Three suspects arrested in connection with Chevy Chase car rally that damaged two MoCo police cars
Another man charged in separate shooting incident at gathering in Kensington Safeway garage
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Ashlyn CampbellApril 22, 2026 11:32 a.m. | Updated: April 22, 2026 11:43 a.m.
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Make a ContributionMontgomery County police arrested three suspects – two adults and a teen – in connection with a February illegal car rally and street takeover in Chevy Chase that damaged two Montgomery County police cruisers, the department said Tuesday in a press release.
Another man also was arrested in connection with an April shooting that injured two during an unrelated rally and street takeover, police said.
Novorriya Gregory Smith Jr., 20, of Lusby; 18-year-old Ayden Joseph Cline of Cumberland, Pennsylvania; and a 17-year-old from Laurel, face several charges, including disorderly conduct, malicious destruction of property, failure to obey lawful orders and hindering. County police typically do not name minors who are charged with crimes.
Smith and Cline also face a charge of reckless endangerment, according to police.
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Smith and Cline are being held without bond at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit in Rockville. The juvenile was charged and released to a parent or guardian, according to the release.
According to the release, shortly after 12:30 a.m. Feb. 22, police were notified of a large group of cars “linked to street takeover activity that began in Prince George’s County” and then moved into Silver Spring.
The cars continued along East West Highway and gathered at the intersection of East West Highway and Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase, police said.
A video posted online by police and taken by a cruiser’s dashboard camera shows the perspective of an officer who responded to the intersection. There, dozens of people stood in the roadway blocking traffic to allow a car to spin donuts in the intersection. Spectators were later seen around the car filming, jumping and dancing in front of the vehicle and the cruiser’s rear window and windshield were smashed while the officer was inside.
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Police allege Cline stood on the back of a police cruiser holding a lit flare, while Smith is accused of smashing the rear window of the officer’s cruiser and then pulling down his pants to expose himself to the officer. He also was charged with indecent exposure.
No officers were injured during the incident, police said.
The 17-year-old was charged with disorderly conduct, malicious destruction of property, failure to obey lawful orders, and hindering.
In a separate April incident related to a car rally and street takeover, 19-year-old Hermes Matewere was arrested and charged with allegedly shooting two people inside a parking garage at the Kensington Safeway at 10541 Connecticut Ave. He faces two counts of first-and-second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and multiple firearms violations. Matewere is also being held without bond at the county central processing unit, according to police.
According to the Tuesday statement, at roughly 2:33 a.m. April 4, county police were dispatched to the 10400 block of Armory Avenue in Kensington for reports of shots fired. Two people with gunshot wounds took themselves to a local hospital.
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Officers obtained surveillance video and identified Matewere as a suspect “through the course of the investigation,” police said.
No other details about the incident were provided.
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine