MRPD Chief's Discussion

Be Safe on Ice

2012-01-30T13:42:00.001-05:00

Walking to and from parking lots or between buildings during the winter requires special attention to avoid slipping and falling. Slips and falls are some of the most frequent types of injuries especially during the winter months.

No matter how well the snow and ice is removed from parking lots or sidewalks, you will still encounter some slippery surfaces when walking outdoors in the winter. It is important for everyone to be constantly aware of these dangers and to learn to walk safely on ice and slippery surfaces.

Keep these important safety tips in mind:

• In cold temperatures, approach with caution and assume that all wet, dark areas on pavements are slippery and icy.
• During bad weather, avoid boots or shoes with smooth soles and heels. Instead, wear shoes or boots that provide traction on snow and ice; boots made of non-slip rubber or neoprene with grooved soles are best.
• Use special care when entering and exiting vehicles; use the vehicle for support.
• Walk in designated walkways as much as possible. Taking shortcuts over snow piles and other frozen areas can be hazardous. Look ahead when you walk; a snow or ice covered sidewalk or driveway, especially if on a hill, may require travel along its grassy edge for traction.
• Point your feet out slightly like a penguin! Spreading your feet out slightly while walking on ice increases your center of gravity.
• Bend slightly and walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over your feet as much as possible.
• Extend your arms out to your sides to maintain balance.
• Keep your hands out of your pockets. Hands in your pockets while walking decreases your center of gravity and balance. You can break your fall with your hands free if you do start to slip.
• Watch where you are stepping and GO S-L-O-W-L-Y!!
• Take short steps or shuffle for stability.
• Wear a heavy, bulky coat that will cushion you if you should fall.
• Try to avoid landing on your knees, wrists, or spine. Try to fall on a fleshy part of your body, such as your side.
• Try to relax your muscles if you fall. You’ll injure yourself less if you are relaxed.

Police Report: January 22-28

2012-01-30T13:29:00.001-05:00

January 28^th:

3300 block of Buchanan Street: 1^st degree rape – 2:40 am. The victim told investigators that she was walking through the Queenstown Apartments when a man described as Latino, 22024 years of age, 5’6” tall, 175 lbs., wearing a black hat, blue jeans, a gray sweatshirt and a black vest approached her from behind and brandished a knife. The suspect forced her into some nearby bushes where he sexually assaulted her. PGPD Special Crimes detectives responded to take over the investigation.

34^th Street and Rhode Island Avenue: Traffic/vehicle impound – 11:40 pm. Officers stopped a 2006 Dodge Durango for an equipment violation. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle’s registration was suspended and there was an MSP pick up order on the tags. The tags were seized for return to MVA and the vehicle was impounded. The driver was issued the appropriate traffic citations and released.

January 27^th:

3100 block of Bunker Hill Road: Trespassing – 12:30 pm. Officers responded for the report of suspicious activity at a vacant house. When the officers arrived a search of the house revealed an adult male and an adult female living in the house. The owner of the house could not be contacted and the two individuals were sent on their way and warned not to return. Officers are continuing to investigate the incident along with Code Enforcement.

4200 block of 31^st Street: Theft over $500 – 3:20 pm. The victim told officers that someone has been using the victim’s ATM card to make unauthorized purchases and ATM cash withdrawals. Officers along with the finical institution’s fraud unit are continuing to investigate the crime.

2500 block of Queens Chapel Road: Attempt theft from auto – 10:45 pm. The victim told officers that he had just parked his 1999 Plymouth Voyager minivan by his apartment. A few minutes later his girlfriend looked out the window of their apartment and saw a man rummaging through the van. When the two yelled at the man he got into a waiting dark colored four door sedan (possibly a Dodge Intrepid) and fled the area. The victim inspected his vehicle and found that nothing was missing. The suspect was described as a black male about 6’ tall and 180 lbs. wearing dark clothing.

Upshur Street and Russell Avenue: Traffic/vehicle impound – 11:05 pm. Officers stopped a 2000 Ford Taurus for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle’s registration was suspended. The driver was issued several traffic citations and released. The vehicle was impounded.

January 26^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Property damage – 8:30 am. The owner of a 1999 Toyota Corolla reported that her vehicle was damaged by wood that fell off another vehicle.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 12:10 pm. Officers on patrol stopped and arrested a man who had an open arrest warrant through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office. The warrant was for failing to appear in court on a charge of disorderly conduct. The original charge/arrest was made by MRPD officers in the 4000 block of 34^th Street here in Mount Rainier.

30^th and Allison Streets: Suspicious situation/possible attempted child abduction – 2:30 pm. MRPD officers were contacted by a resident whose daughter came home and told him that someone followed her after school and attempted to lure her into his vehicle. Further investigation revealed that as the child was walking home from Thomas Stone Elementary she noticed that a vehicle was following her. The child became frightened and began to run home. The man driving the car got out and shouted for the child to come to him several times. The child could not give a description of the man, but described the car as a purplish colored Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300. A search of the area for the vehicle proved negative.

January 25^th:

3600 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Traffic/vehicle impound – 2 am. Officers patrolling with a mobile license plate reader received an alert on a vehicle with a suspended registration. The officers stopped the vehicle and confirmed that the vehicle’s tags were suspended and that there was an MSP pick-up order on the tags. The vehicle was impounded and the tags were seized for return to MVA. The driver was issued several traffic citations and released.

4200 block of 28^th Street: Warrant service – 10:50 am. Officers responded for the report of a suspicious male removing trash from private property. Further investigation revealed that the man had the homeowner’s permission to remove the trash; however the officers determined that he had an open arrest warrant through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office for theft over $1,000. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4315 Russell Avenue: Vehicle impound – 3:25 pm. Officers patrolling a vehicle stopped to check a 1998 Dodge Durango with its rear passenger window open. Upon checking the vehicle the officers saw that it had damage to the ignition module consistent with an attempted theft. The tags on the vehicle came back to a DC address and the vehicle had not been reported stolen. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping until the owner can be identified.

3400 block of Eastern Avenue: 1^st degree assault – 7:30 pm. Officers responded for the report of a woman who had been assaulted with a knife. Upon arrival the officers located the victim who told them that she and her teenage daughter had a disagreement that resulted in the daughter slashing her in the face with a knife. Fire/rescue personnel responded and treated the victim for her injury. The daughter was charged with 1^st degree assault via a juvenile petition.

4000 block of 37^th Street: EPS – 7:20 pm. Officers responded for the report of a violent domestic with one party attempting suicide. When the officers arrived they found and restrained a woman who was upset, aggressive and saying that she wanted to die. Witnesses told the officers that the woman had been drinking and smoking CDS and had tried to hurt herself prior to the officers’ arrival. Fire/rescue personnel responded and transported the woman to Washington Hospital Center where she was released to medical personnel for evaluation and treatment.

January 24^th:

3700 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 1:43 am. Officers stopped a 2004 Mercury for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had an open arrest warrant for violating the terms his court probation for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4990 Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 2:45 pm. An MRPD officer attending District Court on other matters was notified by a Maryland Parole & Probation agent that a person for whom the officer had obtained an arrest warrant for possession of CDS was in the agents’ office. The officer met with the agent, identified the wanted person and arrested him on the warrant. He was escorted to DOC and released to their custody.

4800 block of Ft. Totten Street, NE: Recovered stolen auto – 3 pm. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department notified MRPD that they had recovered a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country minivan reported stolen from the 3100 block of Queens Chapel Road on January 23^rd. No arrests were made at the time of the recovery.

January 23^rd:

2200 block of Varnum Street (Kaywood Liquors): Fraud – 4:40 pm. The owner of Kaywood Liquors told officers that on three separate dates he cashed checks for an individual made out to the individual by a reputable local business. The owner later learned that the checks were fraudulent and that they had been stolen and forged. Officers are in the process of obtaining a warrant for the individual.

3100 block of Chillum Road: CDS arrest – 9:55 am. Officers stopped a 1995 Olds Cutlass for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle was unregistered and the driver was in possession of marijuana. He was arrested, charged with CDS possession and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

3800 block of 33^rd Street: Warrant service – 11 am. Officers responded for the report of a theft in progress. When they arrived they located and stopped two individuals who were loading old air conditioning units into a van. Further investigation failed to develop sufficient probable cause to arrest the two for theft; however one of the individuals had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving an uninsured vehicle. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Stolen auto – 11:30 am. The owner of a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country minivan reported that sometime between 9 pm on January 22^nd and the time he called police someone stole his vehicle.

January 22^nd:

2700 block of Allison Street: Stolen auto – 8:30 am. The owner of a 1997 Plymouth Voyager minivan reported that sometime between 9 pm on January 21^st and 6 am today someone stole his vehicle.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Attempted stolen auto – 8:40 am. The owner of a 2005 Dodge Stratus showed officers where sometime between 1 am on January 21^st and the time he called police someone broke into his vehicle and tried, unsuccessfully, to steal the car by damaging the ignition module.

4300 block of 28^th Place: Vehicle impound – 10:10 am. Officers on patrol discovered a 2004 VW Passat that had damages consistent with a collision with another vehicle. Further investigation revealed that the vehicles registration had been flagged and there was an MSP pick-up order on the tags. The vehicle was impounded and the tags were seized for return to MVA.

4300 block of 28^th Place: Stolen tag – 2:45 pm. The owner of a 2004 Chevy Suburban reported that sometime between 2 am this morning and the time he called police someone stole the temporary Maryland license tag off the vehicle.

3300 block of 33^rd Street: Attempted theft from auto - 3:40 pm. The owner of a 2003 Ford Escape reported that sometime between 10 pm on January 20^th and the time she called police someone entered her vehicle and rummaged through the glove box. There was no damage to the vehicle, no evidence of forced entry and nothing stolen.

2200 block of Varnum Street (Family Dollar): Criminal citation – 6:50 pm. Officers were alerted to a suspicious individual placing items into his pockets inside the store. When the individual came out of the store officers approached and asked him about the items. He was found in possession of a stick of deodorant and a pair of gloves that he did not pay for. The items were returned to the store and he was issued a criminal citation for misdemeanor theft and sent on his way.

3249 Rhode Island Avenue: Found property – 6:55 pm. A citizen came into the police station to turn in a DC identification card and other miscellaneous property she found in the 3100 block of Rhode Island Avenue. The items were placed into the police property vault for safekeeping.

Police Report: January 15-21

2012-01-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

January 21^st:

3100 block of Arundel Road: Attempted stolen vehicle – 8:20 pm. The owner of a 2006 Chrysler Town & Country Van reported that sometime prior to her call to police someone tried to steal her van. There was damage to the driver’s door handle and ignition consistent with an attempted theft.

4100 block of 31^st Street: Warrant service – 10:20 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic dispute. The male half told the officers that he had a protective order against his former girlfriend who was sitting in her vehicle outside his residence. The officers checked the validity of the protective order and found that it had expired. They also learned that the girlfriend had two outstanding arrest warrants through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office for 2^nd degree assault and trespassing. She was arrested on the warrants and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

January 20^th:

3000 block of Bunker Hill Road: Theft – 10:30 pm. The resident reported that on or about December 27^th she had a party at her house attended by several friends and acquaintances. On January 15^th she discovered several items of her personal property missing. There were no signs of forced entry into the home and the victim could suggest no possible suspects.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Criminal citation – 3:20 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of narcotics paraphernalia.

January 19^th:

Nothing significant to report.

January 18^th:

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant arrest – 1:25 am. Officers stopped a 1999 Toyota for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that a passenger in the vehicle had two open arrest warrants through Prince Georges County for failing to appear in court on charges of driving while suspended and driving an uninsured vehicle. He was arrested on the warrants and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The driver was issued three traffic citations and sent on his way.

3800 block of 34^th Street: Warrant arrest – 3 pm. Officers stopped a 1997 Toyota Camry for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had five open arrest warrants through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on charges of driving on a suspended license. She was arrested on the warrants and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. Her vehicle was turned over to a friend.

3200 block of Buchanan Street: Attempted stolen auto – 6:25 pm. Officers received a call for a 2006 Chrysler minivan abandoned in the roadway. Further investigation revealed that someone had tried to steal the van by damaging the driver’s side door lock and the ignition system. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

January 17^th:

4200 block of 32^nd Street: Vandalism to auto – 4:10 pm. The owner of a 2000 Ford Taurus reported that sometime prior to her call to police someone broke the driver’s door handle and lock. Those responsible did not get into the vehicle and nothing was reported stolen/missing.

4300 block of 29^th Street: Vehicle impound – 8:15 pm. Officers impounded an unregistered 2008 Land Rover parked in the driveway of a vacant property.

34^th and Otis Streets: Warrant arrest – 8:40 pm. Officers stopped a man who, from past contacts, they suspected had an open warrant. The officers’ suspicions were confirmed and Communications advised them that he had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for armed robbery and violation of probation. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

January 16^th:

4300 block of Russell Avenue: Attempted stolen auto – 9:30 am. The owner of a 2000 Toyota Sienna told officers that sometime between 8 pm on January 13^th and the time he called police someone broke into his vehicle by breaking the passenger side door lock. Once inside those responsible broke the ignition module in an attempt to steal the vehicle. They were not successful.

January 15^th:

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Fight – 12:05 am. Officers responded for the report of a fight that was possibly domestic related. When the officers arrived they found several individuals who had been involved in the fracas which they determined stated when a man struck a woman in the face that refused to dance with him. All participants were uncooperative with the officers and either would not or could not identify their assailants. One individual was taken by fire/rescue personnel to Washington Adventist Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Police Report: January 8-14

2012-01-19T13:12:00.001-05:00

January 14^th:

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: DWI – 12:10 am. Officers stopped a vehicle they observed driving erratically. Further investigation revealed that the driver was under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and transported to MSP in College Park for a breathalyzer test. The test showed that his BAC was .16 or twice the legal limit. He was charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

Chillum Road and Queenstown Drive: Hit and run collision – 9:05 am. The owner of a 2007 Chevy Tahoe reported that sometime between midnight and the time she called police an unknown second vehicle struck her Tahoe. The Tahoe’s driver side mirror was knocked off during the collision.

2900 block of Allison Street: CDS arrest – 12:15 pm. Officers stopped a 1997 Ford Crown Victoria for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had a suspended license and was in possession of marijuana. He was arrested, charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

January 13^th:

4600 block of 25^th Street: Stolen auto (supplement) – 2:40 pm. On December 23^rd parking enforcement officers impounded a 2001 Honda Civic for displaying expired tags. On January 6^th the owner of the Honda reported the vehicle stolen to Prince George’s County Police. MRPD officers assisted PGPD in clearing up the confusion and the vehicle was removed from NCIC stolen vehicle files.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Mail fraud – 1:15 pm. Officers spoke with the victim who said that she had received a letter notifying her that she had won $125,000. The letter included a check for $3,875 to cover taxes on the winnings and instructions that she was to cash the check and then send the money to an address in London, England via Western Union. Several days after complying with this process she was informed by her bank that the check she cashed was no good.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Lost property – 7:25 pm. Officers spoke with the reporting person who said that while she was making a purchase at the Family Dollar store she set her phone down on the counter. When she left the store she failed to take the phone along with her. When she went back to retrieve her phone it was gone.

January 12^th:

3249 Rhode Island Avenue (MRPD): Warrant service – 4:35 pm. A man came into the police station to inquire about a missed court date. Further investigation revealed that he had been charged with DWI and had missed his initial court date last July. There was an open arrest warrant for his failure to appear in court on the DWI charge. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Traffic arrest – 10:30 pm. Officers stopped a 1995 Honda Civic for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver did not have a license and the vehicle’s tags were suspended. The man was arrested on traffic charges and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. His vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

3600 block of Perry Street: EPS/warrant service – 11:05 pm. Officers responded for the report of two individuals fighting. Upon arrival the officers found and separated the two men. One of the men was violent and under the influence of a CDS and the officers were forced to use pepper spray to get him under control and under arrest. He was transported to Washington Adventist Hospital and turned over to medical personnel for emergency medical evaluation and treatment. The second subject was found to have an open arrest warrant through the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for failing to appear for a paternity test as ordered by the court. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Upper Marlboro.

January 11^th:

4400 block of 28^th Place: Vehicle impound – 10:35. Officers impounded a 1995 Toyota Camry for being parked on a City street displaying expired tags.

January 10^th:

4200 block of 34^th Street: Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle (recovered) – 7:50 pm. On January 5^th the owner of Thrifty Rental Car obtained an arrest warrant for an individual for failing to return a rental car per his contract. PGPD officers notified MRPD that their officers had recovered the vehicle and arrested the renter pursuant to the warrant.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: CDS arrest (supplement) – 1:40 am. Officers were contacted by Prince Georges County Department of Corrections staff and informed that the female arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute a CDS on January 8^th was not who she said she was. She had given MRPD officers, the court commissioner and DOC officials a false name and false date of birth. The DOC staff discovered her real name and that she was a 13 year old juvenile. After considerable effort on the part of the State’s Attorney’s Office, a District Court judge and a Circuit Court judge the juvenile was released from adult detention into the custody of her grandmother pending Juvenile Court action.

4700 block of 31^st Place: Returned missing person – 10 pm. The mother of the female juvenile reported missing on January 9^th called to say that her daughter had returned home safe and sound. She told her mother that she had been staying at her best friend’s house. Her information was removed from NCIC.

3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Theft over $500 – 8 am. The resident told officers that he had an acquaintance stay the night at his home. When the resident woke up he noticed that his friend was leaving. When asked why, the friend appeared nervous and said he had a funeral to attend. After his friend was gone he noticed that his new iPad 2 missing. The resident was advised how to pursue charges and the iPad was entered into NCIC as stolen.

4200 block of 31^st Street: Miscellaneous incident – 11:45 am. Officers responded for the report of an individual allegedly acting violently because he did not take his prescribed medication. Officers found the man acting normally and not a present danger to himself or others. Family members were however afraid of his past and potential behavior. The family was provided with a list of contacts that could assist them with the situation. The subject also voluntarily went to the hospital to get evaluated and new medication.

29^th and Webster Streets: Hit and run collision – 12:35 pm. The owner of a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer reported that sometime between midnight and 9 am today her vehicle was struck by another vehicle that failed to remain at the scene. Officers discovered white paint on the victim’s vehicle but not other evidence that would help identify the striking vehicle.

January 9^th:

2200 block of Varnum Street: Vehicle Impound – 2:50 am. Officers impounded a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer because the tags on the vehicle had expired in August of 2011.

4200 block of 28^th Street: Attempted stolen auto – 8:20 am. The owner of a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser told officers that she had been out of town on vacation since December 23^rd. When she returned she discovered that someone had broken into her vehicle and tried to steal it by damaging the ignition. She also discovered that several of her personal items had been stolen from inside the vehicle.

4400 block of 28^th Place: Vehicle impound – 12:10 pm. Officers impounded a 1991 Buick Park Avenue because it was displaying suspended registration plates and had an MSP pick up order on the tags.

3000 block of Arundel Road: Attempted stolen auto – 7:45 pm. The owner of a 2005 Dodge Stratus told officers that sometime between 6:50 and 7:30 pm today someone broke the vehicle’s door lock an ignition module in an unsuccessful attempt to steal the his car.

4700 block of 31^st Place: Missing person – 11 pm. The mother of a 14 year old female reported that her daughter did not return home as expected after school. The mother said that her daughter had attended school today and was seen at the mall around 4:30 pm after school. The child’s information was entered into the NCIC missing persons database.

January 8^th:

4600 block of 27^th Street: Theft – 2:15 pm. An employee of the Queenstown Apartments reported the theft of several items from his desk drawer located in the maintenance office. The employee said that he last saw the items back on December 27^th when he was making travel arrangements. There was no forced entry into the desk and no other evidence could be found.

3200 block of Perry Street: Found property – 4 pm. The resident turned in a .38 caliber handgun that she found in her back yard. The weapon was not in any stolen property database and officers could not determine the identity of its owner.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: CDS arrest – 7:15 pm. Officers responded for the report of a fight. When the officers arrived they saw several baggies of marijuana being thrown from an apartment window. When the resident let the officers into the apartment they immediately smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside. The officers found six individuals sitting on the floor in space approximately eight by ten feet with no furniture in it. There was a backpack on the floor that was open containing seven (7) baggies of marijuana sealed in red plastic baggies. Officers arrested a female who was in possession of the backpack and charged her with possession with intent to distribute a CDS. She was delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

New Foreclosure Rescue Scheme

2012-01-18T12:53:00.001-05:00

Escalating foreclosures provide criminals with the opportunity to exploit and defraud vulnerable homeowners seeking financial guidance. One of the newest foreclosure rescue schemes, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), is known as a "forensic loan audit." In exchange for an up-front fee of several hundred dollars, so-called forensic loan auditors, mortgage loan auditors, or foreclosure prevention auditors who are backed by forensic attorneys, offer to review mortgage loan documents.

The documents are reviewed to determine whether a homeowner's lender complied with state and federal mortgage lending laws. The "auditors" claim you can use the audit report to avoid foreclosure, speed up the loan modification process, reduce the loan principal, or even cancel the loan. According to the FTC and its law enforcement partners, there is no evidence that forensic loan audits will help get a loan modification or any foreclosure relief. To make their pitch, this new breed of foreclosure rescuer looks for homeowners in distress, especially those already facing foreclosure.

