SILVER SPRING, Md. — Maryland State Police are investigating an attempted robbery and assault of a 64-year-old flower vendor in Montgomery County on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. on the exit ramp from Interstate 495 East to Route 650 South.
According to the Maryland State Police, the victim was selling flowers along the roadside when the occupants of an SUV, stopped in traffic, called her over under the pretense of purchasing flowers. As she approached the vehicle, one of the occupants reportedly grabbed her purse. The driver then accelerated, dragging the victim briefly before she fell, still holding onto her purse.
The woman was transported to Holy Cross Hospital, where she was treated for her injuries and later released. Police describe the SUV as a darker-colored vehicle with District of Columbia license plates, occupied by at least two Black males, one of whom was wearing a ski mask.
The vehicle was last seen heading southbound on Route 650. A “Be On the Lookout” (BOLO) alert has been issued to the Montgomery County Police Department and the Washington Metropolitan Police Department as authorities continue their investigation.
