Montgomery County Police are investigating a burglary that occurred on March 4th at Cubano’s in Bethesda. MCPD tweeted the following on Tuesday, April 11: “Detectives from the 2D Patrol Investigations Unit are investigating a theft that occurred on Sat., March 4, at the Cubano’s Restaurant in the 4900 block of Cordell Ave. Detectives are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect.” Video below.
Cubano’s opened its Bethesda location in February 2020 and has additional locations in Silver Spring (1201 Fidler Ln.) and Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Detectives from the 2D Patrol Investigations Unit are investigating a theft that occurred on Sat., March 4, at the Cubano’s Restaurant in the 4900 block of Cordell Ave. Detectives are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect.https://t.co/iH5LPuu6ee#MCPNews pic.twitter.com/uObq7qaRrU
— Montgomery County Department of Police (@mcpnews) April 11, 2023
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division, Robbery Section, are investigating an armed robbery of a gas station that occurred on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
At approximately 7:37 a.m., 3rd District officers responded to the Exxon gas station in the 9300 block of Georgia Ave. The victim stated to officers that at approximately 6:42 a.m., a Black male, wearing a black Northface jacket with the hood up, black ski mask, black sunglasses, blue jeans, and dark colored shoes, entered the store and walked around.
The suspect locked the front door, removed a handgun from his jacket, walked towards the clerk and demanded money. The clerk gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash, and the suspect left the store, running on Columbia Blvd towards 16th Street. The suspect is approximately 6-feet, 2-inches tall, 180 pounds with a thin build.
Anyone with information regarding this suspect or this crime, is asked to contact Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect. Callers may remain anonymous.
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According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Terrence McGann sentenced defendant, Sophia Negroponte, 30, of Washington, D.C., to 35 years in prison for the stabbing death of 24-year-old Yousuf Rasmussen. A jury convicted Negroponte of Second-Degree Murder on January 3rd, 2023.” Negroponte stabbed Rasmussen to death at a home in Rockville in 2020. Negroponte had claimed she was acting in self-defense.
“While nothing can ease the pain caused by this senseless loss of life, we thank Judge McGann for an appropriate prison sentence in this case. Yousuf Rasmussen was a beloved 24-year-old young man who was supported throughout this trial by friends and family and he will be greatly missed by all who loved him,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
The Rasmussen family released the following statement in January:
“Yousuf was a kind and gentle soul, a loving person who brought our family and his many friends great joy in his 24 years of life. We will carry him with us forever. We are grateful for the dedication and professionalism of Maryland and Montgomery County officials, notably in the Circuit Court, the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Victim Assistance program. Above all, we wish to thank the many police and emergency medical technicians who rushed to the scene and tried to save Yousuf’s precious life. To the family and friends from all over the world who have walked beside us on this difficult journey, we wish to express our deepest love and deepest appreciation for your support, for your prayers and for your compassion.”
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “today the Honorable David Lease, in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, sentenced defendant, Etienne Kabongo, to 90 years in prison suspend all but 40 years. He would face five years of supervised probation should he ever be released. The defendant pleaded guilty to crimes against four female victims, ages 12, 12, 18 and 20, who rode the bus he drove for Montgomery County Public Schools. While he pleaded guilty, Kabongo claimed he was not criminally responsible due to an alleged mental disorder. Last month, however, a jury found he is indeed responsible for the two counts of Second-Degree Rape and two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor.”
One of the victims came forward after an incident in July of 2018 and a Montgomery County Police investigation resulted in the discovery of school bus surveillance footage of multiple incidents involving three additional victims.
“Etienne Kabongo was entrusted with the safety of some of the most vulnerable members of our community and he violated that trust, using his position to sexually abuse the nonverbal students for which he was responsible. Thank you to Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Rubinstein for his work in holding this defendant accountable. We are grateful that justice has prevailed and hope it provides some comfort for the victims and their families,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy in February.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Eric Johnson, a jury has found defendant, Jefferson Delgado, 29, of Gaithersburg, guilty of first-degree attempted murder for shooting a man outside of Antojitos restaurant located on East Diamond Avenue Gaithersburg. The incident occurred on Aril 18, 2021 and the jury reached its verdict late yesterday, March 30, 2023. Delgado faces the potential of life in prison when he is sentenced on May 8, 2023.
This shooting was prompted by an argument between two groups of people at the restaurant. It happened in the parking lot outside of Antojitos at 1:22 a.m. and was caught on surveillance footage. After retrieving a shotgun from a friend’s vehicle, Delgado opened fire at least twice hitting the victim with two bullets. He then ran to a parking garage where he was captured by another surveillance camera running back and forth. He is seen attempting to hide the weapon. The victim in this case survived. Prosecution was handled by Assistant State’s Attorney Teresa Casafranca.”
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable John Maloney sentenced defendant, Carlos Zackery, 26, of Washington, D.C., to 100 years in prison suspend all but 26 years and five years of supervised probation upon release. The sentence was handed down on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. The defendant pleaded guilty in this case in September 2022 to six armed robberies, nine first degree assaults, and two conspiracy to commit armed robbery charges.
It all stems from the armed robberies of two pharmacies:
-December 23rd 2021: the Walgreens on the 6900 block of Arlington Road in Bethesda where 5,692 pills were stolen with an estimated value of $15,866.
-January 4th 2022: the Giant Foods pharmacy on the 3800 block of International Drive in Silver Spring where 4,950 pills and 1,237 ml of controlled dangerous substance fluids were stolen with a total estimated value of $33,128.
A codefendant in this case, Zackery’s half-brother, Dionte Taylor, 25, of unknown address, was sentenced on January 20, 2023 to 65 years with all but 12 suspended, and five years of supervised probation upon release. He had plead guilty to 13 counts related to the armed robberies.
