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 driver who went into cardiac arrest died following a two-vehicle crash in Cloverly, Montgomery County Police said. Two other people, including a 4-year-old child, were injured.
Takoma Park will begin ticketing drivers who speed past stop signs in school zones next month in a four-year pilot program that utilizes artificial intelligence.
Many of Montgomery County's immigrants live in fear of ICE. Many county residents want to support them, but may not know their own legal rights when they protest or videotape arrests.
A student at Northwood High School in Rockville was arrested and charged with gun possession. An altercation between students prompted a school lockdown.
The Trust Act will codify a 2019 executive order from Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich that will restrict immigration enforcement officers’ access to county facilities without a judicial warrant.
A Germantown man is facing multiple felonies linked to the May 31 car crash that led to the death of 88-year-old Myrtle Gottlieb, according to Montgomery County Police.
An Extreme Cold Alert was issued for Montgomery County beginning Tuesday afternoon and lasting until midday Wednesday. The alert is issued when temperatures and/or wind chill drop to 32 degrees or below.
In social media posts in Spanish, the Montgomery County Police Department reminded the public how its officers can be identified as county police and that they also wear name tags.
A man fatally shot his relative in downtown Silver Spring Friday afternoon. The two men argued in a Tesla and then exited the car prior to the shooting, according to Montgomery County Police.
A Rockville man was sentenced to 40 years in prison in the 2022 death of Keylin Chavez Dominguez, his ex-girlfriend, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The state has opened an investigation into an agrement with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office amid potential compliance issues with child support enforcement duties.
A judge found Iris Alonzo-Salgado guilty of first-degree murder in the 2023 death of a teen girl who was stabbed with a machete in the woods in Olney at the direction of MS-13.