Police Report: April 9-15

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 15^th:

3800 block of 33^rd Street: Death report – 7:40am. Officers responded at the request of EMS personnel for deceased elderly female. The woman's husband told the officers that he last saw his wife alive at about 10pm last night. When he checked on her this morning he discovered her unresponsive and called EMS. The deceased had several known ongoing medical conditions; and there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play. The medical examiner and PGPD Homicide were notified and both declined to respond. The body was removed by Gasch's Funeral Home for final arrangements.

3500 block of Shepherd Street: Found property – 11:25am. Officers took possession of a knife that a resident found in his back yard.

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Warrant service – 11:25am. Officers responded for the report of two women doing drugs. Further investigation revealed that one of them had an open arrest warrant through Montgomery County for failing to appear in court. She was arrested on the warrant and delivered to the custody of DOC in Upper Marlboro.

3200 block of Chillum Road: Criminal citation – 4:15pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage in a public place.

Chillum Road and Queens Chapel Road: Criminal citation – 11:50pm. Officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver gave the officers a false name and identification because he believed he had an open arrest warrant, which he did not. He was issued several traffic citations and a criminal citation for giving the officers a false name.

April 14^th:

2700 block of Webster Street: Vehicle impound – 8am. Officers impounded a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander for displaying an expired Texas temporary tag.

3400 block of Bunker Hill Road: Criminal citation – 7:50pm. Officers stopped to investigate a vehicle stopped in the roadway and found the driver asleep behind the wheel. The officers roused the driver and attempted to ascertain if he OK to continue operating the vehicle. He became loud, disorderly and uncooperative. He eventually calmed down enough so that the officers could issue him a criminal citation for disorderly conduct. He was sent on his way without further incident.

4000 block of 35^th Street: Hit and run collision – 11:30am. Officers arrested a man after he was identified as the driver of a vehicle that struck a woman's car and fled the scene without stopping. The victim got the striking vehicle's tag number and gave the information to the officers. The driver was located, still in his vehicle, parked at his residence.

April 13^th:

Nothing significant to report.

April 12^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 8:50am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking in public.

3500 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Theft from auto – 10:25am. The owner of a 2000 Ford F150 told officers that he came back to the vehicle after attending church and discovered his handicapped parking placard had been stolen. No signs of forced entry into the truck were found.

3600 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 12:15pm. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking in public.

4200 block of 32^nd Street: 2^nd degree assault – 1:10pm. The victim told officers that she and her child's father got into a verbal argument. When she tried to walk away the man grabbed her, choked her and bit he face before fleeing the scene. Officers canvassed the area for the man and located him as he was trying to get into a neighbor's house. He was arrested, charged with 2^nd degree domestic assault and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4000 block of 29^th Street: MIR – 2:20pm. Officer spoke with a DC police detective who was investigating a shooting that allegedly occurred in the 700 block of S Street, NW. The victim told the detective that he had been shot in the arm and purchased materials to treat his wound at a local CVS. The detective contacted the CVS and learned that the victim made no such purchase and that DC's ShotSpotter system had not detected any shots fired in the area where the shooting allegedly occurred. The victim then changed his story and said the shooting took place in Mount Rainier. The victim was very uncooperative with the DC detective. No evidence of the scooting could be traced to Mount Rainier. PGPD detectives were notified and will follow up with their counterparts in DC.

3800 block of 33^rd Street: Assault – 4:20pm. Officers responded for the report of a neighbor dispute. When they arrived they learned that a man threw a brick through the window of his neighbor's house and damaged the neighbor's fence. Officers apprehended the man in his front yard as he urinated on his front steps. He was arrested, charged with assault and other charges and delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

4200 block of Kaywood Drive: Theft – 8:15pm. The victim reported that he was scheduled to receive a package containing a Florida temporary tag. When it did not arrive as expected he contacted the carrier and was told that it was mistakenly delivered to an address on Russell Avenue. He repeatedly tried to contact the resident at that address but was unsuccessful. Florida MVA officials told him he needed a police report so they could send him a replacement tag.

3700 block of Shepherd Street: Vehicle impound – 8:30pm. Officers impounded a 1999 Nissan Altima for parking on and blocking the sidewalk.

