washingtonpost.com - Washington D.C. Area Crime News

West Coast Gangs Are Making Inroads

Avis Thomas-Lester — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The emergence of Bloods and Crips, gangs that originated on the West Coast and are establishing themselves in the Washington area, has contributed to several homicides in Prince George's County this year and has become a growing concern in the District, law enforcement officials said.

Board Recommends Devices in City Cruisers

Paul Duggan — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The board that handles complaints about D.C police misconduct urged city officials yesterday to begin installing video cameras in police cruisers, an expensive project that the department said it intends to gradually undertake as money becomes available.

Teen Convicted in Attack in Which Boy's Teeth Were Punched Out

Tom Jackman — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The first of two Fairfax County teenagers charged with punching out the teeth of a 14-year-old McLean boy in a highly publicized Christmas Eve attack was convicted yesterday by a Fairfax jury of misdemeanor assault and battery.

Police Shootings Cause Alarm

Aaron C. Davis — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Prince George's County police have shot and killed more than twice as many people this year as in all of last year and more than in any year since before 2004, when allegations of excessive force led federal authorities to begin monitoring the department.

Driver Won't ID Gunmen In Slaying Near School

Ruben Castaneda — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The state's key witness in the trial of a man charged in the January slaying of an 18-year-old student in Prince George's County testified yesterday that he did not remember who fired during the drive-by shooting, disavowing earlier sworn statements that implicated two of his friends.

77 Arrested In Probe of Drug Deals In District

Clarence Williams — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Authorities announced yesterday the arrests of 77 people suspected of selling or supplying drugs in the Trinidad section of Northeast Washington.

Jury: D.C. Man Not Guilty in Blacksburg Shooting

The Associated Press — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:17:00 EDT

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (AP) -- A jury has found a former Virginia Tech student not guilty of shooting into the apartment of cornerback Victor Harris.

DISTRICT BRIEFING

Post — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A former D.C. tax office employee pleaded guilty yesterday to a fraud charge in a scam that cost the D.C. government about $184,000, prosecutors said.

23-Year Veteran Charged With Theft, Falsifying Time Sheets

Keith L. Alexander — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Federal prosecutors have charged a D.C. police officer with stealing more than $178,000 from the city by falsely claiming that she worked overtime to catch speeders.

Burglaries, Larcenies Lift Fairfax Crime Rate

Tom Jackman — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Crime in Fairfax County, which rose for the first time in six years in 2007, increased 12 percent in the first six months of this year, driven largely by big leaps in burglaries and larcenies, Fairfax police said yesterday.

Teacher Gave Kids Drugs, Police Say

Katherine Shaver and Sarah Marston — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The students who put together the 2007 yearbook at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville dubbed Theresa C. Duarte "the coolest woman alive."

Armed Assailant Was Shot By Police

Dan Morse — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Montgomery County police said yesterday that an armed assailant killed his former girlfriend and was fatally shot by police at her home outside Gaithersburg, the first account of what happened in the shooting Saturday night.

Woman Killed in Langley Park Hit-and-Run

Debbi Wilgoren — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:40:58 EDT

A female pedestrian crossing University Boulevard in Langley Park was killed early this morning when she was struck by a vehicle that then drove away, police said.

Teen's Gunplay Believed Cause Of Girl's Death

Hamil R. Harris — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Police said yesterday that they believe a 12-year-old girl who was fatally shot Saturday night at a home in Prince George's County was hit accidentally by a 14-year-old relative playing with a shotgun.

Gunman, Hostage Slain in Standoff

Steve Hendrix — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A police standoff involving an armed man and a hostage, who was a teacher at the Beauvoir School in the District and apparently his estranged girlfriend, ended with the two of them fatally shot in her Montgomery Village home this weekend, Montgomery County police said yesterday.

A Chronic Criminal Dies, a Stranger to His Children

Paul Duggan — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The three siblings, all grown now, rode up from South Carolina to bury a stranger yesterday, their father. Crack took hold of Nolan T. Cooper nearly 20 years ago, when his son and daughters were little. He left his family for the streets, and they never saw him again alive.

Under Pressure

Post — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Cathy Lanier's imrobable journey from troubled teen mom to D.C. police chief

Many Officials Reluctant to Help Arrest Immigrants

Pamela Constable — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Although law enforcement agencies in Prince William and Frederick counties have agreed to help federal authorities enforce immigration laws, officials in many other parts of the country remain reluctant to do so, saying they fear losing the trust of immigrant communities and worry about being...

Driver Gets 5 Years in Crash That Injured 4 Children

Matt Zapotosky — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A hit-and-run driver who plowed into a group of children at a La Plata bus stop in June 2007, injuring four, was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison, the maximum available under a plea agreement she reached with prosecutors.

