Owner of Lost American Memorial Flag Located

Flag lost, then found:

(Click on the flag for the video)

And then returned:

(Click on the flag for the video)

From the PGPD Blog:

On July 17th, a man named Tom Jarrett was driving along Central Ave when he saw a folded American flag in a shattered glass display case in the middle of the road. Jarrett stopped, walked out in traffic, and picked up the flag.  The glass case was destroyed but the flag was in near pristine condition minus a tiny amount of road burn.  Jarrett, a Navy veteran himself, knew the folded flag had to be special to someone.  He brought the flag to the District II station of the Prince George’s County Police Department where five PGPD Officers, all military veterans, proudly accepted the lost American flag with hopes of finding its true owner. 
The story of the lost flag was featured on social media and on local news.

Life Is Fragile

(Click on the image for one driver's experience)

Your family wants you home safe!

Eyes Up - Phone Down

(Click on the image for the Fox5 report)

Teens pledge to focus on the road, not on their phones.

99 Pairs of Shoes Represent the 99 People Who Died on Prince George's County Roads in 2018

(Click on the image for the News4 report)

• 470 people (motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists) have been killed in Prince George’s County in 5 years (2014-2018).
• There are 42 crashes per day and more than 15,000 crashes a year in Prince George’s County.

Brad Bell's ABC7News report is here.

Nextdoor - A Tool for Good (but beware)

(Click on the image for the BuzzFeed report)

Nextdoor is a platform for neighbors to chitchat about everything from lost keys found at the local park to a sassy Bengal cat terrorizing the cul-de-sac’s pets. But it’s also a hotbed for scammers, like a “contractor” who disappeared after the deposit was paid, an imposter who hired teenage assistants and botched a remodeling project, and a woman who stole a real nanny’s identity to dupe multiple families.
“There’s a false sense of security on Nextdoor that, because these are people in your immediate community, they must be trustworthy. Because of that, people may be less likely to use due diligence in researching contractors and caregivers,” said Brandy Bauer, an associate director at the National Council on Aging.

This Dog Triggered His Family’s Motion Detector And The Resulting Video Is Too Cute To Miss

(Click on the image for the report and video)

"In the age of porch pirates and stolen packages, having a motion detection security camera for your home is a great idea. However, one family was in for a surprise when they checked the live feed for their camera after it alerted them to movement, only to find close-up footage of their adorable 3-year-old German Shepherd, Sasha, who is now an internet star."

Five Teens Arrested for Armed Robbery of a Business Following Pursuit

(Click on the image for the video)

The Prince George’s County Police Department arrested five teens who fled from officers after the teens robbed a pharmacy retail store in Clinton at gunpoint. Officers quickly located the getaway car and attempted a traffic stop. Instead of stopping, the teens fled from officers.   Their eventual capture was thanks to several members of our Bureau of Patrol. Our Aviation Section was, also, called in for aerial support and maintained visual contact of the fleeing car throughout the pursuit.
The suspects are 19-year old David McKinney of the 1000 block of 18th Street in Northeast, Washington DC, 18-year-old Corey Nelson of the 4000 block of Clay Place in Southeast, Washington DC, 18-year-old Rodney Wood of the 5000 block of Ascot Court in Alexandria and 17-year-old Keondre Reel of the 1800 block of Kendall Street in Northeast, Washington DC. The fifth suspect, a teenage girl, is charged as a juvenile.
The preliminary investigation reveals the group targeted the pharmacy retail store in the 8000 block of Branch Avenue in Clinton at approximately 1:35 am on July 16th.  Within minutes of the robbery, responding patrol officers located the car and the pursuit began. It ended at approximately 2:07 am in Montgomery County. No one was hurt during the pursuit.  After the suspects crashed their car on the Georgia Avenue exit ramp to the Beltway, all five suspects were apprehended without incident.
The suspects are charged with robbery.

