(MD/DC) Chevy Chase home invasion

[K-Romulus]

The local news is buzzing over this home invasion in a "nice" neighborhood.

Chevy Chase is the rough equivalent to Grosse Point, MI, the Chicago "Gold Coast," or Scarsdale, NY.

Meanwhile, the biggest problem in Northern Virginia just across the Potomac is that there is too much traffic.

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=738416#

Family OK After Being Held Captive in Chevy Chase
Mar 28th - 9:41am

CHEVY CHASE, Md. - Police are looking for help in finding the three men they believe are responsible for holding a family captive during a home invasion robbery in the 3700 block of Underwood Street Monday night.

Police have released two photographs of one of the suspects they say were taken at an ATM machine after the robbery.

As a husband answered his front door, two other armed men came in through the back door.

"Within a second the back door was opened and the other suspects came through," said Montgomery County Police Capt. Nancy Demme. "The back door was apparently unlocked."

The husband and wife were bound at the wrists during the terrifying experience, which lasted 20 to 40 minutes before the husband was able to escape around 9:45 p.m.

He started banging on a neighbor's windows until one broke. The neighbor, thinking there was a burglary in process, called the police. When police arrived on the scene, the husband was still bound.

Demme says the husband told police his wife and children were still inside. The wife then came out of the home and told police the children, ages 2 and 6 months, were still inside and she wasn't sure whether the suspects were still there.

Police entered the house and brought out the children. The suspects were gone but several items were taken from the home.

No one was seriously injured in the home invasion, which included an attempted sexual assault on the wife. The family was treated and released from the hospital.

"Sometimes people get comfortable and perhaps a little complacent in that comfort and they don't lock the door because there's not much crime in that area," said Demme.

"They know all of their neighbors. It wasn't that late at night, and maybe they didn't realize they had left the door unlocked."

Police say one of the three black men was about 35 with no facial hair, was wearing a salmon-colored shirt, jeans and heavy black work boots.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call police at (240) 773-5100 or Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at (866) 411-TIPS (8477). Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to arrests or indictments.

and

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032800101.html

Armed Robbers Hold Family Captive in Chevy Chase Home

By Cameron W. Barr and Allan Lengel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 28, 2006; Page B08

Armed robbers invaded a home in a quiet Chevy Chase neighborhood last night and held a couple and their two young children captive before the thieves fled, Montgomery County police said. No one was seriously injured.

The father, who was bound at the wrists, ran out of the house about 9:45 p.m. and asked neighbors to call for help, police said. At least 24 police cars responded to the incident, in the 3700 block of Underwood Street, just east of Connecticut Avenue.
. . . .

Police responded in force out of concern that the armed men were still inside the house. But Demme said police searched the house and discovered the robbers had fled. She said home invasions in the area are rare.

In December 2004, three armed robbers broke into an occupied Chevy Chase home in the 6400 block of Kennedy Drive. No one was injured. In the past two years, home invasions have been reported in other areas of Montgomery County, including Silver Spring, Rockville and North Potomac.

You know it is significant when the WashPost does a writeup. The Post usually ignores home invasion crimes in this area, leaving it to the local neighborhood papers to be a source of crime info. I think they are making a big deal of this one because Chevy Chase is literally on the border with DC, and is the area where most of the blissninny dinner party crowd (to include Post editors) seems to be concentrated. This is near where that NY Times writer got whacked over the head during his walk and killed a few months back.

Maybe that is why twenty-four police cars show up.

Meanwhile, minority gang members shoot it out in DC and lower-rent MD/DC border areas, and I never see any info on how many police cars showed up for those problems . .

This is the second area home invasion reported this month; the last one was fatal after the elderly homeowner collapsed from the shock: http://www.gazette.net/stories/030806/silvnew180714_31951.shtml

Meanwhile, another guy about five miles from my house SHOT a home invader last May, and there was no mention in the Post!
(edited to fix date of home invader shooting)

 

[Alex45ACP]

Part of the reason I left that area.

