ANOTHER BURGLARY NEAR DOWNTOWN BETHESDA - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

A break-in last Thursday, September 13, was the 9th burglary in neighborhoods near downtown Bethesda in 2 months.

The burglary occurred in the 4800 block of Langdrum Lane, in a Chevy Chase neighborhood that directly adjoins downtown Bethesda.  That neighborhood borders Somerset, which has been hit 5 times by itself during that period.

Again, it was another such crime in an old-money neighborhood, a hallmark of this set of late summer burglaries.

BETHESDA THIEVES GOT BUSY THURSDAY - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

GREEN ACRES

VICTIMIZED AGAIN

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Labor Day has passed, but thieves preying on the Green Acres neighborhood in Bethesda seem intent on extending the community's "Summer of Snatch."

Three more thefts were reported by Green Acres residents this past Thursday, September 6.  That same day, another Bethesda home was broken into in Bannockburn.

Here are the details:

Thursday, September 6

Burglary.  6300 block of Redwing Road.

Theft.  5300 block of Western Avenue.

Theft.  5000 block of Brookdale Road.

Theft from vehicle.  4900 block of Allan Road.

ANOTHER BURGLARY JUST OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN BETHESDA

A burglary in the 6600 block of Glenbrook Road on Wednesday, September 5, follows a series of break-ins in wealthy neighborhoods immediately outside downtown Bethesda.

The street - in between Little Falls Parkway and Bradley Boulevard - is just up the Parkway from Somerset, which has experienced 5 break-ins since the burglaries began in July.  Montgomery County Police have assigned special patrols in Somerset.  Glenbrook is a street of large McMansions, adjacent to Kenwood and Little Falls Stream Valley Park.

It's yet another reminder to lock doors and take note of suspicious vehicles parked or driving slowly through your neighborhood.  Invariably, these crimes are only committed after the burglars first case the neighborhood during the day.  So a tip you give police in the afternoon could stop a crime that night.

BURGLARY IN BETHESDA

A break-in Wednesday in the Springfield community of Bethesda continued a slow-but-steady series of burglaries in wealthy neighborhoods.  The crime occurred in the 5300 block of Ridgefield Road.

Somerset has had the most break-ins with 5; Green Acres, Kenwood, Spring Valley (DC), Foxhall (DC) and Chevy Chase are among the affected communities.

Lock your doors, and note any suspicious vehicles or persons, particularly if you are in any of the above-mentioned neighborhoods.

NEIGHBORHOODS JUST OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN BETHESDA ROCKED BY BLING RING BURGLARIES

SATURDAY BREAK-IN

8TH NEAR DOWNTOWN,

19TH OVERALL SINCE

BURGLARY SPREE

BEGAN

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

A continuing wave of burglaries appears to have settled on neighborhoods just outside of downtown Bethesda.

The Town of Somerset, and the patchwork of communities that make up Chevy Chase, have been the hardest hit.  Multiple burglaries - sometimes on the same block, as on Dorset Avenue - have occurred in subdivisions off the "Green Mile" stretch of 355, between downtown Bethesda and Friendship Heights, over the last several weeks.

Saturday's break-in in the 5400 block of Uppingham Street was the 5th burglary in Somerset, the 8th in "ring neighborhoods" outside downtown Bethesda, and the 19th overall since the crimes began July 17.

Termed the "Bling Ring" for the burglars' focus on old-money, wealthy neighborhoods, their break-ins began in Spring Valley, then moved into similar enclaves in Montgomery County days later.  Kenwood, Green Acres, Bethesda, Potomac, Chevy Chase, and Foxhall in DC have been among the victimized areas.

But as crime data for the last few weeks demonstrates, the burglary wave seems to have narrowed to a relatively small area south - and, in one case, east - of downtown Bethesda.

This would suggest that the burglars are casing homes in that area in the daytime.  Residents should not only lock their doors, but take note of suspicious vehicles or persons in the neighborhood, who don't appear to have business there.  If such activity takes place, contact police, and write down tag numbers and descriptions of the people.

As with the Green Acres burglary spree this summer, a confined area of activity will make it far easier for citizens and police to notice suspicious activity.  And hopefully, bring a close to the Bling Ring spree.

BLING RING BURGLARS BURGLE AGAIN

Yet another burglary points to the Bling Ring this week.  A wave of burglaries in exclusive enclaves washed over Somerset again Tuesday, August 21, in the 4800 block of Falstone Avenue.

This is at least the third break-in in the Somerset neighborhood since the burglary spree began.  Authorities have not detailed what is being stolen in these cases, or made any public statements about them.

The burglaries have occurred in wealthy, old-money neighborhoods over many weeks, starting in Spring Valley in NW DC.

ANOTHER BLING RING BURGLARY

The latest burglary matching the pattern of the Bling Ring burglars took place Sunday, August 19, in the 3700 block of Bradley Lane.  That block is a tree-lined street of often lavish homes, white picket fences, and circular driveways.

A series of burglaries taking place in old-money, exclusive neighborhoods including Spring Valley, Kenwood, Somerset, and several Bethesda communities, earned the suspects the "Bling Ring" name.  The wave of burglaries began several weeks ago in Spring Valley, and has bounced back and forth between Montgomery County and NW DC ever since.

BLING RING BURGLARS HIT BETHESDA AGAIN

The fourth break-in in a week to match the pattern of the Bling Ring burglars took place Tuesday, August 14, in Bethesda.

This time they struck in the 6600 block of River Trail Court, in a neighborhood nestled between I-495 and Cabin John Parkway.  Nearby is the exclusive Palisades Pool, currently with a 5-10 year - yes, year - waitlist for new members.  You'd think you were getting Redskins season tickets or something.

