Arrest Made in Carjackings in Rockville, North Bethesda

Montgomery County police have arrested a 27-year-old man from White Plains in connection with carjackings at Congressional Plaza in Rockville and near White Flint Mall in North Bethesda.

Byron Deshane Govan was arrested earlier this month at his home in the 10000 block of Wamsley Court. He is charged with several counts of auto theft, carjacking, robbery and using a firearm during the commission of a crime.

The first incident occurred just before 10 p.m. on Sept. 27. A 69-year-old woman returned to her 2012 Toyota Prius after making a transaction at the Wells Fargo bank ATM at 110 Congressional Lane in Congressional Plaza in Rockville. She found a man sitting in the driver’s seat, police said in a news release.

As the woman attempted to open the driver’s side door, the man said that he had a gun, pushed the keyless start button on the vehicle and drove away with the woman’s purse, cell phone, and checkbook still inside the vehicle, police said.

Rockville Patch reported the incident Oct. 9 in the Rockville city police reports.

The victim’s checks were later used to buy prepaid credit cards in Charles and Prince George’s counties, according to the news release. Detectives obtained surveillance video of the suspect using the credit cards for purchases at businesses in Prince George’s county, police said.

The second incident occurred about 2 p.m. on Oct. 31 at 11200 Rockville Pike near White Flint Mall, in North Bethesda. A man with a handgun forced a couple from a black Lincoln Aviator SUV. After taking their wallets, he fled in the vehicle.

County police located the SUV on the Capital Beltway and pursued it to near Colesville Road and Spring Street in downtown Silver Spring, where the suspect ditched the SUV and got away on foot.

Police believe the suspect in surveillance video from the Oct. 31 carjacking is the same person in surveillance video from the Sept. 27 carjacking.

Govan’s arrest was not immediately announced because detectives believe he may be involved in similar crimes in other jurisdictions, according to a county police news release.

Earlier this month county police said they believed the suspect in the Congressional Plaza carjacking was the same person involved in an Oct. 11 robbery of a Dunkin’ Donuts at 4653 Duke Street in Alexandria, VA.

Video surveillance from that robbery can be viewed here.

Police believe that the Prius taken in the Congressional Plaza carjacking is the vehicle used in the Oct. 11 robbery, said Officer Britta Thomas, a county police spokeswoman. The stolen Prius was recovered in Montgomery County on Oct. 13.

Alexandria police are “close” to deciding if Govan will be charged in that case, Thomas said.

The Alexandria Police Department did not immediately return a call for comment on Thursday afternoon.

Govan is being held in Montgomery County jail on $400,000 bond related to the Oct. 31 case and $250,000 bond related to the Sept. 27 case, according to online court records.

He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 30 in Montgomery County District Court in Rockville.