Gaithersburg coach arrested, accused of sexual abuse of athlete
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — Police said they arrested a coach from the Baseball Zone on Gaither Road, who is accused of abusing a child athlete sexually over the course of nearly three years.
The Montgomery County Department of Police (MCDP) said 32-year-old Damon Junior Cruz of Gaithersburg faces charges of sexual abuse of a minor and multiple counts of displaying obscene material for a minor.
MCDP received a report on April 30 that Cruz had assaulted a child between November 2021 and February 2024 while Cruz was the child’s hitting/pitching coach.
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Police arrested Cruz on May 9. Since then, he has been released on bond.
“This is a heavily trafficked area that welcomes a lot of children,” a nearby business owner explained to DC News Now. “It’s genuinely upsetting to learn that someone is creating such danger and is on the loose.”
Cruz is no longer employed by Baseball Zone, but was described as a “normal man” who showed no signs of danger by his employer and parents who enrolled their children at the batting cage center.
According to court documents obtained by DC News Now, the alleged victim “disclosed the abuse to a school counselor… but did not want to report the incident out of fear of retaliation from Cruz, who often spoke of possessing weapons.”
Detectives expressed concern that there may be other victims and are asking anyone with information to call the Special Victims Investigations Division at (204) 773-5400. Callers can remain anonymous.
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