Retired MRPD Chief's Discussion

Nothing significant to report.

4400 block of 28th Street : Vehicle impound – 10:45 am. Officers impounded a 1994 Chevy van that had no tags displayed and was not registered in Maryland. 4200 block of Kaywood Drive : Vehicle impound – 10:50 am. Officers impounded a vehicle that was displaying expired tags. 2900 block of Allison Street : Vehicle impound – 12:30 pm. Officers impounded a 1997 Ford Mustang that was displaying tags that had been issued to another vehicle. The tags were removed for return to MVA. 4200 block of Russell Avenue : Narcotics arrest – 12:55 pm. Officers received a call for a possible drug transaction in progress. When the officers arrived they located the suspects, as described by the reporting person, sitting in a vehicle and detained them for further investigation. The officers searched the vehicle and recovered a plastic baggie containing 28 grams of marijuana on the rear floor board behind the driver. Based on the marijuana discovery the adult driver and the juvenile passenger were

March 28th : 3100 block of Queens Chapel Road : Vandalism to auto – 4:25 pm. The driver of a 2002 Dodge van told officers that while sitting in traffic waiting for the traffic signal to change she heard the sound of glass breaking in her van. Further investigation revealed that an unknown object had shattered a window on the driver’s side. The object could not be identified and no other evidence/witnesses were found. 3300 block of Chauncey Place : Citizen robbery – 5:50 pm. The victim told officers that as he walked to his apartment two individuals (NFD) walked up behind him, pulled his jacket over his head and punched him several times in the back and mouth. They stole his shoulder bag and fled the area on foot. The victim told the officers that there was nothing of value in his bag. The victim refused medical treatment and a canvass of the area for the suspects was negative. 3100 block of Chillum Road : Residential burglary – 7:45 pm. When officers arrived on the scene they

March 25th : 4000 block of 37th Street : Attempt stolen auto – 10 am. The victim/owner of a Dodge Caravan told officers that when he returned to his vehicle he discovered that someone had damaged the ignition in an attempt to steal the van. No evidence as to those responsible for the damage could be found. 4100 block of 31st Street : Theft from auto - 5:20 pm. The victim told officers that when he returned to his vehicle this evening he discovered the trunk open and the vehicle ransacked. The victim said that only some loose change had been stolen. No evidence as to those responsible could be found. 3300 block of Chillum Road : CDS arrest - 10:15pm. Officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. As they approached the vehicle they smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside. Further investigation revealed that a passenger was in possession of marijuana. The passenger was arrested, charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. March 26

March 24th : 4200 block of Russell Avenue : Vehicle impound – 9 am. While on patrol officers observed silver 2010 Dodge Caliber with no front or rear tags. A check of the VIN number revealed that the vehicle was registered to Enterprise Car Rental in New Jersey. The vehicle was impounded after attempts to contact the registered owner were unsuccessful. 4000 block of 36th Street : Attempt stolen auto – 3:25 pm. The owner of a 1998 Plymouth Voyager van told officers that when he came out to get into his vehicle he saw a black male, described as 20-23 years of age and wearing all black clothing, get out of his vehicle. The suspect got into an awaiting vehicle with another black male and fled the area. When he examined his van he saw that the door lock and the ignition had been damaged in obvious attempt to steal the vehicle. Officers canvassed the area for the suspects and their vehicle with negative results. March 25th (early morning) : 3700 block of Rhode Island Avenue : DWI a

3300 block of Buchanan Street : Warrant service – 4 am. Officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed that the tags displayed on the vehicle had an outstanding pick-up order from MVA; and, the driver had an open arrest warrant through the Natural Resources Police in Anne Arundel County. The driver was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The vehicle was impounded and the tags were removed for return to MVA.

