Suspect caught on camera stealing weed whacker from Silver Spring backyard

Silver Spring, MD – Montgomery County Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man caught on surveillance video during a residential burglary earlier this month in the 8000 block of Woodbury Drive.

According to detectives with the 3rd District Investigative Section, the burglary occurred at approximately 2:54 a.m. on Tuesday, September 16. The suspect was recorded walking up the driveway of a residence before entering a backyard shed and stealing an orange Rigid electric weed whacker.

The suspect is described as a Black male wearing a blue vest and dark-colored pants. Two images released by police show the individual holding what appears to be the stolen yard tool while leaving the property.

Investigators say the suspect left the scene before officers arrived and remain hopeful the community can assist with identifying him. Crime Solvers of Montgomery County is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the case.

Tips can be submitted anonymously by visiting www.crimesolversmcmd.org or www.p3tips.com, or by calling 1-866-411-8477.

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Key Points

• Suspect stole an orange Rigid electric weed whacker from a shed in Silver Spring
• Incident occurred just before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, September 16
• Police are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest

Corriganville woman dead after three-alarm fire tears through home with no smoke alarms

Corriganville, MD – A 69-year-old woman was killed Friday morning in a devastating three-alarm house fire in Corriganville, as investigators work to determine the cause of the blaze that engulfed a two-story residence and left no functioning smoke alarms behind.

The fire broke out just before noon at 11609 Proenty Road NW. A 911 call reported a house fire with possible entrapment, prompting a rapid response from the Corriganville Volunteer Fire Company and multiple surrounding departments. Firefighters arrived within minutes to find flames consuming much of the structure.

Dozens of personnel battled the intense blaze for nearly an hour before bringing it under control. After the flames were extinguished, firefighters located a deceased adult inside the home. Authorities have preliminarily identified the victim as a 69-year-old woman who lived at the residence. Her remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for positive identification and to determine the cause of death.

Officials say no smoke alarms were heard upon arrival, and investigators found no evidence of alarms inside the home. The lack of detection devices may have contributed to the fatal outcome, though the official cause remains under investigation.

One firefighter sustained minor injuries during the response and was treated at the scene.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is leading the investigation in partnership with the Combined County Criminal Investigations Unit (C3I), Maryland State Police Crime Scene Unit, and K9 “Blondie,” who was deployed as part of standard protocol for fatal fire incidents.

Fire investigators are focusing on pinpointing where and how the fire started, with no preliminary cause released.

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Key Points

• A 69-year-old Corriganville woman died Friday in a three-alarm house fire on Proenty Road
• Fire crews found no working smoke alarms inside the home, and the blaze took nearly an hour to control
• The fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal and criminal investigators