Teen Charged In Series Of Robberies, Assaults In Montgomery County

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — An 18-year-old was arrested this week in connection with a series of armed robberies, assaults and other crimes committed in Montgomery County between December 2023 and July 2024.

Joseph Tyler Jhingory IV of Saint Leonard was taken into custody last month and charged with home invasion, armed robbery, false imprisonment, assault, sexual assault, vehicle theft and other offenses, Montgomery County police said in a statement.

According to police, the first incident occurred on Dec. 1, 2023, when Jhingory broke into a Rockville home armed with a gun. He bound and gagged the homeowners, sexually assaulted the female victim and stole their Volvo CX-40 before leaving the scene.

On Feb. 9, 2024, detectives began investigating two Bethesda home burglaries that occurred the night before. In both cases, personal property was taken, including a 2015 Mercedes GLK350.

A few hours later, around 4:30 a.m., police said a gas station in the 8200 block of Wisconsin Avenue was robbed. During that robbery, the employee was tied up, and money and merchandise were stolen.

During the investigation, police said detectives identified the suspect as Jhingory and discovered that he had attempted two commercial burglaries in Anne Arundel County on Feb. 12 and was involved in a vehicle pursuit with Anne Arundel Police. Police said he crashed the vehicle, which was the stolen 2015 Mercedes GLK350, and ran from the scene.

On Feb. 17, 2024, police said Jhingory attempted to rob a victim in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven. He ran from the area and climbed a fence onto Andrews Air Force Base, where he stole a car, according to authorities. After crashing the vehicle and trying to run away, he was arrested by military police and then released, police said.

On July 10, 2024, Montgomery County officers were called to a Potomac home, where the homeowner reported that several personal items, clothing and a 2014 Lexus had been stolen. The Lexus was later found on Aug. 19 in a field in Calvert County, the same area where several other stolen vehicles had been abandoned.

According to police, evidence gathered during the investigation later connected Jhingory to the Montgomery County crimes, including the February burglaries and commercial robbery.

Jhingory, who was previously being held at a Maryland juvenile facility on unrelated charges, was taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit on Aug. 27, where he was formally served with warrants and charged in connection with the Montgomery County cases.