Man arrested after smashing Montgomery Co. police cruiser’s window for 2nd time

WASHINGTON — Police arrested a man they say bashed in the windows of two different Montgomery County police cruisers this month.

Hector Pacheco, 24, was arrested earlier this week after police said he vandalized Montgomery County police cruisers in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on June 6 and June 18.

On June 18, an off-duty police officer was notified of a man using a rock to break the passenger side window of a county police cruiser in the 9800 block of Washington Boulevard. Witnesses told police the suspect walked to a nearby shopping center where police found him.

Pacheco, a Silver Spring resident, ran away from responding officers, assaulting three of them in the process. He was eventually taken into custody. The three officers sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene, police said.

Upon questioning, detectives determined Pacheco vandalized a police cruiser on June 6 as well — less than half a mile from where the other cruiser was vandalized. In the June 6 instance, a video shows Pacheco standing on the hood of a cruiser in the 9800 block of Mahogany Drive and using a rock to break the front windshield. He then removed the rearview mirror from the inside of the car and placed it on the cruiser’s roof before walking away.

Pacheco was charged with two counts of destruction of property, resisting arrest and three counts of second-degree assault. He was released after posting a $5,000 bond.

Sarah Beth Hensley

Sarah Beth Hensley is the Digital News Director at WTOP. She has worked several different roles since she began with WTOP in 2013 and has contributed to award-winning stories and coverage on the website.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up