Police Report: March 27 - April 2

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.

April 2^nd:

4300 block of 28^th Place: Vehicle impound – 8:35pm. Officers impounded a 2001 Ford Expedition that was displaying tags that expired in November of 2015.

3200 block of Arundel Road: Vehicle impound – 10:35am. Officers impounded a 2001 Nissan Sentra that was displaying tags that expired in November of 2015.

2205 Varnum Street: MIR – 12:20pm. Officer responded for the report of a disorderly man. Upon arrival the officers were told that he had left the area prior to their arrival but left behind a pair of boots. Officers took custody of the boots for safekeeping. 

3000 block of Queens Chapel Road: Warrant service – 3:50pm. Officers responded for the report of a man down. When the officers arrived EMS was treating the man for PCP intoxication.  The also learned that the man had an open arrest warrant through Charles County for failure to pay child support. The subject was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Once he was released from the hospital officers transported him to Upper Marlboro Correctional Facility where he was processed for the warrant.

4300 block of Kaywood Drive: Unattended death – 8:15pm. Officers responded to assist EMS personnel with an unresponsive 51 year old female. EMS unsuccessfully attempted to revive the woman and she was pronounced dead. Officers contacted the Medical Examiner’s Office and PGPD homicide detectives responded to conduct a follow-up investigation. The woman’s daughter told officers that her mother had a long history of drug abuse and alcoholism. The cause of death is unknown at this time but believed to be of natural causes.

2300 block of Varnum Street (7-11): Theft – 8:40pm. The on-duty store manager told officers that a man came into the store with a group of five kids. The man ordered a hot dog and while the clerk was filling the order the man took 3 iPhone charging cables off a display and concealed them in his pants pocket. When the employee confronted the man about it he became argumentative and fled in a dark color sedan.

4000 block of 36^th Street: Property damage – 10:55pm. High winds caused a tree to fall and officers found it resting on power lines and a parked vehicle. Pepco and Mount Rainier Public Works were notified.

April 1^st:

4200 block of 34^th Street: Open door – 7:25am. Officers were alerted to an open front door to a private residence. Officers checked the residence and found it secure. There was no one home and nothing appeared to have been disturbed. Officers were unable to properly secure the residence.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue (Balbuene Travel): Fraud – 5:15pm. A woman came in to the police station to report that she had purchased airline tickets to El Salvador through Balbuene Travel. She later discovered that the tickets were confirmed only for the outgoing flight and not for the return flight. The victim has tried unsuccessfully to contact the agent for resolution. This has been an ongoing problem with this business and the owner has already been indicted for similar crimes. A copy of the officers’ report will be forwarded to the State’s Attorney’s Office for follow-up.

3100 block of Perry Street: EPS – 9:05pm. Officers responded for the report of a man down. The officers found the man lying in a driveway breathing but verbally unresponsive. He appeared to be under the influence of a CDS and was taken to a local hospital by EMS where he was committed for treatment.

3100 block of Queens Chapel Road: Domestic – 10:30pm. Officers responded for the report of a verbal argument between a woman and the father of her child. During the argument the man struck the woman and fled the apartment. Officers completed a domestic violence lethality assessment and had the victim contact a counselor. They also provided her with information on how to obtain a protective order.

March 31^st:

One Municipal Place: Criminal citation – 9:10am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for urinating in public.

2700 block of Upshur Street: Found property – 10:15pm. Officers were notified that contractors working in a basement laundry room found two loaded handguns concealed in the ceiling. Officers recovered both guns, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and 5-shot revolver. A check through NCIC revealed that the 9mm had been reported stolen in 2012 from an address in Hoke County, NC. The revolver was reported stolen in 2010 from an address in McDuffie County, GA. The Sheriff’s Office in both counties were notified of the recovery and efforts will be made to return the guns to their respective owners after an investigation to determine if either had been used in a crime.

3800 block of 34^th Street: Traffic – 11:15pm. Officers stopped a 1991 Mercedes being driven with no tags displayed. Officers confirmed that the vehicle was not properly registered and it was impounded. The driver was cited accordingly.

4000 block of 34^th Street: Fraud – 2pm. A store owner told officers that she was contacted by a representative of Power Solutions who said that she pay an overdue electric bill to avoid having her power disconnected. The thief tried to bet the owner to send $869 to the company via Money Gram. She recognized the fraud and did not send any money.

3100 block of Chillum Road (7-11): Theft – 6:20pm. The store clerk told officers that an elderly man came into the store carrying a bottle of antifreeze. He selected another bottle from a shelf, went to the counter and demanded a refund for both bottles. When he was refused the refund he went to the movie shelf, took a DVD and fled the store. Officers reviewed the security camera and identified the man. They are in the process of obtaining misdemeanor theft charges against him.

March 30^th:

3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue (MRPD HQ): Found property – 9:55am. A man came in to the police station and turned in two ladies purses he found in the 2400 block of Randolph Street in DC. Officers took custody of the property and will attempt to identify the owners.

4000 block of 34^th Street: Armed robbery (arrest) – 6:10pm. Officers observed a man riding a white bicycle in the 3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue who had been identified by PGPD detectives as a suspect in the ZZ Pizza robbery back on March 20^th.  When the officers tried to stop and question him he fled on the bike. Additional officers responded to assist in locating him and he was eventually located and taken into custody. The employees of ZZ Pizza positively identified him as the person who committed the robbery. A subsequent search of his residence located additional evidence of his involvement in the crime. He was transported to PGPD’s Criminal Investigations Division for additional questioning. He was charged with robbery and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

March 29^th:

4100 block of 31^st Street: Theft from auto – 7:30am. The owner of a 2016 Toyota Corolla told officers that he came out to his vehicle this morning and discovered the trunk ajar and two air mattresses missing. The main passenger compartment was still secure and there were no signs of forced entry. The victim believes he may have released the trunk by accident with the remote.

3200 block of Chillum Road: Burglary – 3:45pm. The resident told officers that she locked the bottom lock of her apartment door when she left home. Upon returning the door was still locked but several of her personal electronic items and some change had been stolen from inside. There were no signs of forced entry into the apartment and no evidence/witnesses were identified.

March 28^th:

3500 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 4:35pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for urinating in public.

March 27^th:

4000 block of 35^th Street: Burglary – 1:15pm. The residents told officers that they left home at about 10am and left the front and back doors closed but unlocked. When they returned a few hours later they discovered the front door wide open. When they investigated further they found a dining room window open and the living room ransacked. They also discovered that several computers had been stolen. Officers processed the house and recovered several fingerprints for further investigation.

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?

Say Something!

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