“We wanted to notify the community to be on the lookout for these devices,” Lt. Joseph Bellino, of the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Financial Crimes Section, said. 

Police said criminals are targeting convenience and discount store shoppers. They found the latest device on Wednesday morning.

“[It’s] scary. I guess you can’t shop anywhere now safe,” shopper George Campbell said. 

Employees at a 7-Eleven on Greenbelt Road and 58th Avenue said they found a skimmer in early April. According to authorities, that was just the beginning of what they call an organized crime operation.

Over the next few weeks, detectives got calls from several other convenience stores across the county, located in the:

• 4500 block of Saint Barnabas Road in Temple Hills
• 3000 block of Forestville Road in Forestville
• 6100 block of Oxon Hill Road in Oxon Hill
• 6800 block of Race Track Road in Unincorporated Bowie
• 6300 block of Central Avenue in Seat Pleasant
• 11000 block of Baltimore Avenue in Beltsville
• 9100 block of Riggs Road in Chillum area

Investigators said the thieves typically target stores in high traffic areas, which is why police want to get the word out. 

“It’s made to look exactly like the actual point of sale machine and fits like a glove on top of it,” Bellino said. “Usually with a swipe of your credit card, it allows the payment to go through so that the business will get paid, but in the process it’s also capturing your private information.”

Police released a photo of one of the skimmers they recovered, but the devices can come in all shapes and sizes, so shoppers should be careful when swiping. 

“If you insert your chip and it doesn’t function and the system forces you to swipe, we believe that that’s an indicator, because the swiping itself is unencrypted because it’s the easiest way for them to capture your data,” Bellino said. 

Prince George’s County police could not confirm if the devices they discovered are connected to the skimmers D.C. police found in several grocery stores last month. 

“What we do know is these are large, organized and transient groups that travel in and out of our region,” Bellino said. 

So when in doubt, tap to pay, and give your bank or credit card company a heads up if you think you’ve become a victim. 

Campbell said he’s not taking any chances.

“How can you trust one of these machines?” he asked. “All of your information is out there and it’s gone… Observe the machine, what you’re going to use before you insert your card.”

Detectives say if you’re out shopping and you find one of those devices, leave it there and let the store know so they can call the police.

The resolution goes into effect immediately and fills the gap as similar but separate legislation goes through the legislative process.

That bill is expected go to a public hearing and vote in May. It is being fast-tracked after hundreds of unsupervised kids — some as young as 8 — were involved in fights at National Harbor April 20.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks issued an executive order specifically for National Harbor that went into effect last weekend.

“Our county executive put an executive order in place specific to National Harbor, but we want to allow other commercial property owners in the county to apply for a curfew zone if they feel it’s needed,” Council Chair Jolene Ivery said. “Our biggest priority is making sure we’re in partnership with the business community, law enforcement, and the residents of our county who have all been strong supporters of these measures.”

The curfews would begin at 5 p.m. and continue until 5 a.m.

Police found North Carolina Central University student Myles Gresham shot to death in his car several miles away from campus at an apartment complex near where he lived in Durham Thursday.

The 22-year-old was driving when he was struck by gunfire about 3:30 p.m., police said. His car crashed into two others in the apartment complex parking lot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police call it an isolated incident. They have not made an arrest.

Gresham’s mother described him as very smart and humble, often flying under the radar.

NCCU’s chancellor issued a statement saying Gresham, a business administration mayor, was a dedicated student with entrepreneurial aspirations.

“He diligently selected his courses each semester, aiming for a path toward future success,” the statement reads. “Actively involved in campus life, Myles served as treasurer of the Metro Eagles Club. His friendly nature and enthusiasm for the Wordle game will always bring forth smiles from those who had the pleasure of knowing him.”

Gresham planned to start an internship in real estate this summer in Seattle.

His mother said the family will accept his diploma at graduation Saturday.

Hundreds of teenagers gathered at Schrom Hills Park April 19 for a skip day gathering that ended in chaos as shots were fired.

Video recorded by a Bladensburg High School student who shared it with News4 captured the sound of teens celebrating interrupted by gunfire.

Five teens were shot, and the shooters fled among the scattering crowd.

Prince George’s County police – with the help of the sheriff’s office, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – identified a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old as suspects. U.S. marshals arrested them in Bowie and District Heights.

The suspects face attempted murder and gun charges and are charged as adults.

The skip day was not a school-sanctioned event but is a widely known tradition in Prince George’s County.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy opposes senior skip days.

Greenbelt Apr 19

‘Just maddening': 5 teens shot during senior skip day gathering at Greenbelt park

gun violence Apr 22

Witnesses describe chaos after 5 teens were shot at Greenbelt senior skip day gathering

“Our young people deserve a future free from violence, and it is our responsibility as grownups to show them the way,” she said. “I know that senior skip days might sound like a lot of fun, but senior skip days of 20 years ago was not like senior skip days today.”

The injured teenagers – all between ages 16 and 18 – have been released from the hospital.

In response to the shooting, Greenbelt’s city manager said more camera trailers will be added to the park and license plate readers around the city.

Barry Mitchell was the victim. He was 53.

Mitchell had walked to a Taco Bell across the street from his home the night of April 21. But he never made it back. A driver hit him in the 9000 block of Contee Road and sped off.

Prince George’s County police responded at about 8:10 p.m. They found Mitchell in the roadway. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Arnaldo Morgan served with Mitchell in the Army. He said he knew something was wrong when he couldn’t reach his friend.

“He was truly my brother, in military and out the service,” he said.

Morgan asked the driver to come forward.

“There’s nothing we can do to bring him back, but, all we’re asking is, please, turn yourself in and bring some closure to the family,” he said. “We understand accidents happen, but he didn’t deserve to be left out there like that.”

Prince George’s County police say they’re actively investigating the crash. They’re looking for a dark blue 2018 or 2019 Hyundai Sonata that may have damage to the headlight and grille on the passenger side.

Residents told News4 the stretch of Contee Road is dangerous, especially for children going to and from school, and has inadequate lighting at night.

Mitchell’s family and friends said they hope police can identify the hit-and-run driver soon.

“I just want him to be remembered as a soldier in uniform, a soldier out of uniform and truly a friend indeed to anyone who was in need,” Morgan said.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police. Tips can be left anonymously.

“My thinking is the parents need to take responsibility. Compared to last week and this week, it’s 100 percent different. Everything was in order, security police did a great job. But the week before, they were just outnumbered,” resident Chris Ross said. 

Prince George’s County police said as many as 800 young people were involved in fighting, vandalism and stealing at National Harbor on Saturday. Fights were caught on camera and posted to social media. 

Prince George's County Apr 24

Prince George's County fast-tracks teen curfew bill after National Harbor brawl

Prince George's County Apr 25

Emergency curfew for teens in Prince George's approved after National Harbor fighting

The teenagers were “fighting; shoplifting; smoking cannabis; being confrontational with business owners, residents and law enforcement personnel,” Police Chief Malik Aziz said.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks described it as the worst single day at National Harbor.

“We were taken aback. I never expect anything like that to happen at National Harbor, a lot of rowdy, loud and intoxicated children just running around,” Shaina Taylor, owner of the wine bar V-No @ The Harbor, said. 

In response, Alsobrooks implemented a curfew effective Fridays, Saturday and Sundays from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. for unsupervised teenagers 16 and younger. 

Taylor said the curfew has created the atmosphere that’s needed for area residents, businesses and visitors.

“This weekend it’s been calm. It’s been quiet. It’s been kind of what I expect of National Harbor. I’m a resident here as well as a business owner, and I walk back and forth from here to home, so it’s really important to feel safe and secure,” she said. 

The extra police presence was visible Sunday, along with signs alerting visitors the curfew is in effect.

While some say the restrictions aren’t fair for the teens who aren’t causing trouble, others told News4 they support the curfew and that parents need to be more involved.

“The children are out of control, and this is a way that will help control some of these kids,” one woman said.  

On Thursday, the county executive ordered the curfew to go into effect right away. She promised to hold accountable parents who drop their kids off at the harbor or allow them to go there and cause trouble.

“Our parents must know that National Harbor is not a day care or a playground,” Alsobrooks said.  

Parents of unsupervised children could receive a phone call from authorities and be charged a fine.

The Prince George’s County Council is working on separate emergency legislation that would allow stricter juvenile curfews to be set up in commercial zones throughout the county starting as early as 5 p.m.

That legislation is expected to be voted on in May and would go into effect immediately.

The curfew applies to unsupervised teens 16 and younger and will be in effect Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 5 p.m. It’s intended to keep disorderly conduct and criminal behavior under control.

