The following crimes were reported in downtown Silver Spring between Jun 2 and Jun 11, 2008, according to the MoCo PD’s third district.
- Jun 4, between 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. A 13-year-old girl walking near Spring Street and Georgia Avenue was grabbed from behind, pulled into a nearby vacant house and sexually assaulted. Three suspects were described: one black man and two Hispanic men, all in their early 20s, about six feet tall and weighing 150 to 170 pounds.
- Jun 5 at 7:10 p.m. A person (the PD doesn’t mention gender) was followed into the restroom inside Baja Fresh (8515 Fenton St) and was robbed. Two black men in their late teens or early 20s were suspected of the crime. Each was six feet tall and between 160 and 180 pounds.
- Jun 6 at 6:15 a.m. Two men beat and attempted to rob another man walking near Newell and Kennett streets. The suspects are black, in their 20s and about six feet tall.
- Jun 8 at 12:50 a.m. Five teenaged suspects — three boys and two girls, all black – approached and robbed a person (gender not identified) of property on the 1100 block of Wayne Avenue.
- Jun 9 at 2:20 a.m. Two men approached a victim (gender not identified) at Georgia and Silver Spring avenues, asked for a cigarette and flashed a small knife. It’s unclear if the suspects — both black men in their mid to late 20s, from 5-feet-10 to 6 feet tall, between 160 and 180 pounds — stole anything.
- Jun 10 at 2:25 a.m. A man sitting at a bus stop near the Silver Spring Metro station was approached by two teens, who tried to take his iPod. The victim took off and found police officers. The suspects — two boys, both black — were arrested nearby.
Four vehicles were stolen during the same time period: two Dodge Caravan mini-vans, and two Dodge Ram pickup trucks.
Lead image courtesy of Flickr user ZoofyTheJinx.
August 21, 2008
12 Comments at "Crime scene: Silver Spring"
What the fuck?!? Talk about a rainbow buzz kill.
Those are all terrible, especially the sexual assault on that young woman, but I cannot believe the brazneness of those robbers inside the Baja Fresh. That happened on a Thursday night during dinner hour! The place must have been full of people.
Unreal.
Well I don’t meany any harm, all crime is bad, but why would you sit at a bus stop in sketchy silver spring metro with an ipod at 2:25am? That guy who walked into the Baja Fresh bathroom must have been drapped in jewels for people to follow him in there, I mean really, who robs someone at a Baja Fresh? May be one of those sketchy low foot traffic bathrooms in Shitty Place, if your walking in those bathrooms, your asking for TROUBLE!
Please let’s not blame the victims. None of us knows the circumstances, not about the Baja customer, the Metro sitter, and not about the 13 year old. What did they do to become crime victims, besides be in public?
How about a discussion on getting a stronger police presence out there to arrest the bad guys, instead of trying to figure out how the victims caused themselves to get jumped?
It is absolutely deplorable that the sexual assualt happened on an area full of foot and car traffic in the middle of rush hour. Right across the street from Woodside Park, full of families and kids on a daily basis. Really, the cost of living demanded by this area has to come with an increased police presence at some point. It is ridiculous that Silver Spring can make strides in so many other areas and yet still such brazen crimes are happening.
“That guy who walked into the Baja Fresh bathroom must have been drapped in jewels for people to follow him in there” Um, have you walked around DTSS lately? As this crime (and honestly, every other one on here) shows, most of these crimes are being committed by teens and young adults. Not to counter one stereotype with another, but the unruly teens stories in SS are more fact than fiction. Just ask Springfield Roader about his neighborh who got jumped near the Whole foods parking lot.
Editor’s note: This comment has been deleted. — JD (Jun 24, 2008)
Definitely not disagreeing that he may have looked like he had deep pockets. I’m just saying there’s also the possibility that given the brazen nature of the crime, he might have just been an average joe that the kids were behind in line.
Definitely agree that jumping someone in Baja Fresh is stupid. Definitely also agree that although it is sad, you really shouldn’t be sitting at a metro station at 2 a.m. by yourself with an ipod out.
Thanks Easley we are on the same page. Finally someone agrees with me about the absent minded 2:35am Ipod jammer!
But yea I have noticed that the teens around downtown silver spring are getting ridicules and its always been that way. It was worse before the revitalization and most of these kids are not even from here. Some from wheaton and some from the city and yes a few from here. They come in all colors and backgrounds so I am not stereotyping. But these kids may need something to do. Which is why we need that Civic Center as soon as possible, what’s the damn hold up Mo County? That green turf and sometimes closed off fenton street area only makes it worse.
Ever try going out on a date on a friday night in DTSS? Its impossible. You’re deep conversation will be interrupted by skateboarders flying toward your interlocked hands, profanities being screamed and mysterious activies going on around the green carpet by the brick wall that have your date paranoid.
A few points. First, the guy who was mugged at 2 in the morning might have been a night shift worker dragging his tired ass home, no IPod or anything else, just a guy who needs to take the metro and bus to get to and from his job. Maybe he has no choice, given the lousy economy and other factors. He knows he has a dangerous commute, right? It’s usually the poorest and most vulnerable who are the victims of these sorts of street crimes.
If bored kids feel a need to assault and rob people, I have an activity for them: breaking rocks on the prison grounds.
I was assaulted two years ago by a group of teens at the perimeter of the Whole Foods parking lot midweek around 7:30 p.m. I wasn’t hurt, I stood my ground, and fortunately they went away without attacking me en masse, which would have really ruined my night.
Several months ago my neighbor was assaulted a block away from the Whole Foods lot about two months ago. He ended up in the hospital, and they stole his IPod and wallet. Maybe his attackers were more hardcore than mine, maybe he made a more inviting target — who kows.
The bottom line is that nobody deserves to be a crime victim, that sometimes you can’t avoid it, but environmental awareness and common sense can go a long way toward avoiding being a victim. So can carrying weapons of various sorts, but that’s another discussion.
Yeesh! I wish this message board had an edit feature!
I’m cutting you off, Isayaah. You’ve had enough (as has everyone else).
I’m really glad the Penguin publishes this information. I used to try to get crime info from the Gazette. And it was there, but it just never seemed very useful or timely. I’m happy I can get this info somewhere.
Holler back.