News Releases

I-270 Temporarily Closed as Officers Take Missing Person into Custody

For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 3, 2025

Gaithersburg, MD – The Montgomery County Department of Police, in coordination with the Maryland State Police (MSP), temporarily shut down traffic on Interstate 270 to safely take a person into custody on Thursday, April 3, 2025.

At approximately 11:49 a.m., 2nd District officers were initially dispatched to the area of Longwood Drive near the Beltway retaining wall for a report of a suspicious vehicle parked off the roadway. Upon investigation, officers determined that the vehicle belonged to a critically missing person from Manassas, VA.

Shortly after, multiple calls were received regarding a person matching the missing person’s description walking along the Beltway and I-270. Officers located the individual sitting on the center median near Rockledge Boulevard. To ensure their safety, as well as drivers on I-270, MCPD and MSP temporarily stopped traffic in both directions before making contact.

Officers used de-escalation techniques to establish a rapport with the individual and safely take them into custody without incident or injury. I-270 was reopened shortly after.  

# # #

Release ID: 25-125
Media Contact: S.D. Goff 
Categories: missing-person , traffic-safety