NEWS RELEASE
City of Takoma Park Police Department
● 7500 Maple Avenue ● Takoma Park, Md 20912
For more information contact:
Public Information Officer (PIO)
Catherine Plevy, 301/891.7142 or 240/338.2901
June 7, 2012 (7:14 p.m.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chief Ronald A. Ricucci of the Takoma Park Police Department announces the arrest of Alexander Gorge Ellis, 19, of no fixed address, for 1st degree burglary, theft over $1,000 and malicious destruction of property. Ellis was apprehended today in the 100 block of Sandy Hill Drive in Ocean City, Maryland.
On June 5, 2012, at approximately 9:10 a.m., a witness who was walking from Takoma Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland, to the 500 block of New York Avenue, heard breaking glass and observed a suspect running from the side of the residence towards the roadway, where he turned right and was last seen walking up Buffalo Avenue. Takoma Park Police were dispatched and a suspect matching the description given was stopped in the 7400 block of Piney Branch Road by members of the Tactical Enforcement Unit (TEU), Criminal Investigations Division (CID) and patrol units. When asked for identification, the juvenile suspect gave a false name. The suspect was carrying a blue bag containing a computer that had been described in a list of missing property from a victim of a previous burglary. The suspect was visually identified by the witness as the person seen running from the property where the sound of glass was breaking.
A check of the residence in the 500 block of New York Avenue revealed that a window had been broken out of the side door that led to the laundry room and basement. No entry was gained into the residence.
Montgomery County K-9 responded and a track was conducted. The track led from the side of the residence in the 500 block of New York Avenue to the 7400 block of Piney Branch Road, where the K-9 alerted on the suspect on the scene. The suspect, a 17 year old male juvenile of Washington, D.C., was arrested and transported to the Takoma Park Police Department. The investigation led to the identification of the other suspects involved in committing the series of residential burglaries that have been plaguing the City. A Montgomery County investigator responded to Takoma Park to work a collaborative investigation, since there have been 10 residential burglaries in their jurisdiction with similarities.
A follow up was conducted with a victim from the burglary on May 30, 2012, in the 7400 block of Cedar Avenue, who positively identified property that had been stolen. In addition, there were several items of jewelry taken during various burglaries that were recovered at a local pawn shop. Victims from the Takoma Park burglaries have identified property in five of the six burglaries.
As a result of property being recovered at the pawn shop, search warrants were obtained and additional arrest warrants issued for information that identified other suspects involved in committing the burglaries.
A computer check of the juvenile’s true name revealed that he was wanted by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for being absent from a group home.
The juvenile is being held at the Noyes Juvenile Detention Facility.
On June 6, 2012, a search and seizure warrant was executed at the residence of Darlene Lucas, 46, in Southeast Washington, D.C., as a result of the residential burglary investigation. During a search of Lucas' residence, investigators located additional property belonging to victims from Takoma Park. Lucas was taken into custody without incident and charged with 1st degree burglary, theft over $1,000 and malicious destruction of property. She is being held at the D.C. City Jail pending extradition to the State of Maryland.
Investigation further led investigators to Ellis as a suspect in the series of residential burglaries in Takoma Park. Ellis fled from Washington, D.C. to avoid being apprehended on June 5th. Investigators learned that Ellis had ties to a location in Ocean City, Maryland. Takoma Park detectives contacted Ocean City Police Criminal Investigators and coordinated efforts to apprehend Ellis. Ellis was apprehended at approximately 1:30 p.m. today in the 100 block of Sandy Hill Drive, Ocean City, Maryland, by Ocean City Police Officers, without incident. Takoma Park and Montgomery County Criminal Investigators responded to Ocean City, Maryland, to return Ellis to Montgomery County for the Takoma Park Police burglary warrant.
This investigation is still on-going for other suspects believed to be responsible for committing the series of residential burglaries.
Chief Ricucci is proud of the citizen who called the police when she observed suspicious behavior. He is proud of the Takoma Park police detectives and police officers who assisted with the apprehension of these suspects involved in committing these series of residential burglaries that have occurred in Takoma Park, Maryland, and Montgomery County, Maryland. He would like to thank police from the DC Metropolitan Police Department, 4th District, who worked diligently with preparing the DC search warrants, as well as the Montgomery County Police Department and Montgomery County's K-9 officer.
In addition to the above personnel, Chief Ricucci would like to thank the Ocean City Police Department for their quick coordinated efforts with apprehending Ellis on an active warrant through Takoma Park.
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