Woman assaulted, purse snatched in Wheaton

A violent purse-snatching incident was reported to Montgomery County police in Wheaton early Monday morning, August 17, 2026. The incident took place at 1:00 AM in the 2300 block of Price Avenue. A woman was in the Montgomery County Public Parking Lot 17 when she was assaulted by multiple suspects, who then stole her purse and fled on foot.

Police did not indicate the precise number of suspects. No suspect descriptions have been released as of this writing.

Armed robbery at bus stop in Wheaton

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a bus stop in Wheaton last Friday night, August 14, 2026. The robbery was reported at a bus stop in the 2300 block of Blueridge Avenue at 7:31 PM. According to police, a man was waiting for a bus when he was accosted by multiple suspects. At least one of the unspecified number of suspects displayed a handgun and demanded property from the victim. The victim complied, and the assailants fled on foot. No descriptions of the suspects have been released as of this writing.

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.

Alleged armed shoplifter arrested in Wheaton

Montgomery County police arrested a man after he allegedly stole merchandise from the 7-Eleven store at 11445 Amherst Avenue in Wheaton on June 21, 2026. Police were called regarding the shoplifting incident at 9:00 PM that evening. Officers located and arrested Miguel Rodriguez-Salmeron, 54, of Silver Spring. They allegedly found Rodriguez-Salmeron was also in possession of an unspecified weapon. 

However, according to court records, Rodriguez-Salmeron was not charged with any weapons violations. He has been charged with felony 1st-degree assault, theft of under $100, and misdemeanor 2nd-degree assault. Police did not release details related to these assault charges, instead accusing Rodriguez-Salmeron of aggravated assault for having the unspecified weapon in their crime summary, which is substantially different from the charges actually filed in court. 

Rodriguez-Salmeron was initially held without bond, but was released on a $7500 unsecured personal bond by Judge Patricia L. Mitchell on June 23. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in the case for July 17.

Strong-arm robbery in Wheaton

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery in Wheaton Thursday night, July 2, 2026. The assault and robbery were reported in the 11300 block of Fern Street. They took place at 9:40 PM Thursday.

Chapi Hair Salon opening in Wheaton

Chapi Hair Salon is opening soon in the Wheaton Triangle. It will be located at 11253 Grandview Avenue, between Fruver and Western Union. Services will include braiding, natural hair styling, extensions, and coloring. Operating hours will be 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

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:

Romero's Italian Restaurant opens in Wheaton

Romero's Italian Restaurant is now open at 2666 University Boulevard West in Wheaton. The menu is traditional Italian. Those who have ventured here in the earliest days have filed rave reviews online. Romero's currently has a perfect 5-star rating on both Yelp and Google. Operating hours are 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week.

Seafood in the Buff open during renovations in Wheaton

Seafood in the Buff is getting a makeover at 12132 Georgia Avenue in Wheaton. But the restaurant remains open for business as the work is performed. Hours of operation remain the same, as well. The seafood boil menu isn't changing either, but the restaurant will get a new look and atmosphere. And Fish Fry Friday is back!

Shoplifting leads to drug bust in Wheaton

Montgomery County police responded to a report of shoplifting at a grocery store in Wheaton late Monday morning, May 18, 2026. The theft was reported at 11:49 AM at a supermarket in the 12000 block of Georgia Avenue. That is at the Wheaton Park Shopping Center, where H Mart is anchor tenant. Upon searching the suspect, narcotics equipment was allegedly found.

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.

Armed robbery in Wheaton

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in Wheaton late Friday night, May 15, 2026. The robbery was reported in a commercial parking lot in the 11100 block of Veirs Mill Road at 11:44 PM. A firearm was the weapon employed in the robbery.

Silver Spring church lists property for sale

A Silver Spring church has listed its entire property for sale. First Faith Church is located at 12323 Bluhill Road, but has prime frontage along heavily-traveled Randolph Road. The property includes not only the three-level church itself, but also a classroom building, a parsonage residence, and a 40-space parking lot. It's also within walking distance of the Glenmont Metro, if you're in good health and have high-quality walking shoes. Or you could take the M42 or M44 Metrobus from Glenmont Metro, and get off at the Randolph-Bluhill bus stop for Sunday services. 

This church is notable for several reasons, including its architecture. I do not know the name of the architect, but it clearly was designed to fit in seamlessly among the homes around it, using an identical color scheme and materials. The original church structure was built in 1962. You rarely see this level of sensitivity and community spirit in Montgomery County today. 

But, then again, this was happening amid the early years of the golden age of Wheaton and Glenmont. That vaunted era delivered countless architectural gems that today's developers don't often have the time or financial generosity to provide. We continue to admire those that remain standing, like the fine and sturdy midcentury modern brick homes, or the Aspen Hill Library. And mourn the loss of those that have been mindlessly demolished, such as the Wheaton Youth Center. Yes, Led Zeppelin did play there.

Real estate broker NAIknlb is marketing the property as a turnkey church opportunity. One imagines that the increasingly-bonkers zoning guidelines of Montgomery County may also permit all kinds of lucrative redevelopment options, as well. Cue the rubbing hands of developers. The asking price is $3,200,000, according to the online listing.

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.