The curfew comes after what County Executive Angela Alsobrooks described as the worst single day at National Harbor.

“I am deeply angered and disappointed at the teens that were involved in looting stores and engaging in acts of violence at National Harbor last weekend, and those responsible will be held to account for their actions,” she said.

About 800 unsupervised kids — some as young as 8 years old — were involved in the incidents last Saturday, police said.

“Fighting; shoplifting; smoking cannabis; being confrontational with business owners, residents and law enforcement personnel,” Police Chief Malik Aziz said.

County leaders say the unruly behavior affects businesses and residents’ sense of safety.

Police and Alsobrooks said parents will also be held accountable. They could face fines if their kids violate the curfew. Teens who violate the curfew will be stopped, and their parents will be called to get them. Police are urging parents to stop dropping off their kids at National Harbor, and they’re also instructing rideshare drivers to stop taking unaccompanied teens there.

“Our parents must know National Harbor is not a daycare or playground, and we cannot have our children coming to National Harbor unsupervised, especially with intention of causing trouble,” Alsobrooks said.

There will be extra police officers at National Harbor starting Friday. Digital message boards and flyers will be handed out to help educate the community about the new rules.

Officials said they want cooperation and a safe environment for everyone.

The Prince George’s County Council is working on a bill that would allow businesses to have curfew zones to keep unaccompanied youth away as early as 5 p.m. That legislation is expected to pass next month.

Police were called to National Harbor on Saturday night as hundreds of young people gathered. Video shared with News4 captured the violence and noise. News4 blurred the footage to protect the identities of underage people involved.

County leaders already were considering new curfew legislation. They said they want to get ahead of potential trouble before the start of summer. Curfews could start much earlier in some areas, and parents could face fines.

“I believe in a curfew, at least until they can get some kind of control over it,” one resident said. Parents are responsible for their kids.”

Here’s what the Prince George’s County curfew law would do

The legislation would allow businesses to request that police set up commercial curfew zones. Unaccompanied minors could be forced to stay away from business areas such as National Harbor as early as 5 p.m. Under current law, unsupervised teens under 18 have to be in by midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Prince George’s County Council Member Ed Burroughs shared stories of hotel rooms full of unaccompanied teens.

“We have parents who are renting out entire suites for their children, 14, 15 years old, at the harbor at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m., unsupervised, with alcohol in the room,” he said.

If the bill passes, parents could face fines for allowing their teens to break curfew. Fines would be:

• $50 for a first offense
• $100 for a second offense
• $250 for a third offense

They also could be forced to help cover the costs of enforcing the law.

“Under this bill, for every hour we have a county government employee wait with your child, we’re going to fine you that employee’s salary,” Burroughs said.

There have been curfews at National Harbor before. In 2020, an unaccompanied teen curfew was enforced from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Leaders said they wanted to crack down on unruly teens and the spread of COVID-19.

The legislation has widespread support on the council. Being emergency legislation, it would go into effect right away.

About 500 to 600 people gathered at Schrom Hills Park and Schrom Hills Recreation Center for an unsanctioned senior skip day at about 2:30 p.m. Friday. Witnesses and police described a peaceful celebration, with teens shooting water guns, enjoying food and listening to music before the burst of violence.

Officers in the area to direct traffic heard gunshots at about 3 p.m., Greenbelt police said.

The injured teens, all between 16 and 18 years old, are expected to survive.

News4 spoke to a student who recorded the heart-pounding rush to safety. It captured the sound of teens celebrating getting cut short by sharp pops of gunfire.

Carlos Mejia recorded a video and shared it with News4 with his mother’s permission. We’ve blurred the video over privacy concerns. Mejia said he’s still rattled by what happened.

“It’s kind of a scary thought, thinking that you and your friends are enjoying yourselves and something like that happens literally not too far from me,” he said.

Mejia – who goes to Bladensburg High School – said the gathering brought together students from several different high schools in the county. He said people were having a good time when, out of nowhere, someone started shooting.

Greenbelt Apr 19

‘Just maddening': 5 teens shot during senior skip day gathering at Greenbelt park

crime Apr 16

Prince George's introduces 2 bills to curb youth crime

Prince George's County Public Schools Apr 5

Parents, pay attention: Prince George's schools planning big changes to buses, start times

“That’s what senior skip day is all about — just to enjoy your last days of high school. But as you can see, it wasn’t that in this case,” he said.

“I still can’t process the fact that a couple feet away, people got shot from me and that could’ve been me, you know?” Mejia said.

Dave Bimbai was sitting in his car in the parking lot when he heard the shots. He said it took a long time for medics to make their way through the crowd to those who were hurt.

“It took the ambulance more than 25 minutes to get in, to reach here, because you couldn’t come in,” he said.

Investigators believe there was a single shooter who escaped as a crowd fled but haven’t announced any arrests or information about a potential motive.

Prince George’s officials weigh in on senior skip day tradition

The skip day was not a school-sanctioned event but is a widely known tradition in Prince George’s County.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said it was unfair for the teens to have to be unsafe as they enjoyed part of childhood. She blamed an epidemic of gun violence.

“These are environments that should be made safe for our kids. I think the worst thing we can say to our kids is they cannot congregate and come together to celebrate their senior year,” she said.

State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said she disagrees with having seniors skip school because of these types of dangers.

“We don’t want to deny any young person the opportunity to really savor these last few days or weeks of high school, but they still have to obey the law and they have to be in school,” she said. “If they had been in school, this would not have happened.”

Greenbelt police said three of the victims have been released from the hospital. One victim who was in critical condition was upgraded to stable condition over the weekend.

There were no cameras in the park. A stationary camera was set up at the entrance on Monday, and additional police were on patrol. The pavilion area was still roped off with crime tape.

Bimbai, who heard the shots, said he has visited the park every day for years but that it might be time to move on.

“It’s just really, really bad. Everybody got a gun,” he said.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Nelson Ballard III was arrested Wednesday, nearly a week after the shooting at an LA Fitness at 9450 Ruby Lockhart Boulevard in Lanham, according to Prince George’s County police.

Witnesses told police that Ballard and another man got into an argument during a basketball game on the evening of April 11, according to charging documents. Someone tried to separate them, but Ballard ran to a bag in the corner of the gym and then went back to the other man, telling him, “I got something for you,” according to police.

Surveillance video showed Ballard pulling out a gun and shooting the victim several times, police said.

Dozens of people fled the basketball court in fear, and Ballard also ran out, according to the charging documents.

Officers with the Glenarden Police Department responded to the LA Fitness about 8:30 p.m. and found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition.

Prince George’s County police took over the investigation, and detectives identified the suspect. They got an arrest warrant the day after the shooting, and the department’s Fugitive Squad arrested Ballard on Wednesday.

Ballard is charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, weapons offenses and related charges.

Ballard has a bond hearing scheduled for Friday. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney yet.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call police at 301-772-8960. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may submit their tip online at www.pgcrimesolvers.com, via the P3 Tips app, or by calling 866-411-TIPS (8477). 

Rivertowne Commons Marketplace, at 6235 Oxon Hill Road, was full of people running errands at about 5:30 p.m. when officers pulled over a driver in the parking lot, according to the Forest Heights Police Department.

The vehicle was wanted in connection with an assault that happened in a neighboring jurisdiction. Police ordered the driver to get out of the car, Forest Heights Deputy Police Chief Kirk Banton said. 

When the suspect got out of the vehicle, he was armed with what an officer believed to be a knife but was later determined to be a silver, multipurpose tool. Police told him to put the weapon down, but he refused, and the officer opened fire, Banton said.  

“During the encounter with the armed suspect, one officer discharged his duty-issued weapon, striking the suspect,” Banton said. 

The man, identified as Jhomari Delevante of Silver Spring, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He is charged with possession of a dangerous weapon and resisting arrest. 

The shooting was captured on body cam video that has yet to be released. The shooting remains under investigation by Prince George’s County police.

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The shooting marks the third time in two days that a D.C.-area officer shot a suspect. 

Early Sunday morning, a Prince George’s County police officer shot Raphael Coates, 40, of District Heights, after a reported home invasion on Addison Road South.

Police said Coates had stabbed someone he knew in a fight over money. When officers responded, he approached them with a piece of lumber in his hands and one officer fired. Coates survived the shooting. He faces attempted murder, assault and home invasion charges.

In Virginia on Sunday, a Herndon police officer shot a man who allegedly stabbed his wife in the chest. When officers responded, he approached officers with a knife, according to police. The suspect’s name and his charges were not immediately released. The husband and wife were both hospitalized.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for updates.

