Alexandria Police have connected two suspects in a West End armed robbery with multiple incidents where victims were robbed after arranging meetups on Facebook Marketplace.
One of the incidents occurred in Alexandria on Dec. 20, 2022, inside the McDonald’s at 3510 Duke Street — just a block away from the Alexandria Police Department headquarters — according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
A juvenile suspect allegedly met with the victim to buy a laptop computer inside the restaurant, and then “(d)uring the transaction, the suspect removed a firearm from his waistband and struck (the victim) in the head,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “(The victim) turned over his wallet. The suspect picked it up and took off running towards the back of the McDonald’s out of view.”
The incident was recorded on a security camera. Police believe the suspects allegedly fled the area in a gray Kia Optima.
The suspects allegedly used the false names Oliver Crown and Steven Walston on Facebook Messenger to “lure victims to a meeting location to rob them,” police said in a search warrant affidavit.
Following the incident, APD was contacted by a detective with the Anne Arundel County Police Department. APD was told that the incident could be connected with multiple incidents dating back to November in Anne Arundel County and Montgomery County. In each instance, the suspect allegedly arranged to buy an item on Facebook Messenger by using a false name.
On Dec. 21, at around 6:30 p.m., the owner of an iPad arranged its sale on Facebook Messenger and was allegedly robbed in their home by one of the suspects. The incident occurred in the 2300 block of Terrapin Road in Jessup, Maryland. The victim was allegedly pistol-whipped and the suspects fled with a getaway driver in a gray Kia Optima, according to AACPD. Prior to the incident that same day, the juvenile suspect allegedly went to the wrong home and his face was captured on a front door Ring camera. He was also allegedly wearing similar clothing as in the incident that occurred the day before in Alexandria.
On Dec. 30, at around 7:30 p.m., two suspects in a gray car met with a victim in Anne Arundel County regarding the sale of an item on Facebook Messenger, according to the search warrant affidavit.
“During this robbery, the victim reported a second suspect… exited the gray car and produced a black handgun and put it to the victim’s head,” according to the police search warrant affidavit.
On Jan. 5, two suspects, one of them a juvenile, were arrested in relation to an armed carjacking by the Montgomery County Police Department. No information was available on the juvenile suspect.
A 20-year-old suspect, Martir Mejia, of Washington, D.C., was charged with carjacking, armed carjacking, armed robbery, assault in the first and second degree, firearm use in commission of a felony, handgun in vehicle, handgun on person, con-armed carjacking (a carjacking without a weapon) and con-armed robbery (a robbery without a weapon).
Mejia’s phone allegedly “revealed a Facebook account that was linked to other Facebook Marketplace inquiries through Facebook Messenger,” police said in the search warrant affidavit.
Mejia goes to court on April 12.
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Monarch Montessori School located in the heart of Del Ray is enrolling children 6 weeks to 6 years of age for our half day and full day program.
Our hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday-Friday. Monarch Montessori School is open year round, with intermittent breaks.
Children engage in self-directed, self-initiated activities under the guidance of a trained Montessori teacher. Classroom sizes range from 8-12 students. Our robust curriculum includes botany, sensorial activities, the social graces, culture, math, science, practical life, geography, music appreciation and language arts.
You’ll get half off of the registration fee when you register and begin care with us before April 30, 2023.
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The HIPAA Seal of Compliance is issued to organizations that have implemented an effective HIPAA compliance program through the use of The Guard, Compliancy Group’s proprietary compliance tracking solution.
Clients and patients are becoming more aware of the requirements of HIPAA compliance and how the regulation protects their personal information. Forward-thinking providers like EDBS Dental Billing Solutions choose the HIPAA Seal of Compliance to differentiate their services.
Del Ray Dog Fest & Yappy Hour
The 1st Annual Del Ray Dog Fest is a fun outdoor event that will include dog-centered activities, dog menu items, live music, vendors and food on Sunday, April 2 from 11am- 3pm at the George Washington Middle School parking lot.
