Antonio “Tony” Planas is an express reporter for The Banner’s Montgomery County team. His focus is on law enforcement and immigration issues. He previously worked on the breaking news desk at NBC News, where he juggled writing about the nation’s biggest stories of the day. Tony’s career has focused on shining a spotlight on underserved communities, including leading a team of reporters in Boston who unearthed the city’s more than 300 unsolved homicides spanning a decade and the sizeable disparity in police arrest rates for Black victims compared to white victims. Tony is a Michigan State alumnus who enjoys watching his beloved Spartans compete on the gridiron and basketball court.
A 12-year-old girl who made a swatting call about a shooting in Montgomery Village last year won’t be charged because Maryland law prohibits it, police said.
The federal government moved quickly over the last month to establish a foothold in Maryland, notifying Washington County officials of its intentions just days before inking the deed giving it full ownership of the property in Williamsport, just outside of Hagerstown.
A powerful snowstorm in Montgomery County brought more than 7 inches to some areas. Local officials closed schools and government offices as crews cleared roads.
A Silver Spring man was fatally shot in Langley Park early Wednesday morning. Police are offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
Montgomery County Police built a first-degree murder case against Kevin Perez-Fierro, for the alleged Jan. 2 killing of 18-year-old Taeyon Malachi Prather in Gaithersburg, through video images and phone and social media records, court records said.