Officers were called to a home in the 1800 block of Addison Road South just before 10 a.m. When they arrived, they found one person had been stabbed and the other holding a 2×4 piece of wood, Prince George’s County Chief of Police Malik Aziz said.

“Officers gave loud repeated verbal commands for that person to discard that 2×4,” Aziz said.

An officer then discharged their weapon, hitting the suspect. They were taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition, police said.  

The victim was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

No officers were injured.

“These were individuals who were inside the residence and whatever type of altercation that took place, then it became violent,” Aziz said.

It was not immediately clear if the suspect and the victim knew each other.

The officer has been placed on administrative leave.

There is no additional threat to the community.

The incident is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for updates.

The family told Telemundo 44 they think 23-year-old Lusvin España of Hyattsville died trying to stop two men causing trouble at El Paraiso in Chillum, where España was having dinner with his boss and coworkers, including his brother, who left before the stabbing.

Cellphone video shows España and a restaurant employee trying to get the two men to leave before 11 p.m. Wednesday. The men appear angry and combative.

Moments later, España and the employee were stabbed.

The victims were taken to the hospital, where España died, according to Prince George’s County police. The restaurant employee is expected to survive.

Family say Espana had a heart as big as his smile and was grateful to be able to use his physical strength to work hard in the construction business to help his family.        

“When this tragedy happened, he was coming back from work,” his mother, Glenda Maribel España, told Telemundo 44. “He was not out partying; he was coming back from work.”

Officers found the suspects — 34-year-old Alexis Romero of Fairmont Heights and 27-year-old Edwin Meija-Sandoval of Silver Spring — not far from the scene, police said.

España did not know the suspects, according to police.

“We want justice,” said España’s brother, Nolvin Josue España. “My brother is not coming back, but we need justice so this does not happen to anyone else.”

Romero and Mejia-Sandoval are charged with first- and second-degree murder.

A man wearing a mask, Crocs and gloves walks into an apartment early Saturday morning while the occupants are asleep. He walks past the family cat, making his way through the dining room, until he realizes he’s caught on camera.

The blurry security image captures the moment when he looks directly at the camera. He then quickly runs out of the apartment without taking anything. It’s not immediately clear why.

Four similar crimes have occurred at apartments in the 9800 and 9900 block of Good Luck Road in Lanham, Maryland, since Thursday. Valuables were stolen from some of those apartments, according to the Prince George’s County police.

In a robbery at about 5 a.m. Monday, the man implied he had a weapon, took property from the victims and left, police said.

“We’re very concerned. It is indeed a small number of apartments over there that we’ve seen thus far. We have detectives out all day,” Capt. Todd Dolihite said.

The suspect entered the apartments through an unlocked window or door, according to police.

Police warned residents and spoke to apartment staff about the importance of home security.

“Warmer weather during the day, and it gets cooler at night, sometimes people leave their windows open, or doors cracked open,” Dolihite said. “We would highly encourage everyone to lock the doors, secure your windows once you go to bed.”

Police developed 22-year-old Augustine Koroma as a suspect in Monday morning’s robbery and arrested him late Monday night on an unrelated warrant for second-degree assault. They found evidence from the robbery at Koroma’s home and expect to file more charges against him.

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Fire crews were called to a fire at a two-story home in the 16200 block of Penn Manor Lane at about 1 a.m. The fire started in a bedroom on the second floor of the home. It then worked its way up to the attic and down to the first floor, according to Prince George’s County Fire.

“We have a fourth call stating rear of the house by the chimney they see flames,” a dispatcher said.

When crews arrived, the home was burning, and a woman was outside with her two kids. Fire officials said her quick thinking to evacuate the home likely saved the children’s lives.

“The mom was very distraught. You know, of course, she wanted to make sure that her son was cared for and not so much worried about her own injuries,” Prince George’s County Spokesperson Alan Doubleday said. “No parents ever want to go through this. And thankfully mom was awake, and mom did what she needed to do to get those children out.”

The mom and her two children were taken to a hospital. A ten-year-old boy is seriously injured with severe burns but is expected to survive. The second child is unharmed, and the woman was evaluated for injuries, fire officials said.

Video shows a home with extensive damage, especially to the back part of the home. The siding is torn down and a trail of smoke winds above a broken window.

The home’s neighbors were shocked to hear about the fire.

“It’s kind of frightening to think that kind of thing can happen but, it does,” a neighbor said.

“Having your life is so important. You can always rebuild, but if there’s death, that’s a loss forever,” Dottie Jograj said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for updates.

The changes would take place for the next school year — but now is the time for parents to pay attention and weigh in on the changes.

It’s an effort to fix major problems with school bus transportation, which have existed in Prince George’s County for years. Students have reported waiting long periods of time at bus stops, with some buses not showing up, leaving parents and school leaders frustrated.

But now, school administrators want to make major changes to improve the reliability of bus service.

“The safety of our students always comes first,” said Charoscar Coleman, chief operating officer for PGCPS. “We are tasked with improving the efficiency of our bus system, but we will only do it in a responsible, deliberate and safe manner.”

Some of those changes include things like making changes to the district’s school bus tracking app, to provide better bus locator information. Parents will also, for the first time, be able to opt their student out of bus transportation if they don’t need it.

School leaders told News4 that many students who live in walk zones actually get a bus, due to safety reasons. But that could change. Those stops are under evaluation to see which ones should stay, and which should go.

“The audit cited 22,000 stops that are currently inside the walk zone, that need to be evaluated for safe passage and possible elimination,” said Coleman.

There could also be a consolidation of stops to streamline transportation. That might mean students walking further to get to their bus.

“Right now, we’re looking at, primarily, up to a half a mile for elementary students,” said Keba Baldwin, PGCPS transportation director. “And up to a mile for secondary students.”

Prince George's County Public Schools Mar 30

Prince George's County Public Schools moving to standardize start times

Prince George's County Public Schools Apr 5

Prince George's County changing school start times, bus stops

“But we are not going to move it to beyond a reasonable distance, where we don’t have students able to safely traverse to school,” said Coleman.

There will also be adjustments to when schools open and dismiss.

“Ninety percent of them will either be no change for the school, or within a 15 minutes or less shift,” Coleman said.

The remaining 10% will have changes varying between 16 minutes, up to an hour — meaning how and when your child gets to school could look very different next school year.

Parents will have the opportunity to find out more about the changes at nine information sessions, starting on April 15.

There is no timetable yet on when the changes will be finalized.

Several shots were fired near the intersection of Glenoak Road and Greenvale Parkway in Woodlawn before 4 p.m., police said. The scene was near Woodlawn Recreation Center.

An employee of a private garbage removal company was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as 30-year-old Idongesit Udosen of Lanham.

“I want my son back,” his mother told News4, tearfully. “I love him. He’s a good son.”

“I walked down there and saw the deceased on the ground, and my heart was broken,” a witness said. “Your heart just goes out. He was there laying out for a while.”

Police said the shooting was not random but did not provide a motive.

“I can’t believe it, not around here,” said Nadi Harper, who works nearby. “I really can’t believe this is happening.”

“Everyone is just so community-like around here,” she said. “As long as I’ve been working here, that’s the only vibes I get. You see I’m outside at night, like, walking around. I don’t do this at home.”

“This was a life-threatening emergency that turned out to be a fatality,” said Del. Jamila Woods, D-Prince George’s County.

She says she instinctively knew something was horribly wrong when she couldn’t reach her son, 34-year-old Gabriel Woods. He suffered with life-threatening seizures and hadn’t answer his phone or gone to work.

From Prince George’s County, Woods says she tried desperately to get police to check on him at his Richmond apartment.

“Richmond was very happy to do a welfare check, however they had to have permission from Prince George’s County, which ultimately they never received,” she said.

She says Richmond police told her because she was calling from another state, she had to get Prince George’s County police to verify the call, which guards against false calls.

“That’s all they had to do was say, ‘Yes, it’s fine, go and do a welfare check,’ and that never happened,” Woods said.

Instead, police officers showed up at her home in Clinton and asked her questions, she said.

“The officer actually said, you know, threatened to get a psychiatric response team to come out for me because at this point, I’m losing it because I’m saying this has been since this morning and no one has gone to do a welfare check,” she said.

She said her son’s ex-girlfriend, who lived in the Richmond area, eventually got police to make the check about 6 p.m. that day. Gabriel Woods was found dead, having suffered a seizure and hit his head, his mother says. She did not recall exactly what time she called police but said hours had passed.

“My son died unreasonably,” she said. “It was just a matter of doing a welfare check.”

Richmond police said in that situation, the department would need Prince George’s County police to send a teletype, or message, verifying the call from Woods – a process that takes a matter of minutes.

