MARYLAND BRIEFING

Monday, August 14, 2006

GERMANTOWN

Body, Car Found in Lake

A car drove into a lake in Germantown last night, and rescue workers recovered a body about two hours later, authorities said.

About 9:20 p.m., divers found the car in about 25 feet of water in Lake Churchill, said Pete Piringer, a spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. About an hour earlier, police had received calls from witnesses who reported seeing the car head into the lake.

Divers found the body about 10:20 p.m. Piringer said rescue workers planned to resume the search this morning to determine whether anyone else was in the car. He said investigators were trying to determine whether the driver accidentally drove into the lake or did so intentionally.

-- Allan Lengel

SANDY POINT STATE PARK

Water at Beaches Unsafe

Anne Arundel County Health Department officials urged swimmers, water-skiers and other water enthusiasts yesterday to avoid direct water contact at the east and south beaches of Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis.

The agency found high levels of bacteria in water samples collected Saturday and will keep the advisory in place until further notice. The advisory does not extend to picnicking and boating activities at the beaches.

Those who come in contact with the water should immediately wash with soap and warm water, and fish and crabs should be cooked properly to kill bacteria, officials said.

This is the second health advisory for the two Sandy Point beaches in the past two weeks.

-- Shearon Roberts

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Body Is Pulled From Pool

Prince George's County police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in the swimming pool of a Fort Washington area home yesterday morning. Investigators said it appears the woman drowned.

A police spokeswoman said a resident of the home in the 100 block of West Farmington Road called authorities about 8:30 a.m. to report the incident. The woman's body was pulled from the water, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The resident told authorities that he knew the woman, Cpl. Diane Richardson said. The woman's body was taken to the Maryland medical examiner's office in Baltimore to determine the cause of death.

Her name is being withheld until relatives are notified.

-- Associated Press

TAKOMA PARK

Teen Charged in Fires

A Takoma Park teenager has been charged in connection with several fires that destroyed at least three vehicles in Takoma Park over the weekend. The incidents began early Saturday morning when firefighters were called to fight five small fires over a period of several hours.

Another car fire occurred about 4:15 a.m. yesterday in the 400 block of Beech Avenue.

Yesterday afternoon, investigators got a tip from a resident that led to the arrest of a 16-year-old.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer said the teenager is charged with three counts of arson, five counts of attempted arson and six counts of malicious burning.

-- Associated Press