Montgomery County Police 2nd District commander Capt. Dave Falcinelli believes all those responsible for the Capital Crescent Tunnel muggings have been charged, but he’s also set up an “aggressive” night patrol of the area.
Falcinelli made the statements Thursday in a crime update included in a regular Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center news email:
As you have seen in the news and heard on the list serves, there have been a few assaults/robberies in the tunnel of the Capital Crescent Trail in the last several months. My detectives have been working long hours on these cases and have arrested several juvenile male suspects. At this time, I believe that those responsible for all the events in the tunnel have been charged. Despite the arrests, the 2nd District has partnered with the part-time officers working in the Town of Chevy Chase and the Bethesda Urban Partnership to provide an aggressive evening patrol of the tunnel and the trail, and you have probably already seen them if you have been on the trail at night recently.
Falcinelli also explained SWAT activity on Wednesday morning near Sangamore Road as a cautious move to check a residence of a suspect in a Prince George’s County child abduction. The suspect was not at the residence and was arrested later Wednesday in P.G. County, Falcinelli said.
With thefts from cars still prevalent in the 2nd District, Falcinelli praised two residents who on two separate nights reported suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. Both calls led to the arrests of suspects stealing from cars, Falcinelli said.
Falcinelli also reported that residential burglaries are down 40 percent from the same time last year, commercial burglaries are down 32 percent, thefts from cars are down nine percent and stolen cars are down 41 percent. Robberies are up nine percent.