Woods says she called 911 in Prince George’s County and the district station in Clinton to try to get someone to call Richmond. Richmond police say they never received the teletype.

It’s unclear why the welfare check was not requested.

Woods is sponsoring Gabriel’s Law in the Maryland General Assembly, which would provide clear guidance on how to handle out-of-state welfare checks so precious time isn’t lost.

“In her case, her son, his life could have been spared,” said Anthony Muse, D-Prince George’s County, who cosponsors the legislation.

Woods says the law is one thing she can do to help others trying to get help for a loved one having a medical emergency.

Prince George’s County police say, according to its records, Woods called 911 at 5:51 p.m. requesting the welfare check. Woods says she called much earlier than that.

The department says everyone involved in the call for service followed proper protocols.

A county spokesperson says the county supports the legislation, which passed in the House and is pending in the Senate.

Right now, there are more than 20 times that the first school bell of the day rings across Prince George’s County.

Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, all Prince George’s County Public Schools are set to start at one of three start times, a spokesperson said.

Under the new plan, schools could start at 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m. or 9:30 a.m.

The time changes would also affect dismissal times.

The school system’s transportation director says the time change would help get kids to school on time.

The school board has been informed of a plan to standardize school start times, and officials are planning to announce community information sessions on the changes soon, a spokesperson said.

Correction (April 2, 2024, 10:51 a.m.): A previous version of this story said that the school board was considering changes, but Prince George’s County Public Schools says the operational decision doesn’t require board approval. This article has been updated to reflect that any school could start at one of the three new start times.

Maryland State Police initially responded to a crash at about 5 p.m. at Crain Highway and Village Drive, and a driver involved took off on foot, Maryland State Police said. According to two law enforcement sources, state police asked an off-duty D.C. officer for help looking for a suspect following the crash.

Shortly before 6 p.m., off-duty D.C. Lt. Daren Jones, who was in a marked police cruiser, saw the driver who ran from the earlier crash, identified as 28-year-old Ian Tilton, of Annapolis, on the road more than three miles away from the crash scene.

Jones called for assistance, and a Prince George’s County officer arrived at the scene, authorities said.

Tilton then allegedly “produced a knife and lunged at the Prince George’s County police officer,” Maryland State Police said.

The Prince George’s County officer tried to shock Tilton with a stun gun, but it was not effective, authorities said. During the struggle, Jones shot Tilton with his agency-issued gun.

Maryland State Police Aviation Command and Prince George’s County emergency medical services crews gave Tilton aid, Maryland State Police said.

Tilton was taken to a hospital in critical condition, authorities said. He did not survive.

Maryland State Police say their homicide unit is investigating the case.

While investigators believe the crash and police shooting are connected, they did not specifically say that Tilton was the driver who took off.

No officers were injured in the crash or gunfire.

The D.C. officer is now on administrative leave, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said. His body camera was activated, she said. D.C. police and the mayor’s office initially refused to provide information.

The D.C. officer is assigned to the special operations division where he supervises K-9 teams, a law enforcement source told News4.

Dozens of police vehicles could be seen on the busy road, which is by an industrial complex and wooded area. 

All northbound lanes of Crain Highway between Queen Anne Road and Trade Zone Avenue were closed for the investigation.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

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After playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers, Chef Tobias Dorzon went to culinary school and worked as a private chef.

He now owns Huncho House, a fusion restaurant in Hyattsville, Maryland.

“When I’m in the kitchen … I’m just creating things. It gives me the opportunity just to see people smile [and] see people happy from what food can do for them,” Dorzon said. He called the kitchen his “happy place.”

Dorzon says it was “important” for him to open his restaurant in 2022 because his immediate community “really didn’t have fine dining and places [where] you could … have an elevated meal.”

If Dorzon wins the competition, he will take home $150,000.

“Being able to be a representation of [Prince George’s] County has been a great blessing, and I just continue to do better,” Dorzon said.

In the meantime, Dorzon is working to open his second restaurant in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Two people were rescued from balconies and evaluated by medics, the Prince George’s County fire department said.

April Goldsborough’s third-floor condo was destroyed, but firefighter saved her bird, 11-year-old Andre.

“I mean, I know I lost everything, but I got Andre back,” she said.

Chopper4 footage shows significant damage to upper floors of the building in the 15600 block of Everglade Lane, west of Mitchellville Road. The roof was destroyed, exposing entire homes.

The fire broke out at the Woodland Lake Condos shortly after 1 p.m. By the time firefighters arrived, the building was engulfed. Smoke could be seen for miles. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control, but it took hours.

Residents said they had only a few minutes to get out.

“I got the hell out of there,” one resident said. She said she heard an alarm, saw smoke and got out.

The top three floors of the building were gutted.

“I‘m stunned,” neighbor Michele Love said. “I just came home from work and I didn’t know what to say.”

Officials believe the fire started on a balcony, but its specific cause was not immediately clear.

Fourteen families reached out to the Red Cross for assistance.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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Mohammad Hanif of Annandale, Virginia, opened the convenience store on Larchmont Avenue in Capitol Heights, Maryland, about a year-and-a-half ago, his family said.

He suffered head trauma during a robbery March 5, police said. He was taken to a hospital where he died March 8.

Police arrested 48-year-old Anthony Edward Stevens of Capitol Heights. He is charged with first- and second-degree murder and is being held without bond.

Prior to owning the business, Hanif worked at Subway. He moved to the United States from Bangladesh in 1999. His family said he worked long hours to provide for their family and loved helping others.

“If somebody don’t have money, he’d say, ‘Go ahead, take it, whatever you like.’ That kind of person. Why you gotta kill him? That’s what we want to know,” said his sister-in-law Lutfun Ismail.

“They’re all very nice people. I mean, really nice people,” said Fern Edwards, who lives on the street.

But earlier this week, things weren’t so quaint and quiet.

“Four o’clock in the morning, I’m awakened by all these fire trucks out here,” Edwards said. “That’s scary.”

Prince George’s County fire officials say there were two small fires Wednesday morning at one house, and two more at the home across the street.

Both are currently vacant. Edwards said they’re under renovation right now, but in the meantime, people who need shelter are coming onto the properties. She says she’s concerned for their safety and her neighbors’ safety.

On Friday, a contractor was there to clean up one of the properties. Among the items that came out: mattresses, bottles and even a fire extinguisher — signs that someone is living here who shouldn’t be. There’s no power or heat in the home to this home, so it’s not the best of living conditions for anyone.

That’s of equal concern to neighbors.

“They’re human beings, and we’re human too, and we need to help them,” Edwards said.

“We need some kind of shelter for them around here,” another neighbor said.

The houses are boarded up now, and the county has a nuisance abatement board with members from fire department and police department. There’s legislation before the council to compile a list of vacant properties.

While it doesn’t look like these properties will be vacant for long, it’s the interim that worries neighbors.

“It’s very scary for me,” Edwards said.

All of the fires are under investigation.

Surveillance video shows two suspects following the victim as she walked in the 6000 block of Ager Road in Hyattsville about 5 p.m. March 4. They grabbed the woman, forced her into woods near Sligo Creek and raped her at knifepoint, police said.

The suspects are seen on video again, running away after the attack, police say.

The victim’s mother told Telemundo 44 her daughter was traumatized by the rape.

A resident of the area told News4 men harass her all the time and she doesn’t feel safe walking around at night.

Police ask anyone with information about the case to contact them. They said they never ask someone’s immigration status if they offer information to help solve a crime.

There is a reward of up to $2,500 for information that helps solve the case.

Lyons, a father of two teenage daughters, wasn’t far from home when he was hit on Laurel Bowie Road at about 9:20 p.m. He was so close that his family could hear the sirens from first responders. Little did they know that those sounds meant their lives were changed forever.

“My son died on the side of a road, and you didn’t even have the compassion to reach out and hold his hand and say I’m sorry,” Lyons’ mother, Lisa Felton, said.

On Monday, his mother was surrounded by his father, siblings and other family members. In this time of grief, they are drawing close and clinging to memories of happier family gatherings.

“He was a natural-born comedian. He loved his family. He loved life,” Felton said.

Now what was once mundane is held precious. Felton said the last time she spoke to her son, she asked him to go to Mother’s Day church service.

“If I’d just known that I was going to lose my son last night, I wouldn’t have cut my conversation with him so short,” she said.

Later that day, she received a phone call from an officer telling her that her son had died.

The family has taken measured comfort, knowing that a good Samaritan tended to Lyons immediately after he was hit.

“My son wasn’t by himself, that somebody was there. That he wasn’t left on the side of the road, like a piece of trash or a dog, to die by himself,” she said.

