Peeping Tom arrested after filming woman in gym shower in Germantown

An alleged Peeping Tom who disguised himself as a woman to enter women's locker rooms at gyms in Montgomery County has been arrested. Montgomery County police were called to OneLife Fitness at 20500 Seneca Meadows Parkway in Germantown on October 10, 2025, after a woman reported that a man was filming her in the shower there. The man was dressed as a woman, police learned, and detectives ultimately identified him as Tshikundi Taty, 44, of Takoma Park.

Officers then followed Taty to a Planet Fitness gym in White Oak. When he allegedly donned his feminine disguise and ducked into the women's locker room, they took him into custody. Taty has been charged with multiple counts of Peeping Tom and related offenses.

Detectives are concerned that there may be additional victims from these and other gyms and facilities in the area. They are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Tshikundi Taty to call the Montgomery County Department of Police - 5th District Patrol at (240) 773-6200 or Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS(8477). 

Aggravated assault in Damascus

Wow, crime is heating up in Damascus. Montgomery County police responded to a report of an aggravated assault there early yesterday afternoon, October 29, 2025. The assault was reported in the 10400 block of Sweepstakes Road, a quiet residential area, at 12:18 PM Wednesday. A firearm was involved in the assault.

Barn burglary in Damascus

If the tariffs and moribund Montgomery County economy haven't gotten your farm, the ongoing Montgomery County crime wave will. A barn in Damascus was burglarized on October 12, 2025, according to Montgomery County police. Officers responding to the scene that evening found evidence of forced entry at the barn. They determined property had been taken. Police say they have no descriptions of the suspect(s) at this time. The barn in question is located in the 11200 block of Mountain View Road.

Armed robbery in Montgomery Village

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery of a food delivery driver in Montgomery Village on October 18, 2025. The driver was attempting to make a delivery in the 18200 block of Lost Knife Circle at 7:15 PM when he was confronted by an unspecified number of suspects who indicated they were armed. They successfully obtained money from the victim, and fled the scene.

Police state that they have no descriptions of the suspects at this time. They did not indicate why the victim was unable to provide any identifying details. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call (301) 279-8000.

Man jumped by 5 robbers in Germantown

A man was jumped by five would-be robbers in a busy part of Germantown in broad daylight on October 13, 2025. Montgomery County police say the victim was in the 12900 block of Middlebrook Road at 3:56 PM, when he was surrounded by five suspects. The five attempted to assault the victim and steal property from him, but were unsuccessful.

Police did not detail how the victim managed to escape from the assault. They describe the suspects only as five Black males of unknown age. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Walnut Hill Shopping Center adding Ionna EV chargers (Photos)

 

The Walnut Hill Shopping Center is adding electric vehicle charging stations to its parking lot at 733 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. And not just any EV chargers. These are Ionna charging stations, part of a nationwide network of 30,000 being created as we speak. The North Carolina firm is a partnership of seven international auto manufacturing companies, including BMW and Toyota. Ionna chargers offer fast-charging, essential to creating a viable network to support mass adoption of EVs. 

Of course, an even more-effective way of doing that would be to allow $8000 Chinese EVs to be sold in America, but did Joe Biden do that? Nope. That's what you would do if time was running out and a global climate catastrophe was upon us, right? $8000 Chinese EVs that are superior to the ridiculously expensive EVs made in America and elsewhere, not releasing gas from the strategic petroleum reserves, building high-speed rail, and mandating work-from-home for federal employees. Wait, Biden did the exact opposite of those things. "How dare you!" - Greta Thunberg. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Rowan opens at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg

Rowan has opened at 126 Crown Park Avenue at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg. The piercing studio is located between Ideal Image and Bath & Body Works. All piercing procedures at Rowan are hypoallergenic and performed by licensed nurses. Rowan has an existing Montgomery County location at the Shoppes of Bethesda.

Tea Spa Wellness relocates in Gaithersburg

Tea Spa Wellness has successfully relocated in the Kentlands area of Gaithersburg. It has completed its move from 209 Market Street W. to 621 Center Point Way at Kentlands Market Square. Tea Spa Wellness offers massages, facials, and healing rituals inspired by "tea culture and natural balance." 

"At Tea Spa, our mission is to create a haven of peace where everyone can find moments of deep serenity," Tea Spa CEO Cathy Shao says. "My journey through nursing school revealed the incredible power of professional massage therapy, inspiring me to share this healing art with a broader audience, which led to the birth of Tea Spa. In the last decade, my path as an energy healer has strengthened my belief in the link between inner peace and mindful living. As the caretaker of Tea Spa, I am dedicated to assembling a team of service providers who embody generosity, tranquility, and vibrant positivity. With each healing touch, we strive to make the world a better place, one person at a time."

