Wheaton Resident Charged With Car And Firearm Theft

WHEATON, MD — An 18-year-old man from Wheaton was arrested and charged for stealing a car and guns, police said. A Montgomery County Police Department School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to Albert Einstein High School in North Kensington observed Mario G. Alvarado, 18, operating a stolen vehicle on the grounds of the high school on May 1.

The SRO was patrolling the school grounds in his marked cruiser and observed a blue Mazda 3 park to the rear of Albert Einstein High School. The SRO observed Alvarado exit the vehicle, walk toward the school and return to the Mazda a short time later. As Alvarado drove the Mazda away from the school, the SRO activated his cruiser’s emergency equipment and initiated a traffic stop on the car at the intersection of Norris Drive and Kenton Drive. Alvarado stopped the car at the intersection, immediately exited the Mazda, and fled from the officer, police said.

A short time later Alvarado returned to the intersection of Norris Drive and Kenton Drive and was arrested by the SRO and assisting officers. The SRO conducted a computer check of the Mazda’s registration and determined that the Mazda had been reported stolen on April 27 from a residence on Milton Street in Wheaton, police said.

Fourth District officers searched the stolen Mazda and located an assault rifle in the trunk. The assault rifle was determined to belong to the Rockville City Police Department (RCPD) and had been recently stolen from a RCPD cruiser in the Kensington area on April 29, police said.

Fourth District officers also located a black Nissan Frontier parked near Albert Einstein High School that had been reported stolen on April 22 from a residence on Lafayette Drive in Wheaton. Officers searched the Nissan and located a shotgun which had also been stolen from the same RCPD cruiser on April 29, police said.

Alvarado was transported to the Central Processing Unit and charged with possessing a deadly weapon on school property, possession of an assault weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle, and other firearm-related charges. Alvarado is being held on a $2,000 bond.

On Tuesday, May 2, Central Auto Theft Unit detectives arrested a 15-year-old male juvenile and charged him with auto theft offenses related to this investigation. The juvenile was released to the custody of his parents.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding these crimes is asked to call the 2nd District Investigative Section at 240-773-6710.

Photo: Montgomery County Police Department