Peeping Tom suspect arrested after knife-wielding standoff and drone chase in Gaithersburg
GAITHERSBURG, MD – A man previously arrested for peeping tom offenses in 2022 is back in custody after a string of new incidents in Gaithersburg that escalated from indecent exposure to a violent confrontation involving a knife—and ended with a drone-assisted arrest after a foot chase.
Steven Jarezz Adams, 32, of Silver Spring, has been charged with multiple offenses, including indecent exposure, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and trespassing after detectives linked him to a disturbing pattern of voyeurism and criminal behavior spanning from mid-December to mid-January. Officials now believe there may be more victims who have yet to come forward.
According to investigators, Adams was first seen exposing himself in the early hours of December 24 through a sliding glass door to a woman inside her McCullough Lane home. Just two weeks later, on January 7, a second woman on the same street spotted a shadow outside her window—then saw Adams standing there before he walked off. Hours later, that same night, he was observed by a neighbor using a flashlight to peer into a separate home’s sliding glass door on Silkcotton Way.
But the series of incidents took a darker turn on January 15 when a male resident, alerted by his home security system, confronted Adams on his patio. Adams allegedly responded by pulling out a knife and swinging it at the homeowner before fleeing the scene.
Detectives identified Adams through prior arrest history and surveillance efforts. They secured a warrant and began actively searching for him. On Tuesday evening, they spotted Adams behind a multi-level apartment complex on Gramercy Blvd. in Derwood, where a police drone captured him peering into multiple ground-level apartments and exposing himself once again.
As officers moved in, Adams fled on foot but was quickly caught and arrested by members of several district Special Assignment Teams. He is currently being held without bond at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.
Given the escalating nature of the incidents and the belief that additional victims may exist, detectives are urging community members to report any suspicious encounters involving Adams.
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Key Points
- Steven Jarezz Adams was arrested Tuesday after a string of indecent exposure and peeping tom incidents in Gaithersburg
- A January 15 encounter escalated when Adams allegedly swung a knife at a man who confronted him
- A police drone captured Adams exposing himself before he was arrested following a foot chase