Prince George’s County police are asking for the public’s help to find the hit-and-run driver. They shared a picture of a dark gray Jaguar SUV with red circles indicating where the car would have damage from the impact.

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“You’re putting yourself in more, deeper trouble than you would have if you would’ve stayed,” Felton said in a plea to the driver.

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Tylen Jennings, 30, allegedly shot 30-year-old Anesha Isaacs Friday in the parking lot of her workplace, having boxed in her car with his SUV.

After a short manhunt, police found Jennings and arrested him in Prince George’s County.

Isaacs alerted the court system to Jennings’ alleged violence in November, court documents show. She told the court that on Nov. 6, he “held me hostage in my own home” and “hit me, choked me, bruised [my] thighs” and “threatened to kill or harm me and family.”

The court issued an arrest warrant for Jennings Nov. 7, finding probable cause to charge him with one felony and three misdemeanors. That warrant wasn’t served until Friday, after Prince George’s County Police arrested him for allegedly killing Isaacs, court records show.

Isaacs also had a protective order against Jennings, police said.

Jennings will be extradited to Fairfax County to face a murder charge, police said.

The victim’s mother said the family is too distraught to talk right now.

The disturbing video circulated among students at Sonia Sotomayor Middle School shows a boy being led by people wearing ski masks. He’s ordered to get on his knees, and a countdown begins. A gun is pointed at his head as the boy begs for mercy. Members of the group kick and beat the boy, and then the video cuts off.

Prince George’s County police provided a statement to News4 and said in part that the department “is aware of the video and is working to identify those involved in an effort to ensure the safety of the victim in the video – as well as working to determine when and where this was recorded.”

It’s unclear what happened next or what injuries the boy received. News4 blurred the video to protect the victim’s privacy.

News4 is working to confirm reports that the case is linked to a reported threat at Sotomayor Middle School Thursday. The school sent a letter to families saying the threat was investigated and was not credible.

But the video has students and parents at Sotomayor Middle School concerned.

“I feel scared, emotional,” one child said.

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A parent of a student at Sotomayor Middle School sent News4 a recording she received on Thursday.

“This is an important message from Sonia Sotomayor MS in Adelphi for families and students. Today, March 14, 2024, we were informed about a threat of violence made on social media. Immediate action was taken by school administrators and local law enforcement to investigate,” the message said.

Parents said photos show a chaotic pickup at the school on Thursday afternoon. They said the recorded message left a lot of questions about what happened.

“I feel that it could have been handled better. Our children need to be safe, and at this moment we don’t think and we don’t believe the school is a safe place to be now,” one mother said.

A student said she asked her parent to pick her up on Friday because she was worried about her safety.

“They were basically saying that they were coming to kill somebody,” she said.

Students told News4 that many of their classmates didn’t go to school on Friday. A police presence could be seen on campus throughout the day.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Kaeden Holland pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and use of a gun in the commission of a crime.

Holland was charged as an adult after the attack on a Prince George’s County school bus on May 1. He was 15 at the time.

As part of a plea agreement, Holland agreed to a 25-year sentence. His lawyer will be allowed to ask for a shorter sentence.

The victim’s mother told News4 she’s thankful that her son’s attacker will serve time, and that she’s getting help for her son.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said she’s glad that Holland took responsibility for his actions.

“It was important for Mr. Holland and other young people to know that there are consequences for your actions,” Braveboy said.

She said her office will recommend that he is sent to the Patuxent Institution, which works with youth offenders.

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Holland also was named a suspect in a homicide in Northwest D.C.

Teen shooter’s gun malfunctioned 3 times, prosecutors say

Prosecutors said Holland pulled the trigger of a gun three times but the gun malfunctioned each time.

As News4 reported, the bus was stopped at Iverson Street and Sutler Drive when three young people boarded and began to attack the 14-year-old, police said. The assault was captured on the bus’ surveillance camera.

Holland pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the victim’s head and pulled the trigger, prosecutors said.

“The gun made an audible click and the gun malfunctioned,” prosecutors said.

He racked the gun to try to correct it and pistol-whipped the boy, “leaving an indentation of the barrel of the gun on his right side temple.”

Two other young people punched and kicked the boy.

Then Holland pulled the trigger a second time. The gun malfunctioned again.

He racked it again and then hit the boy with the gun, his hands and his feet.

The boy tried to grab the gun away from him, but Holland pointed it at him and pulled the trigger a third time. Again, it did not fire.

Holland pointed the gun at the school bus driver and bus aide, and then he and the two other young people ran away, prosecutors say. Police found three, live 9 mm cartridges on the floor of the bus, prosecutors said.

The 14-year-old victim was able to escape with only minor injuries, police said.

Police previously said they arrested three other teens for the attack on the bus: a 14-year-old boy from Suitland, a 15-year-old boy from Temple Hills and a 14-year-old girl from Oxon Hill. They also were charged as adults.

Holland is due to be sentenced on May 17.

Correction (Thursday, March 14, 2024, 7:46 p.m. EST): A previous version of this article said the incident took place in Riverdale Park. That has been corrected to Oxon Hill.

Mohammad Hanif of Annandale, Virginia, opened the convenience store on Larchmont Avenue in Capitol Heights, Maryland, about a year-and-a-half ago, his family said.

He suffered head trauma during a robbery Tuesday, police said. He was taken to a hospital where he died Friday.

“My dad was a great person. He cared so much about us. He was such a great person, such a humble heart. He was so nice,” Hanif’s grieving daughter Fatema Raisa said.

Prior to owning the business, Hanif worked at Subway. He moved to the United States from Bangladesh in 1999. His family said he worked long hours to provide for their family and loved helping others.

“If somebody don’t have money, he’d say, ‘Go ahead, take it, whatever you like.’ That kind of person. Why you gotta kill him? That’s what we want to know,” said his sister-in-law Lutfun Ismail.

The killer left the scene on a bicycle and is still on the loose, police said.

Police have video of the attacker looking directly into the surveillance camera and ask anyone with information to come forward.

The 61 shell casings entered into the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ ballistic comparison database told police the four guns were used in 28 shootings in D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland, including the killings of 19-year-old Corey Riggins Jr. in November 2022 and Tyrone Hopkins in April 2023 — a few weeks before Arianna was killed.

In May 2022, a shot was fired in a robbery on Quincy Street NW. Police determined that shell casing came from one of the four guns linked to last year’s Mother’s Day murder.

D.C. police closed just three of those other shooting cases.

Arianna shot in car after family celebration

On the evening of May 14, 2023, Arianna’s family was driving in the 3700 block of Hayes Street NE, west of DC-295, when they saw multiple people get out of a car directly behind them.

The people from that car began shooting, police said.

Arianna’s family believes their car was struck by other people returning fire, police said.

The family then rushed to a firehouse, and Arianna was taken to a hospital.

She died three days later.

Gun recovered from suspect in Arianna’s death linked to Virginia double homicide

Three men are charged with first-degree murder in Arianna’s death: Charles Edward Owens, Karon Gregory and Dallas McKinney.

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When police searched Gregory’s home, they found multiple firearms, including a Glock linked to the murder of a couple in Fairfax County, Virginia, on May 26, 2021.

Military couple Brenda and Edward McDaniel were shot to death on the front lawn of their home in Springfield that day, Fairfax County police said.

Ronnie Marshall was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Melvin Jay died after he was shot by a Prince George’s County officer on Feb. 1. He was 31.

Jay was killed “in the very place he should have felt safe: his home,” his cousin Leonard Lee said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. He was joined by more than a dozen family members, with some crying as he spoke.

“We demand justice for Melvin,” Lee said. […] No family should have to endure such heartbreak, such injustice.”

On behalf of Jay’s family, Lee demanded an investigation into the killing and asked for support and prayers from the community.

Jay was the father of a 12-year-old and was expecting his second child, attorney Andrew Clarke said. He was a “family-oriented man,” a devoted father and “such a beautiful soul,” his cousin Malcolm Jay said.

Prince George’s County Council Member Krystal Oriadha said her heart aches for Jay’s family.

“They need justice, they need answers and they need accountability,” she said.

The group Harriet’s Wildest Dreams called the killing a “senseless act of violence” and also called for answers.

The family plans to file a civil lawsuit, Clarke, the lawyer, said.

Here’s what the body camera video shows

Police body camera footage of the shooting was released Monday, as News4 reported.

Prince George’s Officer Braxton Shelton responded to a breaking-and-entering call at Windham Creek Apartments, police said. He went into an apartment alone and shot Jay in the kitchen.

The body-camera video starts with Shelton parking and walking toward the unit where an alleged break-in took place. He entered without identifying himself and shouted commands including “show me your hands” before firing. About 35 seconds pass between the time Shelton got out of his cruiser and the shot was fired.