For more information see the Consumer Affairs website at http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2011/12/dont-fall-for-a-loan-audit-scam.html

Email scams and fraud

2012-01-13T13:45:00.002-05:00

If you get any suspicious emails sent from an unknown user, with poor grammar and misspellings, or someone asking for assistance outside of the country remember that these are common red flags for scams and fraud. Resources for reporting fraud can be found at http://www.ic3.gov.

10 Easy Steps to Keep Police Officers Safe on the Road

2012-01-12T15:54:00.001-05:00

Here are 10 easy steps you can take to make our roadways safer for officers and others and to help decrease officer injuries and fatalities. Please remember these every time you're out on the road. Do your part to keep our officers safe!

1. Focus on driving. Do not talk on your cell phone, eat, hunt for items in your vehicle or engage in other distractions while driving. Know the laws on distracted driving in your jurisdiction - and follow them.

2. Give officers room on the roadway. When you see or hear a police or other emergency vehicle with its lights and siren activated, slow down, move to the right and stop if possible. Once the emergency vehicle passes, do not follow the vehicle too closely - give it plenty of room.

3. Move over. When see you a police or other emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the roadway, slow down and, if possible, safely move one additional lane away from the stop. Forty-seven states have now enacted so-called "Move Over" laws, and violators can be ticketed.

4. Never drive on the shoulder of a highway. This is not only illegal but also dangerous, as police and other emergency vehicles often use the shoulder to get to traffic crashes and other incidents.

5. Watch officers' hands as they direct traffic.

6. Only drive when sober.

7. Drive within the speed limit.

8. Keep the volume on your car radio at a reasonable level.

9. Don't wear headphones while you drive.

10. Report drunk drivers.

http://www.nleomf.org/programs/drive/10-easy-steps.html

LASD Jail Probe: A View From the Inside

2012-01-11T17:30:00.002-05:00

Interesting and provocative article.

http://www.policemag.com/Blog/Gangs/Story/2012/01/Message-From-the-Belly-of-the-Beast.aspx?ref=OnTarget-Thursday-20120105&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

Police Report: January 1-7

2012-01-10T11:46:00.001-05:00

January 7^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Vehicle impound – 3 am. Officers impounded a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder after they learned that it was unregistered with MVA.

4200 block of Russell Avenue: Criminal citation – 3:44 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for urinating in public.

3300 block of Chauncey Place: Attempted stolen auto – 7:45 am. The owner of a 2005 Dodge Stratus told officers that he came out to his vehicle this morning and discovered that someone broke into his vehicle and tried unsuccessfully to steal it. The thieves used a brick to break into the vehicle and broke the ignition module but were unable to complete the theft.

3200 block of Perry Street: Traffic/vehicle impound – 6:50 pm. Officers stopped a 2007 Chevy Tahoe after seeing it being driven erratically. Further investigation revealed that the driver was a diabetic in shock. Fire/rescue personnel responded and transported the driver to Washington Adventist Hospital for treatment. The driver was later issued a traffic citation for driving on a suspended license. His vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

4300 block of 28^th Place: Citizen robbery – 9:45 pm. Officers responded for the report of a citizen robbery that had just occurred. Upon arrival they were met by the victim who said that the two men, one armed with a knife, who had just tried to rob him, fled the area towards Arundel Road. The victim gave the officers a description of the two and officers began a search for them. Officers located and detained two men in the 2400 block of Arundel Road who matched the victim’s description. The victim positively identified the two as his assailants. One of the men was found in possession of a knife which the victim also identified. Both men were arrested, charged with attempted armed robbery and second degree assault and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

2900 block of Allison Street: Criminal citation – 9:10 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage in a public place.

2900 block of Allison Street: Criminal citation – 9:25 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for unlawful possession of an alcoholic beverage by a person under 21.

January 6^th:

4200 block of 32^nd Street: Vandalism to auto – 8:10 am. The owner of a 2009 Toyota Yaris told officers that sometime overnight someone smashed out the front passenger window of his vehicle. Nothing was stolen from inside.

4200 block of 32^nd Street: Attempted theft from auto – 8:10 am. The owner of a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta reported that she came out to her vehicle this morning to find the front passenger window broken out. Nothing had been taken from inside but the glove compartment had been ransacked.

4200 block of 32^nd Street: Theft from auto – 8:40 am. Officers on patrol discovered a 2009 Kia Spectrum with a broken left rear window. Officers located the owner of the vehicle, who, after inspecting her vehicle said that several items of her personal property had been stolen from inside.

4100 block of Kaywood Place: Theft – 5:15 pm. Officers met with the community manager of Kaywood Apartments in reference to a theft. The manager told officers that back in August another employee took a $300 Global Express money order deposit from a man who applied to rent an apartment. The man’s application was denied and he tried to get his deposit back. When the money order couldn’t be located the manager contacted Global Express to have the money order traced. Global Express responded that the MO had been cashed at Kay Liquors on October 4^th. Further investigation revealed that the MO was cashed by the employee who took the original deposit. The employee was arrested, charged with theft and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4600 block of 30^th Street: 1^st degree assault – 9:45 pm. Officers responded to interview the victim of a 1^st degree assault. The victim told the officers that she was walking home from Queens Chapel Road when she saw a black male armed with a black handgun struggling with a black female. When the man saw the victim walking towards him he pointed the handgun at her. The victim fled the scene and said that as she ran away she heard three shots fired at her. Officers searched the area where the incident took place but found no evidence of shots having been fired.

4100 block of Cedar Lane Alley: 2^nd degree assault – 10:30 pm. Officers patrolling the area observed a large group of young people drinking alcoholic beverages behind a shed. The officers also smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the area. When the officers approached the group one man came forward in an aggressive manner and through a 12 oz bottle of beer to the ground and started screaming at the officers. The officers observed that he was intoxicated asked him for his identification. He refused and continued to scream profanities at the officers. The officers informed him that he was under arrest for disorderly conduct whereupon he came at the officers with closed fists. The officers physically had to take the man to the ground where he struggled with the officers to get him under control and under arrest. He was charged with disorderly conduct and assault on a police officer and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

January 5^th:

2700 block of Webster Street: Vandalism to auto – 7:40 am. The owner of a 2005 Honda Civic told officers that sometime between 7 pm on January 4^th and the time she called police someone broke out a small rear passenger side window on her vehicle.

4500 block of 34^th Street: Emergency petition – 12:35 pm. Officers responded for the report of a man exposing himself in front of Thomas Stone Elementary School. When the officers arrived they located the man who lying in the grass with his pants down and under the influence of PCP. He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital for medical treatment and evaluation.

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle – 1:30 pm. Officers were notified by the owner of Thrifty Rental car that he had obtained an arrest warrant from the District Court Commissioner for an individual who failed to return a rental car as per the terms of his contract.

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – 9:35 pm. Officers were patrolling the area of the 7-11 when they observed a store employee chasing an individual who had just stolen merchandise from the store. Officers joined the chase and apprehended the individual after he ran into the Laundromat on 22^nd Street. The individual was identified as a juvenile who stole a 12 pack of soda. With the assistance of the juvenile’s parents the situation was resolved.

4300 block of Kaywood Drive: Warrant arrest – 10:20 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic disturbance. Further investigation revealed that the male half had an open arrest warrant through Montgomery County for failing to pay fines and costs relating to a court case. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

January 4^th:

4100 block of 31^st Place: Vehicle impound – 8:20 am. Officers impounded a 1988 BMW for displaying expired registration plates. There was an MSP pickup order on the tags and they were seized for return to MVA.

2500 block of Queens Chapel Road: Stolen auto – 9:50 am. The owner of a 2002 Dodge Caravan came into the police station to report that his vehicle had been stolen. According to the owner the theft occurred sometime between 7:30 pm on January 2^nd and 9:30 am this morning.

4300 block of 28^th Place: Vandalism – 11:15 pm. Officers spoke with a woman who told them that her former boyfriend came to her residence to pick up some of his belongings. After leaving, the boyfriend remembered some things he forgot and called to ask his girlfriend if he could return. She told him he would have to come back another time. At that point someone, probably the boyfriend, threw a rock at one of her windows breaking the glass.

January 3^rd:

3700 block of 35^th Street: Natural death – 8:30 am. A 53 year old man was discovered deceased in his apartment. Representatives from the State Medical Examiner’s Office and PGPD Homicide Unit detectives responded to the scene to assist with the investigation. Preliminary evidence indicated no evidence of foul play and the medical examiner said that death was from natural causes. The ME took custody of the decedent’s remains for a postmortem examination.

4500 block of Eastern Avenue: Theft from auto – 1:20 pm. The victim told officers that while she was pumping gas someone entered her vehicle through the passenger side door and stole her purse.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Disorderly conduct – 4:20 pm. Officers stopped to interview a man who was yelling and screaming and blocking the entrance to a business. Officers’ efforts to get the man to calm down and leave peacefully were unsuccessful. He was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

2400 block of Chillum Road: Warrant arrest – 8:10 pm. Officers stopped a 2006 Acura TL for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that a passenger in the vehicle had two open arrest warrants. One warrant was through Montgomery County for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving without a license. The second was for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise through the Federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The passenger was arrested on the warrants and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. In addition, the driver was driving on a learner’s permit. He was issued several traffic citations and released at the scene. The vehicle was impounded.

January 2^nd:

4200 block of 30^th Street: Vandalism to auto – 2 pm. Officers responded for the report of vandalism to a 2000 Infinity G20. The officers were met by the vehicle owner’s son who said that sometime between 2 pm on January 1^st and the time he notified police someone smashed out the vehicle’s back window. The man said that his father’s car was in his custody because his father was in the hospital. Officers also noted that the vehicle’s tags were due to expire on the 3^rd and advised to son to have them renewed as soon as possible.

3300 block of Buchanan Street: Stolen auto – 5:15 pm. The owner of a 2003 Chrysler minivan told officers that sometime between 11 am and 5 pm today someone stole her vehicle.

4300 block of Russell Avenue: Attempt theft from auto – 7:35 pm. The owner of a 2006 Dodge Neon told officers that as she was walking out to her vehicle she saw a white Jeep Cherokee pulled up next to it and stop. She then saw a black male get out of the Jeep and hit her driver’s side door lock with a brick and was able to get inside. The man tried unsuccessfully to steal items from inside the car and when he saw the owner approaching he quickly got back into the Jeep and fled the area towards Queens Chapel Road. The owner said that there were two other black males inside the jeep but she was unable to get a good enough look at them to provide a description.

One Municipal Place: Warrant service – 9:10 pm. Officers located and arrested a man on a warrant for possession with intent to distribute a CDA they obtained on December 28^th.

January 1^st:

3800 block of 30^th Street: Discharge of a firearm/reckless endangerment – 12:01 am. Officers heard a plethora of gunshots close to where they were patrolling. Upon further investigation they located the three individuals responsible for the shots. The three were in possession of an AR15-type assault rifle, a Glock semi-automatic pistol, a revolver and a shotgun. The assault rifle had been previously reported stolen through the St. Albans, WV Police Department. All three individuals were arrested, charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Warrant Service/Criminal citation – 2:40 am. Officers responded for the report of a theft that had just occurred from the 7-11. Officers obtained a description of the thief and located him a short distance away. Further investigation revealed that he was still in possession of the items he stole and he had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on a charge of disturbing the peace. He was arrested on the warrant and issued a criminal citation for the misdemeanor theft. He was delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Vehicle impound – 8:20 pm. Officers impounded a 1994 Buick Century for being parked on a City street with expired registration plates.

Police Report: December 25-31

2012-01-05T13:51:00.001-05:00

December 31^st:

3800 block of 34^th Street: Recovered stolen auto – 2:25 am. Officers received information from DC police that they had recovered a 2011 Chrysler 200 that had been reported stolen from the 3800 block of 34^th Streets on December 20^th. The vehicle was found at 14^th and Lawrence Streets, NE. No arrests were made.

4000 block of Russell Avenue: Residential burglary – 7 am. The resident told officers that she went to investigate a suspicious noise coming from her living room. She observed a black male described as 5’10” tall, 160 lbs., wearing black pants, a black shirt and a red scarf wrapped around his face crawling through the living room window. The resident yelled at the man and fled out the front door of the apartment. The man followed her and pushed her down the stairs, stepped over her and fled on foot towards Eastern Avenue.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Disorderly conduct – 8:40 am. Officers patrolling the area observed an intoxicated man who appeared to be causing a disturbance. When the officers approached the man to speak with him he pulled out his genitals and started to urinate towards officers. He was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3000 block of Taylor Street: Citizen armed robbery – 1:25 pm. The victim told officers that as he was walking from a friend’s house he was approached by two black males. Both men produced handguns and demanded the victim’s property. The two ransacked the victim’s backpack and stole several items of his personal property. The suspects then slowly walked down the street heading in the direction of Kaywood Apartments. Suspect #1 was described as a black male, 5’5” tall, 125 lbs. with braided hair and armed with a handgun. Suspect #2 was described as a black male, 6”1” tall, 165 lbs., also armed with a handgun.

3200 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Citizen armed robbery – 5:25 pm. The victim told officers he was returning movies to the RedBox machine outside the 7-11 when two black males approached him, displayed handguns and demanded his property. The victim surrendered his wallet and the two then slowly walked away towards 22^nd Street. The victim’s description of his assailants matched the description of the two men who robbed a man in the 3200 block of Taylor Street four hours earlier (see above).

2300 block of Varnum Street: Vehicle impound – 7:35 pm. Officers patrolling with a mobile license plate reader received a hit on a vehicle that had suspended registration plates. The officers stopped the vehicle, confirmed that the tags were suspended and learned that there was an MSP pickup order on the tags. The driver was issued several traffic citations, the tags were seized for return to MVA and the vehicle was impounded.

December 30^th:

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Assault – 12:01 am. Officers responded for the report of an assault. When the officers arrived they interviewed a woman who said that her male roommate choked her after a verbal altercation. The victim was advised of her options with a District Court Commissioner.

3600 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Vehicle impound – 2:40 am. Officers stopped a 2003 Honda Accord for a traffic violation. They subsequently learned that the driver’s license was suspended as the result of a DWI charge from back in September. The driver was issued four traffic citations and his vehicle was impounded.

Kaywood Gardens Apartments: Vandalism/thefts from auto – 7 am – 2 pm. Officers responded to the area of Kaywood Gardens apartment complex for reports of vandalism to and thefts from multiple vehicles throughout the complex. The officers’ investigation revealed that sometime during the previous night possibly several suspects went through the complex and vandalized five vehicles in an attempt to get inside. These suspects also broke into an additional twelve vehicle and stole various items from inside each. The least valued theft consisted of 56 cents from a center console.

December 29^th:

3700 block of 36^th Street: Criminal citation – 7:35 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possessing an open container of an alcoholic beverage in a public place.

December 28^th:

3700 block of 35^th Street: CDS/emergency petition – 10:35 pm. Officers responded for the report of unknown trouble and a woman screaming. When the officers arrived they discovered a man and a woman engaged in a physical altercation in the back yard of a private residence. The officers separated the two and determined that both were under the influence of PCP. Both were taken into custody and delivered to doctors at Washington Adventist Hospital for medical treatment. The officers also discovered that the male half was in possession of eleven (11) individual baggies of marijuana with a combined weight of approximately 14.3 grams; and the female half had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County. The Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office was notified to take the female into custody on the warrant when she was released from the hospital. Officers obtained an arrest warrant for the male half charging him with possession with intent to distribute a CDS. He will be arrested on the warrant when he is released from the hospital.

December 27^th:

3500 block of Newton Street: Warrant service – 8:30 am. Officers responded to serve an arrest warrant on a man wanted by the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of failing to appear in court. The officer located the man sleeping in a back bedroom. He was arrested without incident and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3200 Block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 10:15 am. A man came into the Mount Rainier police station to surrender on two warrants for his arrest. Officers confirmed the existence of the warrants, both for theft. The man was arrested and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4500 block of Eastern Avenue (BP station): Theft from auto – 11:30 am. The owner of a 2009 Ford Fusion left her purse inside her unlocked vehicle when she went inside to pay for gas. When she returned to her vehicle her purse was gone. Witness told the officers that they saw two suspicious 16 year old (about) black males walking quickly away from the area towards 22^nd Street about the time of the theft.

December 26^th:

2900 block of Allison Street: Emergency petition – 10:25 pm. Officers responded for several reports of a naked black male running in and out of traffic. When they arrived the located the man in question and identified him from numerous past contacts. He was under the influence of PCP and had a cut lip that required medical attention. Fire/rescue personnel responded and transported him to Washington Adventist Hospital where he was turned over to medical personnel for treatment.

December 25^th:

4100 block of 31^st Street: Criminal citation – 3:45 am. Officers responded for the second time to a report of loud music coming from inside a private residence. Officers could hear the music over a block away as they responded. The resident was issued a citation for the noise infraction. About a half hour after the officers left Communications received a call from a man who identified himself only as Mr. Claus. Mr. Claus wanted to thank the officers for quieting the noise so that neighboring children could finally get to sleep.

2300 block of Varnum Street: Warrant service - 9:50 am. Officers responded for the report of a person on the ground that had been assaulted. The officers found the man who was intoxicated and did not want to cooperate with the police. He initially told the officers that he was the victim of an assault as he was walking along the 2300 block of Varnum Street. Officers continuing their investigation later learned that it had been his brother who had assaulted him and that he did not was to press charges against his brother. Fire/rescue personnel responded to treat the victim’s injuries but he refused all medical treatment. The officers eventually learned that the victim had an open arrest warrant through Montgomery County for failing to appear in court on charges of driving without a license and DWI. He was arrested on the warrants and transported to Prince George’s Hospital for treatment. Once cleared from the hospital he was delivered to the custody of DOC in Upper Marlboro.

4300 block of 28^th Place: Emergency petition – 7:55 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic disturbance. When they arrived they learned that a woman was in need of medical attention because, according to other family members present, she had not taken her required medication and had been drinking alcohol. The woman was violent and confrontational with the officers as they tried to reason with her. They were not successful so she was taken into custody and transported to Washington Adventist Hospital for emergency medical treatment.

2700 block of Upshur Street: Attempt theft from auto – 10:15 pm. Officers met with the owner of a 2006 Buick who told them that sometime prior to his call to police someone got into his vehicle and ransacked the interior. He said that nothing was stolen from inside.

Police Report: December 18-24

2012-01-03T15:58:00.001-05:00

December 24^th:

3100 block of Chillum Road: Fraud – 11:25 am. A woman called to report that someone had made an unauthorized charge on her bank card at the 7-11 store on Chillum Road. Investigation revealed that the woman’s boyfriend was the one who made the charge so she elected not to press charges.

December 23^rd:

2700 block of Webster Street: Domestic Assault – 11:10 am. Officers were called for the report of a domestic assault that had just occurred. The victim met the officers outside her residence and the officers saw that she was bleeding heavily from a laceration to her chin. She said that she had been assaulted by her boyfriend after an argument. The officers found the boyfriend about a block away and took him into custody for the assault. He was charged with aggravated domestic assault and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The victim was taken to Washington Adventist Hospital by fire/rescue personnel for treatment of her injuries.

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Vehicle impound – 3:45 pm. Officers responded for the report of a vehicle stopped in the roadway and blocking traffic. Officers contacted the driver of the vehicle and learned that he did not have a valid driver’s license. He was issued four traffic citations and released at the scene. His vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

3600 block of Eastern Avenue: Domestic assault – 9:30 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic dispute. When they arrived they interviewed the female victim who said that she and her boyfriend got into a verbal argument that resulted in him hitting her in the face with a camera. The boyfriend was found to be very intoxicated and uncooperative with the officers. He was arrested, charged with domestic assault and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4400 block of 29^th Street: Traffic arrest – 10:50 pm. Officers stopped a 1998 Ford Escort for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver’s license was suspended. He was transported to DOC in Hyattsville and charged accordingly. His vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

December 22^nd:

33^rd and Perry Streets: Criminal citation – 4 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

3400 block of Newton Street: Warrant service – 5:15 pm. Officer responded to attempt to pick up a man wanted on an outstanding felony warrant through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office. He was located in the back yard of a private residence and arrested without incident. He was delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Emergency petition – 6 pm. Officers responded for the report of an individual smoking CDS. Upon arrival the officers located the man in question and determined that he was under the influence of PCP. He was taken into custody and transported to Washington Adventist Hospital where he was turned over to medical staff for examination and treatment.

2700 block of Webster Street: Theft over $500 – 10:15 pm. The resident told officers that sometime between 2pm on December 17^th and 9 pm on the 22^nd someone stole a laptop computer, a watch and a purse from inside her apartment. There were no signs of forced entry into the apartment. The victim told officers that she suspects that her former roommate is responsible for the theft.

December 21^st:

4300 block of 28^th Place: Domestic dispute – 11:35 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic dispute. The dispute was over by the time the officers arrived and neither party required medical attention or wished to file charges against the other. Both parties were advised of their options with a District Court Commissioner.

December 20^th:

3400 block of Perry Street: Warrant arrest – 12:25 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic fight in progress. When the officers arrived they discovered that the altercation was over and proceeded to interview the participants. A man involved in the incident was found to have two open arrest warrants through Montgomery County and the Maryland State Police, both for traffic related offenses. He was arrested on the warrants and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3400 block of Perry Street: Vehicle impound - 10:15 pm. Officers stopped a 2002 Mitsubishi Mirage for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver did not have a license. He was issued four State traffic citations and his vehicle was impounded.

