On January 23, 2026, at approximately 11:54 a.m., Montgomery County police released details regarding the arrest of a suspect accused of robbing a Papa John’s restaurant after allegedly providing a false name and assaulting an employee.
Authorities reported that a 20-year-old man from Olney, Maryland, was taken into custody in connection with a robbery that occurred at a Papa John’s location along Georgia Avenue in Gaithersburg. The Montgomery County Department of Police, 4th District, stated that officers responded to the restaurant in the 13000 block of Georgia Avenue at around 10:35 p.m. on October 8, 2025, after receiving a report of an assault involving a store employee.
According to investigators, the suspect entered the restaurant and attempted to retrieve a food order by giving staff a name that did not match the order records. An employee became suspicious due to a previous incident involving a similar tactic and declined to release the pizza. Police said the situation quickly escalated when the suspect moved behind the counter without authorization and took a pizza himself.
During the confrontation, the employee attempted to intervene, at which point the suspect allegedly struck the worker in the chest. After the physical altercation, the individual fled the restaurant before officers arrived at the scene. The employee reported the incident to law enforcement, prompting a follow-up investigation by detectives.
Through investigative efforts, authorities later identified the suspect as Dean Steve Bodjona-Ali. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant charging him with robbery, second-degree assault, and theft of property valued under $100.
On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, police located and arrested Bodjona-Ali in Olney. He was transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he remains in custody. Officials confirmed that he is being held without bond while awaiting a bond hearing.
Police indicated that the investigation is still active, and additional information may be released as the case progresses.
