The summer's eighth and ninth assaults at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this week targeted women, according to people familiar with the incidents. A 2nd-degree assault reported to Montgomery County police at the mall this past Sunday evening resulted in a female victim being transported to the hospital with serious injuries, including a concussion. On Tuesday night, August 23, 2022 at 8:02 PM, a mall worker called 911 after witnessing a group of five male teenagers or young men attacking a woman on the top level of a mall parking garage.
In a separate incident, a customer of the currency exchange kiosk at the mall reported that he was being watched by three teenagers as he counted the foreign currency he received at the counter. The male teens followed the customer throughout the mall. When he finally exited the mall, they began to close in on him. They fled only after the customer shouted at them, and began taking their pictures using his phone.
Montgomery County's elected officials and police chief have not publicly spoken about the trend of violent assaults at the mall this summer, nor provided more details about the incidents, which began May 18. The issue is clearly on their radar, and the mall operator's, as the police department has announced plans to open a "resource room" at the mall.
Mall patrons, particularly if shopping alone, should be aware of their surroundings. If what you see prompts concern about your safety in a given situation, contact mall security or the information desk, and request an escort to your vehicle. Call 911 if it is an emergency or immediate threat.
27 comments:
They haven't spoken about it? Wonderful isn't it? What else does that police chief have to do? That's his job to tell the public via the media what's going on and what they're going to do about it. You know who else isn't saying a word? Your new County Exec that's who. Great job MoCo!
Mall management needs to snuff this out. Evidently they can play audible sounds that only young ears can hear that are so disagreeable that it keeps teenage riffraff from loitering. I have used that currency exchange. The clerk counted out my money in front of me but below the counter to deter prying eyes.
How is assault classified? I guess the seriousness of injuries afflicted don't factor in to that?
Learning
This is Elrichs and the wokes vision for Moco
I may have to start shopping at Lakeforest instead of Montgomery for my own safety. Never thought I'd say that since the 90s.
This is a very clueless and foolish electorate to put this buffoon, Elrich, back in office for four more years. This is an absolute disgrace. This will not get better but sadly will get worse. The police cannot help you and the police cannot protect you in situations like this. They happen too fast and the police response, although quick generally, is too late to do anything about it and damage or injury has already taken place. Get yourself trained and get yourself armed. This is really unconscionable in an area so educated and so affluent as lower Montgomery County. Congratulations on putting Elrich back in office. Welcome to the new bizarre and dangerous normal under this far left and feckless leadership.
I said this before and I'll say it again: Montgomery Mall has developed a reputation as a permissive environment for crime. These gangs of criminals are specifically coming to Montgomery Mall and they're targeting mall patrons there because of the unwillingness of MoCo Leadership to take the necessary steps to protect patrons. Absolutely shameful. 5:20 AM is right: This needs to be snuffed out immediately, but it's going to take more than mall management to do it.
Get off the internet and run for office, cabron.
@5:20 So, what happens to the law abiding shoppers i.e. a family with teens who experience these gawd awful audible sounds while in the mall? Have you thought about that? Perhaps this is why you don't hear of any other mall using these devices.
Another day another crime most likely committed by a repeat offender walking through the liberal turnstiles of justice. Voting democrat expecting different results is why things won't get better.
@9:24 AM: You obviously voted for the current (and presumptively future) leadership of MoCo, so let's hear how you propose solving this problem. Go ahead, we're listening.
9:24: It's called the mosquito. According to one website it does not cause problems with passers by. http://www.movingsoundtech.com/mosquito-faq. Evidently shopping centers and municipalities use them.
Learning
If only she had a concealed handgun, then we'd be debating whether or not she had the right to use it on those 5 Gen Z males. Are you allowed to use a handgun in response to an unprovoked butt whipping robbery? Does it matter that you didn't get gov't permission to carry a concealed handgun?
Lake forest is a ghost Mall. Definitely even less safe and nothing much to shop in anymore.
This has nothing to do with politics. Mall needs better security and people need to be aware of their surroundings.
