News Releases

Update: Suspect Charged with Committing Fourteen Vandalisms to Vehicles in Bethesda Area; Tipster Helped Solve this Case

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 2nd District Patrol Investigations Unit have charged Louis Levin Arenstein, age 30, of the 8400 block of Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, with fourteen counts of malicious destruction of property related to Arenstein committing vandalisms to parked vehicles in various neighborhoods in Bethesda during April, May, and June of 2020.

In April of 2020, 2nd District Patrol Investigations Unit detectives began to investigate reports of vandalisms to parked vehicles that occurred during the early morning hours at homes in the Bethesda area.  Detectives continued to receive reports of this type of vandalism in May and one vandalism in June and believed that the same suspect was committing these vandalisms.  Detectives obtained home surveillance video of the suspect’s vehicle, a white jeep, from two of these vandalisms.  In total, investigators identified fourteen vehicles that had been vandalized.

Investigators determined that during an incident of vandalism that the suspect committed during the overnight hours of May 4 into May 5, he left discarded trash from a McDonald’s restaurant inside the victim’s vandalized vehicle.  Detectives knew of a McDonald’s restaurant located on River Road near where this vandalism occurred and reviewed surveillance video from the McDonald’s drive-thru.  Detectives observed that at approximately 8:00 p.m. on May 4, a white jeep, which matched the description of the suspect’s vehicle, entered the McDonald’s drive-thru line.

On May 13, detectives released the home surveillance video of the suspect and his vehicle to the media and public and asked for the public’s help in identifying him.

Detectives received tips from residents that identified Arenstein as the suspect who committed the vandalisms. Investigators also identified Arenstein as the person who made the May 4 purchase at the McDonald’s on River Road.

On November 12, Arenstein was issued a District Court Summons charging him with the vandalisms.

The police department thanks the tipster(s) who provided the information that led to Arenstein’s identification.

**Note: a mugshot for Arenstein is not available because he was charged via District Court Summons **

# # #

Release ID: 20-466
Media Contact: Rick Goodale 
Categories: vandalism