@TheDMVLive was first to report the incident, which the community was unaware of for hours due to encryption of police radios in Montgomery County. He also identified the stolen car as an Audi with dealer tags attached. Police have not released a description of the carjacker, and have not identified the dealership. Audi Bethesda is located on that block, but so is EuroMotorcars, which frequently has pre-owned Audis in stock.
Rosales has been charged with armed robbery, theft ($100 to under $1,500), disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, malicious destruction of property, assault, making a false statement to a police officer, and related charges. He is being held without bond at the County jail. Police recovered the box cutter he allegedly used to threaten the two victims in the parking garage outside of Nordstrom on his person.
Police have not released a description of the suspect. They did not indicate how the suspect managed to evade appearing on surveillance cameras in the garage.
This is the fourth armed robbery at the mall this year. All have taken place in parking areas on the property. Three were reported in garages, and one in a surface lot. This is also another of the rapidly piling up examples of a disturbing new crime trend in Montgomery County: violent crimes being perpetrated during daylight hours.
The first was reported in the same garage on February 17. Only ten days ago, a second robbery at knifepoint was reported in a parking lot on that block. Montgomery Mall is on the same block, but police have not identified it as the location in any of the three robberies as of this writing. Police have described the suspects in the February 17 robbery only as three Black males in their teens. Both garage robberies took place during daylight hours, an increasing trend in violent crime in Montgomery County.
In regards to the armed robbery in the 7100 block of Democracy Boulevard at 5:24 PM on February 17, police describe the suspects only as three Black males in their teens. One of the teens displayed a knife, and the suspects succeeded in escaping with money and property from the adult male victim. Once again, a group ganged up on a lone victim, reminding all of us to be aware of our surroundings even in broad daylight, especially if alone.
Police did not elaborate on why the suspect descriptions are so vague, especially since no mention of masks was made in either case. Both locations fall within the range of multiple surveillance cameras, as well. But if you can provide any information that could assist detectives in closing either case, call police at (301) 279-8000.
Barfield and Cunningham were transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where they were charged with armed robbery, motor vehicle theft, and related offenses. Both are being held without bond. Their mug shots have not been released to the public.
Police describe the suspects only as a Black male in his 40s, and a Black female in her 20s. If you can identify either suspect, or have any other information regarding this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.
Shell has been charged with felony armed robbery, felony 1st-degree assault, 2nd-degree assault, felony 2nd-degree assault of a law enforcement officer/fire EMS personnel, possession of a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure, and theft. He is being held without bond at the County jail. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in the case for September 12, 2025 in District Court in Rockville.
The suspects may have returned repeatedly because they not only faced no resistance or rapid police response, but also because the store only keeps a small amount of cash on hand each day. After the store was hit two days in a row, police were ready on Day 3. Officers with the 2nd District Central Business District Team were patrolling the area outside the store at 2:35 PM on July 10, when they noticed two juveniles who matched the descriptions of the robbers entering Geste Beer & Wine.
When the juveniles once again declared a robbery at the checkout counter, police ran into the store and arrested them. Both juveniles have been charged with one count of robbery, and two counts of armed robbery. They are being held at an unidentified "youth facility."
The store has been targeted by robbers repeatedly since last year. At the time, the owner asked the County to increase police patrols in the area. That's a challenge, as the County Council has defunded and repeatedly verbally undermined the police, with 194 officers leaving the force since 2020, and 179 officer positions sitting vacant, according to a 2024 County Council staff memo.
Montgomery Mall had nearly made it to the end of the first month of 2025 without a violent crime taking place there. Eleven assaults were reported at the mall in 2024, up from five in 2023. The last assault was on November 12, 2024. A new leadership team was brought into the mall by parent company Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield ten days later. The peak holiday shopping period from Black Friday through Christmas then passed uneventfully, in terms of crime. Only the typical shoplifting calls expected at any mall during the holiday season were reported during that time. January had likewise been violent-crime-free, until this past Sunday.
Police have not released any further description of the suspect, or the model year of the Camaro, as of this writing. If you can identify the suspect, or have any other information about this incident, call police at (301) 279-8000.
