Crime

Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of MarylandU.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has sentenced Luis Flores-Reyes, a/k/a “Maloso,” “Lobo,”’ and “Viejo Lovvon,” age 42, of Arlington, Virginia and Jairo Jacome, a/k/a “Abuelo,” age 40, of Langley Park, Maryland, to life in federal prison, for charges related to a racketeering enterprise known as La Mara Salvatrucha, or “MS-13.”  Jacome and Flores-Reyes were convicted by a federal jury on September 29, 2022, of a racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and an extortion conspiracy.  The jury also found Flores-Reyes guilty of a drug distribution conspiracy.  Flores-Reyes was sentenced yesterday and Jacome was sentenced today. The defendants and co-defendants were also involved in murders that took place in Gaithersburg and Germantown.

On January 12, 2023, Judge Xinis also sentenced co-defendant Brayan Contreras-Avalos, a/k/a “Anonimo” and “Humilde,” age 28, of Langley Park, Maryland, to life in federal prison for his participation in the same racketeering conspiracy.


Education

1. Come Out This Saturday for a Family Forum on Fentanyl & Life-Saving Narcan Training In partnership with Montgomery Goes Purple, MCPS invites families to come out Saturday, Feb. 25 for an event and discussion on fentanyl. Panelists will share important information on the dangers and prevalence of illegally made fentanyl, prevention tools and protective factors for students, and resources for treatment when needed. The event will be from 9:30–11:30 a.m. in the Northwood High School auditorium, 919 University Blvd. West in Silver Spring. Breakout discussions for students and parents/caregivers and students, resource fair, COVID-19 vaccinations and refreshments will be available. Panel and breakout sessions will be in English and Spanish. RSVP. Fentanyl Resources

2. Finalists Selected for Student Member of the Board of Education: Sami Saeed, a junior at Richard Montgomery High School, and Yoseph Zerihun, a junior at Springbrook High School, are the finalists for the 46th Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB). Mr. Saeed and Mr. Zerihun were chosen from a pool of 12 students by more than 400 voting middle and high school delegates at this year’s SMOB Nominating Convention. Elections will be held on April 19. Read more about the candidates.


Education

Hundreds of students, educators, administrators, community members, caregivers and HBCU representatives with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) participated in this year’s HBCU Fair on Friday, February 17.

The free in-person event at The Universities at Shady Grove provided students in Grades 8–12 an opportunity to meet representatives from more than 50 HBCUs. Representatives shared information and answered questions from students and parents about admissions, financial aid, testing, majors and much more. The event also featured a college preparation workshop for middle school students and parents, a discussion on college life, FAFSA completion assistance, scholarship information and more.


Rockville

Per the City of Rockville: Rockville has been ranked eighth overall and fourth among small cities in the U.S. for its ethnic diversity, once again placing highly in an annual WalletHub study. More than one-third of Rockville’s 67,117 residents were born outside of the U.S.

Rockville and three other Montgomery County municipalities, Gaithersburg, Germantown and Silver Spring, ranked in the top 10 spots among all cities, of any size, in the entire United States.


Beyond MoCo

Per Montgomery County: On Wednesday, the Office of the County Attorney for Montgomery County filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court Northern District of California against McKinsey and Company, Inc. for the company’s role in marketing opioids to the public and medical providers. The suit alleges that the McKinsey defendants served as marketing advisors to several opioid manufacturers, and in this role, helped counter the “emotional message” from the families of overdose victims and advised Purdue on how to “turbocharge” the sale of opioids. To read the full complaint, please click here.

“As Purdue and other pharmaceuticals companies made billions off the harm and death their products brought to millions of Americans, McKinsey and Company, Inc. were their enablers and a profiteer of this blood money,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “This is another example of the corporate structure being used to shield people from their immoral actions. They must be made to account for their callous greed and the filing of this lawsuit marks an important milestone in our county’s efforts to do just that. We will aggressively advocate for the many Montgomery County residents who have been harmed by this deadly and preventable epidemic. The actions and decisions of this company were immoral, inhumane, and unconscionable. They need to be held equally accountable.”


White Oak

The suspect is described as a Black male, thin build, approximately 18 to 20-years-old, 5-feet, 10-inches to six-feet tall, with short black hair. He was carrying a white backpack with black trim and wearing a black ski mask, black coat with fur around the hood black jeans and black shoes.


Fairland

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police- Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 15-year-old from the Fairland area of Silver Spring.  Belinda Garcia-Bonilla was last seen on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at approximately 10 p.m., in the 14300 block of Fairdale Rd.

Garcia-Bonilla is approximately 5-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs 125 pounds. She has brown eyes and shoulder length hair that is dyed blonde. It is unknown what she was last seen wearing. She was also carrying a red and blue backpack and a separate pink backpack.  Police and family are concerned for her welfare.


Gaithersburg

Update: Chipotle at Rio Has Reopened After a Temporary Closure

Chipotle Mexican Grill at 205 Boardwalk Pl in Gaithersburg has temporarily closed. A sign on the front door reads, “Due to construction, we are currently close. We apologize for the inconvenience and will reopen as soon as possible.” A representative from Chipotle was not able to provide an estimate on when the restaurant would reopen. There are nearby Chipotle locations at Gaithersburg Square and the Kentlands. We will post an update when additional information is available.


Silver Spring

Per MCPD: A Silver Spring man has been indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on charges related to a double fatal collision that occurred on Sunday, July 10, 2022, in the intersection of Georgia Avenue and May Street. 24-year-old Daniel Alberto Aviles Gonzalez has been charged with two counts of grossly negligent manslaughter, two counts of vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol, driving suspended, and driving on a learner’s permit without supervision.

The investigation by the Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit revealed that Aviles Gonzalez was driving his Jeep Grand Cherokee south on Georgia Avenue when he struck a Toyota Camry turning left from northbound Georgia Avenue onto May Street. 79-year-old Prabodh Vaid and 77-year-old Nirmala Vaid, a married couple who lived at the corner of May Street and Georgia Ave, died at the scene of the collision. The investigation determined that Aviles Gonzalez was driving at a high rate of speed while under the influence of alcohol.


MoCo

Early Thursday morning, Kevin Lewis of WJLA/ABC 7 announced that he will be leaving the station after 10 years of covering Montgomery County. Kevin Lewis joined the ABC7 News team in August of 2013 and has covered Montgomery County, Maryland, from the get-go. His full statement can be seen below:

“After nearly 10 years, Friday, February 24th, will be my final day at ABC7 in D.C. The decision to leave the station has been incredibly difficult for me to reach… confusion and sadness, but a gnawing sense that it’s time for me to write a new chapter.


Aspen Hill

Espinales is approximately 5-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. She has pierced ears and a nose piercing. It is unknown what she was last seen wearing. Police and family are concerned for her welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Allison Espinales is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301)279-8000. Callers may remain anonymous.