Police Report: July 26 - August 1

The Mount Rainier Police Department’s weekly report is not intended to be a listing of every incident or call for service handled by the police department, but merely a general summary of incidents that may be of interest to the community. Some reports may be outside the date parameters due to extended investigations or other circumstances. Some cases are not included at all due to ongoing investigations.

August 1^st:

3700 block of 35^th Street: Criminal citation – 12:55am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for urinating in public.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Attempt robbery – 1am. The victim told officers that he arrived home and parked his vehicle in the parking lot of his apartment building. As he was walking to his building he was approached by a man who brandished two large kitchen knives and demanded his cell phone. He refused and ran towards his apartment door. The suspect ran towards Chillum Road eventually making good his escape. The victim was not injured and no property was taken during the incident. PGPD robbery detectives responded to the scene, obtained a written statement and will continue the investigation.

4200 block of Russell Avenue: Criminal citation – 4:25am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 4:20pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for loitering.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 6:05pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open alcoholic container in public.

3300 block of Otis Street: 1^st degree assault – 10:55pm. Officers responded for the report of a domestic argument involving a female victim and her boyfriend. The victim said that during the argument her boyfriend pushed her around and grabbed her by the arm. The victim said she did not want to press charges at the time and just wanted the boyfriend to leave. He left and she was advised of her options with a District Court Commissioner. About 40 minutes later the boyfriend returned with a handgun and threatened to kill the victim. He fled the area before officers arrived. The victim again declined to press charges and the officers strongly urged her to get a protective order. They offered her further assistance which she also declined. PGPD detectives responded to the scene to interview the victim and continue the investigation. MRPD officers will seek and arrest warrant for the boyfriend.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: 2^nd degree assault – 11:05pm. The reporting person told officers that he saw three Hispanic males assault a black male juvenile by pulling him off his bicycle. The reporting person intervened and the three decided they had the wrong person and fled the area. Neither the reporting person nor the victim could identify the assailants and said they had not seen them in the area before the incident.

July 31^st:

3800 block of 34^th Street: Theft – 1:10pm. The reporting person came into the police station and told officers that his daughter went into the Alife Food Market and left his cell phone on the counter by mistake. When she realized her mistake she returned for the phone and discovered it had been stolen. The store is monitored by security cameras and officers will follow up to see if the theft was captured on video.

4000 block of 35^th Street: Warrant service – 1:30pm. Officers on patrol stopped a man who they knew from previous experience had an open arrest warrant. The warrant was confirmed and he was taken into custody and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

3200 block Queens Chapel Road: Theft – 9:20pm. The victim told officers that she mistakenly left her cell phone on a washing machine while doing laundry. When she realized her mistake and returned for the phone she discovered it had been stolen. The laundry area is monitored by security cameras and officers will follow up to see if the theft was captured on video.

July 30^th:

3700 block of 36^th Street: Theft – 9am. The victim told officers that he left his bicycle on his front porch on the 29^th at about 8:30pm. When he returned for it this morning he discovered it had been stolen. He said that he had had another bike stolen about two weeks ago. One of the victim’s relatives reported that he had seen the previously stolen bike in a neighbor’s back yard. That bike was located and returned to the victim.

3300 block of Chauncey Place: Hit and run collision – 11:10am. The victim told officers that she came out to her vehicle this morning to discover damage to the right rear quarter panel. The damage appeared to have been caused by another vehicle that was white in color.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Pedestrian struck – 6:40pm. The driver of a 2002 Buick struck a juvenile who was attempting to cross the street. Witnesses told the officers that the Buick appeared to have been traveling at a high rate of speed. The juvenile was transported to Children’s Hospital by fire/rescue personnel for treatment of non- life threatening injuries. The driver of the striking vehicle was issued several traffic citations.  

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Traffic – 8:20pm. Officers patrolling with an ALPR were alerted to a 2015 Chrysler with a suspended registration and a pick-up order for the tags. Officers stopped the vehicle and verified the ALPR’s information. The tags were seized for return to MVA, the vehicle was impounded and the driver was issued several traffic citations.

July 29^th:

3800 block of Windom Road: Recovered stolen auto – 7:45am. Officers from PGPD notified MRPD that they recovered a 2013 Ford Taurus that had been reported stolen from the 4300 block of Russell Avenue on the 27^th. The vehicle was drivable but the tags had been stolen prior to the vehicle’s recovery. No keys were found with the vehicle and no arrests were made. The owner was notified of the recovery.