Guapo's to open new Gaithersburg restaurant

Guapo's is opening a new restaurant in Gaithersburg. It will be a Guapo's Rotisserie Chicken & Tex Mex Grill concept, of which the local company operates three in Northern Virginia. This would be the first on our side of the Potomac. Guapo's has full-service Mexican restaurants in Bethesda, and at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg.

Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken is the specialty at the Guapo's Rotisserie Chicken locations. The new restaurant will be located at 12211 Darnestown Road, at the Quince Orchard Marketplace shopping center. That was formerly home to California Tortilla.

Song Dog Farm Distillery opens in Boyds (Photos)

Song Dog Farm Distillery has opened at 18100 Bucklodge Road in Boyds, Maryland. The distillery is located on a farm property in the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, and includes a tasting room, a "front porch" outdoor patio, and expansive lawns. Song Dog Spirits was founded in 2015 by the husband and wife team of Megan Draheim and David Harris, who purchased the farm in 2021, and constructed the facilities over the past four years. 

There is a tasting room menu, and food is also available from food trucks on-site, or you can bring your own. Kids and "well-behaved" dogs are also welcomed on the premises. Song Dog produces bourbon, rye whiskey, vodka, gin, and seasonal liqueurs, and all of their products reflect the agricultural produce and flavors of Maryland. Operating hours are 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM Wednesday through Friday, 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For a preview of their product line, and information on planning a private event at the farm, visit their website.

El Guero Mexicano opening in Gaithersburg

El Guero Mexicano is coming soon to Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg. It will be located at 200 Ellington Boulevard, the former home of BurgerIM. If the name sounds familiar, it's because the new restaurant is being opened by the owners of the nearby Taco Bar El Guero. They are keeping the same menu, as well as their famous Salsa Bar.

Mobile crane work at Whole Foods Market at Kentlands Market Square (Photos)

A mobile crane was spotted at the Whole Foods Market at 316 Kentlands Boulevard at Kentlands Market Square in Gaithersburg last night. It appeared that it would be working overnight to replace the rooftop HVAC system or to replace roofing materials, such as insulation. The store last underwent a major renovation in 2014.

Stedwick Pool renovations underway in Montgomery Village

A major renovation of the Stedwick Pool and Bathhouse has begun in Montgomery Village. The project is the most-expensive such renovation funded by the Montgomery Village Foundation to date. It will essentially be a brand-new facility when it reopens for the Summer 2026 season. The facility will include a completely-upgraded heated pool.

Photo courtesy MVF

Sixty Vines opens in Gaithersburg

Sixty Vines has opened at 212 Ellington Boulevard at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg. "The winemaker's restaurant" is now the wine drinker's restaurant. Your choice of sixty wines will be poured from the restaurant's "sustainable wine on tap system." Sixty Vines replaces Pour House at the development.

Signage installed at The Crepe Shoppe at Downtown Crown

Permanent signage has been installed for The Crepe Shoppe at 202 Ellington Boulevard at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg. Progress on the interior fit-out of the restaurant is blocked from view by window coverings. Maritza Guzman Dotti co-founded the business as a food truck in 2013. The Crepe Shoppe also offers catering services.

Charley: A Chesapeake Chophouse & Bar opening today in Gaithersburg

Charley: A Chesapeake Chophouse & Bar is opening today, Thursday, October 9, 2025 in Gaithersburg. It is located at 9811 Washingtonian Boulevard at Rio Lakefront. The restaurant has dropped its original name, Charley Prime Foods, and has switched concepts from American cuisine to steaks and seafood. At the bar, the headliner is now the Orange Crush, to fit the restaurant's new mantra that "Summer never ends at Charley."

Onekick Martial Arts sets opening date at Kentlands Market Square

Onekick Martial Arts now has an opening date at Kentlands Market Square in Gaithersburg. The studio will open on Thursday, October 16, 2025. A ribbon-cutting will be held at 12:00 PM that day. Onekick Martial Arts is located at 255 Kentlands Boulevard.

Heven AeroTech chooses Virginia over Maryland for new corporate HQ

Montgomery County and Maryland have failed yet again to win another corporate headquarters competition. The winner in the contest is a familiar one: Northern Virginia. Heven AeroTech is moving its U.S. headquarters from Miami to Sterling, Virginia. The firm specializes in the design, manufacture, and deployment hydrogen-powered, runway-independent drones around the world. Needless to say, this is a booming field, as drones are the future of warfare, and are also being utilized in a growing number of non-military sectors of the economy.

A quick look at the map shows once again the critical importance of having direct access to Dulles International Airport for economic development. Heven AeroTech's new HQ address, 45240 Business Court, is 4 minutes from the airport. It's also right adjacent to VA 28, in which the state has invested greatly to bring it up to interstate highway standards, by constructing numerous interchanges. That's the same VA 28 that Montgomery County and Maryland could have made a direct highway connection to via a new Potomac River crossing many years ago, but have defiantly chosen not to.

