Potomacgaz 021914

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BALANCING ACT

&

The Gazette

Musical lays bare the transition from adolescence to adulthood. B-5

POTOMAC | NORTH POTOMAC

DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

On the edge

GERMANTOWN

25 cents

SPATE OF DEADLY STABBINGS RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS, TREATMENT AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM

GAITHERSBURG

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

GAITHERSBURG

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

JANUARY 29 7400 BLOCK OF LAKE KATRINE TERRACE

JANUARY 17 19000 BLOCK OF CHERRY BEND DRIVE

JANUARY 23 9051 SNOUFFER SCHOOL ROAD

Zakieya Avery, 28, and Monifa Sanford, 21, each face two counts of first-degree murder, accused of stabbing to death two of Avery’s children — 2-year-old Avery Sanford Zyana Harris and 1-year-old Norell N. Harris — in an attempted “exorcism.”

Shaun D. King, 36, of Bladensburg faces one count of first-degree murder, accused of fatally slashing and stabbing Abdul Ghaffar, 63, of Gaithersburg 75 times at the 7-Eleven store where Ghaffar worked. Prosecutors say they believe King suffers from schizophrenia and asked that King he be evaluated to determine if he is competent to stand trial.

Police say Christopher Stirkens, 25, stabbed to death his mother, Denise Stirkens, 53, at their Gaithersburg home. In an effort to save her, his father, James Stirkens, an off-duty Montgomery County police officer, shot and killed their son.

Stirkens

POLICE CALLS RELATING TO MENTAL ILLNESS

BY

ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH

A

STAFF WRITER

mid a spate of unusual and violent killings in Montgomery County last month, authorities are investigating what they say is a common thread: mental illness. • In Germantown, two women were accused of stabbing two young children to death in an attempted exorcism. • In Gaithersburg, police said, a man stabbed a 7-Eleven clerk to death less than a week later.

• Police said an off-duty sergeant shot his adult son to death as the son was stabbing his mother to death. The two women and the 7-Eleven defendant were transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Jessup for mental evaluation and treatment. The slayings prompted Montgomery County State’s Attorney John J. McCarthy to highlight local law enforcement’s role in dealing with and caring for the mentally ill. He talked about the lack of funding for treatment and the need for more resources and funding. “The larger issue for us in the community is: How do we deal with people who

Potomac’s Mr. Fritz is a top dog at big show German shepherd retiring with 100 wins in his group

n

BY

PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER

Potomac’s latest accomplished resident is Mr. Fritz. Grand Champion Wolf Creek Galaxy of Merivern — his formal name — is a German shepherd dog owned by Edward Farrell of Potomac and Pat Walker of Springfield, Ill. The dog was named best in his breed at the Westmin-

ster Kennel Club Dog Show held Feb. 11 and 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the judging for the breeds in the herding group, he came in third. With a name like Wolf Creek Galaxy of Merivern, it would take a while to call him in from a romp in the yard, so at home, he’s Mr. Fritz, Farrell said. “His breeder’s family had a favorite uncle named Fritz and they named the dog after him,” Farrell said. “We changed it a

See WESTMINSTER, Page A-9

6,000

2010

2011

4,000

SUICIDES:

264

240

KATE S. ALEXANDER AND LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITERS

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Matthew Chen, 14, of Potomac and Dave Karska of Mount Airy put horses outside Sunday at the HorseNet Horse Rescue farm in Mount Airy. See story, A-4.

Twin sisters help Wootton girls basketball team get hot right before playoffs begin.

Please

RECYCLE

176

Lawmakers want coaches subject to sex abuse law BY

DOUBLE DRIBBLE

121

SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

House, Senate bills differ; supporters consider compromise

B-13 A-11 A-2 A-13 B-10 B-5 A-14 A-12 B-1

2013

5,000

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Automotive Business Calendar Celebrations Classified Entertainment Opinion School News Sports

2012

4,323 4,440 4,697 5,256

See MENTAL, Page A-10

To the rescue

SPORTS

B-1

have persistent mental health issues and intersect with the criminal justice system?” McCarthy said in a press conference last month. He said it’s an “open secret” that jails are one of the largest providers of mental health care and treatment nationwide. Statistics show a growing problem. According to data from the county prosecutor’s office, the number of “intakes” — people who were arrested — at the Montgomery County correctional facilities decreased from 9,256 in 2010 to 7,879 in 2013.

Suicides include attempts.

Two groups of Maryland legislators want to close a statutory loophole regarding which adults can and should be punished for engaging in sexual conduct with a student. One bill would apply to adults who work with children in either a school system or a

county recreation program. A second bill adds to that list volunteers at schools and employees and volunteers at private recreation facilities. Both bills agree that coaches should be written into the law. Maryland law criminalizes sexual contact between certain people in a position of authority and a minor in their care, but lawmakers say there is a huge loophole in the law. The law defines individuals in positions of authority to include principals, vice principals,

See LAWMAKERS, Page A-9

SPECIAL SECTION

OUR CHILDREN 12 cool places for birthday parties; teaching kids and pets to get along; how to teach your children about money; teen rebellion: what’s normal and what’s not

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