maryland; $1.08 Billion Winning Ticket Sold in California

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland Lottery: While the $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot was won last night on a ticket sold in California, the July 19 drawing produced two Maryland tickets worth $1 million each. In addition, one ticket sold in Maryland was a third-tier winner with the Power Play option, delivering a $100,000 prize, and there were two other third-tier tickets in Maryland worth $50,000 each.

Here are the locations that sold the five Maryland high-tier winning tickets in the July 19 drawing:

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Clarksburg

Clarksburg Town Center Looking For Approval on Final Amendments That Would Put the Development “in a position to attract additional tenants”

By MCS Staff

In a proposal from earlier this summer, Clarksburg Town Center is looking for approval on limited amendments that would put the upcoming development in “a position to attract additional tenants and multifamily residents sufficient to support development of this final phase of Clarksburg Town Center.” The subject amendments to the Project Plan, Preliminary Plan and Site Plan propose construction of 179 multifamily units in three buildings along the east side of Clarksburg Square Road, and approximately 99,200 sq. ft. of retail/commercial space, including a grocery store of approximately 55,000 sq. ft.

At a Clarksburg community meeting on the future of the Clarksburg Town Center (CTC) last December, it was revealed in updated plans that the hope was for construction to begin in 2024 and be completed in “one fell swoop”. It was also announced that a grocery anchor, Weis, has signed a letter of intent to open up a new store at the CTC.

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Maryland

Maryland Joins Nationwide Enforcement Sweep to Stem Tide of Illegal Telemarketing Calls to U.S. Consumers

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other law enforcement partners nationwide – including Attorneys General from all 50 states and the District of Columbia – announced a new crackdown on illegal telemarketing targeting operations responsible for billions of calls to U.S. consumers.

The joint state and federal “Operation Stop Scam Calls” initiative builds on the efforts of Maryland and other state and federal partners to combat the scourge of illegal telemarketing, including robocalls. This initiative targets telemarketers and the companies that hire them, as well as lead generators who deceptively collect and provide consumers’ telephone numbers to robocallers and others, falsely representing that these consumers have consented to receive calls. It also targets Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers who facilitate tens of billions of illegal robocalls every year, most of which often originate overseas.

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Maryland

Maryland Attorney General Backs Suicide Prevention Initiatives for Safer Gun Purchases

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown filed an amicus brief on Monday, July 17, 2023, supporting Anne Arundel County’s suicide prevention measures in the case of Maryland Shall Issue, Inc., et al v. Anne Arundel County, Maryland, currently before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The amicus curiae brief emphasizes the importance of targeted efforts to increase awareness of suicide risk factors and available resources at the point of sale of firearms and ammunition.

Firearms account for approximately 45% of suicide deaths in Maryland, making them the leading method of suicide both in the state and nationally. In Maryland, suicide disproportionately impacts children, ranking as the second leading cause of death among five to 14-year-olds and the third leading cause among 15 to 24-year-olds. In addition, the brief underscores the significant impact of firearm suicides on veterans, as firearms are used in 68% of suicides among this vulnerable group.

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