4200 block of 32^nd Street: Theft – 3:20pm. The victim told officers that after a Verizon employee left her home after a July 8^th service call she discovered her wallet and cash missing from her bedroom. The victim also said that several other people have keys to her home. Both the victim and the reporting officers spoke with Verizon security personnel to inform them of the theft.

July 28^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Vehicle impound – 9:10am. Officers stopped to investigate a 1997 Honda parked in a crosswalk. They spoke with the driver and he said that he had a tow service in route to pick up the vehicle. After about twenty minutes had passed and there were no signs of a tow service and the male subject was no longer on scene officers impounded the vehicle. 

3700 block of 37^th Street: Stolen vehicle – 9:10am. The owner of a 2012 Yamaha motorcycle came into the police station to report that someone stole his bike from where it was parked sometime overnight.

3600 block of Perry Street: Fraud – 10:40am. Officers met with a woman who has her house up for rent. She said that someone she did not know listed the property for rent on Craigslist and was taking deposits. She said that she has contacted Craigslist to have the property removed.

3700 block of 36^th Street: Property damage – 11:35am. The owner of a 2000 Chrysler told officers that she came out to her vehicle this morning and discovered damage to the passenger side door lock.

One Municipal Place: Criminal citation – 12:35pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking in public.

July 27^th:

3800 block of 34^th Street: Vehicle impound – 12:15pm. Officers impounded a 2010 Ford Fusion for displaying expired tags.

3600 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Property damage – 2:10pm. The owner of a 2015 Ford told officers that he came out to his vehicle this afternoon and discovered damage to the rear door on the driver’s side.

3300 block of Chauncey Place: Domestic – 6:25pm. The female victim told officers that she was attempting to leave a man with whom she had lived with for the past three years. The man was attempting to prevent her leaving. Officers advised the man of the consequences should he continue his behavior and the woman was assisted with gathering personal items and removing them from the premises. She was advised to seek assistance of a court commissioner. A lethality assessment was performed and victim did not screen in.

3300 block of Chauncey Place: Attempt sexual assault – 6:55pm. Officers responded for the report of an assault. When they arrived they learned that a man attempted to sexually assault the victim on the Park and Planning footpath behind her building. She was able to provide a description of her assailant. MRPD and PGPD officers searched the area and detained a man who fit the suspect’s description. Witnesses were able to positively identify him as the victim’s assailant. He was taken into custody and released to the custody of Park Police officers who took over the investigation. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of her non- life threatening injuries.

July 26^th:

4500 block of 31^st Street: Vehicle impound – 4:15am. Officers stopped to investigate an illegally parked 2002 Chevy Trailblazer. They observed that the rear windows were open, the ignition had been tampered with and the tags were not valid. The registered owner was contacted and said that he had loaned the vehicle to a friend who could not be contacted. The tags were seized for return to MVA and the vehicle was impounded.

3100 block of Upshur Street: Theft from auto – 10:15am. The owner of a 1996 Chevy Corsica told officers that sometime between 8pm yesterday and the time he called police someone entered his vehicle, rifled through the glove compartment and center console and stole a USB cord. The victim stated that the vehicle was unlocked. The vehicle was processed for latent prints, with two possible prints collected.

3200 block of Varnum Street: Theft from auto (supplement) – 5:30pm. The reporting officer following up on a theft from auto that occurred on July 15^th was able obtain information that the victim’s stolen credit card had been used at the Mount Rainier Dollar and Food Mart located at 3847 34^th Street. The officer obtained photographs of the suspect using the stolen card. The officer shared copies of the photographs to other members of MRPD who were able to positively identify him. The reporting officer was able to obtain an arrest warrant for the suspect and was shortly arrested. He waived his rights and gave a written statement admitting to using the stolen credit card but denied stealing it. He was charged accordingly and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4300 block of Russell Avenue: Stolen vehicle – 12:40am. The owner of a 2013 Ford Taurus told officers that he came out to his vehicle this morning to discover it had been stolen. The victim’s girlfriend told the officers that she dropped and lost her keys while walking between the vehicle and the apartment when the two got home about 7pm last night. She said that there was a spare key to the vehicle on her key ring.

Citizens are reminded to PLEASE call and report suspicious activity. Even if you choose not to provide your name or other personal information, we still need your help as extra eyes and ears in the community.

See or Hear Something?

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We WANT to be bothered! Call 301-985-6565/6566.