December 19^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road: Warrant arrest – 12:40 am. Officers stopped a 2007 Lexus 300 for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had an open arrest warrant. The warrant was confirmed on the scene and the driver was arrested and transported to DOC in Hyattsville for detention. Once at DOC the officers were told by court commissioner that the warrant could not be served due to errors in the warrant case number. The individual was released from custody at the direction of the commissioner.

4200 block of 34^th Street: DWI arrest – 8:55 pm. Officers stopped a 2004 Cadillac Escalade for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver was under the influence of alcohol. He refused blood alcohol testing. He was arrested, charged with DUI/DWI and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

December 18^th:

2200 block of Varnum Street (Family Dollar): Armed robbery – 11 am. A Family Dollar store clerk told officers that two black males, one armed with a black semi automatic handgun, entered the store. A third black male positioned himself at the front entrance as a lookout. While the clerk was ringing out a customer and had the register drawer open the two men inside the store announced a robbery. One of the men reached into the cash drawer and stole a quantity of cash after which all three fled the store. They were last seen leaving the area in a Ford pickup truck on 25^th Street towards Queens Chapel Road. PGPD robbery detectives responded to assume a follow up investigation.

Police Report: December 11-17

2011-12-19T11:39:00.000-05:00

December 17^th:

3700 block of Eastern Avenue: Disorderly subject – 4:30 am. Officers received a call for an intoxicated and disorderly male. Once on the scene the officers met with the man who they had encountered on several prior incidents at the same location. The officers tried unsuccessfully to get the man to calm down and lower his voice to no avail. Once he became combative with the officers he was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

34^th and Allison Streets: Departmental traffic collision – 1:30 pm. An MRPD officer was involved in a personal injury collision while attempting to stop a vehicle that had just committed several traffic violations. Both the officer and the driver of the other involved vehicle were treated and released at a local hospital.

December 16^th:

4600 block of 25^th Street: Homicide – 7:35 pm. Officers responded to for the report of a shooting that had just occurred. Upon arrival they found 16 year old Dontae John Cook of the 3200 block of Upshur Street in Mount Rainier lying in the in the hallway of the apartment building suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased shortly after. PGPD Homicide Unit detectives responded and took over the investigation. In the afternoon of Sunday December 18^th homicide detectives arrested Eric Jerome Brown of the District and charged him with 1^st degree murder in this case. He is currently incarcerated in DC awaiting extradition to Prince George’s County.

December 15^th:

4000 block of 35^th Street: Domestic assault – 2:05 am. Officers responded for the report of a woman having been assaulted by her estranged husband. When the officers arrived they were met by the husband who told them that he had just assaulted his wife. He was detained while his wife was interviewed. The wife told officers that she was with a male companion when her husband came home and broke into the home through the front door. After a confrontation with his wife’s male companion the husband struck his wife causing a visible bruise and swelling to her forehead. The wife refused any medical treatment and the husband was arrested, charged with domestic assault and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

One Municipal Place: Warrant arrest – 8:20 pm. Officers stopped a man suspected of having an open arrest warrant. Further investigation revealed that he did have an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for violation of probation from a previous robbery conviction. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

2300 block of Varnum Street: Theft – 8:30 pm. Officers responded for the report of a theft of nine sandwiches by the same suspect who stole the same number of sandwiches from the store on December 13^th. Officers, who were already in the area conducting holiday patrols on Segways, began a search for the suspect. He was located a short distance away sharing the sandwiches with two other individuals. The suspect immediately fled on foot. Officers on Segways and on foot chased him into DC where he was eventually captured trying to hide in the wooded area off Eastern Avenue. He was taken into custody by MPD officers. MRPD officers obtained a warrant for his arrest charging him with theft and assaulting a police officer so that he could be extradited back to Maryland. Officers are following up with several previous thefts from the 7-11 and additional charges are forthcoming.

December 14^th:

3500 block of Newton Street: Theft from auto – 2:25 am. The owner of a 2000 Nissan Quest told officers that when he heard his vehicle alarm go off he went to investigate. He discovered that someone had broken into the vehicle through a passenger door and stole an in-dash stereo system.

3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant arrest – 9 pm. Officers were alerted to a suspicious person loitering by the memorial park. Officers contacted and interviewed the individual in question and determined that he had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on a charge of indecent exposure. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

December 13^th:

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Unattended children – 1 am. Officers responded for the report of an unattended 3-year old child in an apartment stairwell. Once on the scene the officers located the child and his 8-year old brother who was sleeping in an open apartment unit. The older brother told the officers that he did not know where his mother was but gave them her cell phone number. The 8-year old also said that his aunt lived in another building in the complex and both children were delivered to the custody of the aunt until contact could be made with their mother. Child protective services was contacted and agreed to conduct a follow up investigation.

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – The store clerk told responding officers that a black male wearing blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a gray hooded sweatshirt entered the store, stole nine sandwiches and fled to the rear of the store on foot towards 22^nd Street. The clerk said that the suspect was the same man who has stolen items from the store in the past. Officers searched the area for the suspect with negative results.

December 12^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road: Vandalism – 3:25 am. The reporting person told officers that a person who he was unable to describe smashed out his front window. The individual fled the scene in an unknown direction and could not be located.

4200 block of 34^th Street: Warrant arrest – 11:30 am. Officers responded to a complaint of a woman urinating in public. Officers located the woman described by the complainant and upon further investigation learned that she had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on a drug charge. She was cited for urinating and public, arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3400 block of Newton Street: CDS arrest – 1:45 pm. An officer responded for the report of an illegally parked vehicle. When the officer arrived he spoke with the driver who began to act suspiciously by repeatedly putting his hands in his pockets as if to conceal a weapon or contraband. For officer safety the officer attempted to take him into custody and a struggle ensued. During the struggle the man threw an object under his vehicle and then managed to place the officer in a choke hold. The officer was able to break free of the hold and deployed his issued Taser weapon to get the man under control and under arrest. Once the man was in custody and secured the officer retrieved the object the man discarded during the struggle and found it to be a Ziploc bag containing marijuana. The man was charged with possession of CDS, 2^nd degree assault and resisting arrest and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4000 block of 36^th Street: Theft from auto – 7 pm. The owner of a 1988 Pontiac told officers that sometime prior to her call to police someone ransacked the interior of her vehicle and stole a quantity of loose change and the vehicle’s registration card.

4400 block of 29^th Street: Suspicious person – 11:15 pm. The resident told officers that he was in his house when he observed the rear yard motion sensor light come on. When he looked outside he saw a person standing between his two parked vehicles. The resident rushed out to the rear yard to confront the individual who immediately fled the area toward 30^th Street. Officers checked the area for the individual with negative results.

4000 block of 36^th Street: Theft from auto – 11:25 pm. The owner of a 2006 Scion XD told officers that at about 6:30 this morning she noticed the rear hatch of her vehicle open and property stolen from inside. She said that she would not be available until later in the evening to meet with officers about the incident because she had to leave for work.

December 11^th:

3700 block of 34^th Street: Recovered property – 5:15 pm. Officers were alerted by a citizen to an abandoned bicycle. Officers located and recovered the blue Huffy Backwater 20” bike. There was no serial number or other identifying marks on the bike and it’s now stored at the police station.

3800 block of 30^th Street: Stolen vehicle – 6:20 pm. The owner of a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria told officers that sometime between 3 am this morning and 4 pm this afternoon someone stole his vehicle.

3300 block of Buchanan Street: CDS arrest – 7:35 pm. Officers patrolling the area detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from an apartment building hallway. Further investigation led the officers to arrest a man in the hallway who was in possession of marijuana.

Homicide Arrest

2011-12-18T17:41:00.001-05:00

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit has made a quick arrest in Friday night’s homicide investigation in which a young male was found shot at an apartment complex in Mount Rainier, Maryland.

On December 16, 2011, at approximately 7:36 p.m., Mount Rainier patrol officers responded to the 4600 block of 25th Street for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found Dontae John Cook, 16, of the 3200 block of Upshur Street in Mount Rainier, lying in the hallway of an apartment building suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased.

Homicide detectives quickly developed Eric Jerome Brown, 24, of the 200 block of Webster Street, NE in Washington, D.C., as a suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest charging him with 1st degree murder.

Brown was arrested on December 17, 2011 in the 1200 block of T Street, NW in Washington, D.C. with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Secret Service. He is currently being held at the D.C. Jail pending extradition to Prince George’s County.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (301) 772-4925. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411 TIPS (8477), text “PGPD plus your message” to CRIMES (274637) on your cell phone, or go to http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/police/ to submit a tip online.

Homicide - 4600 block of 25th Street

2011-12-17T11:16:00.003-05:00

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating a homicide that occurred last night in Mount Rainier, Maryland.

On December 16, 2011, at approximately 7:36 p.m., Mount Rainier patrol officers responded to the 4600 block of 25th Street for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found 16 year old Dontae John Cook, of the 3200 block of Upshur Street in Mount Rainier, lying in the in the hallway of the apartment building suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased shortly after. Detectives are currently working to identify a suspect(s) and motive in this case.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (301) 772-4925. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411 TIPS (8477) text “PGPD plus your message” to CRIMES (274637) on your cell phone or go to http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/police/ to submit a tip online.

Police Report: December 4-10

2011-12-12T11:58:00.001-05:00

December 4^th:

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Motor vehicle collision – 8:25 pm. The driver of a 2001 Infinity struck a parked vehicle while backing out of a parking space. Conflicting reports of exactly what transpired also alleged that the driver also ran over a pedestrian’s foot while backing out of the space. Minor damage was sustained by the vehicles involved and the pedestrian was not sufficiently injured to require medical attention. No charges were placed against the driver.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: DWI arrest – 10:25 pm. Officers stopped a vehicle for driving the wrong way on Queens Chapel Road. Further investigation revealed that the driver was under the influence of alcohol. He was transported to the MSP barrack in College Park for a breathalyzer test which he refused. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

December 5^th:

3200 block of Queens Chapel Road: Vehicle impound – 1:40 am. Officers on patrol impounded a 2006 Ford Mustang abandoned in the road with two flat tires.

3300 block of Chillum Road (7-11): Disorderly conduct – 2:10 am. Officers responded for the report of a disorderly male having a dispute with a store clerk. When the officers arrived they saw the man yelling and screaming at the clerk. Officers separated the two so they could be interviewed. The clerk told the officers that the man came into the store, went into the employees only back room and urinated into a sink. Officers escorted the man out of the store to interview him and found he was highly intoxicated. As the officers were speaking to him he grabbed one officer and assaulted him. The officer was forced to physically take the man to the ground to get him under control and under arrest. He was transported to Washington Adventist Hospital for minor medical treatment. When he was released from the hospital he was charged with assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4000 block of 34^th Street: Found property – 10:30 am. Officers recovered a black padded nylon bag with large yellow letters UMUC on the front that was found by a business owner. UMUC security personnel were contacted so that they could begin inquiries as to the bag’s owner.

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 12 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

December 6^th:

2900 block of Arundel Road: Burglary – 6:45 pm. The resident told officers that she left her apartment at about 8 am this morning and when she returned home she discovered that her bedroom has been ransacked. She said that nothing had been stolen and officers found no evidence of forced entry into the apartment.

4200 block of 34^th Street: Assault – 7:45 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic disturbance. When they arrived they spoke with the victim and a witness who said they had been involved in a struggle with their 15 year old son who had been reported as a runaway. The struggle resulted when the son was confronted about his whereabouts. During the struggle the juvenile displayed a folding knife which the victim was able to take from him during the struggle. The officers charged the juvenile with assault via a juvenile petition and removed his information from the NCIC missing persons database. All parties were advised of their options with Juvenile Services and the District Court Commissioner.

December 7^th:

2300 block of Varnum Street: Theft – 3 am. Officers responded to a business for the report of multiple alarms sounding. When the officers arrived they found the building secure and no sign of forced entry. A representative responded and checked the interior and discovered the cash register tray was lying on the floor with approximately $100 missing. She told the officers that the store had video recording capabilities but she did not know how to retrieve the images. She said she would have her husband look at the video and get back to officers later in the day.

3300 block of Otis Street: Theft from auto - The owner of a 2007 Hyundai Sonata told officers that sometime prior to his call to police someone entered his vehicle and stole approximately $20.00 in mixed currency after ransacking the vehicle. No forced entry or damage was observed.

3600 block of Perry Street: Theft from auto – 12:25 pm. The owner of a 2007 Dodge Caravan told officers that sometime prior to his call to police someone entered his vehicle and stole his driver’s license and social security card after ransacking the vehicle. No forced entry or damage was observed.

December 8^th:

4500 block of Eastern Avenue (BP station): Stolen vehicle – 9:40 am. The owner of a 2005 BMW parked his vehicle outside the building and went inside leaving the vehicle unlocked and the keys in the ignition. While the victim was inside a man described only as African American jumped into the driver’s seat and stole the vehicle fleeing onto Eastern Avenue towards Queens Chapel Road.

2300 block of Varnum Street: Warrant arrest – 2:30 am. Officers responded for the report of three suspicious individuals possibly smoking CDS outside the Family Dollar store. When the officers arrived they located and detained the individuals for questioning. None of the three were in possession of CDS however one of them had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on traffic related charges. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

December 9^th:

3400 block of Bunker Hill Road: DWI arrest – 2:10 am. Officers on patrol stopped to investigate a 1998 Cadillac Deville stopped in the roadway. When they approached the vehicle they saw that the driver was passed out behind the wheel and the keys still in the ignition. When they awakened the driver they observed that he was seriously intoxicated. The driver refused to submit to field sobriety testing or a breathalyzer test. He was arrested, charged with DUI/DWI and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4300 block of Russell Avenue: Stolen auto – 7:15 am. The lessee of a 2011 Dodge Challenger told officers that sometime between 11:30 pm on December 8^th and the time she called police someone stole her rented vehicle. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had been recovered by MPDC officers at an address in DC. Hertz Rental Company was contacted by MPDC and advised how to take possession of the vehicle.

3600 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Recovered stolen auto – 5:45 pm. Officers patrolling using a mobile license plate reader received a hit that a 2006 Ford van was a stolen vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle and learned that the driver was an employee of GEICO, was authorized to operate the vehicle and that the vehicle was not stolen. The vehicle’s information was removed from NCIC stolen vehicle files and the driver was released.

December 10^th:

3400 block of Newton Street: Home invasion robbery – 1:20 am. The victim told officers that three black males dressed in all black clothing kicked open the rear door and accosted her with a knife. The man with the knife held the victim while his accomplices ransacked her grandson’s bedroom. The three stole a 32’ flat screen television and fled out the rear door in an unknown direction. A US Park Police K-9 unit assisted with a search for the men but lost the tracked some distance away. PGPD robbery detectives were notified of the incident and will assume a follow-up investigation.

4500 block of Eastern Avenue: Theft from auto – 2:15 pm. The victim told officers that her purse was stolen from her unlocked vehicle while she was pumping gas. The purse contained personal effects such as license and small amount of cash. The suspect(s) fled in unknown direction and a case number was provided.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: CDS arrest – 8:15 pm. Officers stopped to check the welfare of a man in a 1995 Honda Civic. When the officers began to interview the man they observed that his eyes appeared glassy and there was an odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that the driver did not have a valid license and he was in possession of marijuana. Due to the fact that he was under the influence of CDS he was issued a State citation and released. Officers will obtain an arrest warrant for the CDS charge at a later date.

Police Report: November 27 - December 3

2011-12-05T13:59:00.003-05:00

November 27^th:

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – 1:30 am. The store’s night clerk told officers that three black males entered the store, removed three sandwiches valued at $14.37 from the refrigerated display and left the store without paying for them.

3800 block of 37^th Street: Suspicious situation – 1:25 pm. A resident called police to report that on November 25^th he noticed what appeared to be human remains on his front porch. Representatives from the Prince George’s County Police homicide unit and the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore responded to examine the remains. It was determined that the remains were not human and most probably belonged to a large animal possibly a deer. The medical examiner recovered the remains for further testing.

3500 block of Otis Street: Vandalism to auto – 2:30 pm. Officers responded for the report of shots fired. The reporting person told officers that he had heard something whizzing past him and assumed it was a gun shot. Officers searched the area for evidence of shots fired and found none. They did however locate a 2005 Dodge Caravan with a broken rear window. The van was searched for a possible projectile with negative results.

2500 block of Queens Chapel Road: Vandalism to auto – 1 pm. The owner of a 1997 Toyota Camry told officers that sometime between November 26^th at 7 pm and November 27^th at 1 pm someone broke the right door mirror off his vehicle.

4100 block of 29^th Street: Miscellaneous incident report – 5:15 pm. The complainant told officers that she noticed the words “no way” spray painted on her basement floor. One of her roommates said that he saw the words on the basement floor on the 24^th and was going to remove them. The complainant said that there didn’t appear to be any forced entry into the residence. There were two cans of spray paint on a counter but the complainant did not know if they belonged to another roommate that was not home at the time.

November 28^th:

3000 block of Buchanan Street: CDS arrest – 4 pm. Officers responded for the report of three suspicious subjects possibly involved in CDS activity. When the officers arrived they detained two of the individuals but the third fled the scene on foot. After a brief foot chase he was apprehended. Officers discovered that he was in possession of a small quantity of marijuana. He was charged with possession of a CDS and released to his legal guardian.

3401 Bunker Hill Road: Trespassing – 9:20 pm. Officers were called to investigate two individuals who forced their way into a vacant apartment. When the officers arrived they met with the building manager who said that the two were possibly in an apartment that had been shut down by Prince George’s County for code violations. The manager authorized the officers to force entry into the apartment where they found the two individuals hiding. The manager elected not to press charges against either man but both were warned not to return to the property or they would be arrested for trespassing.

November 29^th:

4200 block of 31^st Street: Theft – 9:50 am. The victim reported that she became aware of the theft of over $600 from her personal bank account. The bank has been contacted for documentation of the charges so that further investigation can take place.

November 30^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Motor vehicle collision – 7 am. A vehicle driving south on Rhode Island Avenue collided with a vehicle going northbound. Investigation revealed that the S/B driver failed to yield the right of way to the N/B vehicle in the traffic circle. Both vehicles sustained minor damage and there were no injuries.

4500 block of eastern Avenue (BP station): Found property – 8:30 am. Officers retrieved a black wallet found at the BP station. The owner of the wallet was contacted, returned to the BP station and officers returned his wallet to him. The owner said that his credit cars, cash and driver’s license were still in his wallet.

2200 block of Varnum Street: Lost property – 12 pm. A woman came into the police station to report that she lost her wallet containing personal items of identification and cash. She could not remember where or when she lost her wallet.

December 1^st:

4100 block of 33^rd Street: Vehicle impound -8:30 am. Officers were called to investigate the report of a vehicle blocking a private driveway. The officers determined that the tags issued to the vehicle belonged to another vehicle and the vehicle itself was unregistered. The vehicle was impounded and the tags seized for return to MVA.

2300 block of Varnum Street: Criminal citation – 9:30 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage.

2400 block of Chillum Road: Warrant arrest – 11 am. Officers stopped a 2001 Lexus GS430 for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had an open arrest warrant through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. Prior to his release to DOC he was issued three State traffic citations for the original traffic violation.

December 2^nd:

2310 Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – 9:40 am. Officers spoke with the store manager who reported that a black male entered the store and stole two 9.9 oz bottles of Starbucks Coffee drinks. The suspect fled store in an unknown type of vehicle possibly displaying Virginia tags.

3300 block of Perry Street: Warrant arrest – 10:30 am. Officers observed a man loitering on the property of a closed business consuming an alcoholic beverage. Further investigation revealed that he had an open warrant through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office for trespassing. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3700 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 8:10 pm. Officers stopped a 1991 Toyota for an equipment violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had a suspended driver’s license and was in possession of an open alcoholic container. He was issued several State traffic citations as well as a criminal citation for the alcohol violation. His vehicle was also impounded.

4500 block of 34^th Street: Child custody dispute – 7 pm. The complainant told officers that she had legal custody of her sister’s two juvenile children. The paperwork she presented to officers indicated that the children’s mother voluntarily granted temporary custody of her children to her sister. Social Services was contacted and it was determined the dispute was a civil issue and would be followed up by Social Services.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Motor vehicle theft – 10 pm. The driver of a delivery vehicle told officers that he left his vehicle running while he retrieved a food delivery. While he was away from the vehicle three undescribed Hispanic males stole it.

December 3^rd:

4200 block of Kaywood Drive: Theft of/from auto – 6:45 am. Officers responded for the report of a tampering in progress. The complainant stayed on the phone with the dispatcher and described two men were trying to steal her vehicle. When the officers arrived they stopped one of the men immediately and the complainant, still on the phone, directed the officers to the second individual who was still inside her vehicle. When the officers took the second man into custody they discovered that he was sitting on a sawed off shotgun. Further investigation revealed that the subjects had stolen one vehicle from an address in the City and broken into at least four other vehicles. Officers were able to recover most of the stolen property as well as the stolen auto. Both subjects arrested, charged with multiple theft and firearm offenses and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville where they were jailed on a no bond status.