After the shot, Shelton addresses another man in the apartment, asking him if he lived there and what he was doing there. The man said it was his cousin’s house and Jay was his brother.

More officers arrived and searched the home and provided aid to Jay, but he died at the scene.

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Officers found a gun in Jay’s pocket and another near the kitchen sink, police said. It’s unclear from the video if Jay had anything in his hands, and police haven’t said who the guns belonged to.

In the 911 call officers responded to, the caller said a neighbor told him someone was breaking into his apartment. The caller did not say Jay might be inside.

The caller, Jay and the person who allegedly broke into the apartment are related, police said.

Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz released a video response to the shooting recorded by the department, but News4 was unable to ask him any questions.

Shelton is on administrative leave while the Maryland Office of the Attorney General investigates the shooting. Shelton has four years of law enforcement experience, according to the attorney general.

The complete body-camera video released by police can be viewed here. It is graphic and some may find it disturbing.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Yesenia Jaramillo Sosa, of Oxon Hill, was the victim, police said. She was 39.

She was stabbed at the Tropix Laundromat where she worked in the 4900 block of Allentown Road, Prince George’s County police said.

Police say Jaramillo Sosa’s boyfriend, John Marin Morales, 42, attacked her at about 12:30 p.m.

Responding officers were told a man stabbed a woman inside the business. When officers arrived, they found them both in an office in the back.

Investigators were looking at surveillance footage.

Marin Morales stabbed himself after killing his girlfriend, according to the initial investigation. He was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Marin Morales was charged with first-degree murder. It wasn’t immediately clear if he has a lawyer.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy supports a new hearing for T’Keisha Gilmer, saying Gilmer was a victim herself.

The victims – Dawn Brooks, her little boy and girl and their aunt – were found in a trash-filled garage after a shooting sparked by a missing cooler of drugs.

Sade Newson lost her mother, brother and sister in the murders. Recently, she learned Braveboy supports a hearing for Gilmer that could result in her release despite her life sentence.

“Devastated by bombshell, if you will,” she said. “I was shocked and appalled.”

Braveboy says Gilmer, who was 18 years old at the time, was abused and trafficked by her boyfriend, Darrell Bellard, who is 25 years older than the teen. Investigators say Bellard shot the victims while Gilmer held the door so they couldn’t escape.

“She’s lived a very tragic life,” Braveboy said. “She had a child very, very young and then she was taken advantage of by this much older man.”

Braveboy says details about Gilmer’s life and how she was treated by Bellard were not provided to the judge. Gilmer cooperated and testified against her boyfriend.

“I support a judge looking at all the factors and making a decision that’s fair and appropriate for this particular defendant,” Braveboy said.

But it doesn’t feel fair to the victims’ families.

“I think they should serve their full sentence,” Newson said.

The case will be in court again in June.

The American University College of Law Decarceration and Re-Entry Clinic represents Gilmer. It allows law students to help youthful offenders who are seeking to be released from confinement and restart their lives.

Prince George’s County police Officer Braxton Shelton responded to a breaking-and-entering call at Windham Creek Apartments in Suitland Feb. 1, police said. He went into an apartment alone and shot and killed 31-year-old Melvin Jay in the kitchen.

The body-camera video starts with Shelton parking and walking toward the unit where the alleged break-in took place. He entered without identifying himself and shouted commands to “show me your hands” before a shot was fired. About 35 seconds passed between the time Shelton got out of his cruiser and the shot was fired.

After the shot, Shelton addresses another man in the apartment, asking him if he lived there and what he was doing there. The man said it was his cousin’s house and Jay was his brother.

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More officers arrived and searched the home and provided aid to Jay, but Jay died at the scene.

Officers found a gun in Jay’s pocket and another near the kitchen sink, police said. It’s unclear from the video if Jay had anything in his hands, and police haven’t said who the guns belonged to.

In the 911 call officers responded to, the caller said a neighbor told him someone was breaking into his apartment. The caller did not say Jay might be inside.

The caller, Jay and the person who allegedly broke into the apartment are related, police said.

“Our team has begun the initial phase of the case investigation and will refrain from providing further comments at this time,” said a statement from lead attorney Ronald Richardson of Murphy, Falcon and Murphy, the law firm representing Jay’s family.

Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz released a video response to the shooting recorded by the department, but News4 was unable to ask him any questions.

Shelton remains on administrative leave while the Maryland Office of the Attorney General investigates the shooting. Shelton has four years of law enforcement experience, according to the attorney general.

The complete body-camera video released by police can be viewed here but is graphic and some may find it disturbing.

The woman noticed a dark-colored car following as she passed the IKEA Way sign on Route 1 in Prince George’s County about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

As she got on the Outer Loop of Interstate 495, the car bumped her from behind, she told police. She continued, and the other driver tried to run her off the road.

The victim finally pulled over onto the shoulder of the Beltway near Riggs Road where a group of men robbed her at gunpoint but did not take her car before fleeing, she told police.

Maryland State Police said in a statement that they believe the victim was specifically targeted.

Earlier at about 2 a.m. in the 4800 block of Berwyn House Road in College Park — a neighborhood just off Route 1 — a woman was pulling her car into a parking space when three men approached her, according to an alert sent from campus police at nearby University of Maryland. They demanded her property but did not take her car.

They fled toward Route 1 in a black Honda Accord. 

Maryland State Police detectives are investigating the Beltway incident and want anyone with information to call the College Park Barrack at 301-345-3101.

Artell Cunningham, of Suitland, was killed after police say he carjacked at least three people, tried to carjack others and shot and killed two men. Cunningham was 28.

Police shot him in the parking lot of a laundromat on Annapolis Road on Jan. 30, graphic video footage shows.

“Shots fired! Shots fired!” an officer shouts after the gunfire.

The two officers turned on their cameras after the shooting. It was unclear why.

“Don’t touch the guns! Don’t touch the guns!” an officer repeatedly shouts at Cunningham.

As the officers approach Cunningham, they kick two guns out the way and put him in handcuffs, as is standard practice for officer safety.

“I’m going to start CPR,” an officer says.

Cunningham is suspected of killing Alberto Vasquez and Michael Gill in D.C. and then going on a carjacking and shooting spree that lasted until early the next morning. Investigators say Cunningham shot at police officers three times before his encounter with New Carrollton police.

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The footage shows it took as long as three minutes before police began CPR in the parking lot, and that it ultimately was unsuccessful.

Cunningham’s family knew he was in crisis, source says

Cunningham’s family knew he was in crisis and tried to find him, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told News4.

At least one of Cunningham’s relatives showed up on K Street, where Gill was shot, because they could see that Cunningham’s phone had pinged in the area, the source said.

News4 went to Cunningham’s mother’s home on Thursday and spoke with a woman through the door. The woman, who said she was a family friend, said she spoke with Cunningham’s mother and that she said her son left a note indicating he had tried to die by suicide before and was in crisis.

A spokesman for the independent investigations division would not confirm the existence of the note and declined to comment.

The shooting happened in the 6900 block of Stansbury Lane, Prince George’s County police said. Officers responded just before 9:30 p.m. and found two adults and a child suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.

The girl and the suspect were declared dead at the scene.

“Her bright future was cut tragically short last night by her stepfather,” Chief of Police Malik Aziz said.

A woman was taken to a hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries, authorities said. She is in stable condition.

Prince George’s County police said 38-year-old Curtis Lynch shot the woman and her daughter, Mailyn Turkes.

“Mailyn did not deserve this,” Aziz said. “The adult female victim did not deserve this. The families that are involved did not deserve this.”

Police said there was no threat to the community.

D.C. police arrested Lynch Feb. 12. He was accused of threatening to kidnap or injure someone, according to court documents. He was released Feb. 16 on pretrial supervision. He was given a curfew, placed on electronic monitoring and told not to possess a gun.

Prosecutors said they wanted him held without bond.

On Feb. 21, sheriff’s deputies were called to a Landover home because of argument, the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office said. Not finding any sign of a physical altercation nor having anyone complain of such, no action was taken by deputies other than to advise those involved with resources available to them.

Lynch was convicted in a domestic case in 2015, according to court documents.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 1-866-411-TIPS.

Note (Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, 8:59 p.m. ET): This article originally said the girl was 10. Police now say she was 11.

Medrano-Moore – a bright, humble student who dreamed of playing basketball professionally – died after she was shot on Sept. 11 near DuVal High School.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with murder days later.

Prince George’s County police said Wednesday that they identified and charged three more suspects: Ramon Richardson, 18, of Lanham; Cameron Anderson, 18, of Landover; and a 17-year-old from Lanham whose name was not released.