This is unacceptable. Since I work nearby, I’m in the mall just about every day and 9 out of 10 times, I see groups of teenagers acting stupid and getting aggressive with each other. Perhaps the solution is to restrict access to anyone under 18 unless they are with a parent or guardian. Is that legal? We definitely need a full-time police presence there.
It has everything to do with politics in that Elrich has allowed a permissive legal environment towards criminals.
To see what the future looks like under total control by democrats one only needs to look at DC or CA, (or any democrat controlled city). Businesses close due to losses incurred because democrats tolerate crime while private security is limited by the very same government who is supposed to protect the innocent.
Shanel,
You're clearly anti-gun and that's fine. But what if the women had a legally allowed firearm? Well, if the situation escalated, she may have had the choice to save her life or lose it. That's the shortsightedness of the Left. So a woman should just receive a butt whipping and simply go about her life? Unbelievable. The firearm is the last resort but can and should be deployed if the threat of bodily harm parents itself. Lastly, one of the highest firearms sales by group are women and good for them. Marc Elrich applauds your clueless statement here.
Seems like it's a mall management problem rather than a government problem.
5:52 - There is a police presence there now. But I think all can agree that the very need to have police onsite at an upscale mall, in a very nice and affluent area, which has never seen this level of crime before, is a much bigger and solvable problem. Look to Atlanta for example which, in the suburbs, is very similar to us. Their upscale Mall has seen shootings right outside the Apple store. Imagine that at Montgomery Mall? This is exactly what you get by putting Comrade Elrich back in office for four more long years who is incapable or disinterested in doing anything to improve this. Stupid voters check the party box. You're friggin done. Don't want to carry a gun? Fine. Learn self defense then and carry pepper spray.
Regarding statements by 6:31...
In fact, this was the Bolshevik plan all long. The dissolution and unraveling of society step by step. Encourage violent dissent and anti-social behavior. All done out of historical hatred for Western Christian values, and a sense that they, the Bolsheviks, are better than us common people.
Not just here in MC, but across the nation. BLM, Antifa, these are all creations of the Bolsheviks, and the punishments they've incurred while looting, rioting and burning are nil compared to the punishments meted out to the by comparison very peaceful Jan 6 protesters.
How did it come to this? The Bolsheviks are clever. They control many of the institutions that shape public opinion, from Education to the Judiciary to Congress to the Press. The people have been successfully brainwashed into thinking this violence and bad economy is the fault of the conservatives. I hear it every day. The power of the media must not be underestimated.
Don't believe me?
I will make this suggestion. If they ever have police there, they should remove the blinders that keep people from seeing who is in there. The more people who see police in there, the better.
10:34 - Again, they already have installed what is essentially a police sub station. The broader point is about fixing this problem so that we don't have police in uniform patrolling the mall. In addition to the mall thing, people walk right into CVS and load back packs full of laundry detergent and walk right out the door and nothing happens to them and no one says a word. This is anarchy and is a much bigger problem as I've suggested and one in which this council (and way to go voters on Elrich) seemingly has no interest or ability to do anything about it. Sorry but this is feckless Dem leadership that we see all across the nation. Soft on crime, defund and demoralize the police. No wonder, anarchy. The loons are indeed running the asylum. It's crazy. And Elrich will crush Sully Reardon, a black man who won't get the equity look MoCo always drones on about solely because he has an R next to his name. This will get worse.
8:53 - I do believe that many things have been co-opted by Far Left radical Marxists is what I not only believe but no for certain is going on. It's beyond scary.
"In addition to the mall thing, people walk right into CVS and load back packs full of laundry detergent"
I wonder what demographic we are talking about here?
"I'd like to solve the puzzle, Pat."
7:29 - Not a hard puzzle at all to solve and a crime problem that isn't hard to solve either.
The problem is elected officials - not just Elrich, but definitely including Elrich. Elections have consequences.
4L20 - the Democrat way is to let the offender out of jail hoping he's been re-habbed.
This causes repeat offenders, who often can't cope with society and should remain in jail.
There is unfortunately no hope for some of these people.
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