2 Men Get More Than 20 Years in Robbery, Shooting

Keith L. Alexander — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Two Brooklyn, N.Y., men were sentenced to more than 20 years in prison yesterday in the 2006 robbery, kidnapping and shooting of a Georgetown jeweler.

2 Sentenced in Child Pornography Cases

Jerry Markon — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A former U.S. diplomat was sentenced to 20 years in prison yesterday, and a former Prince William County middle school teacher received a 15-year prison term as federal prosecutors continued a high-profile crackdown on child pornography.

Montgomery Father Tries to Plead Guilty; Exam Ordered

Dan Morse — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Montgomery County man accused of drowning his three children in a Baltimore hotel bathtub said in court yesterday that he wants to plead guilty, part of his persistent, teary-eyed and at times rude remarks during a pretrial hearing that prompted a judge to order him examined to determine whether...

Man Pleads Guilty in Money Laundering Plot

AP — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EDT

BALTIMORE -- The U.S. Attorney's office says a Pakistani national living in Washington and Maryland has pleaded guilty a money laundering plot and concealing terrorist financing.

A Chilling Self-Portrait Emerges in Drownings

Dan Morse — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Montgomery County man accused of drowning his three children one by one in a Baltimore hotel bathtub this year has told investigators that he used a stopwatch to time their 10-minute submersions and that the two older children, ages 4 and 6, struggled as he held them underwater, according to ...

Man Remains Jailed in Girl's Strangling

Keith L. Alexander — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A D.C. Superior Court judge yesterday ordered a District man to remain in custody in connection with the July 29 strangulation of his 12-year-old stepdaughter.

MARYLAND BRIEFING

Post — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A suspect wanted in connection with a recent slaying in Silver Spring has been taken into custody by authorities in Texas, Montgomery County police said yesterday.

Assistant Principal Charged With Child Pornography

Brigid Schulte — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

An assistant principal at Freedom High School in South Riding was arrested yesterday and charged with possession of child pornography.

Judge Won't Move Trial For Stevens To Alaska

Del Quentin Wilber — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A federal judge ruled yesterday that Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) will face trial in Washington next month, denying the senator's request to have the case transferred to his home state.

Prosecutors Say Man Is Getaway Driver

Matt Zapotosky — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In the first two days of William Coates's murder trial, prosecutors made no attempt to prove he fired the shots that killed Joseph G. Hickman as he sat on a friend's porch in Waldorf in October.

'Stop Snitching' Cameraman Gets 30 Years for Drug, Gun Crimes

Henri E. Cauvin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A Maryland man who helped make the infamous "Stop Snitching" DVD in Baltimore was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison on federal drug and gun charges.

Pr. William Inmate Caught After Brief Escape

The Associated Press — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:40:00 EDT

MANASSAS, Va. (AP) -- Prince William County police say an inmate escaped briefly as he was taken to court.

Witnesses Dispute Police Account Of Fatal Prince George's Shooting

Ruben Castaneda and James Hohmann — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Prince George's County officials assured Latino leaders yesterday that police will fully investigate Saturday's fatal shooting of a Langley Park man by a county police officer, as two witnesses said the off-duty officer beat the unarmed man with a baton before firing a bullet into his torso.

Defusing Crises Never-Ending Job For Safety Chief In Pr. George's

Avis Thomas-Lester — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

As Prince George's County police Chief Melvin C. High delivered his resignation speech two weeks ago, Vernon Herron thought to himself: What next?

Va. DNA Project Is In Uncharted Territory

Maria Glod — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

After Eva King Jones, 88, was raped and killed in her small-town Virginia home, a local man was accused and convicted. Now, 33 years later, police say newly discovered DNA evidence has led to the arrest of someone else.

Death Count Is High At Pr. George's Jail

Debbie Cenziper and Ruben Castaneda — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Sixteen inmates have died while in custody at the troubled Prince George's County Correctional Center in recent years, nearly half from homicides and suicides, putting the jail's mortality rate above those in many big cities, state and federal records show.

Rise in Metal Prices Fuels Spate of Catalytic Converter Thefts

Carol Hutchinson — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

There's something under your car that's worth its weight in platinum, and thieves want it. It's your catalytic converter.

Man Found With Gun, Bomb Near Capitol Gets 22 Years

Keith L. Alexander — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A Virginia man convicted of carrying a loaded shotgun near the Capitol and stashing explosives in a pickup was sentenced yesterday to 22 years in prison.

Police Are Seeking Escaped Teenager

Paul Duggan — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

D.C. police are looking for a "dangerous" 17-year-old who authorities said escaped while being transferred from the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to a secure treatment facility outside Washington.

Man Charged With Threatening Political Leaders

Katherine Shaver — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A former federal government lawyer from Gaithersburg has been arrested on charges of making threats against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D), Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.).