Richardson and Anderson each were charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and related charges. The 17-year-old, who also was charged as an adult, was charged with first-degree murder. It wasn’t immediately clear if they have lawyers.

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Weapons detector added at DuVal High School after student is shot and killed

The three additional suspects were identified during the investigation and taken into custody Wednesday morning, police said.

Chief of Police Malik Aziz said in September that the shooter opened fire after “some type of petty beef” between groups of young people. Medrano-Moore had tried to intervene, he said.

“She stepped in between that when a gun was produced,” he said. “[…] The person with a gun at a fight shot and killed her.”

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Cpl. David Hardester shoved his wife into a wall, left their home in Mechanicsville and drove to Newburg to confront the man, according to Charles County court documents. He was furious his wife was having an affair, authorities believe.

The man told police he knew Hardester was coming and “expected it would be a fistfight and they would just get it over with as men.”

Court documents say Hardester fired his service weapon as the man had his back turned. The officer later told police it was an accident.

The man told investigators he ran away, got in his vehicle, started following Hardester and called police.

Officers responded to Crain Highway in Newburg at about 1:30 a.m. Friday.

The man was not struck by the gunfire, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office said.

Hardester faces numerous charges, including attempted murder and reckless endangerment.

Hardester, who joined the Prince George’s County Police Department in 2005, is suspended without pay, the department said and refused to comment further.

Court records show Hardester was released from jail Monday morning to home confinement. He’s due to appear in court on March 22 for a preliminary hearing. If convicted of attempted murder, he could face life in prison.

Nilson Granados-Trejo, 25, is charged with first- and second-degree murder.

Stray gunfire struck 2-year-old Jeremy Poou-Caceres and his teenage mother the evening of Feb. 8 as she pushed the boy in a stroller in Langley Park, police said.

Prince George’s County police previously arrested 33-year-old Israel Fuentes Jr., 28-year-old Johnny Alejandro Turcios, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old.

Fuentes and Turcios were with two other men in a stolen car when they fired shots at another group of people — the two teenagers.

A detective in the area heard the shots and went to the scene, finding the young mother and child suffering from gunshot wounds in a courtyard, police said.

“I have a small infant who’s been shot,” the detective radioed in.

Prince George's County Feb 16

2 more suspects arrested in Langley Park shooting that killed 2-year-old

gun violence Feb 12

‘Tried to save my son': Mother speaks about Langley Park shooting that killed her 2-year-old

Prince George's County Feb 9

‘Put the guns down': 2 arrested in fatal shooting of 2-year-old boy in Langley Park

Paramedics soon arrived and rushed Jeremy to Children’s National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His mother has been released from the hospital and is expected to survive her injuries, according to police.

Anyone with information about the crime should contact police.

Officers with the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Gang Unit and Narcotics Enforcement Division executed a search warrant at a home in the Langley Park area and found about 30 kilograms of cocaine, 25 ounces of cocaine laced with fentanyl, 37 grams of methamphetamine and more than $120,000 in cash.

“I can say in the 20 years that I’ve been a member of this police department, for a unit that is not a long-term investigative unit that is focused on solely narcotics, I have not seen a seizure of this amount,” Deputy Chief Zachary O’Lare said.

Police arrested 37-year-old Willians Quintanilla Beltran and charged him with multiple drug charges.

Patrina Best, 38, was found dead inside her parents’ home in the 800 block of St. James Court in Accokeek, authorities said. Her boyfriend, Carl Kearney, Jr., 43, turned himself in to police after strangling her that morning, police said.

Best’s family remembered her as a “fun-loving, warm-hearted person [who] made friends easily everywhere she went.”

They said as the daughter of a U.S. Navy chief petty officer, Best lived all over the world before she graduated from high school in Georgia and then earned her nursing degree.

“Patrina was a constant source of joy and laughter in our lives. She was guaranteed to be present for every birthday, holiday, and special occasion,” the Best family said in a statement to News4. “She was a wonderful person in every regard. She was the light of our lives, and we will miss her dearly for the rest of our days.”

Best leaves behind her parents, her “best friend” and older sister Gianina Best, her brother-in-law, and a niece and nephew “who consider her the greatest ‘Tita’ in the entire world. She also leaves behind her beloved dog, Luke, who traveled with her to every location she worked as a travel nurse,” her family said.  

Police said Kearney told detectives he strangled Best during an argument.

He is a well-liked football and track coach at Spalding High School in Georgia. His students and football players say they’re shocked at his arrest, as many consider him a father figure.

He played football at Georgia Southern University and was a practice squad player for the New York Jets in the 2000s.

A judge ordered Kearney held without bond Tuesday on charges of first- and second-degree murder charges. His next court appearance is March 18.

“As you know, a few years ago we went to Annapolis to ask that strangulation become a first-degree felony offense,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said. “We were successful in doing so. That type of offense now carries up to 25 years. What that does is it gives us an opportunity to really hold offenders accountable.”

Carl Kearney, Jr., 43, walked into a police station in Clinton at around 9:20 a.m. and “advised officers he strangled his girlfriend… earlier that morning,” authorities said. 

When police went to the residence in the 800 block of St. James Court, they said they found Patrina Best, 38, unresponsive inside. She was pronounced dead at the scene. 

“During an interview with Homicide Unit detectives, Kearney confessed to strangling the victim during an argument,” Prince George’s County police said. 

The suspect faces first- and second-degree murder and related charges, authorities said. 

Anyone with information on the case should call 301-516-2512 or 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) to remain anonymous.

John Raymond Conner is accused of attacking women starting as far back as 2009, tying up victims at knifepoint, police say. The Northeast D.C. resident was arrested this week and charged in two cases. His lawyer declined comment.

The victims include a woman visiting her friend’s grave, a school custodian doing her job and a hairstylist asleep in her bed.

Court documents reveal upsetting details. A woman who was visiting her best friend’s grave in Suitland, Maryland, told police a stranger blindfolded her, forced her into the woods at knifepoint and raped her.

DNA from the case matched Conner in 2012. But the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney declined to prosecute, citing inconsistent statements from the alleged victim.

In August 2009, an elementary school custodian was at work on Douglass Street SE when Conner came in and raped her at knifepoint, police say.

In December of that year, investigators say he punched, strangled and raped his pregnant girlfriend. Court documents say he was angry that she wanted an abortion.

Conner entered a plea in court for sexual abuse and kidnapping and was sentenced to four years.

Fourteen years later, in April 2023, court documents say Conner got his hair cut at an apartment in Mount Vernon Square. Investigators say he raped his hairdresser at knifepoint on and off for seven hours.

Conner was recently charged with the attacks on the custodian and hairdresser.

Court documents say it often took months for rape kits to be tested. Investigators eventually used DNA evidence to connect all the cases.

Conner is due in court for a preliminary hearing next week.

Both of those teenagers, one 15 years old and the other 16 years old, are being charged with murder as adults.

There are now four people in custody for the shooting, according to Prince George’s County police. Last week, police arrested 33-year-old Israel Fuentes, Jr. and 28-year-old Johnny Alejandro Turcios, both of Lewisdale, Maryland.

Fuentes and Turcios have both been charged with first-degree murder and related charges.

Two more suspects are still at large.

Fuentes and Turcios were with two other men in a stolen car that had been carjacked on Feb. 8, police said. They were shooting at another group of people — the two teenagers arrested Friday. The two other men in the stolen car are still at large.

Stray gunfire struck 2-year-old Jeremy Poou-Caceres and his teenage mother that Thursday evening. His mother was pushing the boy in a stroller when gunfire erupted.

A detective in the area heard the shots and went to the scene, finding the young mother and child suffering from gunshot wounds in a courtyard, Prince George’s County police said.

“I have a small infant who’s been shot,” the detective radioed in.

Paramedics soon arrived and rushed Jeremy to Children’s National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His mother has been released from the hospital and is expected to survive her injuries, according to police.

No names for the two teenagers arrested Friday have been shared by police. Police are still looking for the two other individuals in the car, and asking for help from the public.

According to police, just before 10 p.m. on Feb. 7, the night before the deadly shootout, one of the two people of interest is seen on surveillance video getting out of a 2003 gold Ford Explorer. That man then walked into a convenience store in the 9200 block of New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The second person of interest is seen on surveillance video standing at the counter inside of the store.

The Ford Explorer had been carjacked earlier the morning of Feb. 7, and police say it is the same SUV the shooters fled in after two-year-old Jeremy was shot.

“That young baby did not deserve to die because someone wants to come out here and play with guns,” Asst. Chief Vernon Hale III said the night of the shooting. “Bullets come down, and they have real consequences.”

