Update (Friday, Oct. 5): On Thursday, Oct. 4, Montgomery County Police Department "detectives arrested and charged a 16-year-old male from Rockville with the attempted robbery and 2nd-degree assault of the two juvenile victims," according to a county police statement.
Police had received a tip from the community about a possible suspect, the statement added.
In all, three juveniles were victims in this assault: "two 16-year-old males from Bethesda, and another juvenile," according to the police.
They "were walking on the trail [on Saturday, Sept. 29, at about 8:50 p.m.] when they were approached by a group of approximately five to six teenage males. The male suspect grabbed one of the victims and demanded money. The other victim attempted to intervene and was punched in the head and face by the suspect," police reported.
"The other teens separated the two males and the suspect’s group left the area. No money was obtained. The victims returned home and the victim who sustained injuries was taken to a local hospital for treatment," the police statement continued.
Update (Wednesday, Oct. 3): The Montgomery County Police Department's Second District police station (which covers Bethesda and Chevy Chase) and the Bethesda Urban Partnership "has increased surveillance in [this] location in hopes of preventing further incidents," according to an email blast from the Town of Chevy Chase office.
The Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail, a volunteer-run trail advocacy group, is also set to discuss the incidents at a Monday board meeting.
Following the July incidents, the group released this statement:
"The Coalition Board has been both saddened and disturbed by the news of several recent attacks on trail users. Although any crime committed against trail users is reason for concern, the trail remains remarkably safe. Consider that as many as 20,000+ people use parts of the trail each week, and yet we seldom hear of crimes against users of the trail. Crime does happen though, and all users of the trail must be careful not to lower their guard."
Read the full statement on the Coalition's website.
Original story (Tuesday, Oct. 2): A boy was assaulted Saturday evening by a group of six other juveniles in the Capital Crescent Trail tunnel that runs beneath Wisconsin Avenue, Montgomery County police said Tuesday.
The group assaulted a juvenile male shortly before 8 p.m. in the tunnel, according to police spokeswoman Angela Cruz. The tunnel has entrances near the Bethesda Row Cinema on the west side of Wisconsin and Elm Street Park on the east side.
The group attempted to rob the boy, but it wasn't known whether anything was stolen, Cruz said.
The vicitm and the victim's parents went to the hospital following the incident and called police, Cruz said. It wasn't clear whether the boy was injured or admitted to the hospital.
The attack follows several other assaults reported in the Wisconsin Avenue tunnel over the summer. In a July 20 incident, a victim was assaulted by a group of four teens around 8 p.m., Patch reported. The teens punched the victim in the face and stole his wallet.
In another incident around 7:45 p.m. Friday, July 6, two suspects, one brandishing a knife, approached a victim and demanded his backpack. The suspects punched the victim in the face when he refused to turn over the bag, according to the report.
A description of the suspects in Saturday's assault wasn't immediately available.
2 - You cop bashers never learn -- the police are just minutes away when seconds count! Learn to look out for yourself, Spillane! ( certainly NO relation to "Micky" )
I don't think you're racist captain, I'm pro descriptions of criminals.