 

[gripper]

SDo we should put out a BOLO for three Black guys with some serious sexual dysfunction/devciancy problems("attempted sexual assault")....that should pi$$ them off enough to pull a stupid move and get caught.

 

[SB88LX]

To be brutally honest, I haven't met anyone from that area that isn't an ???????. This isn't to say they deserved what happened to them by any means, but maybe it'll give some a heads up about their leftist falsehoods (disarmament is GOOD!!). I used to do a lot of plumbing in that area, specifically in the area between 410 (east/west highway) and western avenue, off of connecticut ave. I don't think theres a home down there that would sell for less than 1 million.

 

[mustanger98]

SDo we should put out a BOLO for three Black guys with some serious sexual dysfunction/devciancy problems("attempted sexual assault")....that should pi$$ them off enough to pull a stupid move and get caught.

What's a BOLO? I assumed it's something like an APB, but I don't like to assume anything.

 

[eab]

BOLO, an acronym used by law enforcement for "Be On The Lookout".


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolo

no thanks needed

 

[LiquidTension]

Meanwhile, minority gang members shoot it out in DC and lower-rent MD/DC border areas, and I never see any info on how many police cars showed up for those problems

Maybe that's because police cars don't show up for those problems?

 

[1911JMB]

All I can say is that I feel sorry for the kids, and I hope the parents learned their lesson.

 

[K-Romulus]

it gets better

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=739690

Home Invaders Enter College Park Apartment
Mar 29th - 6:22am

WASHINGTON - Police are looking for three men who were involved in a home invasion late Tuesday in College Park, Md.

Prince George's County Police Cpl. Clinton Copeland says three men, described only as two black men and one Hispanic man, entered a ground-level apartment through a sliding glass door. The apartment in the six-story building is in the 4300 block of Knox Road, on the edge of the University of Maryland campus. The apartments are home to mostly college students.

"Once inside they brandished a weapon and stole some items and they also caused minor injuries to the victim," Copeland says.

The same suspects may have been involved in the robbery of another person at Hartwick Road and Route 1, not far from where the home invasion occurred, Copeland said.

Police have not said whether they think this home invasion is connected with one that occurred in Chevy Chase Monday night.

College Park, MD, is another community right near the MD/DC border, and home to a lot of university-crowd types (if you know what I mean). One redeeming thing about the area is that it somehow elected state sen. Giannetti, who singlehandedly killed the MD AWB for the last two years by virtue of his "no" vote in a senate committee. Giannetti actually knew nothing about the issue going into the first year's hearings, and after listening to both sides, did his own research and made up his own mind about the ban. For that, the Brady Campaign has started a national campaign to kill him off later this year in the local primaries.

Today the Post has a two-page follow-up story on the Chevy Chase home invasion: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032801180.html

Meanwhile, in Northern Virginia, the biggest headlines this morning concern the George Mason basketball team, and a proposed condo development near a Metro station. . .

 

[Camp David]

Meanwhile, in Northern Virginia, the biggest headlines this morning concern the George Mason basketball team, and a proposed condo development near a Metro station. . .

Home invasions in Virginia are rare due to more guns on average in the homes than either DC or MD...

Go George Mason!

 

[K-Romulus]

CORRECTION

It seems I stand corrected on the assertion that all is quiet in VA. A home invasion happened in Alexandria on Monday, the same night as the Chevy Chase incident.

For those curious types, the linked article also has a photo of the Chevy Chase home . . .

http://www.examiner.com/Search-a61388~Armed_robbers_terrorize_Chevy_Chase_family.html

. . . .
Chevy Chase wasn’t the only site of a home invasion Monday night. Authorities said five men forced their way into a home on Republic Court in Alexandria, attacked two people in the home and ran after robbing the residence.

Police said it was around midnight when five men, all described as black males between 18 and 20 years old and all weighing between 165 and 170 pounds, forced their way into an apartment with a shotgun. One had a beard and the other four were clean-shaven. All five men wore dark clothing, police said.

