Small Plane Crash | Kidnapping Scam | Fatal Interstate Crash: News Nearby

Patch has community sites across Maryland. Here are some of our top posts from the past 24 hours.

• Student Pilot Flying Plane That Crashes Near Bowie
• Driver Killed in Crash Stopped Car on Interstate: Police
• Suspect Dies After Franklin Square Shooting: Police

Virtual Kidnapping Scam Reported in Region

Reports of a familiar, yet scary, scam dubbed a “virtual kidnapping” have resurfaced in the Washington, DC, area, says the FBI and area police departments.

The Prince William and Fairfax (Va.) police have warned residents that the scam, which has been around for a few years, is becoming popular again with scam artists in the D.C. region. Authorities warned that residents in neighboring counties have also been targeted, as have members of the Archdiocese of Washington, which serves Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. >>> Read more.

Officer Nero Trial Closes with Focus on Freddie Gray Arrest

As Judge Barry Williams heard closing arguments Thursday in the trial of Officer Edward Nero, the debate largely focused on whether the arrest of 25-year-old Freddie Gray was legal and if he was at fault for not seat-belting the detainee in a police van.

Nero, 30, is a Baltimore Police officer charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in office related to the detainment of Gray, who was arrested last April and died a week later.>>> Read more.

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• Trump Delegate Indicted on Child Porn, Explosives Charges
• Preakness Stakes 2016: Race Time, Forecast, Festivities
• Metro Mess Ahead: 'SafeTrack' Work Starts June 4; 1-Year Overhaul Details
• Poll: 9 in 10 Native Americans Don't Mind 'Redskins' Name

• Habit Burger Grill to Open First Maryland Location in Rockville
• Brothers Sentenced for Claiming $224 Million in Fake Tax Refunds
• Teen Skater Assaulted, Robbed in Severna Park
• Kenny Chesney Concert to Snarl Traffic Thursday, Officials Say
• Funeral for 26-Year-Old Firefighter Closes Road in Downtown Bel Air

»Photo of Freeway Airport crash courtesy of Maryland State Police