3800 block of 31^st Street: Death investigation – 3 pm. Officers responded for the report of a natural death. Upon arrival they were met by family members who said that their mother had passed away. They said that the woman suffered from several medical problems prior to her death. Officers along with the state medical examiner’s office conducted an investigation and found no signs of foul play. The decedent’s remains were released to the family and the funeral home.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Tobacco sales violation – 9:45 pm. Officers received several complaints that a business was selling individual cigarettes in violation of State tobacco laws. Officers spoke to management about the complaint and were assured that the business was in full compliance with the law and had a valid tobacco sales license.

Annual Holiday Food Drive

2011-11-30T14:35:00.000-05:00

The Prince George’s County public safety departments will be hosting their annual holiday food drive this Saturday December 3^rd from 9 am to 12 pm; and Monday through Thursday December 5^th through the 8^th from 9 am to 3 pm. Folks are asked to come by the Bunker Hill Fire Station and drop off non perishable food items to benefit needy families here in Mount Rainier and across Prince George’s County. For more information please contact Captain Jimmy Stoots here at the police station at 301-985-6580 or by email at jstoots@mountrainierpd.org.

4000 block of 34th Street to close for repairs

2011-11-30T13:37:00.000-05:00

After several inspections it has been determined that the hole in the center of the road in front of 4010 34th Street is seriously undermining the stability of the roadway. After consultation with WSSC and the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation, it appears for now that the repairs are solely the responsibility of the City until further investigation reveals otherwise.

In an effort to ensure the safety of our residents and those who use 34th Street, the necessary repair work will be carried out starting Monday December 5th. As a result, the 4000 block of 34th Street will be closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the repairs. At this time we do not know how long the street will be closed as the scope of work is not yet known. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Police Report: November 20-26

2011-11-28T14:33:00.002-05:00

November 20^th:

3200 block of Arundel Road: DWI – 3:10 am. Officers stopped a vehicle for failure to stop at a stop sign. While interviewing the driver officers observed that he showed signs of intoxication. He failed a roadside sobriety test and was arrested. He was transported to the MSP barrack in College Park for a breathalyzer test, the results of which showed ne had a BAC of .17. He was charged with DWI and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4500 block of 31^st Street: Theft from auto – 10:05 am. The owner of a 2010 Toyota Tundra told officers that sometime between 9 pm on the 19^th and the time he called police someone smashed out the front passenger side window stole the vehicle’s stereo and airbags.

November 21^st:

3100 block of Buchanan Street: Vehicle impound – 10:40 am. Officers impounded a 2002 Dodge Caravan for displaying registration stickers issued to another vehicle.

3100 block of Buchanan Street: Vehicle impound – 10:40 am. Officers impounded a 2002 Ford Taurus for displaying expired registration plates.

November 22^nd:

4100 block of Russell Avenue: Theft from auto – 8:30 am. The owner of a 2006 Chrysler 300 reported that sometime between 4 pm on November 19^th and this morning someone stole the license plates off his vehicle.

4500 block of Eastern Avenue (BP station): Theft from auto – 9:05 am. The victim told officers that she left her vehicle unlocked and unattended when she went inside to pay for gas. When she returned to her vehicle she discovered that someone had stolen her purse from inside.

3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 11 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 11 pm. Officers stopped to interview an intoxicated female found sitting on the ground. Further investigation revealed that she had an open arrest warrant through Takoma Park. She was arrested on the warrant and taken to DOC in Hyattsville for processing. Once at DOC officers attempted to obtain a copy of the warrant from Takoma Park PD, however TPPD could not locate the warrant. Since the warrant could not be serves the woman was released from custody and returned to where she was originally arrested.

November 23^rd:

3200 block of Shepherd Street: Vehicle theft – 4:35 pm. The owner of a 1999 Dodge Durango told officers that sometime between 9 am this morning and the time she called police someone stole her vehicle from in front of her residence.

3500 block of Otis Street: Trespassing/destruction of property – 11 pm. Officers responded for the report of a group of disorderly subjects fighting near the laundry room. When the officers arrived they saw the group start to disperse and one individual run into the laundry room. They found the man hiding in the laundry and determined that he forced his way into the room by kicking the door open. He was arrested, charged with trespassing and destruction of property and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

November 24^th:

4300 block of Russell Avenue: Domestic assault – 12:10 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic argument. When they arrived the found the couple in question and observed that the female half had visible signs of being assaulted during the argument. The male half was arrested, charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

November 25^th:

3700 block of 37^th Street: Criminal citation – 9 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

3300 block of Bunker Hill Road: Stolen vehicle – 10:45 pm. The owner of a 1998 Jeep told officers that sometime between 7:30 and 10:30 pm someone stole her vehicle.

3800 block of 34th Street: Criminal citation – 11:45 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

November 26^th:

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 10:50 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

4500 block of Eastern Avenue (BP station): Theft from auto – 1:05 pm. The owner of a 1996 Ford Crown Victoria told officers that she parked her vehicle to put air in her tires. She said that while she was on the passenger side of her vehicle someone entered the driver’s side and stole her purse off the front seat. Witnesses described a 4-door sedan, possibly either green or blue in color that drove off the lot shortly after the theft as possibly being involved.

4000 block of 36^th Street: Domestic assault – 7 pm. A woman came into the police station to report that she had been assaulted earlier in the day. She told officers that she and her boyfriend got into an argument this morning. During the argument the boyfriend became enraged and physically assaulted her. She sustained an injury to her left eye for which she was treated at Providence Hospital. She told officers that she did not want to press charges against her boyfriend, but she did not want to go back to his apartment and had nowhere else to go. Officers completed a lethality assessment interview with the victim, put her in contact with the Family Crisis center and advised her of her options with a District Court Commissioner.

Police Report: November 13-19

2011-11-28T13:22:00.005-05:00

November 13^th:

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Vandalism to auto – 5:25 am. The owner of a 1991 Honda Accord told officers that sometime between 8:20 pm on November 12^th and the time she called police someone broke out the driver’s side and rear passenger windows of her vehicle.

3700 block of 37^th Street: Theft from auto – 11:40 am. The owner of a 1999 GMC Denali told officers that sometime between 10 pm on November 12^th and the time he called police someone stole the passenger side rear view mirror off his vehicle. The suspect(s) tried unsuccessfully to steal the driver’s side mirror.

November 14^th:

4200 block of 34^th Street: Located runaway – 10:40 am. At the request of Virginia police MRPD officers responded to check for the presence of a runaway juvenile. The juvenile was located at the home of her aunt. The juvenile’s mother was contacted and advised that her daughter was safe. The mother said that she would make arrangements to pick up her daughter at a later time/date.

November 15^th:

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – 1:20 am. Store employees told officers that a black male described as bald, 5’9” tall, 190 lbs. and wearing a long brown jacket came into the store and stole approximately $44 worth of merchandise. The suspect fled the area in a white SUV on Arundel Road towards Russell Avenue. A search of the area failed to locate either the vehicle or the suspect.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road (Family Dollar): Fraud – 6:25 pm. An unknown individual called into the store and told the clerk that he was the Family Dollar regional manager. The suspect told the clerk to cash a $200 Western Union gift card and provide him with the card number so that he could pay a tow company for towing the company’s truck. He said he would be by later to sign the receipts. When the suspect did not come into the store the clerk called the regional office and spoke with the real regional manager who advised that he never called and authorized any such transaction.

November 16^th:

4100 block of 31^st Street: Suspicious situation – 5:55 pm. Officers responded for the report of an attempted carjacking. The victim told officers that he was sitting in his 2010 Toyota Rav4 parked in his driveway when a man described as a black male, 5’ 8” tall, 120 lbs, wearing a blue sweater vest over a white shirt and a black ski mask opened his driver’s side door, pointed a finger at him like it was a gun and ordered him to get out of the car. The victim said that he and the suspect just stared at each other for about 5 seconds and no other words were exchanged. The suspect then closed the door and ran to a dark colored full size van parked in the street behind the victim’s car, jumped into the passenger side and the van fled north on 31^st Street.

3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Theft – 8 pm. Officers interviewed a man who told them that he was at the Urban Eats Cafe on November 11^th and had placed his bag containing his Apple iPad on a chair. He said that when he returned home he noticed that the iPad was missing from his bag. He was able to track the iPad using his own software to a location in Arlington County, Virginia and contacted the police in that jurisdiction to investigate the theft. He was advised that he needed a local police report to continue the investigation.

November 17^th:

Kaywood Place at Kaywood Drive: Warrant arrest – 3:30 am. Officers issued a vehicle a parking citation and while placing the citation on the windshield noticed a man in the driver’s seat. Further investigation revealed that the man had an open arrest warrant through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving an uninsured vehicle. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3200 block of Queens Chapel Road: Domestic dispute – 12:10 pm. Officers responded for the report of a man violating a court protection order. Once on the scene the officers observed the man running from the apartment building. After a short foot chase they were able to catch and detain him. Once the protection order was verified the man was arrested for violating the order and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant arrest – 10:20 pm. Officers stopped a 2008 Cadillac for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver’s license was suspended and a passenger in the vehicle had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on a violation of probation charge and for theft under $100. The driver was issued several traffic citations and released at the scene. The passenger was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

November 18^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road (7-11): Disorderly person – 12:15 am. Officers responded for the report of a disorderly intoxicated man harassing customers as they entered and exited the store. Officers escorted the man out of the store and warned him not to return or he would be arrested for trespassing. Officers were called back to the store at 1 am because the man had returned and was opening various items prior to paying for them. Officers advised the man he was under arrest and a brief struggle ensued as he resisted arrest. During the struggle the man sustained a small cut over his left eye and was taken to Washington Adventist Hospital for treatment. Doctors at the hospital refused to release the defendant from their care because they discovered he had a blood alcohol content of .4 (5 times the legal limit).

3700 block of 37^th Street: 1^st degree assault – 11:45 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic dispute involving a knife. Once on the scene they encountered an intoxicated man armed with a knife. Once the man was in custody they learned that he became upset over money missing from his room. He armed himself with the knife and attempted to cut the victim. He was arrested without further incident, charged with first degree assault and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The victim was uninjured.

November 19^th:

4600 block of 25^th Street: 4^th degree burglary – 11:40 am. Officers received a report from the leasing office for returned trespassers. Officers were able to detain two of the individuals and further investigation revealed that they broke into a vacant unit, causing damage to the apartment. One of the two was also found to be in possession of four master keys that opened the building’s exterior doors. Both were arrested, charged with 4^th degree burglary and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4200 block of Kaywood Drive: Vandalism to auto – 6:50 pm. The owner of a 2007 Toyota Tundra reported that she came out to her vehicle and discovered damage to her vehicle’s passenger side door. The damage was consistent with key marks.

3200 block of Queens Chapel Road: Warrant arrest – 11:25 pm. Officers on patrol observed an individual known to have an open warrant obtained by MRPD for trespassing. A field interview was conducted and it was confirmed the suspect detained was the wanted subject. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

Maryland drivers may now add up to 3 emergency contacts to their driver's license record

2011-11-17T11:28:00.002-05:00

Maryland drivers can now add three emergency contacts to their driver’s license so police will know who to call if a collision occurs. The emergency contact information is stored electronically on an individual’s driver’s license and will be available only to authorized law enforcement personnel.

You can go to the MVA’s website at www.mva.maryland.gov and add your three emergency contacts in just a few minutes. You will need your driver’s license number to complete this process.

1. Go to the website: http://www.mva.maryland.gov/
2. Go to “On-line Transactions” (upper left) & click on “More”
3. Click on “Emergency Contacts” (bottom of left column)
4. Follow the prompts

Police Report: November 6-12

2011-11-14T16:28:00.006-05:00

November 6^th:

3200 block of Perry Street: House fire – 1:25 am. Officers on patrol observed smoke coming from a private home. Upon arrival the officers saw that all occupants had exited the residence and the upstairs portion of the house was fully engulfed in flames as Fire Rescue arrived on the scene. The fire was extinguished without any further damage to the surrounding homes. The home has been boarded up and secured.

3200 block of Chillum Road: Theft from auto – 6:50 am. The owner of a 1998 Ford Ranger told officers that sometime between 11 pm on November 5^th and this morning around 6:30 am someone had broken the side passenger window to gain entry into his vehicle and stole an aftermarket car stereo.

Arundel Road and 30^th Street: Hit and run collision – 9:10 am. The owner of a 2010 Toyota Camry told officers that sometime during the overnight hours a second unidentified vehicle struck his car and fled the scene.

4000 block of 36^th Street: Disorderly conduct/vandalism to auto – 9:25 am. Officers responded for the report of a vandalism to auto. Upon arrival they encountered the victim who advised that sometime overnight someone slashed all four tires on his 2000 Ford Focus. The victim was very upset and hostile. As the officers were speaking with him he became very vulgar and started to cause such a scene that many people were coming outside of their residences. Officer’s attempts to calm the man failed. He was subsequently arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3200 block of Arundel Road: Theft from auto – 10:30 am. Officers responded for the report of a theft from auto. The victim told the officers that at 5:49 am a black male and black female entered the victim’s unlocked Toyota Camry and rummaged through it. The suspects were not successful in removing anything from the vehicle because there was nothing of value left inside. The subjects then fled on foot.

Varnum and 34^th Streets: Hit and run collision – 2:30 pm. The owner of a 2008 Honda Civic told officers that a black in color full size SUV made a left turn onto Varnum Street from 34^th Street striking her legally parked vehicle. The vehicle fled the scene in an unknown direction.

2900 block of Upshur Street: DWI/DUI arrest – 8:20 pm. Officers on patrol observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed fail to stop at a stop sign. As officers attempted to catch up to the vehicle the vehicle failed to stop at several more stop signs and was driving erratically. Officers were able to get the vehicle stopped and further investigation revealed that the driver was highly intoxicated. He was arrested and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. A passenger was also highly intoxicated and was consuming an open alcoholic beverage. He was issued a criminal citation and released. The vehicle was impounded for safe keeping.

November 7^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road: Vehicle impound – 5:15 am. Officers on patrol observed a 1992 Honda Accord unoccupied and running in the parking lot of the 7-11. Attempts to locate the owner/operator were negative. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

4400 block of 31^st Street: Theft - 8:20 am. The victim told officers that sometime during the previous night her boyfriend stole a credit card from her purse. She discovered the theft when she tried to use the card for a gasoline purchase this morning.

3500 block of Newton Place: Theft from auto – 9 am. The owner of a 2000 Chevy Venture reported that sometime between 7:30 pm on November 6^th and the time of the report someone smashed out the driver’s side window and stole the in-dash stereo system from the vehicle.

3700 block of Wells Avenue: Vandalism to auto – 11:10 am. The owner of a 2003 Isuzu Rodeo reported that sometime between 4:30 pm on November 6^th and the time of the report someone used an unknown tool to put scratches on virtually the entire vehicle.

4200 block of 30^th Street: Warrant service – 2:45 pm. Officers stopped a 2000 Infinity G35 for running a stop sign. Further investigation revealed that the driver did not have a valid license and had an open arrest warrant through Prince William County, Virginia charging him with three counts of burglary and three counts of grand larceny. He was issued several traffic citations, arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville to await extradition to Virginia.

November 8^th:

2400 block of Chillum Road: Traffic/vehicle impound – 9:30 am. Officers stopped a 2011 Ford Crown Victoria for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver did not have a valid license; and, he was not authorized to drive the vehicle because it was rented to another person through Enterprise Car Rental in Hyattsville. The driver was issued several State traffic citations and the vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

3800 block of 34^th Street: Criminal citation – 1:15 pm. Officers issued a woman a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

2700 block of Webster Street: Burglary – 6:30 pm. The victim/resident told officers that sometime between 7 am this morning and the time she called police someone entered her apartment and stole forty dollars in U.S. Currency. There were no signs of forced entry into the apartment.

4200 block of 31^st Street: Theft from auto – 7:15 pm. The owner of a 1994 Ford Escort reported that sometime between 10:30 pm on October 24^th and 9 am on October 25^th someone entered his unlocked vehicle and stole several items of his personal property. The owner said that he didn’t report the incident at the time it occurred because he thought the theft happened in another jurisdiction.

November 9^th:

2310 Varnum Street: Destruction of property – 6:35 am. Officers met with a Red Box technician who advised that sometime during the overnight hours someone damaged the touch screen to the DVD machine. The machine remained intact and nothing was stolen.

4200 block of Rainier Avenue: Theft from auto – 6:35 am. The owner of a 1996 Toyota Corolla told officers that sometime between 11 pm on November 8^th and the time she called police someone ransacked the interior of her vehicle and stole $20 in US Currency. There were no signs of forced entry into the vehicle.

4200 block of Rainier Avenue: Found property – 6:45 am. A concerned citizen turned in a wallet containing various medical cards and a driver’s license. The wallet was submitted to property for return to its owner.

3100 block of Chillum Road: Vandalism to auto – 7 pm. The owner of a 2007 GMC Yukon told officers that sometime between 6:20 pm and the time he called police someone broke out the rear passenger window of his vehicle.

3700 block of 37^th Street: Welfare check – 7:40 pm. Officers were called to the home of an elderly resident who they found to be in a weak and frail condition. The man’s residence also had no electricity. He was taken by fire/rescue personnel to Providence Hospital for a medical evaluation. Prince George’s County Adult Protective Services was notified and will follow up.

November 10^th:

4300 block of 28^th Place: Citizen robbery – 9:20 pm. The victim told officers that he was walking down the foot path towards the Metro when he was accosted by two suspects. They threw him to the ground, stole his cell phone and key ring and fled the area in an unknown direction. The victim, who was highly intoxicated at the time the officers interviewed him, said that he did not get a good look at either of his assailants.

November 11^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Disorderly conduct – 11:40 am. Officers investigated a report from several citizens and a metro bus driver that a man was swearing and yelling at them for no reason and that he was head towards 35^th Street. Officers located the man and found him to be intoxicated and had slurred speech. He began to yell at the officers and refused to calm down and control himself. After several warnings the officers arrested him for disorderly conduct and delivered him to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

November 12^th:

2700 block of Upshur Street: Theft from auto – 8:15 am. The owner of a 2003 Cadillac Deville reported that sometime between 9 pm on November 11^th and the time he called police someone stole all four wheels and tires off his vehicle.

3300 block of Arundel Road: Vehicle impound – 4:40 pm. Officers impounded a 1998 Chrysler Sebring that was abandoned after a collision with a Pepco pole.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Fraud – 8:20 am. The victim told officers that he responded to an ad on Craig’s List from the Red Bull Company. He contacted a person named Toni Parks about the ad which involved placing a Red Bull advertising sign on his vehicle for which he would be paid $400 per month. He was further told that he would be receiving a monthly check for $2,650. He was instructed to cash the check, retain his compensation of $400.00 dollars and send the remaining funds to a Michelle Garner at 120 West Main Mesquite, Texas 75150 via Western Union. The victim deposited the funds into his bank account on November 2^nd and withdrew $2,250 on November 8^th. On November 9^th he received a phone call from his bank that his account had been overdrawn due to the fraudulent check that was run through his account.

Two More Charged in Mount Rainier Homicide

2011-11-09T18:25:00.001-05:00

PGPD’s Homicide Unit today charged two additional suspects with the murder of Alonzo Guyton on October 25^th in Mount Rainier.

http://pgpolice.blogspot.com/2011/11/police-make-additional-arrests-in-mount.html#.TrMchChjB1I.mailto

CDC Says "Take 3" Actions To Fight The Flu

2011-11-08T13:52:00.001-05:00

The CDC has great information on how to protect yourselves during the 2011-2012 flu season.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm

Advanced Auto Parts Robbery Lookout

2011-11-08T13:23:00.001-05:00

PGPD put up photos of the suspects wanted in the armed robbery of the Advanced Auto Parts store in Queenstown that occurred last Saturday. http://pgpolice.blogspot.com/2011/11/wanted-for-armed-robbery-of-advanced.html

Emergency Alert System Test

2011-11-07T14:10:00.002-05:00

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The national test will occur on Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT and will last 30 seconds.

For more information about the nationwide Emergency Alert System test, please visit FEMA and the FCC.

On November 9 at 2 p.m. eastern, please remember: Don’t stress; it’s only a test.

Police Report: October 30 - November 5

2011-11-07T11:37:00.001-05:00

October 30^th:

4000 block of 29^th Street: Vandalism to auto – 9:55 am. The owner of a 2011 VW Jetta told officers that she came out to her vehicle this morning and noticed a dent on the very bottom of the rear passenger driver’s side door. The damage did not appear to have been caused from contact with another motor vehicle, and the cause remains unknown.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Theft – 1:20 pm. The manager of the business told officers that while counting a sales register he discovered approximately $300 in cash missing. The manager and the officers reviewed the store’s security tapes and discovered that a suspect went behind the sales counter and removed the cash from the register while the clerk was assisting another customer. The suspect was not identifiable because he held an umbrella over his face during the theft. The security video was seized for follow-up investigation purposes and the investigation is continuing.

October 31^st:

3700 block of 34^th Street: Warrant service – 10:10 pm. Officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had an open arrest warrant for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving on a suspended license. He was issued several traffic citations, arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3700 block of Rhode Island Avenue: CDS arrest – 10:45 pm. Officers stopped a 2000 Chevy S10 truck for an equipment violation. Further investigation revealed that a juvenile passenger in the vehicle was in possession of marijuana. He was arrested, charged via a juvenile petition and released to the custody of his parents. The driver was issued several traffic citations and sent on his way.

