Police prepared to ramp up summer patrols at Wheaton mall after stabbing, assault
12 teens were arrested; Fourth District Police Commander David Smith says mall is priority location for his team
By
Elia GriffinMay 12, 2026 3:25 p.m.
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Following two high-profile incidents at Westfield Wheaton mall involving groups of teenagers, Montgomery County police in the Wheaton area are prepared to increase high-visibility patrols at the mall through the summer when needed, according to Fourth District Commander David Smith.
“We’re always aware that this is a high-impact location. There’s a lot of youth that like to congregate” at the mall, Smith said. “Sometimes that leads to different events, so we want to make sure we get out in front of it.”
Smith noted that his police team’s presence is generally “pretty robust” at the mall, but if they see an increased need or similar incidents, the team would adjust resources. Each week, Smith’s police team examines crime trends and cases to determine where to deploy additional patrol or use other resources. He said his team plans to keep an eye on any similar crime trends when students are out for the summer.
County police confirmed to Bethesda Today last week that 12 teenagers have been arrested in connection with the Feb. 4 stabbing of one teen and the March 16 assault of another.
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Smith told Bethesda Today that the data has not indicated to him or police crime analysts that there is a pervasive issue with juvenile crime at the mall at 11160 Veirs Mill Road. Still, Smith said that following the two incidents, he increased patrols at the mall and ramped up communications with the mall’s security, tactics he said he intends to keep up over the summer when teens are out of school.
4th District Commander David Smith discusses recent arrests in two cases at Wheaton Mall, highlights successful investigations, and shares how officers are connecting with the Wheaton community. #MCPNews #MCPD @4DCommander pic.twitter.com/qmfMfIyGn1
— Montgomery County Department of Police (@mcpnews) April 17, 2026
“It’s about being visible and preventing crime before it happens,” Smith said in an April 17 video discussing the arrests in connection with the two Wheaton mall cases.
Smith also told Bethesda Today on Thursday that the Westfield Wheaton mall being a priority for his district is not new, but stabbings and robberies at the mall are not the “norm.” He described the two incidents as “outliers” and noted that the biggest driver of calls for service at the mall is theft-related crimes.
Westfield Wheaton mall and a media representative for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, the commercial real estate company that owns the mall, did not respond to multiple email requests for comment from Bethesda Today on Monday and Tuesday.
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Around 2 p.m. on Feb. 4, a teen boy who went into a restroom at the mall was approached by seven suspects armed with knives, according to police. While inside the restroom, the group assaulted the boy and stabbed him in the arm. After the stabbing, the group ran out of the bathroom and left the scene.
The boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was later transported to an area hospital where he received treatment, police said.
After the incident, county police released a video of surveillance footage from the incident, highlighting the suspects they believed were involved in the stabbing. Police asked the public for help identifying the suspects.
Smith said the video police released was “key” in getting the suspects identified, arrested and charged.
According to police, investigators were later able to identify six male suspects ranging in age from 13 to 15. Two of the suspects were charged with first-degree assault, and the four others were charged with first-degree assault and possession of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure. A seventh suspect has not yet been identified, according to police spokesperson Carlos Cortes. Four of the suspects were 14 years old, one was 15, and one was 13, Cortes added.
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The identities of the teens were not released. County police typically do not publicly identify minors who are charged with crimes.
The next incident occurred on March 16 around 11:30 a.m., according to police. During the incident, a group of nine suspects followed another teen boy around the mall.
Later, police said, one of the suspects struck the boy on the head and others in the group quickly joined in on assaulting the victim while he was on the ground. The suspects stole the boy’s shoes and ran out of the mall.
After the incident, county police released surveillance photos and a video of the assault and the group, which consisted of a mix of teen boys and girls, wearing khaki pants and grey and navy-blue sweatshirts.
Following an investigation, six of the nine suspects were identified, according to Cortes. The suspects were two girls, ages 14 and 16, and four boys, two 14-year-olds, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old.
These suspects were also not identified by police because they are minors.
Overall, Smith said the district has seen a decrease in crime, a trend that has been reported in other police districts such as Silver Spring’s Third District. According to the department’s 2025 Annual Crime and Safety Report, the Wheaton district has seen a 24% drop in crimes against person, property and society, which includes such crimes as assaults, homicides, sex offenses, burglary, theft and robbery.
Smith told Bethesda Today that because of Westfield Wheaton mall’s size and proximity to transit, it is typically a busy location and is “always a big area of focus” for his district. He noted that after the February and March incidents, he wanted to get ahead of the problem before students were out of school during spring break.
The biggest takeaway, Smith said, is for parents to keep track of where their children are.
“When we see kids getting into trouble, there’s the lack of awareness [from parents] on where they are, who they’re with,” Smith said. “So, spot checking your kids and just making that purposeful and intentional to understand who they’re engaging with and where they are, I think, is really key.”
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine