Westfield implementing stiff 3 PM curfew for minors at Wheaton Plaza

Those who claim crime is not a problem at the few remaining malls in Montgomery County were dealt a blow of reality today, as Westfield announced it will implement a restrictive 3:00 PM curfew for unaccompanied minors at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda and Wheaton Plaza starting September 28. Once in effect, the new policy will require any mall patron under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult after 3:00 PM, seven days a week. Those not in compliance will be escorted from the premises by security or Montgomery County police. Supervising adults may be asked for identification with a valid I.D.

Westfield says the hours and specifics of the new policy can be changed at any time, and that it may adjust the hours of enforcement during the holiday shopping season. It also says that supervising adults will be held responsible for the behavior and actions of the juveniles under their supervision, suggesting legal liability potential for the type of assaults and shoplifting incidents that have been taking place at the property in recent years.

This curfew sadly punishes the majority of minors who lawfully engage in the All-American tradition of hanging out at the mall. It will certainly cost mall tenants financially. That dovetails with another disappointing trend: Massive international corporations like Westfield and Giant parent Ahold declining to publicly condemn pro-criminal elected officials, and put their considerable financial resources toward electing alternative leaders, and instead implementing policies that punish all customers, such as locking up items or crippling self-checkouts. Montgomery County and Maryland's weak juvenile crime policies - and weak willed business responses - seem to put criminals in charge of our community, rather than holding them accountable. The new curfew policy was first reported by The MoCo Show.

Spirit Halloween opens in Wheaton (Photos)

Spirit Halloween is now haunting at 11006 Veirs Mill Road at Wheaton Plaza. The theme this year is a Friday the 13th-inspired Camp Harbor Lake setting. While lacking the Crystal Lake branding, the camp scene displayed in the store prominently features an officially-licensed, life-size Jason Voorhees. A life-size Michael Myers looks on in the background. Now that the meddling Dr. Grant is out of the way, you can slip into an official Jurassic Park staff uniform, and run the attraction as you see fit. A pair of official Wolverine claws will allow you to slash your way to candy on the big night, in decidedly less painful fashion than each deployment would impose on old man Logan himself. And while a life-size Alien xenomorph seems out of place at a summer camp, it won't look out of place right behind you when you open your front door on Halloween night.

Sabrosito Snack Bar gets bigger in Wheaton

When I think of snack bars at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall, the lobby concessions inside the AMC Wheaton Mall 9 comes to mind. But there's a second snack bar in the mall that is growing in success by leaps and bounds. So much so, that it has outgrown its original space. Sabrosito Snack Bar announced today that it has relocated to a larger space in the mall's food court. The snack bar serves hot dogs, Mexican street corn, nachos, and a wide variety of desserts ranging from ice cream to fresas con crema.

Wheaton Plaza shooting suspect charged as adult

The 17-year-old suspect in a shooting inside Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall last evening has been charged as an adult, Montgomery County police announced this afternoon. Diego Rafael Turcios Avalos is facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, use of a firearm in the commission of a violent felony, carrying a loaded handgun on his person and possession of a firearm by a minor. He is being held at the County jail pending a bond hearing.

Police allege that Turcios Avalos was seated at a table near Cinnabon inside the mall at 5:58 PM Friday, when a group of teenagers walked past him. For reasons yet unspecified, he stood up, drew a handgun, and fired at the teens, hitting a 13-year-old boy in the leg. Turcios Avalos then turned and ran from the scene.

As the suspect neared Dick's Sporting Goods, he was intercepted by an armed mall security guard. Police say the guard ordered him to drop to the floor, which is where County police officers responding to approximately two dozen 911 calls regarding the shooting found him minutes later. Police allege Turcios Avalos was in possession of a black 9mm handgun when he was taken into custody by Montgomery's Finest.

Officers found the shooting victim, and applied a tourniquet to his leg. They took note that children had been playing in a play area close to the shooting scene when the shooter allegedly fired. Turcios Avalos could be facing additional charges for the reckless endangerment of mall patrons. His mugshot was not released by police.

Spirit Halloween haunting scary-early in Wheaton for 2026

Spirit Halloween fans are getting a thrill out of the freakishly early appearance of signage for the chain's 2026 Wheaton location. Those with season and holiday boundary issues may be getting a chill, by contrast. People not ready to face Back-to-School shopping sales yet, much less All Hallows Eve, likely don't want to hear that everyone's favorite costume, accessory, decoration and animatronic destination will be at 11006-L20 Veirs Mill Road at Wheaton Plaza. Or that it will be "opening soon." But for those of us counting down to Halloween season on September 1, this is a welcome "sign" that it is rapidly approaching.