November 1^st:

3200 block of Shepherd Street: Attempted burglary – 2:10 am. Officers responded to the report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival officers spoke to the resident who stated that he heard and saw what appeared to be three black males wearing dark clothing trying to gain entry to his residence through a window. The suspects fled on foot prior to officer’s arrival. There were no signs of damage or entry into the residence.

3300 block of Buchanan Street: Vehicle impound – 9:50 am. Officers impounded a 1996 Toyota Camry for improper tags.

3800 block of 33^rd Street: Theft under $500 – 3:55 pm. Officers responded for the report of a theft of keys. The victim stated that on October 31^st around 4 pm he set a bag down outside his residence while he was carrying other items into his home. The bag contained personal items along with a set of keys belonging to his employer. When he returned for the bag a short time later he discovered that it had been stolen.

Queens Chapel Road and Chillum Road: DWI/DUI arrest – 9 pm. Officers responded to investigate a three-car motor vehicle collision. Their investigation revealed that an intoxicated driver rear ended a stopped vehicle at the red light causing the chain reaction collision. The driver was arrested for DUI, issued several citations and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

November 2^nd:

3200 block of Varnum Street: Returned missing person – 1:15 pm. Officers responded to follow up on a previously reported missing person. They found that the individual had returned home voluntarily and was uninjured and in good health.

November 3^rd:

4500 block of Eastern Avenue: Theft from auto – 8:15 am. The victim told officers that while she was pumping gas at the BP Station the suspect entered the driver’s side of her vehicle and stole several items of her personal property from inside. She said the black male (NFD) suspect got into a light green Nissan Altima with another black male and fled the scene.

4100 block of 31^st Street: Juvenile arrest – 9 am. Officers stopped a juvenile male for a field interview. During the interview the juvenile gave the officers a fake name in order to conceal his identity. Further investigation revealed that the juvenile was wanted by DC juvenile services on an open custody warrant. He was arrested on the warrant and transported to MRPD. He was released into the custody of officers from the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Child abuse – 9 pm. Officers responded for the report of a child screaming in pain from a beating. Upon arrival the officers interviewed both the child and his mother and observed fresh bruises on both of the child’s arms from shoulder to forearms. Neither the child or his mother would tell the officers how the child came by the bruises. Officers contacted Child Protective Services and they were able to find safe accommodations for the child. CPS is conducting a follow-up investigation to determine what criminal charges, if any are warranted

November 4^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road: 2^nd degree assault – 10:20 am. Officers responded for the report of unknown trouble at the Family Dollar Store. Upon arrival the officers learned that an employee was involved in a domestic assault with her boyfriend in front of the 7-11 on Chillum Road. The victim sustained a large scratch to her neck but refused medical attention. During the assault the suspect took the victim’s phone. Officers were able to retrieve the victim’s property and the victim said she would be seeking assault charges on the suspect via a District Court Commissioner.

3100 block of Shepherd Street: Theft from auto – 11:45 am. The owner of a 2000 Buick Century told officers that sometime between 4 pm on November 4^th and the time he called police someone stole all four of the center hubcaps off his vehicle.

November 5^th:

4500 block of Eastern Avenue (BP station): Theft from auto – 12:25 pm. The victim told officers that while she was putting air in her car’s tires someone stole her purse and a mini camcorder from inside the vehicle. The victim was unable to provide any suspect information other than she saw a white vehicle fleeing the scene.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road (Advanced Auto Parts): Commercial armed robbery – 1:40 pm. Officers responded for the report of an armed robbery that had just occurred. Upon arrival they learned that three black males entered the store, one of whom acted as a lookout while the other two displayed semi automatic handguns and proceeded to have the cashiers open the registers. The suspects took an undetermined amount of cash before fleeing the store on foot. A canvass of the area for the suspects was negative. PG County Robbery Detectives arrived on scene to handle the investigation.

3500 block of Newton Place: Hit and run collision – 5:15 pm. The owner of a 2010 Honda CRV reported that sometime between 3 pm and the time she called police a second, unidentified vehicle hit her vehicle’s rear bumper and fled the scene.

3600 block of Bunker Hill Road: Vehicle impound – 11:40 pm. Officers received a report of a 2003 Honda Civic blocking a residential driveway. Officers were unable to identify and/or contact the vehicle’s owner. The vehicle was issued a parking violation notice and impounded.

Click It or Ticket

2011-11-04T13:38:00.000-05:00

Time to "Fall Back"

2011-11-04T13:08:00.000-05:00

At 2am this Sunday set your clocks back 1 hour. Also, common sense and the fire department advises you to change the batteries in your smoke detectors!

Additional Arrests in Mount Rainier Murder Case

2011-11-04T12:55:00.003-05:00

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit has charged two additional suspects, Lorenzo Carlton, 21 and Michael Jordan, 18, in connection with the homicide of Alonzo James Guyton that occurred in Mount Rainier, Maryland. Additionally, homicide detectives have determined that robbery was the motive in this case.

http://pgpolice.blogspot.com/2011/11/police-make-additional-arrests-in-mount.html

National Emergency Alert System Test November 9 @ 2:00 p.m.

2011-11-01T14:29:00.001-05:00

On November 9th FEMA, DHS and FCC will conduct the first national test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) test. This test will kick off at 2:00 p.m. (EST). The test will be nationwide, running concurrently across all time zones.

This system test is the first of its kind. It is designed to broadcast a nationwide message to the American public. Nothing like it has been conducted in the history of the country. There have been tests in the past but none to all parts of the Nation at the same time. The test will run concurrently on all radio and TV band and the message will run for three (3) minutes. Most messages in the past were anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute.

There is great concern in local police and emergency management circles about undue public anxiety over this test. The test message on TV might not indicate that it is just a test. Fear is that the lack of an explanation message might create panic. Please share this information with your family and friends so they are aware of the test.

Below are two websites, that will provide more information regarding this test.

http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm

https://nationaldialogue-emergencyalertsystem.ideascale.com/

Police Report: October 23 - 29

2011-11-01T13:44:00.000-05:00

October 23^rd:

4400 block of 31^st Street: Vandalism to auto – 2:15 pm. The owner of a 1994 Ford Taurus reported that sometime between 5:30 am on October 22^nd and the time she called police someone damaged the vehicle’s driver’s door lock. There was no entry into the vehicle and nothing was reported stolen.

4500 block of Eastern Avenue (BP station): Theft from auto – 6:40 pm. The victim told officers that she was pumping gas and having trouble with her credit card. She went inside to get assistance and when she returned about 20 minutes later she discovered that her purse was missing from inside her vehicle.

October 24^th:

4500 block of Eastern Avenue (BP station): Theft from auto – 8:20 am. The victim told officers that while she was inside paying for gas someone stole her purse from inside her vehicle. She had mistakenly left the vehicle unlocked. The suspect was last seen leaving the gas station in a dark colored Cadillac.

3100 block of Chillum Road: Traffic – 11:25 am. Officers stopped a 1994 Dodge Spirit for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver’s license was suspended. He was charged accordingly and his vehicle was impounded.

2400 block of Chillum Road: Hit and run collision – 3:15 pm. Officers responded for the report of a hit and run motor vehicle collision. Their investigation showed that the victim’s 2006 Cadillac was rear ended by a 2008 Toyota Tundra. The driver of the Toyota fled the scene without stopping to identify himself. A lookout for the Toyota was broadcast to surrounding police agencies and it was located abandoned at an address in Hyattsville. It was impounded pending further investigation.

3700 block of 34^th Street: Stolen auto – 8:45 pm. The owner of a 2001 Chrysler Voyager minivan told officers that sometime between 7:30 pm and the time he called police someone stole his van. No evidence was recovered at the scene of the theft.

October 25^th:

4200 block of Kaywood Drive: Homicide – 12:02 am. MRPD officers responded to the 4200 block of Kaywood Drive for the report of shots fired and a man down. Upon arriving on the scene, officers and EMS personnel located a 24 year old male on the sidewalk in front of the apartment building suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Medstar where he was pronounced dead at 12:50 am. The decedent was transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in the District of Columbia for a postmortem examination. The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit is conducting the follow up investigation.

October 26^th:

4600 block of 29^th Street: Loud music – 7:20 pm. Officers responded for the report of loud music. Upon arrival they located the owner of the property and had him turn off the music. He was advised of the noise ordinance and no charges were placed.

October 27^th:

3600 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Assault/destruction of property – 2:55 am. Officers received a call that a cab driver was fighting with a customer. Upon arrival officers spoke to both men and determined that the passenger was highly intoxicated. The passenger had refused to exit the vehicle when asked. When the passenger finally got out of the cab he assaulted the driver and damaged the driver’s vehicle. Officers placed the passenger under arrest, charged him accordingly and delivered him to the custody of DOC in Upper Marlboro.

4000 block of 34^th Street: Stolen debit card – 3:30 pm. The victim told officers that on October 20^th he lost his wallet. When he contacted his bank on the 21^st to make them aware of the loss he discovered that someone had used his card to make unauthorized purchases.

3249 Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 10 pm. A man walked into the police station to surrender on an open arrest warrant. Officers verified that the man had an open warrant for theft under $500. He was arrested and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

October 28^th:

4300 block of Russell Avenue: Stolen motorcycle – 11 am. The owner of a 1999 Yamaha R6 motorcycle reported that sometime between 10 pm on October 12^th and 7 pm on the 26^th someone stole his vehicle.

3200 block of Varnum Street: Disorderly conduct – 3:40 pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic dispute. Upon arrival the officers discovered a man on the front porch yelling and cursing at his wife and mother. He told officers that he was upset because his wife would not allow him to watch their TV. While the officers tried to resolve the dispute in a calm orderly manner the man continued yelling and cursing at his family members. He was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3800 block of 34^th Street: Stolen vehicle – 7:50 pm. The owner of a 1996 Plymouth Voyager van told officers that sometime between 2 pm and 7:45 pm today someone stole his vehicle.

October 29^th:

3100 block of Chillum Road: Stolen vehicle – 8 am. The owner of a 1994 Toyota Camry told officers that sometime between 8 pm on October 21^st and the time he called police someone stole his van.

PG Police Make Arrest in Mount Rainier Homicide

2011-10-29T14:02:00.002-05:00

Prince George’s County, Maryland…The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit has arrested William Knight, 20, in connection with the homicide of Alonzo James Guyton that occurred earlier this week in Mount Rainier, Maryland.

On October 25, 2011 at approximately 12:02 a.m., officers from the Mount Rainier Police Department responded to the 4200 block of Kaywood Drive for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found Guyton suffering from gunshot wounds to his body. Guyton was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.

Through the course of their investigation, homicide detectives developed William Knight, of the 800 block of Kennedy Street N.E. in Washington D.C., as a suspect in the case. Detectives subsequently obtained an arrest warrant for Knight charging him with first degree murder. On October 28, 2011, the arrest warrant was served on Knight at the D.C. Jail where he was being held on an unrelated charge. Pursuant to the first degree murder charge, Knight was placed on a no bond status. Extradition to Prince George’s County is pending.

Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to call the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (301) 772-4925. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411 TIPS (8477), text “PGPD plus your message” to CRIMES (274637) on your cell phone, or go to http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/police/ to submit a tip online.

Homicide - 4200 block of Kaywood Drive

2011-10-25T11:59:00.003-05:00

On October 25, 2011, at approximately 12:02 am, officers of the Mount Rainier Police Department responded to the 4200 block of Kaywood Drive Mount Rainier, Maryland for a report of shots fired and a man down. Upon arriving on the scene, officers and EMS personnel located a 24 year old male on the sidewalk in front of the apartment building. He was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Medstar where he was pronounced dead at 12:50 am. The decedent was transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in the District of Columbia for a postmortem examination. The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit is conducting the investigation.

National Take Back Initiative

2011-10-24T16:11:00.002-05:00

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is sponsoring a third National Take Back Initiative for unwanted and unused prescription drugs on October 29, 2011 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. The Mount Rainier Police Department is a proud co-sponsor of this important initiative.

The DEA reports that over 309 tons of drugs were turned in during the last two events.

Prescription drug abuse continues to be a serious health issue among Americans. Removing expired and/or no longer needed drugs from the home can assist in curtailing illegal and dangerous drug diversion, as well as ensure these drugs are not flushed into our waters.

Individuals can turn in their unused, expired or no longer needed prescription or over the counter drugs at the Mount Rainier Police Department located at 3249 Rhode Island Avenue this Saturday, October 29^th between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm.

For further information please call 301-985-6580.

Police Report: October 16-22

2011-10-24T13:27:00.001-05:00

October 16^th:

4000 block of 34^th Street: Assault on a police officer – 12:20 am. Officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. When the vehicle came to a stop the driver immediately got out of the vehicle and began to urinate in public. When he finished urinating officers told him to get back into his vehicle whereupon he ran at the officers with a closed fist yelling profanity. A brief struggle ensued before officers were able to get the man under control and under arrest. He was transported to Prince George’s Hospital by fire/rescue personnel, treated for minor injuries and released. He was charged with assaulting a police officer and released to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3600 block of Eastern Avenue: Vandalism to auto – 7:30 am. The owners of a 2000 Ford Explorer and a 2006 Ford F150 pickup truck reported that sometime during the overnight hours someone used a large piece of concrete to break the rear window of the truck and an unknown object to break the windshield on the Explorer.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Animal bite – 2:25 pm. Officers responded to assist fire/rescue personnel with the report of a 9 year old child bitten by a dog. A relative of the child told officers that several children were playing outside in front of the apartment building when 2 dogs approached. One was described as a black pit bull and the other as a small white fluffy dog. The pit bull ran to the victim and bit her on the upper thigh leaving four puncture wounds. She was taken to Children’s Hospital by Medic 855 for medical attention. MRPD officers, assisted by PGPD officers and Animal Control searched the surrounding area for the pit bull. The dog was located on Chauncey Place and attempted to attack an MRPD officer. The officer deployed a Taser weapon to stop the dog and the dog ran off down the bike path towards Brentwood. A further search of the area failed to locate the dog. The dog had not been captured or the owner identified at the time of the report.

2400 block of Arundel Road: Trespassing (x2) – 6:50 pm. Officers responded for the report of two individuals trespassing and using drugs in the basement of the apartment building. Upon arrival the officers located and detained the two and learned that neither one lived in the building or knew anyone that did. They did however have keys to the front entrance door and officers confiscated those keys. Officers confirmed with management that neither individual had permission to be on the property so both were issued criminal citations for trespassing. They were escorted from the property and admonished not to return.

October 17^th:

3800 block of 34^th Street: Assault – 2:10 pm. The victim told officers that as he was walking along 34^th Street he was approached by four (4) black male juveniles who began punching him in the face. He was able to get away from his assailants, flee the area and call police. He said that he last saw the four running down 34^th Street towards Eastern Avenue. He was treated at the scene by fire/rescue personnel and transported to Prince George’s Hospital for further treatment of his minor injuries. A canvass of the area failed to locate the suspects.

3200 block of Chillum Road: Vandalism to auto – 7:20 pm. The owner of a 1997 Ford Escort reported that sometime between 2 pm October 15^th and 9 am October 16^th someone damaged her driver’s side mirror. She told officers that she delayed contacting police because of an insurance issue.

October 18^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 9:25 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage.

4300 block of Russell Avenue: Stolen auto – 11:45 am. The owner of a 2001 Volvo S80 reported that sometime during the overnight hours someone stole his vehicle.

3300 block of Chillum Road (7-11): Trespassing – 7 pm. Officers responded for the report of an intoxicated male loitering and disturbing customers. When the officers arrived they interviewed store employees who said that they had banned the man from the store numerous times and advised him not to return. The man was issued a criminal citation for trespassing and banned from the store once again.

1 Municipal Place: Warrant service – 7:45 pm. Officers assisted the victim of an indecent exposure in obtaining an arrest warrant charging him with that crime. Once the District Court Commissioner issued the warrant officers located the individual and arrested him. He was delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3200 block of Arundel Road: Vehicle impound – 9:20 pm. Officers impounded an unregistered 1999 Ford van.

October 19^th:

4200 block of 31^st Street: Tampering – The owner of a 2003 Toyota Corolla told officers that sometime between 10 pm on the 18^th and the time she called police someone entered her vehicle and rummaged through the glove box. Nothing was reported stolen and no point of entry into the vehicle could be determined.

4300 block of 28^th Street: Theft/fraud – 10:20 pm. The victim told officers that someone had made four unauthorized charges on his credit union debit card to Sprint Wireless. The credit union’s fraud investigators instructed the victim to file an official police report to assist them in their investigation of the crime.

October 20^th:

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue (MRPD): Warrant service – 1 pm. A man walked into the police station and told officers he wanted to surrender on an open arrest warrant. The warrant was confirmed and he was arrested and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Fraud – 4:25 pm. Officers responded for the report of a man trying to cash a fraudulent check. When officers arrived they contacted the man and upon further investigation determined that the $581 check he was trying to cash was indeed fraudulent. He was arrested, charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4600 block of 30^th Street: Recovered stolen auto/stolen tags – 6:35 pm. Officers patrolling using a mobile license plate reader received a hit on a vehicle for stolen tags. The tags were checked and conformed stolen from Thrifty Car Rental on Rhode Island Avenue. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had also been reported stolen from an address in Prince George’s County on October 5^th. The tags were seized and the vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

October 21^st:

Nothing significant to report.

October 22^nd:

2200 block of Varnum Street: DWI/DUI arrest – 12:35 am. Officers stopped a 1999 Ford van for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver was under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested, charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – 6:40 am. The store clerk told officers that two black males entered the store and removed two bags of chips and four tuna salad sandwiches. The suspects then passed all points of sale without making any attempt to pay for the merchandise. The suspects fled the store on foot towards the Kaywood Apartments complex.

29^th and Shepherd Streets: Recovered stolen auto – 5:30 pm. Officers responded for the report of an abandoned vehicle. Upon arrival the officers they discovered the vehicle in question, a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria with ignition damage, parked an unoccupied. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle was reported stolen from an address in Greenbelt on October 21^st. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

Chillum Road and Queens Chapel Road: Warrant service – 9:15 pm. Officers stopped a 2003 Ford Focus for an equipment violation. Further investigation revealed that a passenger in the vehicle had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The driver was issued a safety equipment repair order and sent on his way.

4000 block of 32^nd Street: Criminal citation – 9:20 pm. Officers observed individuals drinking alcoholic beverages in the gazebo park. Each was issued a criminal citation for drinking in public.

Students Can Earn Service Hours at Rocky Gorge Beautification Project

2011-10-19T11:35:00.002-05:00

Project planned for Oct. 31 student school holiday

October 18, 2011 | 5:46 p.m.

The Laurel Leader

Students can earn service hours and help keep Rocky Gorge Reservoir beautiful at a community service day scheduled for Monday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Prince George's County public schools are closed for students that day.

County students ages 11 to 18 can register to participate in the event, which is being held by the county's Police Athletic League and Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which maintains the reservoir. Transportation will be provided to Rocky Gorge Reservoir at 9 a.m. from the Prince George's County Police Services Complex, 7600 Barlowe Road, in Palmer Park.

The day will end with an ice skating session at the Bowie Ice Rink.

Students can earn five service learning hours (community service hours) after completing the beautification project.

For more information or to register, call the Prince George's County Police Department's Community Services Division at 301-909-7126.

Remembering MSP Sergeant Ellsworth D. Dryden

2011-10-18T09:29:00.006-05:00

Let us pause to remember our Fallen Hero from the Maryland State Police, Quartermaster Sergeant Ellsworth D. Dryden, lost this day in 1938 as a result of injuries sustained five years earlier in Adam Sector.

On March 4, 1933, Sgt. Dryden was assigned to a detail providing an escort for the Governor of Maryland as he returned home from the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C. As the motorcade proceeded north on Rhode Island Avenue, Sgt. Dryden's police vehicle collided with a delivery truck at the intersection of 34th Street in Mt. Rainier, Maryland. Sgt. Dryden suffered serious injuries in the collision. As a result of his injuries, Sgt. Dryden subsequently contracted a bloodstream infection to which he succumbed on October 7, 1938.

Sgt. Dryden served the Maryland State Police for nine and one half years and was the 14th member of that agency to make the ultimate sacrifice. He was the second law enforcement officer and the first Maryland State Trooper to give his life in service to this profession within Prince George's County, Maryland.

At the time of his death, Quartermaster Sergeant Ellsworth D. Dryden was 37 years old.

Police Report: October 9-15 (supplemental)

2011-10-17T12:14:00.001-05:00

October 15^th (supplemental):

3400 block of Otis Street: Emergency petition – 7:45 pm. Officers received a call for a man taking off his clothes in the middle of the street. When they arrived they found the man in the process of taking off his pants. When officers tried to get him out of the street he started yelling obscenities and became violent. After a brief struggle the officers were able to get him handcuffed and under control. He was taken to Prince George’s Hospital and released to medical personnel for an emergency psychological evaluation.

Police Report: October 9-15

2011-10-17T10:49:00.001-05:00

October 9^th:

4000 block of 34^th Street: Theft from auto – 9:10 am. The owner of a 2004 Jeep Liberty reported that someone entered his unsecured vehicle and stole his registration card and $5.00.