“These defendants terrorized pharmacy employees and customers. We are grateful to Assistant State’s Attorneys Peter Larson and Sheila Bagheri for their work in this matter along with the pharmacy clerk who bravely activated the silent alarm and to Montgomery County Police. In the case of the most recent robbery, officers were able to prevent thousands of narcotics and opioid pills from hitting the streets,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, Jose Lara-Chacon of Wheaton was sentenced on Friday to life in prison suspend all but 40 years and five years of supervised probation upon release. A jury convicted Lara-Chacon of first-degree murder in November for the death of 21-year-old Dimer Diaz Martinez.
This stems from an incident on January 22, 2021 in an apartment along the 12000 block of Viers Mill Rd. in Wheaton. The defendant called 911 requesting emergency response to the scene, stating he and the victim had been drinking alcohol and that he injured the victim. During an interview with detectives, the defendant stated he hit the victim with a baseball bat twice in the head and “finished off” the victim by stabbing him in the neck. The victim was nearly decapitated. The defendant stated after he stabbed the victim, he placed a knife in the victim’s hand and then called 911.
“Our thoughts are with the family of Dimer Diaz Martinez today. This sort of sudden, vicious violence has no place in our community and the defendant will now be held accountable. We thank the men and women of the jury for rejecting the defendant’s claim of self-defense and helping to ensure Jose Lara-Chacon will not be able to harm another person in this way. I also commend Assistant State’s Attorney James Dietrich for his outstanding work in this matter,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
Per Montgomery County: On Sunday, March 26 at 3 p.m., Councilmember Kate Stewart and Council President Evan Glass will host a community conversation on safety in Silver Spring. The event will begin at 3 p.m. and will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Center, 1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD. The event will include a panel discussion on gun safety and safety improvements in downtown Silver Spring, a discussion with community residents and a safety walk. Councilmembers Stewart and Glass will be joined by nonprofit partners, public safety and local business leaders.
“We are gathering for this event because like many of you, I want to make sure that Silver Spring continues to be a place where young people, children, families, young adults and older folks feel safe and enjoy all we have to offer,” said Councilmember Stewart. “Addressing the issues we are facing will require everyone to take part in solutions — Montgomery County leadership, partners in neighboring jurisdictions, our police, our businesses, non profits, and our residents.”
“As a resident of downtown Silver Spring for the last 25 years, I understand the community’s concerns about crime in the area. I am actively working with my colleagues to support our businesses and keep residents safe,” said Council President Glass. “I look forward to hearing directly from the community about additional safety measures the county can implement.”
Members of the media can reach out to Cecily Thorne (Stewart) [email protected] or Valeria Carranza (Glass) at [email protected].
Residents can RSVP here: bit.ly/silverspringconversation
Featured image courtesy of Google maps.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable John Maloney, defendant, Julia Birch, 27, of Kensington, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of her 92-year-old roommate, Nancy Ann Frankel. Birch faces up to 40 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 29th at 10 a.m.before Judge Maloney.
On July 28, 2021 Montgomery County Police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel responded to a residence on Spruell Drive in Kensington, Maryland for a death investigation. Upon their arrival, the complainant, 26-year-old Julia Birch, told officers that she had suffocated and killed her 92-year-old roommate, identified as Nancy Ann Frankel, who was found deceased in her bedroom. Birch had staged the body to look more presentable, laying the victim on a pillow, folding her arms over her chest, and putting perfume on her. This was after initially unsuccessfully trying to get the body back into her bed. Birch was taken into custody and transported to Montgomery County Police Headquarters to be interviewed. She admitted to killing Nancy Ann Frankel by trying to place a plastic bag over Frankel’s head to suffocate her, and when the victim poked a hole in the bag, Birch took her to the ground and strangled her to death. Physical evidence and autopsy confirmed the method of death. Birch admitted to then calling 911 to report the death.
Birch was evaluated by a State doctor who found that she was experiencing psychotic symptoms at the time of the murder and diagnosed her with schizoaffective disorder, but found she still understood murder was wrong and could control her conduct to conform to law.
Per MCPD: In a March 17, 2023 news release, United States Attorney Erek Barron, Montgomery County Chief of Police, Marcus Jones and other federal, state and local partners, announced the sentencing of 31-year-old Gregory Butler of Baltimore, MD to 30-years in federal prison. Butler was the leader of a criminal organization, named “NFL,” which operated across Maryland and neighboring states.
The criminal organization was involved in crimes such as distribution of cocaine and fentanyl and responsible for a number of murders and fatal drug overdoses in the region.
The announcement specifically references a 2016 fatal drug overdose that occurred in Rockville, which happened after Butler coordinated the sale to the victim who died the next day. More than 30 defendants in this and related cases have pleaded guilty.
Per MCPD: A Rockville man is in custody for a burglary he committed while Montgomery County Fire Rescue investigated a fire in the Arrive Apartment complex on Saturday, February 18, 2023. At approximately 6 a.m., Montgomery County Police and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the location, in the 8700 block of Georgia Ave., for a three-alarm fire in progress.
Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel evacuated the building and forced entry into several apartments by breaking locks and doors to ensure the safety of all occupants. While on scene, 3rd District officers were notified of a suspicious person. The suspect was seen exiting and re-entering the apartment building and was hiding a Sony PlayStation 5.
Once the apartment residents were able to return to the building, the victim notified police that his apartment was burglarized, and a Sony PlayStation 5 was stolen. Through the course of the investigation, officers identified 43-year-old Rasheed Duvall as the suspect. A search warrant was obtained for Duvall’s vehicle and detectives found the PlayStation inside.
On Friday, February 24, 2023, Duvall was arrested and transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he was charged with first degree burglary and theft $100 to under $1,500. He is being held without bond.