The other incidents were just outside of downtown Bethesda Sunday, and two in old money NW Washington enclaves.  Of course, those are just the most recent jobs, in a burglary spree that has been going on for weeks now.

BETHESDA BLING RING BURGLARS MAY HAVE STRUCK AGAIN

What a wacky week in crime it's been.  The same day the Phantom Hugger was possibly involved in a Georgetown attack, a break-in fitting the pattern of the Bling Ring burglars occurred in Chevy Chase.

Sunday's burglary took place only a few blocks from Dorset Avenue, where the Bling Ring struck twice on the same block in recent weeks.  This time, it was in the 4700 block of Drummond Avenue.

Old haunts, and old money neighborhoods.  Yes, this sounds like the work of the Bling Ring, which has slowed the pace of its crimes recently.

Lock your doors!

BLING RING BURGLARS ON A ROLL IN BETHESDA

The Bling Ring burglars are now averaging a break-in a day in old-money neighborhoods throughout west Bethesda.

Saturday, a break-in occurred in the 5100 block of Newport Avenue in the Green Acres neighborhood.

Bethesda residents would be smart to lock their doors, windows and vehicles.

BLING RING BURGLARS HIT SAME BLOCK OF DORSET AVENUE 2 NIGHTS IN A ROW!

Residents of the 4500 block of Dorset Avenue in the town of Somerset are shaken up, after the suspected Bling Ring burglars returned for the second night in a row to their street.

According to SpotCrime data, burglars broke into one home Thursday, July 26, and then returned Friday to break into another residence on the same block.

Apparently, the Ring thinks there's a lot of Bling on Dorset Avenue, as they continue to target exclusive, "old-money" enclaves in Bethesda and Potomac, after starting their spree in NW DC's Spring Valley.

BLING RING BURGLARY SPREE CONTINUES WITH SOMERSET BREAK-IN

A recent wave of burglaries, known as the "Bling Ring," for its members' apparent preference for exclusive, "old money" neighborhoods, has victimized Spring Valley in NW DC, Kenwood and other Bethesda communities, and Potomac.

Thursday, another break-in possibly associated with the Bling Ring occurred in the 4500 block of Dorset Avenue in Somerset.

The incident was recorded in SpotCrime's database, which draws on a live feed from the county police department.

BLING RING BURGLARS HEAD WEST TO POTOMAC

The Bling Ring burglars continued their habit of moving westward this week, breaking into 2 Potomac homes.

Tuesday, they hit the 10500 block of Stable Lane in the River Falls area.  Wednesday, they followed up with a break-in on Willowbrook Drive.

The first burglaries were in Spring Valley in NW DC, then they moved to Kenwood, then west again to the Whitman neighborhood, and now to Potomac.  That doesn't mean they won't make a U-turn and hit Bethesda again, so continue to lock doors, windows and vehicles to protect yourself.

BLING RING BURGLARS STRIKE AGAIN IN BETHESDA!

3 BETHESDA

HOMES BROKEN INTO,

10 THEFT RAMPAGE

ROCKS NEIGHBORHOODS

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Just when Bethesda thought it was safe to go on vacation...

After a burglary occurred on Turnberry Drive near Congressional Country Club last Friday, Bethesda homeowners had no idea what the new week had in store.

Then, on Monday, July 23, the Bling Ring burglars struck two more wealthy neighborhoods, breaking into homes in the 6300 block of Lenox Road near Whitman High School, and in the 5100 block of Waukesha Road.  Both burglaries fit the pattern begun by recent break-ins at homes in swanky Kenwood and Spring Valley.

But a theft rampage on the same day only heightened the sense that, after a Pepco-derecho pause, the May-June crime wave could be reigniting in earnest.

SpotCrime data recorded nearly a dozen thefts, including a stolen car, across neighborhoods west of downtown Bethesda.  This included at least two thefts on Fairfax Road in the Edgemoor neighborhood that adjoins the Bethesda Row urban area.

Other neighborhoods getting a theft encore included Green Acres, Spring Hill and Somerset.

Do the Bling Ring burglaries have any relation to the theft rampage the same day/night?  That is unknown for now.

The important thing is to lock your doors and vehicles!

Here's a sampling of Bethesda thefts from Monday, July 23:

Theft.  5100 River Road.

Theft from vehicle.  5300 block of Saratoga Avenue.

Theft.  5400 block of Uppingham Street.

Theft from vehicle.  4800 block of Newport Ave.

Theft from vehicle.  4800 block of Langdrum Lane.

Stolen car.  4900 block of Crescent Street.

Theft from vehicle.  Ericsson Road.

Theft from vehicle.  7400 block of Nevis Road.

ARE SPRING VALLEY "BLING RING" BURGLARS NOW CASING BETHESDA?

Burglary alert!  After 2 break-ins in Northwest DC's swanky Spring Valley last Tuesday, a third burglary was reported in Bethesda's even-swankier  Kenwood neighborhood two days later.

Burglars apparently after high-end loot invaded posh homes in the 3800 block of Fordham Road, NW  and the 4600 block of Verplanck Place, NW, on July 17.

On Thursday, another burglary took place in the 5800 block of Highland Drive, in ultra-exclusive Kenwood.

A fourth burglary on Battery Lane does not seem to fit the pattern of the first 3.

However, having heard no announcement about this from authorities, I want to give readers a heads-up about the possible border-crossing of burglars into Bethesda.  It's never a bad idea to lock your doors, windows and vehicle to ward off crooks out for easy pickins.

Stay tuned for further updates if anymore evidence of this Bling Ring surfaces.