Germantown resident Rodger Moran returned home last month to discover his bed slept in, his toilet unflushed and his floor littered with Coca-Cola cans and protein shakes. His toothbrush and shower had been used, and expensive items were missing throughout the bedroom. He found a stranger’s whiskers in his bathroom sink—and a stranger’s underwear and coat in his bed.
“[The burglar] lit candles as he relaxed in my bed,” Moran said.
All in all, the burglar stole between $10,000 and $12,000 worth of items from Moran’s home. Police obtained fingerprints from the house, and long black hair was found in the shower drain.
“We all agree he was probably homeless. He’s probably transient moving from here to there,” Moran said.
He said he’s thankful the burglar only stole material items and that no one was hurt. Following the incident, he said he’s adding more security cameras to the property.
“There’s a lot of crime in Germantown, a lot. It didn’t use to be like this,” he said. [DC News Now]
Caregiver sentenced for stealing from assisted living center residents
On Thursday, Maritza Ramirez was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing from at least 11 of her elderly patients at Marian Assisted Living in Brookeville. She was found to have stolen at least 81 items from residents between 2015 and 2022, including jewelry and other valuables, which she then sold at pawn shops.
Ramirez took advantage of the isolation residents experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to steal from them, according to the daughter of one of her victims. Mary Gallagher said Ramirez stole priceless family heirlooms from her 89-year-old mother-in-law, who has Alzheimer’s.
Family members report being shocked to find out that Ramirez continued working at the facilities while the charges were pending. In November 2022, she pled guilty to charges of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults in a scheme. [WUSA9]
Deadly Silver Spring fire prompts state officials to push for new safety laws
State Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D-Dist. 20) introduced the Melanie Diaz Sprinklers Save Lives Act last week, named after the 25-year-old resident of Arrive Silver Spring who died in an apartment fire on Feb. 18. If passed, the bill would require every high-rise apartment complex without sprinklers installed in each unit to disclose that fact on all rental agreements and in building entrances.
Older buildings like Arrive Silver Spring are required by state code to install these sprinklers by 2033. Arrive Silver Spring is one of 80 buildings in Montgomery County that has yet to be retrofitted. [WTOP]
Today’s weather
Mostly sunny with a high of 58 and mild winds reaching 5 miles per hour.
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