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.