Man Carjacks, Kidnaps Woman In Gaithersburg: Police

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Authorities have arrested a 53-year-old man they say carjacked and kidnapped a woman in Gaithersburg earlier this month.

Dante Tyler-El, of Centerville, was charged with armed robbery, armed carjacking, kidnapping, the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and first-degree assault, according to authorities.

The carjacking took place at about 5:30 p.m. on June 5. Montgomery County Police say the victim — identified only as a 46-year-old female — was in her parked car on North Frederick Avenue when she was approached by Tyler-El.

She told police that Tyler-El — who was wearing a yellow construction vest, hard hat, and armed with a handgun — threatened her and demanded cash. Upon gaining entry into the car, the suspect reportedly handcuffed the victim and moved her to the back seat before searching the vehicle for valuables.

At one point, the victim screamed, prompting Tyler-El to strike her with the handgun. According to police, Tyler-El then moved to the driver's seat and drove about 100 yards with the woman still handcuffed in the backseat.

Once he stopped, Tyler-El got out of the vehicle and fled on foot, authorities said. The woman, who was still handcuffed at the time, managed to free one of her hands and call the police.

Detectives later searched the crime scene for any physical evidence and recovered Tyler-El's fingerprints. Those prints, police say, were sent to a regional fingerprint database.

During the investigation, detectives learned that Tyler-El was arrested by officers from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department on June 6 while driving a stolen vehicle near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Police say the officers found a handgun, a fluorescent construction vest, and construction hard hats inside the stolen vehicle.

Tyler-El is currently behind bars at the Queen Anne's County Detention Center in Centerville for the incident on June 6.