One man and four teen boys were arrested last week after roaming downtown Silver Spring’s vacant streets and finally stealing a dude’s cell phone.
“The suspects have admitted to numerous other robberies in the CBD [central business district], and it is believed that they were a significant part of the robbery increase” there, Capt Donald Johnson, Silver Spring’s top cop, wrote to anyone and everyone on Silver Spring’s listservs.
According to a police press statement, officers spotted the five-man band hanging out near Second Avenue and Cameron Street at 10:50 p.m. last Monday. Officers watched one of the guys approach another dude on Second Avenue at Leighton Wood Drive while the rest lagged behind. This spooked the dude, and he took off.
Later, cops followed the crew to the Silver Spring post office (8616 Second Ave), where they hid in the bushes. Two dudes walking towards the post office saw the crew in the bushes, rushed to their car and hauled ass.
After a short while, the crew hit the Silver Spring Metro station, where they found an abandoned backpack at a bus shelter. The cops watched as the guys went through the backpack, found what may have been a can of spray paint, then sprayed the word “BLOODZ” on the bus shelter wall.
That’s when the crew spotted a 22-year-old Silver Spring dude walking alone near the Metro station. One suspect came up to the dude and asked to borrow his cell phone. When the dude handed over the phone, the suspect bolted, with the dude chasing after him.
Officers quickly came to the victim’s assistance and were able to bust the crew without a hitch. Johnte Cash Long, age 22, of the 4200 block of Gorman Street SE in The District, was charged with robbery, theft over $500, conspiracy to commit robbery, and conspiracy to commit theft over $500. Long is currently in the joint on $25,000 bond.
The others — one 15-year-old, one 16-year-old and two 17-year-old males — were charged as juveniles with robbery, theft over $500, assault in the second degree, and other related stuff. The press statement does not say whether the kids were in juvie hall, or out on bail.
The arrests come during a recent increase in street robberies and possible gang activity in the area, the press statement reads. More teens have been sporting red “Bloods” gang gear in downtown Silver Spring, and the crew arrested Monday night was rocking red, the press statement says.
While year-over-year rates of burglaries and auto thefts are down in the third police district, robberies and vehicle break-ins are on the rise, top cop Johnson stated on the listservs. Robbery rates increased by 26 percent, while vehicle break-ins jumped by 44 percent, according to Johnson’s numbers.
Lead photo courtesy of Flickr user *0ne*. Embedded image courtesy of the Wilton Library Teen Blog.
Need a chocolaty hookup? Check out these 
Boxed wines and rosés are back in vogue. Just ask The Penguin's sommeliers.
So, for the sake of argument, let’s say that the four teenagers arrested are also from D.C. This, along with the statement that “they were a significant part of the robbery increase” seems to belie the claims of many that:
A. There has been an increase in street crime in Silver Spring lately.
B. The criminals are NOT coming to Silver Spring from D.C.
The only thing worse than a criminal, is a criminal who’s also a wannabe.
“others — one 15-year-old, one 16-year-old and two 17-year-old males — were charged as juveniles with robbery, theft over $500, assault in the second degree, and other related stuff”
Bloods? Gangs? But I thought last week everyone thought it was just “kids” being kids downtown! Time to face facts people, obviously we have a problem, this story highlights that. Get the kids under control, I wish MoCo would really get tough and start to charge “juveniles” as adults, they are committing adult crimes after all, not stealing gum from the supermarket.
No surprises here. The same kinds of people who curse loudly in public over and over again regardless of who is around are the same kind of people who commit robberies. You can also bet your life that if you ask them to please keep it down, they’ll commit assaults, too.
Editor’s note: This person’s screen name has been modified. — JD (Jul 28, 2008)
I agree with the following:
Overall, I still think Silver Spring is relatively safe. These suspects were roaming desolate streets, not Ellsworth Drive. And there’s a difference between swearing and cat calling, and stealing someone’s cell phone.
Furthermore, this story tells me the cops are on top of things. Thank you, third-district PD!
Of course, I meant to write “that there has NOT been an increase in street crime in Silver Spring lately”.
Okay, so let me rephrase:
If the suspects in this case “were a significant part of the robbery increase”, as Capt Johnson said, then it goes to reason that the said increase rested on the shoulders of a few people — NOT an entire age group, socio-economic group, ethnic group, etc.
Second and Cameron is not a “desolate street”. It’s a significant pedestrian channel for the residential areas on that side of town.
Editor’s note: Thanks, TKO. By “desolate”, I mean less heavily traveled than Ellsworth Drive or Colesville Road, especially at 11:00 p.m., around when the suspects were roving about. — JD (Jul 28, 2008)
Jennifer – I agree with your last statement totally.
Mr Green Giant just because some teens act stupid and disrespectful you can’t say they will be the ones to commit assaults etc.
If the politicians in Montgomery County had not buried their heads in the sand when many in the Latino community where talking about gangs in the county over 10 years ago- they could have gotten a grip on the problem sooner.
I’d be interested in knowing if these where really Bloods or wannabes- sound more like wannabes.
BLOODZ pic — thanks for the laugh today!
Yes, desolate. . . because I often associate the word desolate with the central public transportation hub in the area.
Get real. There has been and, despite the opening of the many wonderful shopping, dining and cultural activities in our city in the last 3-5 years, there continues to be a crime problem in the DTSS area. Cutting back on the MCPD budget and thus the police presence (whether visible or not) in the area will, most likely, only exacerbate the problem.
While undoubtedly no one who lives in the vicinity of DTSS wants to feel like they live in a police state, myself included, there is a world of distinction between such a scenario and the current situation in DTSS/”Hellsworth” area, particularly on a weekend evening. Groups of teenagers and (not-so) young adults of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds roam the area with carte blanche, using profanity, wearing gang colors (faux ganster though they may be) and generally intimidating the segments of the population that area wants to attract; local residents out for an enjoyable time and paying customers to the bars, restaurants and shops in the area. I hope that MCPD and the private “security” personnel that supervise the DTSS area will rethink the “kids will be kids” perspective which has defined their conduct/response to what is going on in DTSS. We shouldn’t have to wait for a couple of wannabe gangsters to sqare off in the middle of Ellsworth before we say enough is enough.