 

[K-Romulus]

update: two arrested

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033100781.html

Two Arrested in Chevy Chase Home Invasion

By Cameron W. Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 31, 2006; 12:33 PM

A Suitland man and his girlfriend, a District resident, have been arrested in connection with the home invasion that occurred in Chevy Chase on Monday evening, police said.

Early this morning police arrested Harold Gene Short, 19, of the 5600 block of Vernon Way, and charged him with armed robbery, first-degree assault, burglary and use of a handgun in a violent felony, a police statement said. Police said Short was videotaped while attempting to use an ATM card stolen during the home invasion.

Short's girlfriend, Diayna N. Bennett, 20, of the 1700 block of D Street in Southeast Washington, was with him at the time of the arrest, the statement said. She was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to armed robbery and first-degree burglary, and is not believed to have been present during the home invasion, police said.

Police said they are searching for two to three additional suspects.

The home invasion began about 9 p.m. Monday when intruders held a couple and their two small children for 20 to 40 minutes in their home in the 3700 block of Underwood Street. One of the intruders attempted to sexually assault the woman.

The robbers fled after taking two credit cards and other items. An ATM card was used that night at a machine on Georgia Avenue NW in the District.

The Washington Post is not naming the victims because of the alleged attempted sexual assault.

 

[birddog]

Okay, I don't mean to hijack, and realize that this isn't Strategies and Tactics, but the incident brings up an interesting scenario I've never heard posted about before:

You're armed (Of course!). What WOULD you if you answer the front door, and suddenly become aware of strangers entering from the rear of the house. Do you clear leather and race to the rear of the house? Try to push bad guy #1 back out the front door, lock it and THEN race to the rear of the house to confront the other bad guys? Clear leather on bad guy #1? Sounds like a very difficult situation when multiple intruders are involved. What would you do?

 

[WayneConrad]

birddog, do I take it that I'm still outside the house and they're in it? Shut the door, get to safety, and call 911. I know it's not tacticool, but it's the right answer.

Do they have hostages? Same answer. I'm outgunned, I don't have surprise, equipment, training, size, youth, or anything else going for me. It's what SWAT teams were made for. Time to call in the pros.

 

[birddog]

Wayne,
I read the original post as saying that the husband answered the front door, implying that he was inside, and as he was distracted by that guy, more came in through the back door. I'm assuming the spouse/family to be at home doing whatever it is they're doing as all of this takes place.

In the case of my spouse, she'd be reaching for her Kimber as I was drawing whatever I was carrying...but I digress.
Joel

 

[gunsmith]

People who know me

know I answer the door with a gun in my hand.

It's one of the benefits of being a single guy in a one bedroom apt.

As a kid we moved to a nice neighborhood after years of bad hood living, we never got out of the habit of locking doors and windows.

 

[entropy]

[Emily Latella voice] Why would anybody want to invade Chevy Chase's home? He's such a nice man! I'm sure he'd just open the door without an invasion..what? Oh, never mind![/ Emily Latella voice]

Seriously, sorry to hear things like that happen anywhere. The price of peace is vigilance.

 

[bigun15]

The name of the city kind of threw me off.

 

[cslinger]

Always always have a gun, any gun within reach. It does't have to be a cannon a little J frame will get you back to the other guns if need be.

ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FRIGGEN DOORS LOCKED. I just don't know how people can not have their doors locked.

 

[one45auto]

ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FRIGGEN DOORS LOCKED. I just don't know how people can not have their doors locked.

I can't understand that either, nor can I fathom the penchant most of my fellow Columbians have for leaving their curtains wide open at night with all the lights on. Just what view are they going to get other than their own reflection? Are they that vain? At night the city is like shopping for prostitute in Amsterdam - a criminal could stroll down the street and casually window shop. "Ooh, nice laptop there.....cute chick, no boyfriend or dog......hey, there's a good plasma tv with surround sound setup...."

I just don't get it.