Top Headlines: Suspect Jumps From Roof, Rockville Square Goes Bare, Convicted Priest Killer Appeals

With more than a dozen websites across Montgomery County, Patch brings you news from every corner of our community. Catch up on headlines you may have missed this week, including a murder suspect's apparent suicide attempt, a spate of Potomac River rescues and tumult over tree removal in Rockville's Town Square.

Police Say Suspect in Wheaton Killing Jumped from Roof in Miami

WHEATON—Martire Puente-Fulcar, charged in the Sept. 22 homicide of a 37-year-old mother in Wheaton, is in critical condition in Miami after an apparent suicide attempt, police say. Read the full story at Wheaton Patch.

More Than 20 Saved in Water Rescues This Year

POTOMAC—Rescue workers have saved 23 people in water rescue calls this year, including a victim swept down a waterfall who clung to a rock, according to the latest numbers from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. Read more on Potomac Patch.

New Trial Called for in Murder of Mother Seton Priest

GERMANTOWN — A Clarksburg man convicted of killing a Germantown priest has asked for a new trial, claiming his former attorneys should have objected to prosecutors' comments during closing arguments at his 2001 trial, The Gazette reported Thursday. Robert Paul Lucas, 37, is appealing his second-degree murder conviction for stabbing to death Monsignor Thomas Wells, a 56-year-old pastor at Mother Seton Parish, whom Lucas claimed had sexually assaulted him. More at Germantown Patch.

Police Investigate Montgomery Village Shooting

MONTGOMERY VILLAGE—A 25-year-old man was shot multiple times in Montgomery Village on Wednesday night, called a family member on his cell phone, stumbled several hundred yards to a nearby CVS, and collapsed. Police have announced no motive or suspects, and the victim remains in critical condition. Read more on Montgomery Village Patch.

NPS Emergency Call Boxes Going Out of Service Permanently

POTOMAC—The emergency call boxes that line the C&O Canal trail from Cumberland, MD, through Georgetown in D.C. will no longer be used or maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). Instead, NPS will post emergency contact information signs for people to call from their personal cell phones. Read more on Potomac Patch.

SPEAK OUT: Alternative to Pepco?

KENSINGTON—Montgomery County residents fed up with what they see as Pepco's unreliablity will discuss options other than the long-time, investor-owned utility supplier. In a recent storm, about 400,000 Maryland residents, including thousands in Montgomery County, were left without power. Read more at Kensington Patch.

Rockville Residents in Uproar Over Removal of Town Square Trees

ROCKVILLE—Federal Realty Investment Trust violated Rockville’s tree ordinance when it removed four trees along North Washington Street, a city spokeswoman said Wednesday. Read more on Rockville Patch.

One Dead In Car Crash Near Kentlands

GAITHERSBURG—A woman was killed Sunday evening in a car crash on Great Seneca Highway at Lakelands Drive in the Kentlands area of Gaithersburg, according to Montgomery County police. Read the full story on Gaithersburg Patch.

SHA: No Plans To Change Great Seneca Speed Limit

GAITHERSBURG—The Maryland State Highway Administration has no plans to reconsider the 50 mph speed limit on Great Seneca Highway (Route 119) following the road's third fatal accident of 2012, SHA spokesperson David Buck told Patch. Read the full story on Gaithersburg Patch.

Man Arrested in Takoma Park Armed Robbery

TAKOMA PARK—A Frederick man was arrested in an armed robbery of the Advance Auto Parts store in Takoma Park, police said. Steven Ray Williams, 42, was arrested and charged with armed robbery, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, first- and second-degree assault, false imprisonment and theft over $1,000. Two men, one brandishing a gun, robbed the Advance Auto Parts store on New Hampshire Avenue on Sept. 16, Takoma Park Police said. Read more at Takoma Park Patch.

MCPS Students Shine in SAT

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Montgomery County public school students in the class of 2012 "set an all-time record on the SAT and significantly outperformed their peers across the state and the nation on the college entrance exam," according to a Montgomery County Public Schools statement. Read more on Chevy Chase Patch.