Editor’s note: This story, published at 3:10 p.m. on Sept. 9, 2024, was updated at 3:40 p.m. on Sept. 9, 2024, to add information from police that the driver has not been charged. It was updated at 5:40 p.m. to include a statement from WSSC Water General Manager and CEO Kishia L. Powell.

A WSSC Water employee has been identified as the victim of the fatal pedestrian collision that occurred early Sunday in Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County police.

Ernest Joseph Dyson, 39, of Clinton was working when he was struck by a driver of a black 2011 Volkswagen CC at the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and Rodney Road, police said Monday in a statement. WSSC Water provides water and wastewater services to customers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, according to its website.

WSSC Water General Manager and CEO Kishia L. Powell said in a statement Monday afternoon that the WSSC Water organization was “heartbroken and honestly still in shock” following news of Dyson’s death.

According to Powell, Dyson, who worked at WSSC Water for 18 years, was responding to a water main break in Silver Spring when he was fatally struck early Sunday.

“This is a sad reminder of the risks our front-line water heroes face in service to our 1.9 million customers,” Powell said. “…Ernest was the embodiment of professionalism and public service … [and] a dedicated and highly respected member of the Utility Services Department.”

Powell said that the WSSC Water would continue to support Dyson’s family and team following the “senseless tragedy.”

At approximately 4:40 a.m. officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews responded to the scene of the collision for a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, police said. The collision occurred in the Hillandale neighborhood of Silver Spring near Hillandale Local Park.

An investigation revealed the driver of the vehicle was allegedly “intoxicated” and traveling southbound on New Hampshire Avenue when the collision occurred, according to police.

Dyson was pronounced dead at the scene. The adult driver was uninjured, according to a police statement issued Sunday.

The driver of the vehicle has not been charged, police spokesperson Casandra Tresler said in an email Monday.

Tresler said that the department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit “thoroughly investigates” fatal collision cases and investigations can take up to eight weeks to complete. When the investigation is complete, the case is presented to the State’s Attorney’s Office for review and the potential determination of charges.

Detectives are asking those who may have witnessed the collision to call 240-773-6620. The investigation is active and ongoing.

WSSC Water did not immediately respond to MoCo360’s email and phone call requests for comment Monday afternoon.

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Montgomery County police and firefighters responded to a fire in a furniture store on Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring on Saturday night and officers found an injured woman nearby. [DC News Now]

Marriott taps retired Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce as ‘Fanbassador’

Bethesda-based Marriott International Inc. has hired retired Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce to serve as its “Fanbassador,” helping to pitch its Courtyard brand and customer loyalty program. [Washington Business Journal]

Runners take off in Parks Half Marathon

A Pennsylvania man and a woman from Washington, D.C., were the winners of Sunday’s annual Parks Half Marathon in Montgomery County, which started at the Redland Metro stop and wound through parts of Rock Creek Park. [WTOP]

Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 77

In case you missed it:

Touchdown: Girls flag football debuts in Montgomery County

Pedestrian killed in Silver Spring collision

Man to serve 30 years in prison for Rockville shootout

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A Silver Spring man is facing a murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting on Labor Day of another man in downtown Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County police.

Jeriel Demitri Martin, 33, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony/violent crime in the Sept. 2 death of Jamar Emmanuel Jenifer, 34, of Washington, D.C., police said Saturday in a statement.   

On Sept. 2, officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews responded at about 9:42 a.m. to the 8000 block of 13th Street, which is about a block from the county line with Washington, D.C., and found Jenifer suffering from gunshot wounds, according to police.

Despite lifesaving efforts, Jenifer was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. 

Martin was identified as a suspect during an investigation, according to Saturday’s statement. He was arrested after detectives executed a search and seizure warrant at his home and recovered “items of evidentiary value connecting him” to the shooting.

Martin was transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit in Rockville where he is being held without bond, the statement said.

Online court records for Martin were unavailable Sunday.

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A man was killed when he was struck by a vehicle early Sunday in Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County police.

Officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews responded shortly after 4:30 a.m. to a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle in the area of New Hampshire Avenue and Rodney Road, police said Sunday morning in a statement. 

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said. The adult driver of the vehicle was uninjured.  

No information about how the collision occurred was provided.

Police are investigating the collision and will provide the name of the pedestrian following the proper notification of next of kin, the statement said.

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A 21-year-old man is expected to serve 30 years in prison for his involvement in a shooting in a Rockville neighborhood in March 2023, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Callen Baker of Jefferson, Maryland, was sentenced Friday to 400 years in prison with all but 30 years suspended plus five years of supervised probation upon release by Montgomery County  Circuit Court Judge Marielsa Bernard, who also recommended Baker be admitted to the Patuxent Youthful Offenders Program while incarcerated, the state’s attorney’s office said Friday in a statement.