Anyone with information about the two people still at large, or about the crime, is asked to contact police.

Prince George's County Feb 15

Langley Park residents grieve slain toddler at healing circle

Crime and Courts Feb 9

2 arrested in killing of 2-year-old boy

Prince George's County Feb 12

Suspect to appear in court in fatal shooting of child in Langley Park

House Bill 805 and Senate Bill 537 would allow state leaders to alter the distance of restrictions for licensed cannabis dispensaries and eliminate county councils from creating zoning requirements. If the bills pass, dispensaries can’t be within 500 feet of a school, playground or public park, according to Del. C.T. Wilson, D-District 28.

“Because of what I’ve seen other counties do with liquor stores and how they shoved them in the communities of color, I want to make sure that dispensaries don’t do that,” Wilson said.

Wilson, who sponsors the legislation, says one of the priorities is to eliminate the illegal drug market and avoid dispensaries from being clustered together.

“I’m tired of young Black men dying or going to jail because of weed,” he said.

“You’re creating these huge vacuums where no one can access this,” Wilson added. “And it’s already legal; it’s already been voted legal.”

Prince George’s County Council member Wala Blegay says the legislation cuts county leaders out of location decisions.

“I definitely think that this bill should be held and they should allow local jurisdictions be make the decision,” she said. “And, let me just add this: Community leaders should have a say.”

Local real estate attorney Abdullah Hijazi created an online petition against the two bills this week, stating dispensaries would be able to open anywhere a liquor store is allowed.

“I think if we got it wrong with one vice, we shouldn’t get it wrong with another vice and we shouldn’t fast-track getting it wrong with this other vice,” he said.

“Brings concern for the community and impacts the property values and many more issues,” Blegay said. “I mean most of the places where you have liquor stores and tobacco stores is also a correlation of high crime.”

Last year, Prince George’s County leaders voted down restrictions on cannabis shops, which would have put limitations on where dispensaries could open.

Stray gunfire struck 2-year-old Jeremy Poou-Caceres and his teenage mother Thursday evening, killing the boy. His mother, who was pushing the boy in a stroller when shots were fired, has been released from a hospital.

Police arrested 33-year-old Israel Fuentes Jr. and 28-year-old Johnny Alejandro Turcios and charged them with first-degree murder and related charges. They are being held without bond.

The suspects were with two other men in a gold 2003 Ford Explorer that had been carjacked the day before, Feb. 7. They were shooting at another group of people, police said.

Convenience store surveillance video from the day the Ford Explorer was carjacked shows two persons of interest arriving in the stolen car.

Police ask anyone who can help identify the persons of interest call homicide detectives at 301-516-2512. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of suspects.

Charging documents reveal how police identified Fuentes and Turcios as suspects. Detectives say Fuentes called police 90 minutes after the shooting and made up a story saying his cellphone and money had been taken in an armed robbery near the shooting scene.

Investigators say Fuentes blocked the number from which he was calling to prevent police from seeing that he had a second cellphone, which they say showed “consciousness of guilt.”

gun violence Feb 12

‘Tried to save my son': Mother speaks about Langley Park shooting that killed her 2-year-old

Prince George's County Feb 9

‘Put the guns down': 2 arrested in fatal shooting of 2-year-old boy in Langley Park

Prince George's County Feb 8

‘I pray they weren't trying to kill a child': Boy, 2, shot to death in Langley Park

Police say they located Fuentes’ phone at an apartment on University Boulevard. That’s where they took Turcios in for questioning. Police say that at the apartment, they found a gun and, on the steps, a blue latex glove that matched a glove found near the getaway car — the Ford Explorer that had been carjacked.

Police say a witness saw Fuentes and Turcios shoot guns at another group in a grassy field during a dispute over drug territory, striking the toddler and his mother.

They were not the intended targets, police said.

Jeremy Poou-Caceres was the victim. His mother was recently released from a hospital after she was shot and wounded. Her left leg was bandaged.

“We don’t got tears anymore, but we’re depressed,” she told Telemundo 44. News4 and Telemundo 44 are protecting her identity because she is a crime victim and witness.

She was pushing her son in a stroller when groups of people began shooting off Kanawah Street.

“I grabbed my son and tried to save my son. That was all I could think about,” she said.

The toddler was rushed to Children’s National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His mother and loved ones are just beginning to grieve.

“We have the trauma to see that. How did our baby die?” the mother asked.

Prince George's County Feb 8

‘I pray they weren't trying to kill a child': Boy, 2, shot to death in Langley Park

Prince George's County Feb 8

Young boy shot and killed, mother wounded in Langley Park

Prince George's County Feb 9

‘Put the guns down': 2 arrested in fatal shooting of 2-year-old boy in Langley Park

Charging documents reveal how police were able to identify the two suspects, Israel Fuentes Jr. and Johnny Turcios. Detectives say Fuentes called police 90 minutes after the shooting and made up a story saying his cellphone and money had been taken in an armed robbery near the shooting scene.

Investigators say Fuentes blocked the number from which he was calling to prevent police from seeing that he had a second cellphone, which they say showed “consciousness of guilt.”

Police say they located Fuentes’ phone at an apartment on University Boulevard. That’s where they took Turcios in for questioning. Police say that at the apartment, they found a gun and, on the steps, a blue latex glove that matched a glove found near the getaway car. It was a Ford Explorer that had been taken in a carjacking.

Police say a witness saw Fuentes and Turcios shoot guns at another group in a grassy field during a dispute over drug territory, striking the toddler and his mother.

They were not the intended targets, police said.

“I believe that we were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that’s how we lost our son,” the mother said.

During questioning, Fuentes told detectives, “I do feel terrible about what happened to the child.”

Investigators obtained video of the carjacked SUV showing four suspects getting out eight minutes after the toddler and his mother were shot. Police say an AK-47-style rifle was found inside.

The suspects appeared in court Monday and were ordered held without bond.

Jeremy Poou-Caceres and his mother were shot about 5:35 p.m. in the 1400 block of Kanawah Street. A detective in the area heard gunfire and went to the scene, finding a young mother and child suffering from gunshot wounds in a courtyard, Prince George’s County police said.

“I have a small infant who’s been shot,” the detective radioed in.

Paramedics soon arrived and rushed the boy to Children’s National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The child’s mother was taken to a D.C. hospital. She will survive her injuries, police said.

With the help of numerous tips from the community, police identified 33-year-old Israel Fuentes Jr. and 28-year-old Johnny Alejandro Turcios — both of Lewisdale — as suspects and took them into custody, police said. Both are charged with first-degree murder and related charges.

“The dedicated detectives who are assigned to this case haven’t been home since the murder,” Asst. Chief Vernon Hale III said. “They have worked with fierce determination to identify those responsible for taking the life of this innocent child. We hope these two arrests provide some comfort to Jeremy’s grieving family.”

The suspects were with two other men in a stolen car that had been carjacked Wednesday. They were shooting at another group of people, and Jeremy and his mother were struck in the exchange of gunfire, police said.

“When you think about the chain of victims from the original carjacking to the shooting victims to the officer sitting there giving CPR to a 2-year-old with blood on his hands to what other crimes they committed in between to the life of this young mother without her child for the rest of her life, she won’t get sleep every night, either,” Hale said. “And this happens when we think these are just property crimes, when we think people are just doing these things because they’re hungry or whatever that may be, it creates trauma. A lot of levels for a lot of people. We’ve got to put the guns down.”

Police tracked down the unoccupied stolen car and found a weapon they believe was used in the shooting. They later arrested Fuentes and Turcios. They continue to look for other people involved in the shooting.

“This investigation is far from over,” Hale said. “We will not stop until everyone involved in this murder is in custody.”

Cellphone video of the aftermath of the shooting shows a chaotic scene. The courtyard of an apartment complex is crowded with people, including children.

“That young baby did not deserve to die because someone wants to come out here and play with guns,” Hale said Thursday night. “Bullets come down, and they have real consequences.”

A photo shared with News4 by a woman who was once the little boy’s nanny shows a child with brown hair and brown eyes wearing a Minions sweatshirt. She said she was distraught when she learned he had been killed.

“A child is dead; a mother is shot and won’t get to raise that baby,” Hale said. “That baby won’t get to be a future PG police officer and live his best life.”

At the apartment complex Friday evening, many people said they were staying indoors and keeping their children close. Some spoke about crime and gang activity and said they want a greater security presence and more surveillance cameras.

“This one hits hard and this one hits at home,” Prince George’s County Council member Wanika Fisher said. “I think I’ve been emotional since yesterday about this and I think everyone in my community is.” 

Anyone with potentially relevant information about the killing is asked to contact police.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.