3500 block of Rhode Island Avenue : Burglary - 11:25 pm. Officers responded to speak with a construction contractor who is renovating the building. He told the officers that sometime between late evening on March 19th and the time he called police someone kicked in a door to the property and stole three keys to the building. He also said that the company had not completed the contracted renovation and nothing of high value was taken. The officers gave the owner of the building and the construction contractor several recommendations about ways to improve security at the facility. No evidence was recovered at the scene and no witnesses could be identified. 3100 block of Queens Chapel Road : Missing person - 6:30 pm. Officers responded for the report of a middle-aged Hispanic male that had not been seen in several days. The reporting person told the officers that the missing man has an alcohol addiction problem. After several hours of investigation officers were able to locate the man

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4700 block of 30th Street : Vehicle impound - 10:50 am. Officers responded for the report of an illegally parked vehicle. The officers located the vehicle in question and determined that its registration plates had expired in June of 2010. The vehicle was cited and impounded. 3700 block of 37th Street : Residential burglary - 12:45 pm. Officers responded for the report of a burglary that had just occurred. When they arrived they discovered that the side door to the residence had been kicked open. Further investigation revealed that two individuals forced their way into the home, ransacked several rooms and stole two TVs. The suspects loaded the television sets into a vehicle witnesses described as a mid-90s 4-door Buick, dark gray or black with dark tinted windows and a rag covering the rear tag. Suspect number one was described as a black male, 18-20 years of age, 6’ tall, medium build wearing a gray jacket and dark pants. The second suspect was described as a black male, 18-20 ye

March 18th : 3249 Rhode Island Avenue : Warrant service – 11am. A man came into the police station to surrender on an open arrest warrant. Officers confirmed that he had an open warrant through Prince George’s County for failing to appear in court on charges of robbery, 2nd degree assault and theft. He was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. 3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue : Criminal citation – 9:30 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage. 3500 block of Windom Road : Warrant service – 10 pm. Officers stopped a vehicle 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 officers issued the man several traffic citations and arrested him on the warrant. He was delivered to the custody of DOC in Upper Marlboro. His vehicl

3300 block of Buchanan Street : Theft from auto - 11:30 pm. The owner of a 2011 Honda Civic reported that sometime between 3 pm and the time of the report someone stole the temporary Maryland license plate off his car. No evidence or witnesses were identified.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive : Stolen vehicle – 9 am. The owner of a 2004 Kia reported that sometime between 9:30 pm and the time of the report someone stole her vehicle. She further explained that her vehicle had a window broken out of it about a week ago that she hadn’t had time to get repaired. Officers believe that the suspect was able to enter the vehicle through the broken window to accomplish the theft. 4100 block of 31st Street : Stolen vehicle - 6:50 pm. The owner of a 2006 Honda Civic who was working as a pizza delivery man told officers that he left his vehicle running while he was delivering an order. He said that while making the delivery he saw green minivan pull up and an African American or Hispanic male about 20-25 years of age exit the van, get into his Honda and drive away. He further described the suspect about 6’00” tall, 145 lbs., wearing a light red jacket with a hood. A search of the area for the victim’s vehicle and the suspect proved negative. 2700 blo

March 15th : Nothing significant to report. March 16th (early morning) : 3200 block of Chillum Road : Carjacking – 2:05 am. The victim told officers that he parked his 1995 Chevy Tahoe (Maryland tag 45653M8) in the parking lot of the 7-11 and went inside to shop. As he was returning to his vehicle he was approached by a black male described as 5’9” tall, 150 lbs., about 22-30 years of age, wearing a black coat and dark pants. The suspect produced a 9 mm semi automatic handgun and told the victim to get into the back seat. The victim complied. The suspect took the victim’s keys and drove from the parking lot to Buchanan Street where he told the victim to get out. Once the victim was out of the vehicle the suspect drove off. The victim walked back to the 7-11 where he saw his vehicle in the parking lot. As he approached, the vehicle drove off towards Queens Chapel Road. MRPD officers along with officers from PGPD, Hyattsville City PD and MPD canvassed the area for the vehicle with

3200 block of Taylor Street : Theft from auto – 8:45 am. The owner of a 2003 Saturn told officers that she returned to her vehicle this morning to discover that someone had stolen several personal items from inside. There was no damage to the vehicle and the owner said that she may have inadvertently left it unlocked. 4200 block of 28th Street : Residential burglary – 10 am. The resident told officers that he returned to his apartment to find that someone had broken in, ransacked the apartment and stole several of his personal items. The apartment was processed for evidence with negative results. A canvass of the area also failed to identify evidence or witnesses.

