News Releases

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Gaithersburg, MD- 35-year-old Stephen Lavance Oates, Jr. and 29-year-old Katrice Ceclia Wood, of no fixed addresses, have been arrested and charged for two armed robberies that they allegedly committed on Monday, January 8 and Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

On January 8, at approximately 2:52 a.m., 4th District officers responded to the 7-Eleven in the 14100 block of Georgia Ave., for the report of a robbery.

The preliminary investigation by detectives determined that two masked suspects entered the 7-Eleven and demanded the employees not to move. One of the suspects displayed a handgun, while the other suspect sprayed the employees with pepper spray. The suspects stole an undisclosed amount of money from the register and the employees’ cellphones, before getting away in a Ford Expedition.

On January 10, 2023, at approximately 4:21 a.m., 3rd District officers responded to the 7-Eleven, in the 11300 block of Lockwood Dr., for the report of a robbery.

Through the course of the investigation, detectives determined that the same two masked suspects entered the 7-Eleven, one suspect displayed a black handgun and demanded the employees’ cellphones, to which the employees complied. The suspects then stole scratch off lottery tickets and an undisclosed amount of money from the register, before driving off in a Ford Expedition.

Through the course of the investigation, detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police - Major Crimes Division identified the suspects as Oates, Jr. and Wood.

On Thursday, January 11, 2024, at approximately 10 a.m., officers located the suspects in the 3500 block of Old Annapolis Rd., in Laurel, MD.

Oates Jr. and Wood were taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit where they have both been charged with multiple counts of armed robbery, assault, theft and firearms related charges.

Both suspects are being held without bond.