April 11^th:

2300 block of Varnum Street: Criminal citation – 11:25am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage in a public place.

3600 block of Shepherd Street: Warrant service – 6pm. Officers stopped a man they knew had an open arrest warrant for second degree assault. The warrant was verified and he was delivered to the custody of DOC in Hyattsville.

April 10^th:

4300 block of 28^th Place: Stolen auto (supplement) – 8:55am. Officers were notified by DC police that a 1997 Dodge reported stolen from the 4300 block of 28^th Place on April 9^th had been recovered after have been involved in a hit and run collision. Officers contacted the owners of the vehicle and advised them of how to recover their vehicle from DC.

3200 block of Queenstown Drive: Stolen vehicle – 10:55am. The owner of a 2016 Nissan Altima told officers that he came out to his vehicle this morning and discovered it had been stolen. No suspect or evidence was identified.

3800 block of 34^th Street: Theft – 1:25pm. The store clerk told officers that two men came into the store and stole several items of merchandise. Officers reviewed security camera footage and found that Suspect #1 was a black male approximately 30-40 years of age, 5-11, 210 pounds, short black hair, wearing a green jacket , green shirt, dark pants with a red belt. Suspect #2 was described as a black male approximately 30-40 years of age, 5-11 240 pounds, short black hair, trimmed beard, wearing a green hoodie with a red emblem on the front and gray sweat pants. The value of the stolen items is approximately $13.

3700 block of Wells Avenue: Civil citation – 8:50pm. Officers issued a man a civil citation for possession of less than 10g of marijuana.

Russell Avenue and Taylor Street: 1^st degree assault – 10:05pm. MRPD officers stopped to investigate a vehicle parked in a handicapped space on Russell Avenue at Taylor Street. A check of the vehicle's tag revealed that it was not registered. When the officers approached the vehicle they saw that it was occupied by four individuals – the driver, a front seat passenger and two rear seat passengers. The officers saw one of the rear seat passengers make a move to conceal something under his seat and told him to place his hands in clear view on the seat back in front of him. At that point the driver put the vehicle in in drive and began to flee the scene. The driver stopped, put the vehicle in reverse and intentionally drove the vehicle directly at one of the officers. The officer took an evasive step to avoid being struck however the driver was able to strike the officer with the vehicle nearly knocking him to the ground. The vehicle and its occupants fled into DC and the officers pursued the suspects' vehicle where it crashed in the area of 14^th and Hamilton Streets, NW. The driver and front seat passenger fled the crash on foot. MPDC air and K-9 units assisted in a search for the driver but he was able to avoid apprehension and remains at large. MRPD officers were able to apprehend the passenger and a search of the backpack he was carrying revealed that he was in possession of approximately 184 grams of marijuana individually packaged for distribution. MPDC officers took custody of the front seat passenger pending CDS distribution charges and extradition back to Maryland. The two rear seat passengers were also detained by MPDC pending similar charges. Once identified the driver will be charged with a variety of offenses including felony assault on a police officer. The suspect's vehicle was seized and will be processed for evidence. PGPD detectives were notified and will be assisting in the investigation. The MRPD officer who was struck sustained minor injuries only and did not require medical attention.​

April 9^th:

3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue: Criminal citation – 12:25am. Officers issued a man a criminal citation for drinking in public.

4300 block of 28^th Place: Stolen auto – 10:05am. The owner of a 1997 Dodge told officers that he left his vehicle running while visiting a friend in the friend's apartment. When he came back to his vehicle he discovered it had been stolen. No evidence or witnesses were located.

2500 block of Queens Chapel Road: M/V collision/vehicle impound – 1:05pm. Officers impounded a 1996 Honda after it had been involved in a hit and run collision where it struck a 2015 Dodge. Attempts to locate the driver of the striking vehicle were negative.

3700 block of 35^th Street: Theft – 10:15pm. Officers interviewed the homeowner who had rented a room to a man whom she wanted evicted. She was advised that this was a landlord/tenant civil matter and that she had to give the man a 30-day notice to vacate. The homeowner then reported that she suspected that the man stole $50 from her room which he denied. The homeowner was advised of her options with a District Court Commissioner.

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.

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