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: DWI/DUI arrest – 8:05 pm. Officers stopped a 1992 Toyota Camry for a traffic violation. Further investigation led to the driver taking a field sobriety test which he failed. He was arrested and transported to the Maryland State Police Barrack in College Park for a breathalyzer test. The test revealed his BAC well exceeded the legal limit. He was charged with DWI/DUI and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

October 10^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 2 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

October 11^th:

2300 block of Arundel Road: Vehicle impound – 5:20 pm. Officers responded for the report of loud music coming from inside a parked vehicle. When the officers arrived they located the vehicle in question and requested that the driver turn down the music. While talking to the driver the officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol about his person and he then failed a field sobriety test. Officers also learned that he did not have a valid license. The registered owner of the vehicle was contacted but was unable to respond to take possession. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping and the driver sent on his way.
4500 block of Eastern Avenue: Criminal citation – 7:20 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for urinating in public.

October 12^th:

3800 block of 34^th Street: Criminal citation – 10:30 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking in public.

October 13^th:

3000 block of Queens Chapel Road: - Warrant service – 8:10 pm. Officers stopped a vehicle for driving without its headlights illuminated. Further investigation revealed that the driver had two (2) open arrest warrants through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office for failing to appear in court. He was issued the appropriate traffic citations, arrested on the warrants and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

October 14^th:

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 7:05 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

3200 block of Otis Street: Lost property – 12:15 pm. Officers took a report of a lost wallet that occurred on October 7^th.

3500 block of Otis Street: Theft from auto – 3 pm. The owner of a 2011 Chevy Express Van told officers that sometime earlier today someone broke the driver’s side door handle to the van, gained entry and stole a silver canon camera and a Magellan GPS unit from inside the glove compartment. The suspects also broke the door handle on the left side door, gained entry to the van, and stole a black nylon DELL computer bag and a Husky tool bag containing hand tools and specialty tools used for cable and telephone installations and repairs. All items taken were the property of Cox Communications.

3800 block of 35^th Street: Theft from auto – 3:15 pm. The owner of a 2006 Pontiac GTO told officers that sometime between 12 pm on October 10^th and the time he called police someone entered his vehicle by unknown means and stole several items of his personal property including an XM radio from inside.

3800 block of 33^rd Street: Vehicle impound – 4:40 pm. Officers impounded a 2007 Lexus for displaying expired registration plates. The owner of the vehicle was contacted and removed her personal property from the vehicle prior to it being towed.

October 15^th:

3700 block of 37^th Street: Attempted burglary – 12:15 am. The resident was awakened by the activation of her home alarm and immediately called police. Further investigation revealed that an unknown individual opened the back door to the home which caused the alarm to activate. The suspect, hearing the alarm fled the scene. There was no damage to the door and the suspect did not get inside.

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: DWI arrest – 3 am. Officers working a laser speed enforcement detail stopped a 2004 Toyota Sienna for speeding. When the officers interviewed the driver they developed a reasonable suspicion that he had been drinking. He submitted to a field sobriety test which he failed. He was taken into custody and transported to the Greenbelt Police department for a breathalyzer test. The test revealed that he had a BAC of .06. He was charged with DUI and released.

3700 block of 36^th Street: Indecent exposure – 10 am. The victim told officers that a 26 year old male neighbor called her over to his front porch and twice exposed himself to her. When the victim went inside the house to report the incident to the man’s mother he assaulted her by pinning her against a wall. She was able to free herself without being injured. Officers located the man hiding in a basement closet. The victim was not sure if she wanted to file charges against the man. Officers provided her with his full identification so that she could file charges against him with a District Court Commissioner if she chose to do so at a later time.

3800 block of 34^th Street: Suspicious situation/vehicle impound – 10:05 pm. Officers stopped a 2003 Hummer H2 for failing to display a front tag. Officers recognized the vehicle from a previous encounter on August 21^st when it fled into DC when officers tried to stop it for the same violation. Prior to approaching the vehicle the officers observed the driver acting suspiciously and possibly trying to conceal something under the front passenger seat. Prior to questioning the driver they removed him from the vehicle for officer safety. A search of the interior of the vehicle that was within the driver’s reach revealed several bundles of counterfeit US Currency. The officers also learned that the driver’s license was suspended. Officers seized the counterfeit currency for further investigation by the US Secret Service. After issuing the driver several traffic citations he was released at the scene and the vehicle was impounded.

Embrace Life - Always Wear Your Seatbelt

2011-10-14T10:08:00.001-05:00

A short video that really hits home! ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/v/h-8PBx7isoM?fs=1&amp

Police Report: October 2-8

2011-10-11T11:54:00.001-05:00

October 2^nd:

3800 block of 31^st Street: Theft from auto – 10 pm. The owner of a 1992 Mercury Sable reported that sometime between 4 pm and the time she called police someone stole the rear tag (Maryland 6FVM87) off her vehicle.

October 3^rd:

4300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 2:10 am. Officers stopped a 2001 Mercedes for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that a passenger in the vehicle had two open warrants through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving without a license and for theft over $1,000. He was arrested on the warrants and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The officers also learned that the driver’s license was suspended and the vehicle’s registration was suspended for an emissions violation. The driver was issued several State traffic citations and released at the scene. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

3300 block of Chillum Road: Arrest warrant obtained – 5:40 am. MRPD officers concluded the investigation of a hit and run motor vehicle collision that took place on September 19^th. The officers were able to identify the driver of the striking vehicle and obtain a warrant for his arrest. The warrant charges him with seven (7) State traffic violations related to his failure to remain at the scene of the collision. The suspect does not live in the City and officers are working with PGPD to locate and arrest him.

October 4^th:

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Robbery apprehension – 12:05 pm. Park Police officers gave MRPD officers a lookout for four individuals who had robbed an individual on the foot bridge leading from the Queenstown Apartments and Queens Chapel Road. MRPD officers searched the area for the suspects and detained four individuals who fit the victim’s description. The victim responded to the scene and positively identified all four individuals as those who robbed him. They were arrested by Park Police detectives and transported to their station for processing.

3900 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Suspicious person – 5 pm. MRPD officers were alerted to a suspicious person by an officer from the Brentwood PD. The individual, a resident of Mount Rainier, entered a Brentwood print shop and demanded the shop print a letter containing written defamatory remarks about several ethnic groups and the President of the United States. MRPD officers were able to obtain a copy of the letter. Officers contacted agents from the FBI’s Baltimore Field office who responded and obtained a copy of the letter for further investigation.

October 5^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 12:50 pm. Officers issued a woman a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in a public place.

4000 block of 34^th Street: Disorderly conduct – 2:35 pm. Officers responded for the report of a man screaming obscenities at a ZZ Pizza customer. Once on the scene the officers confronted the man and asked the man repeatedly to lower his voice and leave the area. He refused to comply with the officers’ commands and was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

October 6^th:

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue (Thrifty Rental car): Theft of tags – 10:35 am. The owner of the business reported that sometime between October 5^th at 6 pm and the time he called police someone stole the front and rear tags off of a 2008 Ford E350 van that was parked on the lot.

October 7^th:

3300 block of Chauncey Place: Warrant service – 1:30 am. Officers stopped a 1998 Chrysler Sebring for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving without a license. The driver was arrested on the warrant and issued six traffic citations. He was delivered to the custody of DOC in Upper Marlboro.

4300 block of Russell Avenue: Domestic – 2:45 am. Officers responded for the report of a possible domestic assault. Neighbors reported hearing the sound of a woman screaming from a second floor apartment. MRPD officers assisted by officers from Hyattsville PD and fire/rescue personnel forced entry into the apartment and discovered the male and female occupants in the shower. Neither individual was injured. Both individuals said that they had had a verbal argument earlier. Officers left the apartment after verifying that no assault had occurred.

4500 block of Eastern Avenue: Theft from auto – 9:50 am. The victim told officers that while she was pumping gas at the BP station she saw a silver Nissan Maxima occupied by four black males circling the area. She said the Nissan pulled up on the opposite side of the pumps from her and she turned around to finish pumping gas. When she turned back around she noticed her passenger door open and her purse missing from the front seat. She then saw the Nissan flee from the parking lot at a high rate of speed east on Eastern Avenue.

3100 block of Varnum Street: Theft from auto – 3:30 pm. The owner of a 2004 Honda Civic told officers that sometime between October 6^th at 8 pm and 9 am today someone got into her car, ransacked the interior and stole $1 that had been left inside.

28^th Place and Upshur Street: Motor vehicle collision – 10:15 pm. A Metro bus struck a parked 2001 Buick. The Buick sustained minor damage and there were no injuries.

3200 block of Bunker Hill Road: Criminal citation – 11:45 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage.

October 8^th:

3800 block of 34^th Street: Loud party – 12:35 am. Officers on patrol heard loud music coming from inside a vacant store front. They also saw strobe and colored lights coming from the second floor. When officers entered the building to check for a noise permit they encountered approximately 50-60 people as well as a DJ. Many of the patrons were consuming alcoholic beverages and the lease of the establishment was not on scene and no permit had been issued. The party was shut down and officers stayed on the scene until the patrons left the building.

3300 block of Chillum Road (7-11): Theft – 2:20 am. Store employees told officers that they observed a black male enter the store while talking on his cell phone. The man then walked around the store once, entered the area behind the cash register and removed a large unknown quantity of cigarettes. The subject then fled out of the store on foot in an unknown direction. The store employees were not able to give a good description of the thief but did say that the subject was the same one who stole from them in the past.

Arundel Road and 31^st Street: Hit and run collision – 5 am. The owner of a 1996 Honda Civic tol officers that sometime prior to his call to police his vehicle was struck by a second, unidentified vehicle that failed to remain at the scene. The damage to the struck vehicle was minimal.

3100 block of Arundel Road: Theft from auto – 6:40 pm. Officers responded for the report of a theft that had just occurred. Upon arrival they spoke to a witness who stated that she saw two black males taking equipment out of the back of a Ford pickup truck and loading it into a green Jeep. When she yelled at the two they finished loading what they had taken from the truck, jumped into the Jeep and fled down Arundel Road towards 31^st Street. The witness obtained the Jeep’s license plate which revealed that it had been reported stolen from an address outside the City.

Mount Rainier Nature Center Field Closed

2011-10-07T11:05:00.005-05:00

This is to inform you that due to safety concerns with the light poles at the center, the field will be closed until further notice. During a safety inspection of the light poles on the football field at the center, it was discovered that there was major corrosion of the mounting bolts for the light towers. In response to these concerns the Department of Parks and Recreation had the light towers lowered onto the ground. Until the poles are thoroughly evaluated and a final determination is made as to whether these can be repaired the field will be closed. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please check on http://www.pgparks.com/ for further information.

Anthony Nolan

Division Chief, Natural and Historical Resources Division

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Department of Parks and Recreation

6707 Green Landing Road

Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

301-627-2270 (voice)

301-952-0936 (fax)

anthony.nolan@pgparks.com
http://www.pgparks.com/

Community in the Courthouse

2011-10-07T11:00:00.001-05:00

Top P.G. prosecutor to hold 'community in the courthouse' events

By: Emily Babay | 10/06/11 11:31 AM
Examiner Staff Writer | Follow her: @emilybabay

The Washington Examiner

The top prosecutor in Prince George's County is planning a series of "community in the courthouse" events so residents can learn more about the judicial system.

State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said in a statement that participants will be able to speak with prosecutors, judges and other members of judicial community. After the meetings, people will be invited to watch court proceedings.

The meetings are scheduled for Oct. 28, Nov. 18, Dec. 9 and Jan. 27, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. They will take place in room M-0421 at the county courthouse, located at 14735 Main St. in Upper Marlboro.

New Texting and Cell Phone Laws

2011-10-03T12:31:00.000-05:00

Maryland’s Texting While Driving Law took effect on October 1^st. The new law prohibits all drivers in Maryland from using a text message device to write, send, or read a text message while operating a motor vehicle in the traveled portion of the roadway. This includes times where the driver is stopped at a traffic signal.

A text messaging device means a hand-held device used to send a text message or an electronic message via a short message service. This includes Twitter.

Maryland’s Texting While Driving Law is a primary offense law and a misdemeanor crime. A first offense carries a fine of $70 and a second offense fine is $110. The law does not apply to texting to 9-1-1 or using a global positioning system (GPS).

Maryland’s Cell Phone Law prohibits all drivers in Maryland from using a hand-held cell phone while operating a motor vehicle on a street or highway. Drivers under the age of 18 are already prohibited from using cell phones at all while driving.

This law is a secondary offense, meaning a driver must first be detained for another offense, such as speeding or negligent driving before he or she can be ticketed for a cell phone offense.

The fine for a first offense is $40 and subsequent offenses are $100. Points are not assessed to the first-time violator’s driving record, except three points are assessed if the violation contributes to a crash.

Police Report: September 29 - October 1

2011-10-03T11:54:00.000-05:00

September 25^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road (7-11): Theft – 12:30 am. Officers responded for the report of a theft of cigarettes that had just occurred. When the officers arrived the store clerk told them that a black male about 40-45 years of age wearing a blue jacket and a black hat came into the store, went behind the sales counter and stole 15 packs of Newport cigarettes. The man then fled the store in an unknown direction.

4200 block of 34^th Street: Traffic – 4:40 am. Officers stopped a 2010 Dodge Charger for driving without headlights. Further investigation revealed that the driver did not have a license. The driver was charged accordingly and the vehicle was impounded.

2700 block of Queens Chapel Road: Vandalism to auto – 9:15 pm. Officers responded for the report of juveniles throwing rocks at passing cars. During their investigation they were flagged down by a man who said that his 2002 GMC Yukon was hit by a thrown object causing a dent to the passenger side. He said he saw several juvenile males running from the area. A search of the area for the juveniles proved negative.

2500 block of Allison Street: Criminal citation – 11:55 pm. Officers responded for the report of several individuals loitering, consuming alcoholic beverages and using drugs. When the officers arrived they detained four individuals for consuming open alcoholic beverages. All four were issued criminal citations and sent on their way.

September 26^th:

2700 block of Queens Chapel Road: Vehicle impound – 9 am. Officers impounded a Chevy Impala for being unregistered and not displaying any registration plates.

3400 block of Newton Street: Vandalism to auto – 5:30 pm. The owner of a 2002 Nissan Altima reported that sometime between September 25^th at 9:30 pm and September 26^th at 7:45 am someone broke off the vehicle’s left-side door mirror and threw it on the sidewalk.

3400 block of Otis Street: Vandalism to auto – 5:30 pm. The owner of a 2007 Honda Pilot reported that sometime between 6:30 pm on the 25^th and 8:15 am this morning someone scratched the vehicle’s right front fender and bumper.

4500 block of 30^th Street: Recovered stolen vehicle – 7:30 pm. Officers responded for a complaint of a suspicious vehicle. The officers located the suspect vehicle, a 1992 Honda Civic, and further investigation revealed that it had been reported stolen from an address in Takoma Park. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping and Takoma Park PD was notified of the recovery.

September 27^th:

3500 block of Perry Street: DWI/DUI arrest – 12:20 am. Officers on patrol using a mobile license plate reader (LPR) received a hit on a vehicle whose owner had a suspended license. Officers stopped the vehicle and upon speaking with the driver they smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from the driver’s person and also noticed that his speech was slurred. He submitted to field sobriety testing which he failed. He was arrested for DWI/DUI and taken to the MSP Barrack in College Park for a breathalyzer test. The test revealed his BAC to be .22, almost three times the legal limit. He was charged accordingly for the DWI/DUI and issued a citation for driving on a suspended license. A passenger in the vehicle at the time of the stop was issued a criminal citation for unlawful possession of an alcoholic beverage. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

3200 block of Arundel Road: Stolen vehicle – 6:15 am. The owner of a 2005 Nissan Altima reported that sometime between 11 pm on the 26^th and the time he called police someone stole his vehicle.

3400 block of Newton Street: Vehicle impound – 8:10 am. Officers on patrol discovered a parked 1999 BMW with expired registration plates. The owner of the vehicle was inside the vehicle at the time of discovery. Further investigation revealed that the driver’s license was suspended. The driver was sent on his way and the vehicle was impounded.

3800 block of 33^rd Street: Stolen auto – 10:20 am. The custodian of a 2000 Dodge Durango reported that sometime between 1:30 am and 6:30 am this morning someone stole the vehicle. The custodian

Said that the owner of the vehicle is currently serving in Afghanistan and left the vehicle in his care and custody.

3300 block of Chillum Road: Emergency petition – 7:10 pm. Officers responded for the report of a woman walking incoherently in traffic. Officers were able to get her safely out of the flow of traffic; however she was incoherent and unable to communicate with the officers. Fire/rescue personnel responded and determined that she needed to be examined by medical personnel in a hospital. She was taken by ambulance to Washington Adventist Hospital where she was admitted for evaluation.

September 28^th:

4000 block of 36^th Street: Criminal citation – 1:30 am. Officers responded for the report of a trespasser. Officers discovered the man sleeping in a stairwell. The man initially failed to identify himself by giving the officers several false names, but the officers eventually obtained his real name and identification. He did not have any open warrants so he was advised against further trespassing on the property, issued a criminal citation for giving false information to a police officer and sent on his way.

35^th Street and Bunker Hill Road: Motor vehicle collision – 1:15 pm. A Public Works trash truck struck an illegally parked 2010 Toyota Prius. Officers documented the collision but were unable to contact the Toyota’s owner.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: DWI/DUI arrest – 10:25 pm. Officers stopped a 1996 Honda Civic for driving without its headlights on. When the officers approached the driver they determined that he was possibly under the influence of alcohol. He submitted to a field sobriety test which he failed, however he refused to submit blood alcohol testing. He was charged accordingly and his vehicle was impounded.

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – 11:15 pm. Store employees told officers that a black male described as 18 to 20 years of age came into the store and stole several items including soda, candy and chips. The suspect was last seen leaving the parking lot in a small red four door vehicle.

September 29^th:

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Motor vehicle collision – 12:35 am. Witnesses told MRPD officers that a small silver colored four door vehicle struck a wall to a boiler room causing some structural damage. The striking vehicle fled the scene and witnesses were unable to provide any further description of the vehicle or its driver. Fire/rescue personnel responded to conduct a building inspection and deemed the structure temporally safe. An apartment complex maintenance crew was able to secure the structure. The striking vehicle sustained major front end damage; however a search for the vehicle proved negative. Surrounding police agencies were given the lookout information.

4200 block of 30^th Street: Theft from auto – 6:10 am. The owner of a 2008 Honda Civic reported that sometime between 4 am and the time she called police someone broke into her car and stole a navigation system and several music CDs.

3100 block of Upshur Street: Burglary – 8:45 pm. Officers received a call for a man entering the residence using a ladder. When they arrived they were able to gain entry into the garage and found the man hiding under a table. He was arrested, charged with 4^th degree burglary and trespassing, and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

September 30^th:

3200 block of Chillum Road: Vehicle impound – 8:40 am. Officers impounded a 2001 Oldsmobile for being parked in violation of a yellow curb and for displaying expired Maryland license plates.

3300 block of Buchanan Street: Theft from auto – 3:55 pm. The owner of a 2002 Honda CRV told officers that sometime between September 29^th at 9 pm and the time he contacted police someone broke into his vehicle and stole several items of his personal property.

4400 block of 32^nd Street: Vandalism to auto – 5 pm. The victim reported that someone cut three tires on the 2010 Hyundai Sonata she had rented due to her personal vehicle being valdalized. She said that she suspects that her former boyfriend cut the tires because he has been following her. The victim applied for a protective order with the District Court by her application was denied because she did not witness the boyfriend commit the vandalism.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Possible assault – 5:25 pm. Officers responded for the report of an assault that occurred earlier. The victim told officers that about an hour prior to his call to police a man assaulted him with pepper spray after the two bumped into each other. A witness told officers that the victim became aggressive towards the man and that’s why he was pepper sprayed. Officers did not observe any evidence that the victim had been pepper sprayed nor was the alleged assailant still on the scene.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Emergency petition – 7:15 pm. Officers responded for several reports of a man walking through traffic yelling and screaming. When the officers arrived they located the man in question that was disoriented and obviously under the influence of PCP. When officers attempted to take him into custody he became violent and a struggle ensued. Officers were forced to deploy a Taser weapon to get the man under control and under arrest. Fire/rescue personnel were called to the scene and transported the man to Washington Adventist Hospital where he was released to medical personnel for evaluation and treatment.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Criminal citation (x2) – 10:50 pm. Officers issued two men criminal citations for possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage in a public place.

October 1^st:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 8:40 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage in a public place.

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – 11:40 pm. Store employees told officers that a man came into the store and stole several containers of soup, a sub and a dessert cup. The man was last seen by employees getting into a red Toyota-style vehicle which drove off up 22^nd Street towards Queens Chapel Road.

Police Report: September 18-24

2011-09-26T13:37:00.001-05:00

September 18^th:

3600 block of Otis Street: Warrant service – 10:35 pm. Officers stopped a 2005 Honda Accord for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving while suspended. The vehicle’s registration was suspended with an MSP pickup order on the tags. The driver was arrested on the warrant, issued four traffic citations and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The vehicle was impounded and the tags seized for return to MVA.