County Vision Zero Program Kicks Off on July 25

(Click on the image for a Vision Zero briefing)

• Goal - No deaths or serious injuries on Prince George’s roadways (including walkers, bikers and riders) by 2040. (CR-059-2019)
• Safe roads + Safe cars + Safe drivers = Zer0 traffic deaths

ATV Driver in Large Group Facing More Than 20 Charges as Illegal And Dangerous Driving Behavior Puts Public and Officers At-Risk

(Click on the image for the PGPD post on this incident)

• On Sunday July 7, around 3:00 p.m. patrol officers assigned to our Harbor Unit at the National Harbor observed a group of 10 – 15 ATVs and dirt bikes in the area of 100 Monument Avenue. The riders passed the officers, revving their engines, popping wheelies and driving recklessly through traffic.
• One of our officers slowed down and began moving towards the side of the road to stop so he could allow a group of ATVs and dirt bikes to pass. One of the riders, 23 year-old Marlon Escobar-Lopez of Fort Washington, popped a wheelie behind the officer’s vehicle and collided into the rear bumper of the stopped marked police cruiser, which threw him off of his ATV.
• Escobar-Lopez was charged with disorderly conduct, malicious destruction of property value over $1,000, reckless driving, negligent driving, operating unregistered motor vehicle, violating license restriction, failure to display registration card on demand, driving ATV without driver’s license, driving without current tags, knowingly driving uninsured vehicle, driving motor vehicle on highway without required license and authorization, failure to display license on demand, failure to obey designated lane directions, individual operating on a motorcycle without required head gear protection, following vehicle too closely, attempt by driver to elude uniformed police by fleeing on foot, failure to control vehicle speed on highway to avoid collision, operate motor vehicle with operator not restrained by seat belt, operating ATV in Prince George’s County on a controlled access highway, and marijuana paraphernalia possession charges.
• Riding ATVs and unlicensed dirt bikes on county roadways and highways is illegal. We continue to ask any resident who witnesses the illegal operation of ATVs or dirt bikes on county roads to please call 911.

The Government Does Not Demand Payment by Gift Cards

(Click on the image for Tom Costello's Nightly News report)

• Scam is happening at record levels - 200,000 complaints of government imposter calls so far this year
• People who fell for the scam have lost an average of $1,000 each

"Impaired Drivers Plague MD 210"

(Click on the image for Scott MacFarlane's News4 report)

Scammers pose as cops to try to shake you down

(Click on the image for the AARP article)

You may get a phone call at home from a police impostor claiming to be conducting an investigation of counterfeit money. You're asked to withdraw cash and meet the person at your house or elsewhere so the money can be "inspected" for bogus bills. Laugh if you will, but Dallas police recently arrested a scammer who, posing as a detective, managed to collect $100,000 this way from a dozen seniors. Reality: "That is something a police agency would not do," says Dallas police official Willemina Edwards. "We don't need your money to investigate a counterfeit crime ring."
[A variation of this scam was recently tried on a Tantallon neighbor.]

The Biggest Threat to Life on 210 Is -

Us

Cherish life.

Man Pleads Guilty in DUI Crash That Killed 3 Kids

(Click on the image for Tracee Wilkins' News4 report)

From WJLA's report:

A man plead guilty today to DUI manslaughter in a December 2018 crash that seriously injured a Falls Church couple and killed all three of their children.

Thomas Hawks, 27, faces up to 36 years in prison for the 3 counts of manslaughter and 2 counts of DUI causing serious injury that he plead guilty to. He will be sentenced on Sept. 26.

The Indian Head Highway crash killed siblings 5-year-old twins Alexander Mejia and Rosalie Mejia, and 1-year-old Isaac Mejia. Their parents sustained serious injuries and spent weeks in the hospital recovering.

At Hawks' plea hearing, Juanita Mejia pleaded with drivers to be more careful on the roads, and to not drink and drive. She and her husband Alexis said they are grateful court proceedings are almost over, and that they fought for justice for their children.

Police say Hawks told them he was coming home from a Washington Redskins game, and blew a .17 on a Breathalyzer test after the crash — twice the legal limit. The Mejias were heading home from church at the time of the crash.

From WUSA9's report:

Driver Thomas Daniel Hawks admitted to telling police he had consumed 10 beers at FedEx field during a Redskins game before climbing into his 2007 Silverado pickup truck to drive home the evening of Dec. 30, 2018.

Evidence showed Hawks was going 69 mph as he approached a red light on southbound Indian Head Highway at Kerby Hill Road, where he rear-ended the Mejia family's sedan.