Crime & Safety
Stolen BMW In Arlington Connected To Teens Arrested In Bethesda
A BMW stolen from an Arlington home in June was used by a group of D.C. teens in a string of burglaries in Bethesda, according to police.
ARLINGTON, VA/BETHESDA/MD — A BMW stolen from an Arlington home more than two weeks ago was used by a group of teenage boys from Washington, D.C., in a series of burglaries in the Bethesda area that ended with the teens charged with attempted murder of a Montgomery County Police officer, according to police.
An Arlington man told WUSA9 that his BMW was stolen out of his driveway in the overnight hours of June 17 after thieves entered his home and stole his car keys.
Police found the car about two weeks later in Bethesda. It was connected to several burglaries and an attempted murder of the police officer. Three 16-year-olds from D.C. face charges in connection with the burglaries and shooting.
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"At first I was like I wish I could have confronted them, now with the seriousness of it I’m glad I didn’t," the Arlington man told WUSA9 about the people who stole his car. "And I would say be vigilant, lock your doors, lock your cars, be as careful as you can."
The three D.C. teens were connected to a string of residential robberies, including a June 21 burglary in the 5300 block of Brookeway Drive, according to the Montgomery County Police Department.
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Last Thursday morning, Montgomery County Police officers went to the 5000 block of Johnson Avenue in North Bethesda for the report of an attempted burglary in progress.
Police officers saw a BMW SUV, matching a previous burglary suspect vehicle from June 21, leaving the area and started following the SUV. The SUV then came to an abrupt stop, causing an officer to swerve to avoid hitting it, police said.
At that time, the officer heard three gunshots. The vehicle then passed the officer, firing one last shot, police said.
Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said the bullet struck the passenger-side headrest of the police cruiser. He said the BMW had been stolen from Arlington.
Montgomery County Police identified the teenagers as Maynor Josue Bonilla-Flores, 16, of Northeast D.C., Jason Benitez-Umanzor, 16, of Northwest D.C., and Brad Roca, 16, of Northwest D.C.
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