Editor’s note: This article, originally published at 8 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2024, was updated at 11:34 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2024, to add comments from Jones’ attorney, District Public Defender Sean Mukherjee.
A 34-year-old Silver Spring man is being held without bond after two incidents in which he allegedly broke into the homes of two women, ages 88 and 77, last weekend and sexually assaulted them, according to Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
Devin Jones was arrested by police Monday near his home on Lockwood Drive in Silver Spring after police used fingerprints from the first incident to identify him, McCarthy told reporters after Jones’ bond hearing Wednesday at the District Court of Maryland in Rockville. District Court Judge Aileen Oliver ordered Jones to be held without bond.
According to digital court records, Jones pleaded guilty earlier this month to theft charges related to an October 2023 incident and was sentenced to a year of probation.
District Public Defender Sean Mukherjee represents Jones in the two most recent cases.
“Mr. Jones is presumed to be innocent of the accusations against him and based on what we know of what is alleged,” Mukherjee said in a statement to MoCo360. “No one should be jumping to conclusions about what actually happened or whether he was even involved.”
Jones is facing charges of home invasion, attempted first-degree rape and first-degree assault in connection with the first incident, which occurred Saturday in Burtonsville and involved the 88-year-old, according to digital court records. In the second incident, which occurred the following day in White Oak and involved the 77-year-old, Jones is facing charges of indecent exposure, second-degree assault and the theft of $100 to $1,500, court records state.
The state’s attorney’s office is “reviewing both of these cases for the potential of adding additional charges,” McCarthy said Wednesday. “We’re just gathering some more additional information, but as of right now … we are satisfied with the action taken by the court.”
McCarthy described the incidents as “terrifying” and said the office was taking the cases “very, very seriously as a threat to [the] senior community.”
The assaults
According to charging documents, the 88-year-old encountered Jones around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday after he allegedly forced entry by breaking a window at her Burtonsville home. The woman heard a crashing sound and saw Jones entering the home when she went to see what happened.
After Jones entered, he told the woman that he needed to use the bathroom and the woman complied out of fear, according to charging documents. While in the bathroom, Jones allegedly pushed the woman to the floor, turned on the water to the bathtub and attempted to drown her “by forcing her face under running water,” the documents state.
“Jones then … attempted to force fellatio. [The woman] told Jones she would bite him if he continued. Jones then asked [the woman], ‘Do you want me to kill you?” the charging documents state.
The woman was later able to calm Jones by asking if he wanted her to pray with him and if he was hungry, according to the charging documents. When the woman walked to the kitchen to make him breakfast, Jones began to play a piano in her living room and she used the opportunity while he was distracted to call police for help, charging documents said.
When Jones saw the woman make the call, he exited her home and took a “wide-brimmed, tan sun hat and wore it as he left,” the charging documents state.
On Sunday, Jones allegedly entered the White Oak home of a 77-year-old woman. According to charging documents, Jones walked into the woman’s bedroom around 9 p.m. and she asked him, “How did you get in here?”
Jones allegedly told the woman “Don’t worry about it,” and then pulled down his pants to expose his penis. “You want this!” Jones allegedly said, charging documents state.
According to the documents, the woman “grabbed a large wooden stick to defend herself.” When the woman attempted to call the police, Jones allegedly took the cell phone out of her hands. The woman told police that she was able to hit Jones with the stick as he ran out of her residence with her phone.
While investigating the first incident, forensic detectives found a fingerprint on a piece of glass from the broken window Jones allegedly used to gain entry to the 88-year-old woman’s home. On Monday, detectives found that the fingerprint belonged to Jones, according to the charging documents. In addition, Jones fit the physical description provided by the woman and has a speech impediment like the one she described hearing, charging documents said.
Jones was arrested Monday by county police, according to the charging documents. During the arrest, he was found to have the second woman’s cell phone in his possession, the documents said.
A ‘very troubling case’
Following news of Jones’ arrest, Montgomery County police District 3 Commander Jason Cokinos wrote on social media that the cases were “very troubling” but “luckily these incidents don’t happen often.”
This was a very troubling case and luckily these incidents don't happen often. I'm thankful for our @mcpnews forensic team, detectives, and plain clothes surveillance officers.
— MCPD 3D Commander (@MCPD3DCommander) October 30, 2024
They made a VERY quick closure and got this guy off the street before he could victimize anyone else.… https://t.co/ZfMw0eFtPk
After the judge’s decision to hold Jones without bond, McCarthy said he was glad to see Jones “off the streets” and “no longer a danger to people in the community.”
County police said in a statement Wednesday that detectives are also investigating other burglaries that may be linked to Jones.
Police are urging anyone with information about the two incidents or other potentially related cases to contact the department’s Special Victims Investigations Division’s Sex Assault Unit at 240-773-5050. Tips can also be submitted anonymously online with the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County at this link or by calling 1-866-411-8477.
