Teen Charged With Attempted Murder In Shooting Outside Mall: PD

WHEATON, MD — An 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder after a shooting in November outside the Westfield Wheaton mall, Montgomery County Police announced Tuesday.

Santiago Julian Alvarez, of Landover, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment, according to court records.

Around 7 p.m. on Nov. 21, units were dispatched to a parking garage outside Dick's Sporting Goods for the report of a shooting and a vehicle collision.

A car had smashed into a brick column in front of the store at Westfield Wheaton located at 11160 Veirs Mill Rd., police said. When officials arrived, they located three victims. Outside the car was an adult male front-seat passenger suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body. Police said they also found two female victims inside the car. The adult driver and juvenile passenger did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

The male victim was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries, according to authorities. The two female victims were also taken to the hospital for treatment.

"The preliminary investigation by detectives determined that the bullet that struck the male victim originated from outside of the vehicle and from the first level of the parking garage, police said. "Further investigation determined that just prior to the shooting, the male victim had been in two separate altercations with Alvarez. One altercation occurred inside of the Westfield Wheaton mall and the other confrontation occurred inside of the Dick's Sporting Goods."

Police believe that the female driver crashed while trying to flee the area.

Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Alvarez on Dec. 4. He was arrested on Saturday and is being held without bond.

Image via Montgomery County Police Department