News Releases

Montgomery County Police Make Multiple Carjacking and Auto Theft Arrests

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Gaithersburg, MD - The Montgomery County Department of Police made thirteen arrests on Monday, November 13, all involving stolen or carjacked vehicles.   

At approximately 12:29 p.m., a 3rd District officer identified two vehicles taken in armed carjackings: a Nissan Sentra, and a Honda Accord, in the vicinity of Georgia and Wayne Avenues. The officer followed one of the vehicles, while waiting for back-up.

There was a brief pursuit, with the Nissan crashing into a tree at Dennis and Douglas Avenues.  All five occupants, including 18-year-old Samuel Fikru of Silver Spring, the Nissan's driver, were apprehended. Two bb guns and a knife were recovered from the Nissan. Investigations revealed both cars had been taken in armed carjackings.  Among the four other Nissan occupants were three 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old male.

The Honda was located near Bethesda Chevy Chase High School around 2 p.m. by 2nd District officers. An unknown number of suspects got out of the carjacked vehicle and ran away, resulting in the apprehension of one individual, a 15-year-old girl. The incident prompted a brief lockdown at the school as officers worked to locate the remaining suspects.

In a separate incident, an off-duty Baltimore County police officer called 911 and reported a Kia Sedona with a broken window near Paint Branch High School. The Emergency Communications Center reported the Kia stolen earlier that day.   The occupants, three 16-year-olds, a 17-year-old, and the 14-year-old driver, were later located by Montgomery County Police officers in the Calverton neighborhood. During an attempted traffic stop, the stolen Kia collided with another vehicle and eventually came to a stop on Cherry Hill Road. All five suspects ran from the Kia, resulting in the apprehension of two. The remaining three got into a gray Infiniti with two other occupants, aged 15 and 16.

Shortly after, the Infiniti returned to the Calverton area, and all five occupants got out of the Infiniti to watch the arrest of the two initial suspects. Recognizing three of the teenagers as the original suspects from the stolen Kia, officers took all five into custody.

Samuel Fikru faces charges of armed carjacking and motor vehicle theft-related charges. He is currently being held without bond at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.

The juveniles in the Nissan have been charged with auto theft related charges, obstructing and hindering and malicious destruction of property.

The juveniles in the Kia are charged with motor vehicle unlawful taking and related offenses, while the 15 and 16-year-olds in the Infiniti face charges of conspiracy to commit motor vehicle theft, obstructing and hindering, and other conspiracy-related charges.

The 15-year-old girl in the Honda was not charged and released to her parents.

All juvenile suspects were transported to Montgomery County Police District Stations and subsequently released to their parents.

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Release ID: 23-656
Media Contact: S.D. Goff 
Categories: arrest