September 19^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road: Hit and run collision – 12:05 am. Officers responded for the report of a traffic collision involving a motorcyclist. Their investigation revealed that the motorcyclist was traveling eastbound on Chillum Road when he was struck by a BMW Z3. The BMW failed to remain at the scene of the collision. The motorcyclist sustained head injuries in the collision and was transported by fire/rescue personnel to Prince George’s Hospital Center for medical treatment. A witness to the collision assisted officers in locating the BMW parked and unoccupied in the 3300 block of Chauncey Place. The driver was identified but officers were not able to locate him. The investigation is continuing. The motorcycle was towed for safekeeping and the BMW was impounded for evidence.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 8:55 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 9 am. Officers stopped a man for drinking in public. Further investigation revealed that he had an open arrest warrant through Prince George’s County for forgery. He was arrested on the warrant, issued a criminal citation for the alcohol violation and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4000 block of 37^th Street: Roommate dispute – 3:15 pm. Officers took a report of an ongoing dispute between roommates. The complainant was advised on how to pursue possible criminal charges and how to obtain a protection order.

September 20^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road: Vandalism to auto (x3) – 7:05 am. Officers took three reports of vandalism to auto that occurred sometime during the overnight hours. One tire was cut on each of three vehicles.

4100 block of Russell Avenue: Vehicle impound – 10:10 am. Officers responded for the report of an abandoned auto. They found a 2008 Dodge Charger with no tags displayed, however a check through MVA revealed that the tags that were supposed to be on the car were suspended. Officers impounded the vehicle for safekeeping.

3400 block of Newton Street: Narcotics arrest – 4:10 pm. Officers responded for the report of a burglary in progress. When the officers arrived they checked the rear of the house and noticed four individuals sitting on the back porch and a strong odor of marijuana. Further investigation revealed that two of the individuals were in possession of marijuana, one of whom had a sufficient quantity to warrant a charge of possession with intent to distribute the drug. Both individuals were arrested, charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The other two were sent on their way after being cautioned about future trespassing by the home’s custodian.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Emergency petition – 6:30 pm. Officers responded to assist fire/rescue personnel with a man down. Upon arrival EMS and police personnel located a highly agitated individual who stated that he wanted to die. The man became combative towards EMS personnel and officers took him into custody for his safety and the safety of the EMS personnel. He was transported to Prince George’s Hospital and released to medical personnel for a psychiatric evaluation.

September 21^st:

4000 block of 37^th Street: Property damage – 10:30 am. The reporting person told officers that she left the house where she was renting a room leaving her room’s door locked. When she returned she found her door lock broken and the door dented and open. Nothing was reported missing/stolen. The other residents of the house all denied any knowledge of the incident.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Narcotics arrest – 1:45 pm. Officers on patrol stopped to interview a group of individuals who were acting in a suspicious manner. During the interview one member of the group (a juvenile) was found in possession of six small baggies of marijuana weighing approximately 3.5 grams. The juvenile was arrested and brought to MRPD Headquarters for processing. The juvenile’s mother was contacted to respond and take custody of her child but she refused. The juvenile was later released to the custody of Juvenile Services in Cheltenham.

September 22^nd:

3100 block of Bunker Hill Road: Theft from auto – 10:25 am. The owner of a 1999 Toyota Corolla told officers that sometime between 9:30 and the time she called police someone broke into her vehicle by shattering the rear passenger side window and, once inside, stole an iPod and a pair of Oakley sunglasses.

34^th and Upshur Streets: 2^nd degree assault – 5:10 pm. The father of a 7 year old boy reported that two other juveniles assaulted his son while they were at a local playground. The victim received minor scratches and bruises to both his arms and left side of his face. The victim refused to be treated at the scene by fire/rescue personnel.

4500 block of 31^st Street: Theft from auto – 6:45 pm. The owner of a 2010 Hyundai Sonata reported that sometime between 5 pm on the 21^st and the time he called police someone broke into his car by smashing out the front passenger door window and stole a purse from inside.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 7 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

3200 block of Queens Chapel Road: Traffic/vehicle impound – 11:40 pm. Officers stopped a 2005 Audi A6 for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle’s registration was suspended with an MSP pick-up order on the tags and the driver’s license was suspended. The vehicle was impounded and the tags seized for return to MVA. The driver was issued four State traffic citations and released.

September 23^rd:

28^th and Taylor Streets: Attempted carjacking – 12:50 am. The victim told officers that he was accosted by a man armed with a chrome handgun who demanded the keys to his vehicle. Instead of surrendering the keys the victim ran to his residence and called police. The victims said that he saw the suspect get into an older model green Dodge caravan and flee the area towards Eastern Avenue. About 10 minutes after this incident a second attempted carjacking involving the same lookout occurred in the 5700 block of Cypress Creek Road. PGPD robbery detectives responded to begin a follow-up investigation.

3315 Chauncey Place: Vandalism to auto – 6 am. The owner of a 1998 Nissan Maxima reported that sometime between September 22^nd at 5 pm and the time he called police someone scratched his car and slashed his tires. The victim believes that it was a female named Jasmine that he met at a club and took home with him. When the victim refused to give the female money she got mad and advised him that, “She would take care of it”.

3800 block of 37^th Street: Theft – 4 pm. The resident told officers that two bicycles belonging to her grandchildren were stolen from in front of her residence sometime between 8 pm on the 22^nd and the time she reported the incident to police. The bikes were described as a Mongoose Bike and a mountain bike with a green seat.

34^th Street and Arundel Road: DWI arrest – 8:30 pm. Officers stopped a 1991 Toyota Camry because they suspected that the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs. The driver submitted to a field sobriety test which he failed. He was arrested, charged with DWI/DUI and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. His vehicle was impounded.

September 24^th:

3800 block of 33^rd Street: Theft from auto – 5 pm. The owner of a 2003 Honda Odyssey told officers that he parked his van by his residence at about 8 pm on September 16^th. When he returned to the van on the 17^th at about 12:30 am he discovered that someone had gained entry and stole a purse and his immigration documents.

2500 block of Arundel Road: Domestic dispute – 6:50 pm. Officers responded to the report of a domestic dispute. The male half was extremely intoxicated and had made threats towards the female half. Officers assisted the female half with transportation to the Court Commissioners office to seek charges and a protection order.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal Citation – 11:30 pm. Officers issues a woman a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

City Staff Makes Beautiful Music

2011-09-23T12:27:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to two of our Mount Rainier City staff members: Kimberly Simpson from the finance department at City Hall and Clarence Weathers, Parking Enforcement Officer at the police department for their success as members of the James E. Jordan Adult Choir, a ministry of the Refreshing Spring Church of God in Christ in Riverdale Park.

The Choir recently competed in Verizon’s “How Sweet the Sound™ 2011” regional gospel choir competition in Washington D.C., winning top honors in the Overall Regional Large category. Their performance also earned them the Wireless Video People’s Choice Award. The Choir now moves on to the “How Sweet the Sound™ 2011” grand finale competition in Los Angeles, California on October 28th.

Best wishes to Kim and Clarence, and to all the members of the James E. Jordan Adult Choir for continued success as you compete with the biggest names in gospel music and the best choirs in the nation in L.A.!

Fradulent Check Scam Alert

2011-09-21T10:07:00.001-05:00

State Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp has issued a Fraudulent Check Scam Alert to all Maryland’s citizens. Her office has become aware of a sharp increase in “secret shopper” and “lottery” scams involving the receipt of a fraudulent check that appears to be issued by the State of Maryland.

The scammers mail the potential victim a fraudulent check, along with a letter from a fake company, usually with a Canadian address. In one scam, the letter says the victim has been selected to conduct a secret shopping assignment. In the other scam, the letter says the victim has won a lottery prize.

In both cases, the potential victim is directed to de posit the fraudulent check into their bank account, and then to immediately wire a portion of the check proceeds to the scammers using Western Union or Money Gram.

PLEASE NOTE: THE CHECK WILL BE RETURNED AS UNCOLLECTED BECAUSE IT IS COUNTERFEIT, AND ANY MONEY WIRED TO THE SCAMMERS CANNOT BE RETRIEVED. YOU WILL LOSE THAT MONEY AND YOU WILL BE CHARGED BANK FEES.

Questions or concerns can be addressed to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection hotline at 410-528-8662 or toll-free at 888-743-0023.

Police Report: September 11-17

2011-09-19T14:59:00.001-05:00

September 11^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road: Traffic – 1 am. Officers stopped a 2007 Hummer H3 for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had a suspended license. He was charged accordingly and his vehicle was impounded.

3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service - 4:30 am. Officers stopped a 2009 Hyundai for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that a passenger in the vehicle had an open arrest warrant for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving on a suspended license. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Armed robbery – 11 am. Officers responded to the report of a hold-up alarm. When they arrived store employees told them that they had just been robbed by a man described only as an older black male. The employees said that the man came into the store, approached one of the registers and, implying that he had a gun, demanded money from the register. After a short period of time he was able to gather all of the staff at the register and remove the cash out of one register. He then fled the store on foot. The employees said that the man never actually displayed a weapon during the robbery. PGPD robbery detectives responded to assist in the investigation.

Queens Chapel Road and 27^th Street: DWI/DUI arrest – 7 pm. Officers stopped a 1994 Mercedes for a traffic violation. When the officers approached the driver they smelled a strong odor of alcohol. He was given a road side sobriety test which he failed and was arrested for DWI/DUI. The driver’s blood alcohol content was tested to be 1.6 - two times the legal limit.

September 12^th:

3600 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 2 am. Officers responded for the report of a family disturbance. When they arrived they identified the individual responsible for the disturbance and discovered that he had an open arrest warrant through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office for failing to appear in court on a charge of theft. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Vandalism to auto – 9:20 am. The reporting person told officers that when he reported for work this morning he observed that two tires on the company’s 2008 Chevy S-10 truck had been punctured.

3300 block of Buchanan Street: Stolen auto – 11:55 am. The owner of a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer reported that sometime prior to her call to police someone stole her vehicle. At about the same time officers were taking the initial report they received information from Cheverly PD officers that they had recovered the vehicle at 62^nd Avenue and Trent Street in Cheverly. The owner was advised of the recovery and received instructions about how to re-take possession of her vehicle.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Death – 1 pm. Officers were called to the address to assist fire/rescue personnel with checking the welfare of the resident. Once inside the apartment officers discovered that the resident was deceased. Officers contacted family members, one of whom said that the decedent had suffered a heart attack three years ago and had been suffering chest pains the night before his body was discovered. Fire/rescue personnel determined that the decedent most likely died from natural causes but his remains were taken to the State medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore for post mortem examination.

3310 Chillum Road (7-11): Theft – 11:20 pm. The store clerk told officers that a black male about 40 years of age entered the store, walked behind the sales counter and grabbed a large quantity of scratch off lottery tickets and fled the store. This individual was the same suspect that committed a similar theft at the store in the early morning hours of September 8^th and who is suspected of similar thefts from 7-11 stores throughout the County.

September 13^th:

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Warrant service – 6:25 pm. Officers on patrol observed a man driving a 2008 Volvo S40 who they knew from two prior contacts had two open arrest warrants for failing to appear in court for driving without a license. The officers confirmed the warrants, stopped the vehicle and arrested the man. He was also issued new citations for driving without a license and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3600 block of Bunker Hill Road: Attempt burglary – 6:30 pm. The resident told officers that upon returning home he discovered a chair under one of the outside windows and the screen torn or cut. No entry was made into the home and nothing was discovered missing.

3400 block of Newton Street: Burglary/Theft – 9:45 pm. The resident told officers that she left her residence at about 2:30. When she returned home she discovered that her laptop computer had been stolen. She could not advise if the resident was left unlocked or the thief/thieves entered by some other means. There were no signs of forced entry.

September 14^th:

2300 block of Varnum Street: Theft – 5:30 am. The store clerk told officers that two suspects arrived at the store, one of whom – described as a black male with a heavy build wearing a white shirt with dark stripes and tan shorts – walked behind the sales counter and stole a large quantity of cigarettes before fleeing the store. The second suspect – described as a black male wearing a black t-shirt and a black ball cap with the letter “R” on it – remained outside during the theft. The two were last seen driving off in a silver Ford pick-up truck towards Queens Chapel Road. The first suspect is believed to be the same man involved in prior thefts from 7-11 stores located on Varnum Street and Chillum Road.

3700 block of 35^th Street: Recovered stolen auto – 7:30 am. The owner of a 2002 Ford tow truck reported that sometime overnight someone stole his truck that had been parked in front of his residence. Further investigation revealed that the truck was found abandoned in Upper Marlboro in front of a commercial establishment and impounded.

3100 block of Windom Road: Emergency petition – 8:45 am. Officers responded for the report of a fight in progress. When they arrived they spoke with the individuals involved and learned that one of them was off his medication and was having a psychotic episode. He admitted to assaulting another individual inside the house; however no one reported any injuries. Based on the individual’s behavior he was taken into custody and delivered to medical staff at Washington Adventist Hospital for an emergency psychiatric examination.

Varnum Street and Eastern Avenue: Hit and run collision – 5:35 pm. The owner of a 2007 GMC reported that sometime prior to his call to police his vehicle was struck by a second vehicle that failed to remain at the scene of the collision. There were no witnesses to provide further information.

September 15^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 7 am. Officers patrolling the area observed a man with an open container of an alcoholic beverage. He was detained for the alcohol violation. A warrant check revealed that he had an open arrest warrant through the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office for failing to appear in court on traffic related offenses. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

2700 block of Arundel Road: Recovered stolen auto – 9 am. Officers responded to investigate a suspicious vehicle. They discovered a 2008 Lincoln LS unoccupied with its driver’s side window down. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had been previously reported stolen from an address in DC. MPD officers were notified of the recovery and the vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

4100 block of 30^th Street: Theft – 9:40 am. The victim told officers that sometime prior to his call to police someone stole his 21” Blue Speciailize bicycle.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 10:15 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking in public.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 1:45 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking in public.

September 16^th:

3600 block of Eastern Avenue: Fraud/theft – 10:30 am. The victim told officers that she paid a man $2,000 for assistance in obtaining grant money for school. The man failed to obtain the promised grant monies and has been calling in a threatening manner demanding additional money. The victim was advised of her rights and to file a complaint with the federal Trade Commission.

September 17^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road (7-11): Theft – 4:30 am. The store clerk told officers that a black male entered the store, walked behind the sales counter and stole a large quantity of cigarettes and scratch off lottery tickets. He then fled the store in an unknown direction. The suspect is the same man who committed similar thefts on September 8^th at this store and on September 14^th at the Varnum Street 7-11.

Police Report: September 9-10

2011-09-19T12:08:00.001-05:00

September 9^th:

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Vandalism to auto – The owner of a 2003 Honda Odyssey reported that sometime between 8 am and 1:15 pm someone slashed both rear tires of her van.

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle – 3:40 pm. The owner of Thrifty Car Rental reported that a man rented a 2008 Suzuki and failed to return the vehicle in accordance with his rental agreement. Thrifty obtained documentation from the courts for charges on against the man and the vehicle was entered into NCIC as a stolen vehicle.

3800 block of 34^th Street: Vandalism to auto – 5:20 pm. The owner of a 2008 Honda Civic called police stating that she had found the individual who damaged her vehicle several weeks ago. Further investigation revealed that the suspect kicked the victim’s vehicle while she was waiting at a crosswalk for pedestrians to cross. While driving through the area the victim observed the subject, confronted him and contacted the police. Charges are pending.

3200 block of Bunker Hill Road: Strong armed robbery – 10:20 pm. Officers received a call for a man bleeding from the head. When they arrived they arrived they discovered a man suffering from lacerations to his face and head. Further investigation revealed that the man was walking down the street when 6-8 black males, described only as 16-18 years of age, approached the victim from behind and physically attacked him. They struck him with what the victim believes to be football shoulder pads. The suspects stole the victim’s cell phone and wallet and fled.

September 10^th:

4500 block of Eastern Avenue (BP station): Stolen auto – 11:30 am. The owner of a 2001 Mercedes S500 told officers that when he went into the station to pay for his fuel he left the keys in the ignition. When he returned to his vehicle he discovered that it had been stolen.

4500 block of Eastern Avenue (BP station): Found property – 9:30 am. Officers responded to take custody of a red ladies purse that was found by a customer.

3300 block of Otis Street: Vandalism to auto – 10 pm. The owner of a 2003 Chevy van flagged down officers and advised that while he was inside his house he heard his car alarm going off. When he came outside to investigate he discovered that someone had damaged the windshield.

Police Report: September 4-8

2011-09-08T12:59:00.001-05:00

September 4^th:

2500 block of Queens Chapel Road: Emergency petition – 4:50 am. Officers on patrol observed a highly intoxicated man walking through on-coming traffic carrying two 14” long kitchen knives. When the officers stopped the man and ordered him to drop the knives he refused and said that he wanted to die and was going to kill himself. The officers also observed that the man was bleeding from his mouth and had blood on the back of his shirt. A member of the man’s family arrived on the scene and convinced the man to drop the knives and, after a brief struggle officers were able to get him under control. Fire/rescue personnel arrived to transport the man to the hospital and during their on-scene evaluation officers observed that he had a large amount of shattered glass in his hair and on his face along with several long cut/scratch markings on his back just above his waist line. Medics took him to Washington Adventist Hospital where he was committed to medical personnel for an emergency psychological examination.

2500 block of Arundel Road: Vandalism – 5:15 am. The resident told officers that she was awakened by the sound of glass breaking. When she investigated she found her kitchen window broken out. Officers believe that the man they committed for an emergency psychological evaluation may have been responsible for the damage to the victim’s window and a follow-up investigation is underway to determine if he was involved.

September 5^th:

Russell Avenue and 28^th Place: Theft from auto – 12:35 pm. The owner of a Ford E-350 truck told officers that he parked his work truck secure and intact on September 3^rd at about 6 pm. When he returned from the long weekend he discovered that someone had stolen both tags off his truck. No other items were taken.

35^th Street and Bunker Hill Road: Warrant arrest – 11:50 pm. Officers stopped a 1998 Dodge caravan for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver had an open arrest warrant issued by DNR for fishing without a license. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. He was also issued a traffic citation for driving without a license.

September 6^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 9:20 am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

September 7^th:

3200 block of Perry Street: Criminal citation – 1:30 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for urinating in public.

September 8^th (early morning):

3300 block of Chillum Road: Theft – 12:35 am. The store clerk at the 7-11 told officers that a black male about 40 years of age entered the store, stole a quantity of scratch off lottery tickets and fled on foot in an unknown direction. Officers canvassed the area for the thief with negative results.

Situational Alert - 9/11 Anniversary

2011-09-06T12:08:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of the Anne Arundel County Police Department:

As we quickly approach the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, we would again remind you of the significance of this date.

There still is no creditable information relating to any specific conspiracies or coordinated incidents. This is somewhat problematic, as it increases the heightened sense of concern about lone wolf incidents. Whether they are religious zealots or unbalanced citizens, they pose a significant threat, not only on the 11th of September, but on a daily basis. We only need to look at the arrest of a United States Army soldier who was attempting to bomb Ford Hood, TX, or the wounding of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, as recent examples.

We continue to work closely with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and ask that you be aware of your surroundings and alert for any unusual or suspicious activities.

SEE SOMETHING… SAY SOMETHING. Call 1-(800) 492-TIPS or email mdwatch@leo.gov.

Police Report: August 28 - September 3

2011-09-06T12:02:00.001-05:00

August 28^th:

4200 block of Kaywood Drive: Hit and run collision – 11:50 am. The owner of a 2009 Nissan Cube told officers that an unknown second vehicle struck her vehicle and fled the scene. The owner’s vehicle sustained only minor damage.

August 29^th:

Queens Chapel Road and Chillum Road: Possession of a handgun/CDS – 12:55 am. Officers stopped a Toyota Camry for a traffic violation. Officers noticed that one of the passengers was very nervous and there was a strong odor of CDS was wafting from the vehicle. Upon further investigation the officers discovered that the passenger was in possession of a Ruger GP 100 .357 Magnum revolver that had previously been reported stolen from an address in Montgomery County. He also had an open arrest warrant out of Prince George’s County for various traffic charges. The officers also learned that the driver had an open arrest warrant out of Montgomery County for burglary and theft; and that he also was in possession of marijuana and did not have a driver’s license. Both individuals were arrested on the warrants and delivered to the custody of DOC in Upper Marlboro. The vehicle was impounded.

3200 block of Chillum Road: Attempt stolen auto – 7:30 am. The owner of a 1996 Honda Accord reported that sometime between 10 pm on the 28^th and the time he called police someone broke into his vehicle and damaged the ignition in an attempt to steal the car.

2300 block of Varnum Street: Vehicle impound – 9:40 am. Officers observed a 2001 Cadillac DHS that was parked in the Kay Management gravel lot. The vehicle had damages that led the officers to believe the vehicle had been stolen. Attempts to contact the vehicle’s owner were negative. The vehicle was displaying DC tags which, according to MPD officers, were listed to an address of an abandoned building in DC. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping.

3300 block of Chauncey Place: Warrant service – 10:45 pm. Officers stopped a 2003 Chevrolet van for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the driver did not have a driver’s license and also had an open attest warrant through Montgomery County for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving without a license. He was issued four State traffic citations, arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

August 30^th:

3300 block of Otis Street: House fire – 5:30 am. Officers on patrol observed a heavy concentration of smoke in the area. When they got on the scene they discovered one house on fire and called for fire/rescue personnel to respond. Once fire/rescue was on the scene and began to fight the fire they noticed that the fire was spreading to the two adjacent homes. MRPD officers and firefighters were able to get everyone out of all three houses without injury. One resident was transported to an area hospital for a precautionary check up. Preliminary investigation revealed the probable cause of the fire was electrical. One home was completely destroyed before the fire could be extinguished and the two adjacent homes sustained significant fire damage.

