Crime

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today, in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Kevin Hessler sentenced defendant, Jean J. Pierre, 50, of Montgomery Village, to 40 years in prison. This is the maximum penalty for second-degree murder, the charge on which the defendant was convicted by a jury.

The jury deliberated for just two hours after a five-day trial in May 2023, prosecuted by Deputy State’s Attorney Ryan Wechsler and Assistant State’s Attorney Gabe Carrera.


Crime

Upon arrival, 3rd District officers located Tyrone Howard Brown inside of a car with an apparent gunshot wound. Before coming to a stop, the victim crashed the car into several parked vehicles in the apartment complex’s parking lot.


MCPD

The Special Victims Investigations Division is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 16-year-old.

Benito Mabilo, 16, was last seen on Sunday, June 11, 2023, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., leaving his residence on Lea Pond Place in Montgomery Village He 5’8″, 130 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a black jacket and grey sweatpants.


MDLottery

Per the Maryland Lottery: Mega Millions fever is in the air as the jackpot continues to grow. No one won the Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday, which rolls to an estimated $560 million for the Friday, July 14 drawing with an estimated cash option of $281.1 million. The jackpot is the seventh largest in the game’s history.

Check your tickets as there were some local winners in Maryland. Third-tier prizes were sold in Jessup, Columbia and Rockville.


Crime

The investigation by detectives has revealed that the three suspects entered the store and two of the suspects removed merchandise from shelves and placed them in their totes. The three suspects were stopped by an employee as they were leaving the store. The male suspect then assaulted the employee and left the scene with the other two suspects.  Detectives reviewed the surveillance footage of the store and obtained a description of the suspects.


Crime

Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes detectives are looking for a 16-year-old wanted in connection with the shooting death of a Damascus man killed on Father’s Day. Isaiah Jamael Brown-Hawkins is accused of shooting and killing 32-year-old James Joel Austin on Sunday, June 18 in the 9800 block of Bethesda Church Road in Damascus.

At approximately 9:58 p.m., 5th District officers responded to the address for calls of a shooting. Officers located the victim in the parking lot of the apartment complex with an apparent gunshot wound. Austin was pronounced dead at the scene. Brown-Hawkins drove away in a Honda that was located in Washington, DC, however Brown-Hawkins has not been found.


Aspen Hill

The Montgomery County Department of Police – 4th District Investigative Section is looking for a 65-year-old missing from Aspen Hill.

65-year-old David Ways was last seen on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at approximately 10:30 p.m., leaving his residence on Hewitt Ave. He is 5’4″, 145 lbs, gray hair, and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, khaki pants and black/white Nike shoes. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of David Ways is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).


Arts

The Blair Witch Project was released on this day in 1999, 24 years ago– the first installment of the Blair Witch franchise.  Did you know The Blair Witch Project was primarily filmed right here in Montgomery County?

In the indie supernatural horror, three film students camp in the fictional Black Hills Forest of Burkittsville, Maryland in October of 1994 to film a documentary on the local legend of the Blair Witch. Mysteriously, the trio vanishes, leaving behind hours of footage to be discovered a year later by University of Maryland anthropology students. What the viewer witnesses is this purportedly real home video style footage.


Maryland

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today announced 100 matching grants totaling $5 million awarded to Maryland nonprofits, local jurisdictions, and other heritage tourism organizations by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. Grant funds support heritage tourism projects and activities that attract visitors and expand economic development and tourism-related jobs throughout Maryland.

“Heritage tourism boosts local economies, connects people to their past, and elevates them in the present,” said Gov. Moore. “My administration is proud to support a diverse offering of place-based experiences and new partnerships as we work to enrich the lives of Maryland residents and visitors.”


Maryland

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today announced that Vegetable and Butcher, a subscription-based food delivery service, is relocating its headquarters to Maryland. The company is moving from Washington, D.C. to a 32,000 square-foot Class A industrial space at 6001 Fallard Drive in Upper Marlboro.

“We are ecstatic to welcome Vegetable and Butcher to the Prince George’s County business community,” said Gov. Moore. “The company has a strong commitment to working with farmers and growers while providing nourishing meals to families throughout the region. Its mission is admirable and we are proud to have the company select Maryland for its new headquarters location.”