KaFean Koffee opens at Wheaton Plaza

KaFean Koffee is now open at Wheaton Plaza. The coffee kiosk has relocated here from Westfield Montgomery Mall. Look for it on Level 2 of the mall, near Kokee Tea. KaFean Koffee serves coffee from the Austrian coffee roaster Julius Meinl. Check out their menu below:

Man pistol-whipped and kidnapped outside Costco in Wheaton

A man was pistol-whipped and then kidnapped after getting into a vehicle parked outside of Costco at Wheaton Plaza last Friday night, May 15, 2026. According to Montgomery County police, who did not clarify whether the kidnapper was posing as a ride-sharing or taxi driver, once the victim got into the vehicle he was shown a handgun. The suspect proceeded to pistol-whip the victim and took unspecified personal property. He then kidnapped the victim, drove to the victim's home, and forced him to retrieve additional property that was also then taken by the suspect. 

After the suspect drove off, the victim dialed 911, and was treated for his injuries at a local hospital. Police say the entire ordeal transpired between 8:30 and 11:45 PM Friday night. They have not released a description of the suspect. Police did not specify the reason the victim got into the vehicle outside of Costco, or what assumption he was under when he did so.

Update on Round1 Bowling & Arcade in Wheaton (Photos)

Construction walls continue to block the view of most of the work being done at the future Round1 Bowling & Arcade entertainment center at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall. You can see a little bit of what's being done on the outdoor-facing side of the space, which is on Level 1 next to the venerable JCPenney. But the main thing we can see right now are new signs giving mall patrons an idea of what to expect when it opens. And they are also hiring staff for all positions. 

KaFean Koffee moving to Wheaton

It looks like KaFean Koffee is switching malls in Montgomery County. Their coffee kiosk recently closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. But look what's popping up here at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall. A kiosk with a KaFean Koffee sign! KaFean Koffee serves coffee from the Austrian coffee roaster Julius Meinl. Their kiosk also has a Rancilio Silvia espresso machine. When it opens, look for KaFean Koffee on Level 2 of the mall, near Kokee Tea.

Assailant chokes victim to unconsciousness inside Wheaton Plaza

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an aggravated assault at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall yesterday afternoon, April 23, 2026. At 2:56 PM Thursday, a suspect placed a victim in a chokehold inside a store at the mall. The victim temporarily lost consciousness as a result. While the suspect then fled the store, he was ultimately detained outside the mall by police.

AAA office closes at Wheaton Plaza North Building

The American Automobile Association has closed its longtime office at 2730 University Boulevard West, Suite 102, in the Wheaton Plaza North Building (now known as the Westfield Wheaton North building). In an age before GPS, Google Maps, and Expedia, AAA provided essential travel services, including customized TripTik maps for your road trip. These were quite a step up from the gas station fold-out maps and oversized state atlas books that were quite unwieldy to use, especially while driving. It's the end of another holdover from the golden age of Wheaton, and I see AAA's suite is now available for lease.

Wheaton Plaza North Building is another of those golden age holdovers. Completed in 1964, the 11-story building was going to be the tallest office building in Montgomery County when developers Isadore Gudelsky and Theodore Lerner broke ground on the project. Its modified Georgian-inspired architecture cut a sharp appearance, along with the iconic Howard Johnson hotel across University, on the midcentury Wheaton skyline. Architect Arthur L. Anderson, along with Lathrop Douglass and John Bennett, designed the building and the Wheaton Plaza mall it shares the property with.

The building still hosts the medical and government tenants it has specialized in attracting over the last 62 years, and, of course, the mall is still going strong. Alas, Howard Johnson has joined other Wheaton icons like the Anchor Inn and Barry's Magic Shop in the demolition scrap pile. So pour out a HoJo Cola for the obliterated hotel, and, well, you can still get a AAA TripTik...on your phone.

Wetzel's Pretzels opens in Wheaton

Just over a year after it was announced, Wetzel's Pretzels has opened at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall at 11160 Veirs Mill Road. Now you'll have the chance to settle once and for all the question of which mall pretzel vendor is the best: Wetzel's Pretzels, or the ubiquitous Auntie Anne's. Each Wetzel's pretzel is hand-rolled, baked fresh and served hot from the oven. Look for Wetzel's Pretzels on Level 2 of the mall, near Costco.