Loaded Handgun Found Strapped to Suspect's Leg: Police

A Silver Spring man with a loadged handgun strapped to his ankle faces weapons charges for allegedly firing the weapon at a Wheaton bus stop, police say.

Jefferson D. Delgado, 22, of Monterrey Drive in Silver Spring was charged Sunday with possession of a handgun and discharge of a firearm in an urban area.

Shortly before 6 p.m., Montgomery County Police received a call for shots fired in the area of Connecticut Avenue and Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton. The 9-1-1 caller said he had heard a shot and then saw a Hispanic man with a gun at a bus stop on the north side of Veirs Mill Road.

A man waiting at the bus stop told police he had not seen anything or heard shots, then hopped on the Metro bus. But, the officer also boarded the bus to ask more questions, and found Delgado, matching the suspect’s description, sitting in the back row.

During a search for weapons, an officer found a loaded .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun strapped to Delgado’s ankle and removed three bullets from his pockets.

Investigators say Delgado boarded the bus at a bus stop on Viers Mill Road near Newport Mill Road, where two spent .22 caliber shell casings were found.

The incident is related to an earlier, unreported domestic incident that involved near the bus stop. It was during the domestic dispute that Delgado reportedly fired the gun, police say, but no one was shot.

Delgado was charged with possession of a handgun, concealing a dangerous weapon, and discharging a firearm in an urban area. His bond was set Monday at $10,000, unsecured.

»Photo of Jefferson D. Delgado, courtesy of Montgomery County Police