Rockville Residents Thwart Burglar

>This happened last week, but we were not able to run it and it is such a great story. It’s a terrific example of ordinary folks acting sensibly.

It also is a great example of some helpful information from Our Fair City! Note the explanation of just what sensible things the residents did, near the end of the press release from the city:

Rockville City Police arrested a 54-year-old Olney man Tuesday morning and charged him with one count each of second-degree burglary and theft under $500.

Daniel Stuart Wolford was arrested following an investigation into the burglary of an outdoor storage closet at a home in the Twinbrook area of Rockville.

Rockville City Police were called at 2:10 a.m. by the homeowners in the 1600 block of Farragut Avenue. The homeowners reported that they were awakened by noises near their home. When the female occupant of the home looked out the window, she saw a man she described as white, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall with collar-length hair, wearing a baseball cap and dark shirt, near her husband’s truck, police said.

The homeowners called police and the husband went outside, where he noticed the storage closet in the carport had been entered and his leaf-blower was missing. The homeowner went to the front curb, where he saw more property, including construction tools, from the closet sitting next to the trashcan.

The homeowner took the yard equipment and tools back to his carport. He then saw a blue Chevrolet Cavalier driving on Farragut Avenue with its lights off that slowed near the trashcans, and alerted police.

Police stopped a car matching the description on Baltimore Road near Edmonston Drive at 2:15 a.m. There were two male occupants of the vehicle; the passenger, Wolford, fit the description given by the homeowner.

The vehicle’s driver, James Watson Henry, said he had picked up Wolford and he was carrying an air compressor, nail gun and chainsaw. Wolford said the items belonged to him, but would not say where he was prior to being picked up, police said.

Henry was taken into custody when Rockville City Police determined Montgomery County Police had issued a warrant for failure to appear in court.

Rockville City Police say these homeowners followed steps that led to an arrest and want to highlight important tips homeowners can follow to keep their homes and themselves safe:

• Call police when you discover suspicious activity; do not wait.
• Make a mental note of any suspicious person on your property, including height, weight, clothing, and vehicle.
• Keep outdoor sheds, storage spaces or doors to garages locked.
• Record serial numbers of valuable property.
• Establish a neighborhood watch group.

Anyone wishing to learn more about establishing a neighborhood watch group or having a free home security survey, can call Cpl. Ken Matney at 2401-314-8922.

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