In May, a Circuit Court jury convicted Baker of 18 counts of first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, use of a firearm in commission of a crime of violence and reckless endangerment. Baker’s co-conspirator, Zachary Ciccantelli, 24, of Rockville was convicted of the same charges. Ciccantelli faces sentencing Sept. 13.

According to authorities, Baker and Ciccantelli arrived at the Fireside Park apartment complex in the 700 block of Monroe Street around 3:45 p.m. on March 1, 2023, and Ciccantelli opened fire on a group of people recording a music video. Baker provided Ciccantelli with the handgun and drove the getaway vehicle. Several of the males involved in the music video fired back and multiple bullets struck occupied apartment buildings in the neighborhood.

During an investigation, county police recovered more than 20 shell casings and one privately manufactured firearm from the scene.

Video collected by police from a nearby doorbell camera and a Montgomery County Public Schools bus captured the altercation as one person fled the shooting and Baker and Ciccantelli escaped in a getaway car, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

“If you’re willing to engage in this type of activity you belong in jail, and for a long time. There was zero regard for the innocent lives in close proximity to the reckless gunfire. We thank the judge for this sentence, which should send a clear message that this terrifying behavior will not be tolerated,” State’s Attorney John McCarthy said in the statement.

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A Silver Spring man was charged this week with negligent manslaughter and other offenses in connection with an April 2023 collision in Gaithersburg that killed another driver, according to Montgomery County police.

Kenneth R. McFadden Baldwin, 34, was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury and arrested Tuesday on a warrant charging him with negligent manslaughter by vehicle, gross negligence and criminally negligent manslaughter by vehicle, police said Friday in a statement. He was released from the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit in Rockville on an unsecured personal bond. Legal representation for McFadden Baldwin could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

On April 28, 2023, police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews responded at about 2 a.m. to the intersection of Wightman Road and Aspenwood Lane in Gaithersburg after receiving a report of a two-vehicle collision, the statement said. Detectives concluded that a red Ford tow truck was traveling northbound on Wightman Road when it hit a silver 2021 Nissan Versa heading in the opposite direction and attempting to make a right turn onto Aspenwood Lane.

The driver of the sedan, Juan Antonio Lamas Salcido, 51, of Gaithersburg, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Detectives discovered following an investigation that McFadden Baldwin was allegedly traveling at least 70 mph in a 35 mph zone, according to police.

The post Silver Spring man faces charges in connection with 2023 fatal collision appeared first on MoCo360.

Police are cracking down on speeding cyclists along the Capital Crescent Trail after receiving complaints from pedestrians using the trail. While cyclists going over the 15 mph speed limit are not being cited unless they’re reaching unsafe speeds, police are conducting an education campaign to inform cyclists of the regulations. [NBC4]

Cava founder buys D.C. mansion

Cava CEO Brett Schulman and chief concept officer Ted Xenohristos have sold roughly $45 million worth of stock since late June. Montgomery County native Xenohristos used over $8.6 million of that money to buy a new mansion on Hawthorne Street NW in D.C. [Washington Business Journal]

Solaire Social to host presidential debate watch party, Ravens events

The Solaire Social food hall in downtown Silver Spring has a packed fall schedule. The new spot will be hosting watch parties for the presidential debate, Baltimore Ravens football games and the premiere of the new Dancing With The Stars season. The showings will be accompanied by special food and beverage deals. [Source of the Spring]

Today’s weather

Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

In case you missed it…

Hidden history: How Montgomery County is recognizing local LGBTQ+ trailblazers 

MCPS, county police to focus on school safety collaboration

Montgomery County’s music, art and theater will keep you entertained this fall

The post Police enforcing Capital Crescent Trail speed limits for cyclists appeared first on MoCo360.

This story, published at 4:53 p.m. Sept. 5, 2024, was updated at 8:55 p.m. to provide more information about the incident and to clarify where it occurred.

Two Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students were arrested Tuesday following a shooting in the Wheaton-Glenmont area that did not result in any injuries, according to county police and school officials.  

The two boys, ages 15 and 13, are “being charged with multiple charges of first-degree assault” following a shooting in the 2300 block of Glenmont Circle, police said Thursday night in a statement.

On Wednesday, the principals of three nearby schools–Odessa Shannon Middle School and John F. Kennedy and Wheaton high schools–sent a community letter concerning the incident. According to the letter, police made the principals aware Wednesday of a “serious incident” that had occurred Tuesday near the schools. 

According to Montgomery County police, officers responded shortly after 3:30 p.m. to a report of a shooting in progress.

Detectives determined the two students were involved in a confrontation with several other juveniles during which “a handgun was displayed,” police said in the statement. The juveniles “ran away and the suspects chased after them.” 