MARYLAND BRIEFING

Post — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Charles County officials are warning residents to stay away from water in the Potomac River and Mattawoman Creek that may be contaminated with toxic, brightly colored algae.

Area Police Chase and Arrest Four In Wheaton Robbery, Carjacking

James Hohmann — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A police chase that started in Montgomery County late Tuesday night wound through Prince George's County and into the District, ending when officers arrested four young men wanted in connection with a carjacking in Wheaton, police said.

Girlfriend Recounts Stabbing of Boyfriend

Tom Jackman — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Fawn C. Scott said she thought her boyfriend, Dexter Richardson, was going to kill her, because he had come close before.

MARYLAND BRIEFING

Post — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Police said yesterday that two of three detainees remained at large after a weekend escape from Cheltenham Youth Center in southern Prince George's County.

Anti-Crime Program Enlists Community

Natalie McGill — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

About 20 community volunteers will receive portable radios under the Cheverly Watch program, which will allow residents to report crime directly to police officers.

'Remorseful' Friend of Accused Ringleader Pleads Guilty

Del Quentin Wilber — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A former friend of the woman at the center of the D.C. tax scandal pleaded guilty yesterday to charges stemming from her participation in a scheme that authorities allege siphoned nearly $50 million from the District government.

Police Turn to Secret Weapon: GPS Device

Ben Hubbard — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Someone was attacking women in Fairfax County and Alexandria, grabbing them from behind and sometimes punching and molesting them before running away. After logging 11 cases in six months, police finally identified a suspect.

Woman Sentenced in Bribery Scam to Sell Driver's Licenses

Del Quentin Wilber — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A 35-year-old restaurant owner and mother of four children was sentenced to two years in federal prison yesterday for bribing a District government employee as part of a scam that allowed dozens of people to illegally obtain D.C. driver's licenses.

Leesburg Police Seek Masked Assailant

Jonathan Mummolo — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A man wearing a black ski mask has assaulted women in their Leesburg homes over the past three months, police said yesterday.

Soccer Camp Coach Charged With Abuse Of 12-Year-Old Girl

Dan Morse — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Montgomery County police charged a soccer camp coach with sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl and said yesterday that they want to hear from anyone with information about the suspect during the approximately 10 years he has run the camp.

Va. Court Grants First-Ever Innocence Writ

Maria Glod — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A Virginia man found guilty of illegally possessing a gun is the first person exonerated by a 2004 state law that allows convicts to try to prove their innocence by presenting new, non-DNA evidence to a court.

Murder Trial Starts for Woman Who Stabbed Boyfriend in Dispute

Tom Jackman — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Two key questions remain unanswered about the last hour of Dexter O. Richardson's life:

Woman Indicted in Standoff at Doctor's Home

Jonathan Mummolo — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A woman who blamed her doctor for her son's cerebral palsy was indicted yesterday by a Loudoun County grand jury on charges of breaking into his Leesburg home, abducting him and his wife and using a firearm, the county's chief prosecutor said.

VIRGINIA BRIEFING

Post — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A Loudoun County grand jury indicted a mother and daughter yesterday on murder charges in the slaying of a relative in her Leesburg home last month, the chief prosecutor said.

REGIONAL BRIEFING

Post — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Prince George's County liquor board has turned over documents to federal investigators exploring state Sen. Ulysses Currie's consulting work for the Shoppers Food and Pharmacy chain.

Killer of 2 Women In Flower Shop Gets Life in Prison

Ruben Castaneda — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A young man convicted of brutally killing two elderly women in a Suitland flower shop in a robbery that netted $60 was sentenced yesterday to two terms of life in prison without parole plus 40 years.

MS-13 Leader Found Guilty in Md. Case

Henri E. Cauvin — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A reputed leader of the MS-13 street gang was found guilty yesterday of participating in a murderous conspiracy that used violence and intimidation to entrench the gang's power in Maryland.

Toilet Waste Found In 4 Mile Run Again

Maria Glod — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Arlington County officials are warning residents to stay out of Four Mile Run, a popular waterway where people fish, wade and let their dogs romp, because it has been contaminated with waste from a portable toilet for the second time in as many weeks.

Pr. George's Police Arrest 2 In Marijuana-Shipping Plot

Rosalind S. Helderman and Aaron C. Davis — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Prince George's County police announced yesterday that they have arrested a deliveryman and another man who they say are involved in a scheme to smuggle marijuana by shipping packages addressed to unsuspecting recipients, including a delivery last week to the wife of the mayor of Berwyn Heights.

Catching a Few Thieves Along With the Waves

Tom Jackman — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Sometimes, old guys do rule. And people who steal surfboards drool. Dude.