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

MARYLAND BRIEFING

Post — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A legislative panel yesterday questioned whether Maryland taxpayers are getting their money's worth from the state's police helicopter fleet, which transports 4,500 patients a year to trauma centers that release half of them within 24 hours.

Abramoff Gets Reduced Sentence of Four Years in Prison

Del Quentin Wilber and Carrie Johnson — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Jack Abramoff, the powerhouse Washington lobbyist who admitted running a wide-ranging corruption scheme that ensnared lawmakers, Capitol Hill aides and government officials, yesterday received a reduced sentence of four years in prison because of his cooperation with federal investigators.

Woman's Body Found Tied Up In Montgomery

Dan Morse — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The body of a 63-year-old woman was discovered bound in her Bethesda home yesterday, and police were investigating whether her death is linked to recent attacks in which elderly victims in affluent areas have been tied up and their homes burglarized.

Killing of Mayor's 2 Dogs Justified, Pr. George's Finds

Rosalind S. Helderman and Aaron C. Davis — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Prince George's County Sheriff's Office has concluded in an internal review that its deputies were justified when they shot and killed two dogs belonging to the mayor of Berwyn Heights during a July drug raid, Sheriff Michael Jackson said yesterday.

Department Clears Officers in Fatal Shooting of Teen

Paul Duggan — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

D.C. police said yesterday that they have finished an internal investigation into the shooting of 14-year-old DeOntÃ© Rawlings last year and cleared the two officers involved of wrongdoing in the youth's death, saying "the use of force in this case was both justified and within department policy."

Baby Boy Is Fatally Shot, Father Injured in Suitland

Petula Dvorak and Clarence Williams — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

An 8-month-old boy strapped in a car seat in a minivan was killed last night when someone shot the infant's father in the parking lot of a Prince George's County apartment building, officials said.

Remembering the Promise Of Gridiron's Proud No. 4

Clarence Williams — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Seventeen-year-old Ralph Hodge Jr. loved football. The Southeast Washington teenager starred on the Marshall Heights youth team that won a national tournament two years ago in Florida, drawing acclaim and a mention on ESPN as a running back and linebacker.

Lawyer Pleads Guilty in Metropolitan Money Store Scheme

Henri E. Cauvin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A lawyer who was charged with participating in the Metropolitan Money Store mortgage foreclosure scheme pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, the U.S. attorney's office in Maryland said.

Prince George's Killing, Apparently Planned, Opens Host of Mysteries

Aaron C. Davis — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Kanika Powell suspected something when the man knocked on her door claiming to be an FBI agent. He held a badge up to her peephole but walked away when Powell refused to open up without seeing a photo ID.

Robbery Case Might Hinge on Saliva

Matt Zapotosky — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In a small La Plata courtroom yesterday, spit took center stage.

2 Testify to Grand Jury In Currie Investigation

Rosalind S. Helderman — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The chairman of the Prince George's County liquor board appeared yesterday before a federal grand jury investigating state Sen. Ulysses Currie, an indication that prosecutors are presenting witnesses to a grand jury considering allegations against the powerful senator.

DNA Collection Rules Criticized

Lisa Rein — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Leading black lawmakers and civil rights activists accused the administration of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) yesterday of reneging on safeguards in a new law that expands police powers to collect DNA samples from crime suspects.

Man Who Hit Trooper Must Aid Safety Drive

Tom Jackman — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A Centreville man who slammed into a parked Virginia State Police car on Interstate 66 in April, severely injuring a trooper, has received an unusual sentence to fit the crime: 45 days in jail and 100 hours helping state police publicize their "Move Over" campaign to remind drivers to steer away ...

Montgomery Father Seeks To Dismiss His Attorney

Dan Morse — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Montgomery County man accused of drowning his three young children in a Baltimore hotel bathtub said in court yesterday that he wanted to dismiss his attorney, the second such request in less than a month.

Loudoun Election Fraud Case Ends With Guilty Plea to Lesser Counts

Sandhya Somashekhar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A Loudoun County judge yesterday dismissed most of the election fraud case against Republican Mark D. Tate after the former state Senate candidate agreed to plead guilty to two lesser violations for failing to file campaign finance statements.

Police Seek Suspect in Fairfax Stabbing

The Associated Press — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:13:00 EDT

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) -- Fairfax County police say they are searching for a man accused of slaying a woman whose stabbed body was found at her Annandale home.

Fairfax Woman Stabbed to Death

Tom Jackman — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:45:02 EDT

A Fairfax County woman was found stabbed to death in her home just west of Alexandria late last night, and police said this afternoon they are searching for the woman's missing Kia Amanti car.

Man Killed in Manassas Shopping Center

Jonathan Mummolo — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:46:59 EDT

A 24-year-old man was killed early Sunday in the parking lot of a Manassas shopping center, the victim of apparent stab wounds, Manassas police said today.

At the Willard, Tea and Empathy

Michelle Boorstein — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The first time Marita Michael and Michelle Postell hugged, both women were surprised. So was everyone else in the D.C. Superior courtroom, where Postell's son was on trial for killing Michael's.

Bad-Luck Stories Abound On Oddly Named Road

James Hohmann — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In the 8000 block of Good Luck Road, Chessman PeÃ±a's parked truck was struck from behind by a speeding motorist. Twice. The second time, two months after the first, the driver fled the scene.

5 Vehicles Damaged In Chase After Theft

Matt Zapotosky and Martin Weil — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A purse-snatching in Prince George's County touched off a car chase yesterday in which five vehicles were smashed up and three people were taken to a hospital, police and witnesses said.

REGIONAL BRIEFING

Post — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A 28-year old woman who was found shot on Thursday near Laurel died the next day, Prince George's County police said yesterday.

Police Target Student Drug Use

Dan Morse — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

They were just four words typically text-messaged to his cellphone -- "What are the numbers?" -- but to a teenage pot dealer at one of Montgomery County's elite high schools they were part of a code used by students interested in making a buy.

MARYLAND BRIEFING

Post — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A Silver Spring man who was convicted of robbing a Rockville bank last year was sentenced to life in prison yesterday under the federal three-strikes law, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Freed Bowie Man Sues Montgomery

Ruben Castaneda — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A Bowie man acquitted last year in a 1994 slaying in Montgomery County has filed a civil lawsuit accusing police of hiding exculpatory evidence during his first trial, which ended with a conviction that was overturned on appeal.

Wife of MS-13 Leader Given 3 Years in Jail

Henri E. Cauvin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The wife of a convicted MS-13 leader was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for lying to a federal grand jury investigating the gang's slaying of one of its own.

Bouncer at Strip Club Slain

Aaron C. Davis — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A former Marine was fatally shot late Thursday while working as a bouncer outside a Hyattsville strip club, Prince George's County police said yesterday.

Boys Left Alone in Manassas Home, Parents Arrested

Jonathan Mummolo — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Irma Cruz said that when she left for work at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, she thought the babysitter was on the way over to watch her 4- and 5-year-old sons.

Elderly Woman Attacked in Loudoun Home

Martin Weil — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

An elderly woman was attacked in her home in the Sterling area of Loudoun County about midnight Thursday, and authorities were trying to determine whether the incident was connected to earlier reports of prowlers and burglaries in eastern Loudoun.

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...

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.

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?