A short time later, the 15-year-old suspect shot at the occupants of a vehicle in the area of the 2300 block of Glenmont Circle, police said. The two occupants were not injured. Shell casings were recovered from the scene.

The two suspects are in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Services, police said.

Neither the police statement nor the community letter identified the students or said which school they attended.  

The community letter did note that an “investigation and any resulting actions are a police matter, not a school disciplinary matter,” as defined by a memorandum of understanding between MCPS and county police.

MCPS can’t share additional information due to student privacy laws, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), according to the letter.  

“While this may understandably pose frustrations, particularly in contexts where transparency is desired, it’s crucial to recognize that these regulations are in place to uphold the safety and privacy rights of all students, even those who may be subjects of a criminal investigation,” the letter said.  

In the letter, the principals asked families to “reinforce at home that violence is not ever a good choice to resolve conflict; students should reach out to a trusted adult at home or in school to seek help resolving conflict.” 

The post Two MCPS students arrested in connection with Wheaton-Glenmont shooting appeared first on MoCo360.

Editor’s note: This story, published at 3:55 p.m. Sept. 5, 2024, was updated at 10:03 a.m. Sept. 6, 2024, to provide more information about the incident.

A man who barricaded himself Thursday in a vacant Chevy Chase house during an alleged burglary has been taken into custody, according to the Montgomery County division of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police.  

Park police posted on social media that officers responded at roughly 9:47 a.m. to the 5300 block of Willard Avenue in Chevy Chase for reports of a burglary at a vacant house on park property. Willard Avenue is next to Willard Avenue Neighborhood Park.  

An individual armed with a knife was found inside and he ultimately barricaded himself in the home, according to park police. Park police identified the man as 66-year-old Jose Angel Diaz-Vasquez on Thursday night. 

According to a statement from park police, Diaz-Vasquez was armed and illegally occupying a vacant park building. When officers attempted to enter the house, the suspect threatened the officers with a knife and refused to vacate the property, park police said in a statement. 

Park police called Montgomery County Police SWAT to the scene, and the suspect was eventually removed from the house and arrested.

At roughly 2:27 p.m., the man was taken into custody without injuries to himself or any officers, park police said on social media.  

No one was injured in the incident, and police are still investigating what occurred. 

This story will be updated as more information becomes available. 

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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and county police plan to focus more on communication and collaboration when addressing school safety, according to district and police officials.  

With new MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor making safety the district’s “No. 1 priority,” former police Chief Marcus Jones, who’s now serving as the head of security and compliance for the school system, said he’s developing a culture that requires all employees to focus on keeping schools safe.  

“It’s more than just the security team and the police department providing those [safety nets],” Jones said Wednesday during the county government’s weekly press briefing. “And so we have this … motto that says, ‘It’s my job, it’s your job, it’s our job. We’re all in this together.’”  

Acting Assistant Chief David McBain said communication is an “overwhelming positive” for the police and the school system going into the new year. McBain said the police department has met with Jones and Taylor, as well as meeting with athletic coordinators to address safety at sporting events.  

The 2023-2024 school year faced several safety issues, including numerous bomb threats, a Paint Branch High School student charged for on-campus gun possession and brawls breaking out at football games.  

“We’re coordinating our efforts to just provide a safe school year for our kids, but inside the school, outside the school, around the schools, and obviously, to provide safe routes to school,” McBain said. 

One example of communication that McBain highlighted is when the police department releases information about potential concerns, such as when incidents happen off campus that might impact the school day, to MCPS soon after receiving it regardless of the time of day. McBain said this helps give schools time to prepare to handle a potential incident.   

While the district is planning to implement some security measures such as installing vape detectors, making the wearing of student IDs mandatory and reforming the way serious incidents are reported, others, such as the operation of the Community Engagement Officer (CEO) program, are just getting clarified. Determining whether the district should install weapons detectors is also in the very early stages of exploration, Jones said, noting security staff will be more visible to address drug-related concerns.  

Jones has said there’s confusion surrounding the CEO program, in which police officers are assigned to high school clusters, but don’t patrol within schools. Instead of changing the program this school year, officials are clarifying expectations. McBain said officers won’t be patrolling hallways but will use offices in high schools to be available to staff and students when needed. There are 21 CEOs assigned to high school clusters and the police department is actively filling another position, he said.  

In addition to the 21 CEOs, MCPS has more than 280 security staff, plus counseling staff and principals, to address safety concerns.  

Before the school year began Aug. 26, CEOs and MCPS security staff trained together to ensure that everyone understood their roles within the school system, Jones said. He also noted there are 70 principals who are in their first or second year as leaders who will be given assistance to understand the different roles between CEOs and security staff as well.   

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