March 11th : 3100 block of Queens Chapel Road : Death report - 8:05 am. Officers responded for the report of an unresponsive man. Further investigation revealed that the man had died of natural causes. Officers assisted the family in making arraignments and necessary notifications. 2700 block of Queens Chapel Road : Recovered stolen vehicle - 10:10 pm. Officers were conducting traffic enforcement assisted by an automatic license plate reader got an alert on a stolen vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver. He was charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville. The vehicle was impounded for safe keeping, and the reporting jurisdiction (Virginia) was notified of the recovery. March 12th : Bunker Hill Road & 31st Street : Traffic - 2 am. Officers stopped a vehicle for multiple equipment violations. Further investigation revealed that the driver had a suspended license. He was issued several citations and his vehicle was impounde

4600 block of 25th Street : Vehicle impound – 11:10 am. Officers impounded a 2003 Chevy Cavalier for displaying expired tags. The vehicle’s registration was also suspended in October 2010 for failing to comply with required Maryland emissions inspection. 2200 block of Varnum Street : Theft from auto – 7:10 pm. The owner of a 2005 Chevy Impala told officers that she parked her vehicle to go shopping at the Family Dollar Store. When she returned from shopping she discovered that someone had stolen her purse from inside the car. 3200 block of Queenstown Drive : Traffic – 11:50 pm. Officers stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation (headlight out). Further investigation revealed that MVA had issued a pickup order for the tags. The driver was cited accordingly and the tags were seized for return to MVA. The vehicle’s owner arranged for a private tow company to remove the vehicle.

Over the past few weeks there have been a series of eight burglaries to single family homes across the City. During our investigation of these crimes officers recovered evidence that indicated the same individual(s) were responsible for multiple break-ins. That evidence, along with suspect descriptions provided by witnesses and extensive surveillance by MRPD and PGPD SAT officers, resulted in the arrest of three juveniles and one adult. Those arrests closed four of the eight burglaries, and investigators believe the adult may be responsible for up to two more. We continue to investigate the remaining cases in cooperation with detectives from PGPD District I and the Hyattsville City Police Department. In four of these recent burglaries the residence had a working alarm at the time of the break-in. The alarms worked as intended, however the bad guys managed to escape just minutes before MRPD officers arrived. This was due to the fact that the alarm monitoring company, upon receiving th

4100 block of Rainier Avenue : Attempt citizen robbery – 8:05 am. The victim was waiting at a bus stop when she was approached from behind by a man who tried to forcibly take her purse. The victim resisted and was able to retain possession of the purse even after being knocked to the ground. The suspect, without the purse, fled the area in a burgundy Toyota van driven by a second suspect. Additional information revealed that the van in which the two suspects fled the area was reported stolen from an address in Hyattsville shortly before the attempted robbery. The unoccupied van was recovered by DC police later in the day. The victim and witnesses described the victim’s assailant as a black male, 16-19 years of age, 5’11” tall, 180 lbs., wearing dark jeans and a black ski mask. PGPD detectives responded to assume a follow-up investigation. Metro Transit police also responded to assist because the crime occurred at a Metro bus stop. The victim sustained minor injuries and refused treatm