2400 block of Arundel Road: Vandalism to auto (x2) – 1:30 pm. The owner of a 2000 Mercedes C230 reported that sometime prior to her call to police someone punctured three of her vehicle’s tires. A second victim, the owner of a 2011 Ford Escape, reported that someone punctured two of her vehicle’s tires.

3700 block of 35^th Street: Warrant service – 10:40 pm. Officers stopped several individuals for a field interview. During their interviews officers learned that one of them had an open arrest warrant for violation of probation issued by the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 11:20 pm. Officers stopped to investigate a Toyota stake body truck that was double parked with its emergency flashers on. The officers interviewed the driver and found that he did not possess a valid driver’s license. They also learned that he had two open arrest warrants, one through Florida for driving while intoxicated, and a second for failing to appear in court on a charge of driving while intoxicated through Pennsylvania. The Florida warrant was not extraditable but the Pennsylvania warrant was. He was arrested on that warrant, issued four State traffic citations, one parking ticket and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3200 block of Queens Chapel Road: Criminal citation – Officers issued a man a criminal citation for urinating in public.

August 31^st:

2200 block of Varnum Street: Recovered stolen auto – 9:25 pm. Officers received notification that the 1996 Plymouth Voyager minivan reported stolen from the 2200 block of Varnum Street at 9:30 pm on August 27^th had been recovered by Montgomery County Police officers. The van was found abandoned 1500 block of Ballard Street in Silver Spring. No arrests were made and both tags were still attached to the vehicle. The vehicle was initially reported as a Dodge Caravan and the reports were changed to reflect the correct make and model of the vehicle.

4300 block of Kaywood Drive: CDS arrest – Officers stopped a man who they saw walking down the sidewalk and smoking a marijuana cigarette. Further investigation revealed that the man was also in possession of 16.4 grams of fresh marijuana along with a digital scale. He was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute a CDS, possession of CDS and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

September 1^st:

3600 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Recovered stolen auto – 11:35 am. Officers on patrol checked the registration of a parked and unoccupied 1996 Chevy Yukon truck. The check revealed that both the license plates and the vehicle had previously been reported stolen from separate addresses in DC. Officers seized the tags, impounded the vehicle and notified MPD of the recovery.

September 2^nd:

4000 block of 29^th Street: Vandalism to auto – 3:45 pm. The owner of a 1997 Chevy Tahoe reported that sometime between September 1^st at 10 pm and September 2^nd at 5:15 am someone broke the rear door lock on his vehicle.

September 3^rd:

4100 block of 33^rd Street: Recovered stolen auto – 12:10 am. Officers patrolling with a mobile license plate reader got a hit on a parked 1998 Honda Civic. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had been previously reported stolen from an address in Prince George’s County. The vehicle was impounded for safekeeping and PGPD was notified of the recovery.

4100 block of 32^nd Street: Assault – 8:30 am. The victim told officers that she and a friend accepted a ride home from a male stranger who they had met in the Adam’s Morgan neighborhood in DC. Once back at the victim’s residence the three were relaxing and drinking alcoholic beverages when the man became angry and struck the victim in the face with a closed fist. An altercation between the three ensued and was broken up by a second man who came and picked up the suspect. The two left the area in a black Jeep Cherokee. The victim sustained injuries to her right eye and had a swollen lip. She was transported to Washington Adventist Hospital with minor injuries.

2200 block of Arundel Road: Assault – 11 am. The victim and a female acquaintance became involved in an argument over money inside Kay Liquors. The owner of the store ordered the two out of the store for creating a disturbance. Once outside an unknown black male approached the victim and assaulted him demanding his money. The victim sustained injuries to the left side of his face and was transported to Washington Adventist Hospital for minor injuries.

3000 block of Queens Chapel Road: Assault – 3:30 pm. The victim told officers that she was walking through a parking area she was approached by a man who she knew. The man had a metal pole in his hand. As he approached her he hit her with the pole on her left and right arms and in the stomach. After the assault the man fled the area and was last seen in the 2400 block of Queens Chapel Road. A search of the area for the man proved negative. The victim refused treatment for her minor injuries.

2500 block of Queens Chapel Road: Emergency petition – 3:30 pm. Officers responded for the report of an attempt suicide. Once on the scene they found a 17 year old female who had cut her left wrist with a straight razor. Officers learned that she was upset over a recent breakup with her boyfriend. Fire/rescue personnel responded to the scene and treated her for the non- life threatening wound. She was transported to Washington Adventist Hospital where officers committed her to medical personnel for an emergency psychological evaluation.

Police Report: August 21-27

2011-08-29T12:11:00.001-05:00

August 21^st:

2900 block of Arundel Road: Armed robbery – 1:05 am. The victim told officers that as he was walking to his apartment he noticed two black males in a white or silver compact vehicle parked in a handicapped space. As he got to his building the two approached him and one of them displayed a black handgun and demanded his property. The suspects stole the victim’s wallet and cell phone. Both suspects ran back to the car and fled the area on Chauncey Place towards Queenstown Drive. The victim was not injured during the robbery. PGPD detectives responded to the scene to assume a follow-up investigation.

2900 block of Allison Street: Stolen auto – 1:50 am. The owner of a 2002 Honda Accord reported that sometime prior to his reporting the incident to police someone stole his vehicle.

4600 block of 29^th Street: Criminal citation – 2:40 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking an alcoholic beverage in public.

August 22^nd:

4600 block of 27^th Street: Stolen auto – 8:30 am. The owner of a 2002 Mitsubishi Montero told officers that sometime between 6 pm on the 21^st and the time he called police someone stole his vehicle.

4000 block of 29^th Street: Stolen auto/recovered – 10:10 am. The owner of a 1999 Acura reported that sometime between 9:30 pm on the 21^st and the time he called police someone stole his vehicle. At about 12:30 pm officers were notified that the vehicle had actually been impounded for a parking violation in the 6300 block of 24^th Avenue.

August 23^rd:

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – 3:35 am. The store clerk told officers that while he was away from the sales counter a black male came into the store, went behind the counter, stole approximately $350 worth of cigarettes and fled the store in an unknown direction. The clerk could not provide a good description of the thief.

August 24^th:

4100 block of Russell Avenue: Stolen auto – 2 pm. The owner of a 1988 Plymouth Acclaim reported that sometime prior to his call to police someone stole his car. The officers’ investigation revealed that there was broken glass where the vehicle was parked which indicated that a passenger side window was broken in order for the thieves to gain access to the vehicle.

August 25^th:

3700 block of 36^th Street: Theft – 7:45 pm. The victim came into the police station to report that his credit card had been lost/stolen. He told officers that he when he checked his account online he discovered several unauthorized charges since August 18^th. He immediately contacted his credit card company to report the card stolen and dispute the charges.

3300 block of Chauncey Place: 1^st degree assault – 5:20 pm. The female victim in this case came to the police station to report that an individual had just fired shots at her vehicle. She told officers that as she and a male companion were pulling into a parking space they were approached by the suspect who displayed a small handgun and ordered both victims out of the car. The victims refused and drove out of the parking lot. As they were driving away the suspect fired several shots at the vehicle striking it three times. The male victim refused to cooperate in the investigation; however the female victim told officers that she knew their assailant. PGPD detectives responded to interview the victims and are in the process of obtaining arrest warrants for the assailant.

August 26^th:

3300 block of Chillum Road: Traffic/vehicle impound – 12:20 am. Officers stopped a 1993 Ford Aerostar van for speeding and failing to stop at a stop sign. Further investigation revealed that the driver did not have a valid license. He was issued five State traffic citations and the van was impounded.

3100 block of Queen Chapel Road: Vandalism to auto – 1:10 pm. The owner of a 1998 Honda Accord reported that sometime between 12:30 am and the time he called police someone slashed his front passenger tire.

3100 block of Queen Chapel Road: Vandalism to auto – 1:25 pm. The owner of a 1998 Honda Accord reported that sometime between 12:30 am and the time she called police someone slashed her front passenger tire.

3100 block of Queen Chapel Road: Vandalism to auto – 2 pm. The owner of a 1995 BMW reported that sometime between 8:15 pm on August 25^th and the time she called police someone slashed her front driver’s side tire.

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle – 3 pm. A representative from Thrifty Rental Car reported that an individual who rented a car on August 2^nd has failed to return the vehicle to Thrifty. The representative obtained a criminal summons for the individual for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

2900 block of Queens Chapel Road: Residential burglary – 6:45 pm. The resident told officers that he left home at about 11 pm on August 25^th and upon returning he discovered that someone made entry to his apartment through the front door with no force used. Once inside the suspect(s) ransacked the apartment and stole a quantity of U.S. Currency.

3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Theft – 11:35 pm. Store security at party Time Liquors told officers that a man removed a bottle of Vodka and placed it down the front of his pants. He then left the store without attempting to pay for the. Security detained the man and contacted police. Officers issued the man a criminal citation for theft and returned the merchandise to the store.

August 27^th:

2200 block of Varnum Street: Stolen vehicle – 9:30 pm. The owner of a 1996 Dodge caravan reported that sometime between 9 am and the time he called police someone stole his van.

4200 block of 28^th Street: Vandalism to auto – 11:50 pm. The owner of a 2000 Ford Expedition told officers that as she was watching the effects of Hurricane Irene out of her window she saw a gold minivan, possibly a Toyota Sienna, pull up next to her Expedition and stop. She then saw a man get out of the van and smash out the driver’s window of her vehicle. When she started screaming at the man he got back into the van and fled the area towards Eastern Avenue.

Storm Update

2011-08-28T04:34:00.000-05:00

As of 5 pm this morning we are still experiencing high winds and heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Irene. While the rain is forecast to taper off we still expect the high winds to continue through the morning hours. The police department went on tactical alert at 6 pm Saturday evening and all officers were on duty throughout the night until 5 am this morning. We will have a normal day shift compliment plus one additional officer starting at 7 am this morning. We will follow the same schedule for the night shift that starts at 7 pm tonight.

Throughout the City there is an extensive amount of storm debris on all of our residential streets ranging from leaves to large branches and trees and power lines down. We have reported each power line problem to Pepco; however we do not expect Pepco to respond to address any of the power line problems until later in the day, and then only according to their priority schedule. Our officers have used police tape to block off those streets where power lines and/or trees have either totally or partially blocked the roadway. Residents should not attempt to drive or walk on any street or sidewalk where police tape blocks the way.

Here’s a brief summary of the major storm damage and power outages:

· Tree down blocking the road in the 3100 block of Upshur St. Tree took down power lines from a house when it fell.

· Tree down blocking the road at 37th and Newton Streets. No power lines affected.

· Tree down on power lines at 32nd and Varnum.

· Tree down on power lines 3100 block of Shepherd St. Street blocked but power still on. When the tree came down an 8 to 12 foot section of the sidewalk was uprooted.

· Electric wires are down in the 4100 block of 30th Street.

· A tree and power lines are down in the 4000 block of 31^st Street.

· Tree down in the 4200 block of 28^th Street.

· Tree down at 28^th Place and Webster Street.

· Power is out to about 75% of the Kaywood apartment complex and bordering streets.

· Power is out along Eastern Avenue from Rhode Island Avenue to Queens Chapel Road.

· Power is out in the 2200 and 2300 blocks of Varnum Street.

· Power is out sporadically in other residential areas of the City.

· The roof of the police station is leaking in several places.

Residents should continue to call our communications center at 301-985-6565/6566 to report trees down, power lines down or other hazardous conditions.

Storm Update

2011-08-26T16:31:00.000-05:00

Beginning at 6 pm tomorrow night the police department will go on Tactical Alert in response to Hurricane Irene. All officers will be on duty and we will have the City’s command center set up here at the police station.

You can assist the Department by making your necessary emergency preparations over the next 24 hours so you will be prepared to weather (no pun intended) the storm as safely as possible. Please see my posts from yesterday that outline precautions you should take. I encourage you to check on your neighbors and let us know if there are any residents, such as the elderly, who may need special assistance in case their home becomes uninhabitable.

As a reminder, the emergency number to police our police communications center is 301-985-6565/6566. The non-emergency number here at the police station is 301-985-6580/6590. If the power goes out at the police station you will not be able to call into the 301-985-6580/6590 number. If you get no answer at the non-emergency number please call my cell at 240-508-7687 or Captain Stoots’ cell at 240-417-7516. If those fail you can e-mail me at mscott@mountrainierpd.org or at lthog1349@gmail.com.

I will be tweeting about the conditions in the City and other necessary information starting at 6 pm tomorrow. You can get my Twitter updates by following @MRPDChief.

Pepco Storm Quick Facts

2011-08-25T16:36:00.000-05:00

Reporting an Outage and the Restoration Process - Emergency Phone Numbers

If your power goes out, check to see if your neighbors have power. If your home is the only one without power, check your circuit breakers or fuses to determine if the outage is a result of a household problem. Do not assume we automatically know about your outage. Please contact us immediately.

Report outages:
1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662)

Report downed wires and life-threatening emergencies:

1-877-Pepco-62 (1-877-737-2662) and press two.

TTY: 202-872-2369

Outage maps and restoration updates can be accessed online at www.pepco.com. Click on the Your Home tab and select the Outages the Emergency Preparedness page.

Important Safety Tips

If you see a downed power line, stay away from it. Assume that all downed power lines are live and extremely dangerous. Don’t touch any person or object that is in contact with a power line; the current could flow through you. Immediately call the emergency service number at 1-877-Pepco-62 (1-877-737-2662) and press two to report downed wires. Call 911 only if there is an associated emergency such as a fire, automobile accident or, if medical assistance is required. Also:

· Never attempt to remove trees or limbs from any utility line. Assume all objects touching a power line are energized.

· If you use a portable generator during a power outage, always operate it according to the manufacturer’s directions, outside and away from doors and windows to avoid deadly carbon monoxide.

· If you have a flooded basement in your home, never attempt to turn off power or operate circuit breakers while standing in water.

How We Restore Power

Our damage assessment and restoration process begins once the storm has passed and it’s safe for our personnel to proceed with gathering information and determining the extent of the damage in the affected areas. Your telephone call reporting an outage is vital because it will be combined with other customers’ calls and computer programs will analyze that information to make a prediction as to what lines or other equipment may be out of service. This helps our line crews find the locations of the outages more quickly.

We then proceed using a system of priorities that have been developed taking into account public safety, community needs and the nature of the electric distribution system.

In the event our system is damaged by severe weather, Pepco focuses on restoring power in a sequence that enables power restoration to public health and safety facilities and to the greatest number of customers as quickly as possible. The typical sequence, many of which occur simultaneously, is as follows:

1. Downed live wires or potentially life-threatening situations and public health and safety facilities without power.

2. Transmission lines serving thousands of customers.

3. Substation equipment.

4. Main distribution lines serving large numbers of customers.

5. Secondary lines serving neighborhoods.

6. Service lines to individual homes and businesses.

Outages and Emergency Preparedness
Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my neighbor have power but I don’t?

Sometimes, you may notice your neighbor’s lights come back on while you are still without power. There may be several explanations – it may be that your neighbors are on a different supply line or there may be trouble just on the section of the line supplying your immediate area. The cause of the outage may be isolated to one fuse, one transformer or a group of transformers, or the problem may be on the service line connected to your residence. If all of your surrounding neighbors’ lights are on and you are still without power, check your breaker box for a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse. If that does not appear to be the case, please call us to report your outage using the outage reporting number 1-877- Pepco-62 (1-877-737-2662).

Why is Pepco often unable to give out exact restoration times?

We continually work to improve upon our ability to provide restoration times to customers. Several considerations come into play when estimating restoration times. One important factor, particularly after a large storm, is completion of our damage assessment. Until the assessment is done, it is hard to provide a restoration time, especially in cases where we have sustained massive numbers of outages. Other factors include weather, accessibility to damaged areas, coordination with other agencies working on the storm restoration such as public works, tree removal, and changing public safety and health priorities, all of which may affect our estimates. We do everything we can to provide an estimate of restoration time as soon as it reasonably can be done. Even then, it is possible that estimates may change during the course of restoration as field crews arrive on the scene.

When you call us to report a power outage, we provide an estimate for restoration based on current reported field conditions and predictions from our automated Outage Management System (OMS).

When a repair crew arrives on the scene, they may discover additional or more complex problems that require additional time, equipment or crews. They will update the restoration time estimate and we will reflect those changes when you call again to check on the status of the restoration.

In recent months we have made many improvements to help us provide better estimates and more information, including upgrades to our Outage Management System (OMS), improved wires-down, damage assessment and crew management processes, additional cross training for employees who will assist customers during emergency situations, and outage maps displayed in our “Storm Center”. We’ve also added additional customer service representatives and doubled customer service and emergency phone and voicemail capacities.

Why do Pepco crews sometimes leave my neighborhood before power is restored?

Crews working near your home - even across the street - may be fixing a feeder that does not serve your home or may be securing downed wires for follow-up by repair crews. Or, there could be more than one location on the power line that is damaged. If you see our crews leaving your area without restoring power, another area may need to be repaired to activate your line or they may need specialized equipment to finish repairs. Also, in severe storms with widespread damage, we may need to physically assess damage before restoration begins. If you see a truck leave your neighborhood before your power goes back on, please rest assured that we are not ignoring your problem.

Why is it that when a crew responds to my report of a wire down at my home or neighborhood, they are “standing by” or not working to get my lights back on?

Public safety is our number one priority and when we receive a report of a wire down, we will dispatch the closest available line crew to respond. However, in the event of storms where we have massive outages, we may first send other Pepco personnel to: 1) relieve fire services or police personnel until a line crew can arrive, 2) stand by to make sure the area is safe to the public until a line crew can arrive, or 3) if the wire is not Pepco's, identify it as cable TV, telephone, or other telecommunications wire.

Hurricane Preparedness Info from PEPCO

2011-08-25T13:04:00.001-05:00

The following information comes from a PEPCO press release this morning:

In anticipation of Hurricane Irene’s arrival this weekend, PEPCO urges its customers to prepare for potential power outages and act to ensure their safety. Here are some tips:

Preparation Tips

· Have adequate prescription medicines or infant supplies on hand.

· If you or someone you know uses life-support equipment that requires electricity to operate, identify a location with emergency power capabilities and make plans to go there or to a hospital during a prolonged outage.

· Assemble an emergency "storm kit." Include a battery-powered radio or television, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, special needs items, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers.

· Keep at least a three-day supply of non-perishable foods and bottled water and have a hand-operated can opener available.

· Have a telephone with a cord or cell phone to use as a backup. Cordless telephones require electricity to operate, and won't work if there is an outage.

· Protect your electronic equipment. Unplug sensitive electronics or plug computers and other sensitive equipment into surge suppressors, and consider a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for temporary battery backup power.

· Turn off power to flood-prone basement appliances if it is safe to do so. However, if you have an electrically operated sump pump, you should not turn off your power.

Safety Tips

· Tune in to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.

· Follow the advice of your local emergency management officials.

· Take cover if necessary.

· Stay away from downed wires.

· Call 1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662) and press "2" to report a downed wire.

· To report an outage, call 1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662) and press “1” for the automated system.

Business Hurricane Preparations

2011-08-25T12:43:00.000-05:00

In anticipation that Hurricane Irene may pose a significant threat to Maryland over the coming weekend, the Anne Arundel County Police Department sent the following information to its business community this morning. The information is designed to assist businesses in preparing for this potentially dangerous storm. The tips AACoPD sent to their businesses are applicable to the business community here in Mount Rainier, so with their permission, I have reproduced it here:

With the impending approach of Hurricane Irene and the possibility of its significant impact on the region, it’s time to start preparing. As for emergency awareness, additional information will follow through the State and Local Offices of Emergency Management. Stay in close contact with local news and weather releases.

We want to take this time to make you aware of business security procedures you should consider. PEPCO is already warning of the possibility of extensive and extended power disruptions.

Conduct a room by room walk-through to determine what needs to be secured.
Obtain plastic to cover electronic equipment in the event of roof leakage. Move electronic equipment away from windows.
Elevate electronic equipment off of the floor for protection in the event of flooding.
Back-up your systems and if possible store your back-ups off site.
Protect business records. If you plan on being out of your business for an extended period, consider shutting down unnecessary electric breakers in the event of power surges.
If possible shut gas valves leading into the business. Consider the fact that alarm systems may not function during extended power outages.
Remove valuables and cash to a safe location. Move company vehicles to an area safe from flying debris and falling trees.
Make arrangements with nearby parking garages to house vehicles if possible.
Bring in outside display racks, furniture, and trash cans. Remove expensive items from display racks, particularly near windows. Consider the effects of window breakage on inventory and staff/customer safety.
Understand your insurance policy and keep it in a safe place. If you have a number of employees, establish a phone tree to distribute information.
Share this information with your neighboring businesses.

Unfortunately, there will be those who try to take advantage of the situation. Understand that police resources may be stretched thin, so any extra security preparedness will only benefit your business.

Most importantly: REMAIN SAFE and don’t take chances.