The results continue to speak for themselves. We are falling further and further behind in the game, at an accelerating pace. According to Business Facilities magazine, in Fairfax County alone, 75 of that county's 125 aerospace firms have moved or expanded there in just the last three years. Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single major new corporate headquarters - of any type - in over 25 years. 

Our "leaders" have made the deliberate decision to not give ourselves the Dulles advantage, and to continue to follow a tax-and-spend blueprint that is not only not competitive with rival jurisdictions, but now represents the greatest tax and fee burden in the entire region. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Dash In mega gas station proposed for Gaithersburg

The Dash In mega gas station and convenience store chain has proposed the construction of a new location on Shady Grove Road, on the border of Gaithersburg and Rockville. If approved, it will be located on the site of the shuttered Red Lobster restaurant at 15700 Shady Grove Road, next to 270 Center, and across the street from Upper Rock. Montgomery County has lagged behind other areas in the development of these large-scale convenience stores for many years, but they are now appearing with increasing momentum, including Sheetz, Wawa, and Royal Farms. Dash In has revamped its store design and food offerings in recent years to better compete with those rivals.

A public meeting regarding the Shady Grove Dash In store proposal will be held tonight, October 6, 2025, at 6:30 PM. Not exactly an accommodating hour for the working person to participate. To join the meeting, use Zoom with Meeting ID: 862 4259 7632 and Passcode: 856064. You can also dial in using your phone at "+13017158592,,86242597632#,,,,*856064#" US (Washington DC) or "+13052241968,,86242597632#,,,,*856064#" US. To receive future communications about the project, you can sign up using this online form.

Armed robbery at Montgomery Village condo complex

Montgomery County police were called to a condominium complex in Montgomery Village last night, October 2, 2025, after an armed robbery was reported there. The robbery was reported in the 18500 block of Boysenberry Drive at 8:15 PM Thursday. The Breckenridge Condominiums are located on that block of Boysenberry.

Leech Woods Haunted Trail opens Friday in Damascus

Halloween season is officially underway, and that means it's time to track down local haunted attractions. One of the highest-rated is right here in Montgomery County in one of our greatest towns, Damascus: Leech Woods Haunted Trail at 11201 Bethesda Church Road, and it opens this Friday, October 3, 2025. The trail and hayride have gotten high marks for creativity, originality, scare factor, and the pace of entry to ensure that you get your own experience on the trail, rather than crashing into the adventurers ahead of you. Past survivors also praise the high quality of the food and drinks that are for sale in the village from which you will depart - you've got to fortify yourself for the terrors ahead.

Make sure to read the FAQ on the website for important information regarding accessibility, clothing and shoe requirements, and parking and weather advisories. You can also buy tickets on there, of course. Also, if you are a traditional hayride fanatic, be forewarned that the separate Haunted Hayride attraction is not simply a standard hayride. You will explore the haunted Leech cemetery on foot, in between your rides out and back from that burial plot. There are fire pits in the village over which you can keep warm, and/or heat up s'mores from kits you can buy. In past years, there have been fortune tellers, merch to immortalize your survival, carnival games, axe throwing, and more in that spooky yet quaint village area. And there are plenty of "characters" to keep you diverted while you wait to enter the trail.

The founders of this attraction have wisely grounded the haunts in a chilling story inspired by the original inhabitants of the property, the Leech family, who met a grisly demise at the hands of truly demented people...or something else...during the brutal Maryland winter of 1804. Suffice it to say, there's enough negative energy on-site to overload your ghost radar and EMF meter. No wonder so many who have survived their trek on the Leech Woods Haunted Trail have reported getting quite a scare in their 5-star Yelp, and 4.7-star Google reviews.

Hunger increases in Montgomery County

An unhoused person sleeps in the 
doorway of the vacant former
Sir Walter Raleigh Inn in Bethesda

Poverty, homelessness, and hunger continue to increase in Montgomery County. A new report released by the Capital Area Food Bank indicates that food insecurity in Montgomery County has increased by 1% in the last year. In contrast, hunger levels dropped in Prince George's County, the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, and Fairfax County. Food insecurity in Washington, D.C. increased by 2%.

The report was based on a survey of Washington Metropolitan Area residents conducted this spring. Most of Montgomery County's population growth in recent years has been in the low-income range. Meanwhile, the County has failed to generate high-wage jobs, and has not attracted a single new major corporate headquarters in over 25 years. The moribund economy and inflated food prices have been a devastating combination for many. Those who once turned to dollar menus at fast food restaurants to get by can no longer do so, as inflation and imposition of high minimum wages in that industry have had the desired effect of those policies' architects, to force low-income and working class residents to turn to government and non-profits for sustenance.