34th Street & Windom Road : Motor vehicle collision - 3:30 pm. A man driving a red Chevy truck failed to stop for a stop sign and struck an unmarked MRPD police vehicle. The man then tried to flee the scene. After a short pursuit MRPD units and PGPD SAT officers were able to stop the vehicle on Rainier Avenue. The man was charged with numerous traffic violations including driving an uninsured motor vehicle. His vehicle was impounded. The police vehicle sustained moderate damage to the right front bumper and quarter panel. 3800 block of 32nd Street : Destruction of property - 11:55 pm. Officers spoke with a resident who told them that a man, known to him only as Richard, came to his residence and asked to speak with him. When the resident refused to open the door the man made threats of having a weapon. The victim refused to open the door whereupon the man broke a one of the victim’s windows. BURGLARY ARREST : At about 3 pm MRPD officers along with three PGPD SAT units began a

4000 block of 30th Street : Residential burglary - 5:30 pm. Officers responded for the report of a residential burglary. The homeowner told the officers that he returned home to find his living room window smashed out and someone had stolen a laptop from inside. Officers secured the residence and Hyattsville PD K-9 responded to search the house. The search revealed that those responsible made good their escape prior to officers arriving. The residence was processed for evidence and a partial shoe print was identified. Neighbors reported seeing three juveniles in the area of the residence prior to the burglary being reported. 4700 block of 27th Street : Lost property - 7:45 pm. A gentleman reported that he placed a money order for his monthly rent payment in the Queens Manor Apartments drop box on March 3rd. The rental office advised him that they did not receive it. The man had a receipt for the money order and the money order has never been cashed. Officers assisted the man in doc

March 4th : 3100 block of Queens Chapel Road : Theft from auto – 2:15 pm. The owner of a 2003 Dodge van called police to say that she did not know the whereabouts of her van. Officers arrived and located the van to the rear of her address with the engine running. There were minor scratches to the vehicle’s exterior and the two rows of back seats were missing. 4000 block of 36th Street : Residential burglary – 1:45 pm. Officers responded for the report of an activated residential alarm. When officers arrived they observed that someone had thrown a rock through a back door window and made entry into the house. When the homeowner arrived she told officers that a laptop computer was missing. Witnesses told officers that they saw a group of juveniles loitering on a wall in front of the house just prior to the officers’ arrival. One of these juveniles, described as a light skin black or Hispanic male with a stocky build, wearing blue jeans and black hooded sweatshirt, was seen running

31 st and Upshur Streets : Narcotics arrest – 3:05 pm. Officers stopped a vehicle for failing to stop at a stop sign. Further investigation revealed that the driver and a passenger were both in possession of PCP. The driver was issued several traffic citations and his vehicle was impounded. The driver and passenger were arrested, charged with narcotics possession and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3600 block of Perry Street : Residential burglary – 2 pm. Officers responded for the report of a burglary in progress. An alert neighbor notified police when he saw a stranger enter his neighbor’s backyard and attempt to break in through a side door. The neighbor also provided a detailed description of the individual involved. When officers arrived they were able to quickly apprehend the individual at the intersection of Perry and 36 th Streets. The man was positively identified and he was arrested, charged with burglary and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

February 28th : 3300 block of Chillum Road : Stolen auto – 1:05 pm. The owner of a 1994 Chrysler Town & Country minivan reported that someone stole his vehicle sometime prior to his reporting the theft to police. No evidence/witnesses were located. 3100 block of Buchanan Street : Vehicle impound – 3:30 pm. Officers impounded a parked and unoccupied 1996 Chevy Astro Van for failure to display registration plates. 3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue : Criminal citation – 11:30 pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation after observing him urinating in public. March 1st : 3600 block of Rhode Island Avenue : Theft – 5:50 pm. The owner of a Jamis Capri 7-speed bicycle reported that his bike was stolen sometime prior to his reporting the theft to police. 4200 block of Russell Avenue : Burglary/assault – 10:05 pm. The victim told officers that as she was taking a shower she was accosted by an unknown man wearing a black ski mask. The man grabbed her hand and pulled her f