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
October 20, 2008 (10:22 a.m.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chief Ronald A. Ricucci from the Takoma Park Police Department announces the arrest of Christian Cortes, 23, of Wheaton, Maryland, who was charged with 1st and 2nd degree assault, wearing, carrying and transporting a handgun, knowingly possessing a regulated firearm and resisting arrest.
On October 18, 2008, at approximately 2:04 a.m., a Takoma Park Police Officer was flagged down by two male subjects at University Blvd. and New Hampshire Avenue. The subjects had been assaulted and threatened with a handgun at the bus stop in the 1000 block of University Blvd. A description of the suspect was given to the officer. The officer approached the bus stop on foot while another police officer approached the bus stop westbound in a marked police cruiser. Having been given a description of the suspect and the suspect’s clothing, an officer saw the suspect at University Blvd. and Anne Street. The suspect had reached into his waistline and threw an object into the grassy area between a tree and a bush and fled, running across Anne Street behind a building on University Blvd. The officer began a foot pursuit, catching up to the suspect, identifying himself as a police officer and commanding him to stop. The suspect did stop but would not obey commands to lie on the ground and continued walking toward the police officer. After resisting arrest, the suspect was finally apprehended.
Officers returned to the area where the suspect threw the object and retrieved a black semi-automatic handgun. The gun was impounded. Investigation revealed that Cortes saw the two victims at the bus stop and asked for a cigarette. When they refused, Cortes physically assaulted one of the victims and then pointed the gun at him.
Cortes was arrested and transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit for an appearance before a District Court Commissioner. The victims were not seriously injured.
Posted by Plevy at October 20, 2008 12:41 PM