Police arrest Md. teen in connection to shooting outside mall

WASHINGTON — Montgomery County police made an arrest Saturday in a November shooting that took place near a Wheaton, Maryland, mall.

Santiago Julian Alvarez, an 18-year-old from Landover, is charged with attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment.

On Nov. 21, police responded to reports of a shooting and a vehicle collision around 7 p.m. near a parking garage outside the Dick’s Sporting Goods location at Westfield Wheaton mall.

A car had struck a brick support column outside the store, police said. Outside of that vehicle, police found the male front-seat passenger suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The female driver of that car, as well as a juvenile female passenger, were inside the vehicle suffering from injuries related to the collision. They were hospitalized for injuries that were not life-threatening.

Police determined that before the shooting, the shooting victim was in two different altercations with Alvarez — one inside the mall and another inside Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Police said the bullet that struck the victim came from outside of the car and from the first level of the parking garage. The vehicle struck the building as the driver tried to flee, they said.

Police obtained a warrant for Alvarez’s arrest on Dec. 4. He was arrested Saturday and is being held without bond.

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