David Eretz Hirshowitz, 63, of Port Republic
David Eretz Hirshowitz, 63, of Port Republic, is facing multiple charges following a reported confrontation during the holiday weekend in Prince Frederick. Hirshowitz was arrested on December 28, 2024, after an incident involving a firearm and a verbal dispute in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express.
According to court documents, the incident began when the mother of a family visiting the area had been drinking and left her residence on foot late in the evening of December 27, 2024. Concerned for her safety, her son and daughter, both visiting from out of state for the holidays, located her sleeping on a bench in a nearby subdivision. After bringing her back to the residence, the son discovered she had been communicating through Facebook Messenger with a man later identified as Hirshowitz. The two reportedly had never met prior to that evening. The son, concerned about his mother’s welfare, took her phone and sent messages to Hirshowitz, telling him to stop contacting her.
At some point during the night, Hirshowitz allegedly arrived in his vehicle to pick up the woman without the family’s knowledge. The son followed Hirshowitz in his own vehicle to the Holiday Inn Express in Prince Frederick. When the son arrived at the hotel parking lot, he reportedly approached Hirshowitz’s vehicle, where the woman was seated in the passenger seat. According to the son’s statement to law enforcement, he removed his mother from the vehicle and began to walk away. It was during this exchange that Hirshowitz allegedly displayed what appeared to be a firearm, pointing it at the son. The son stated, “I was fearing for my life because he pointed a gun at me.” The woman, who had her back turned at the time, said she overheard her son say, “He’s got a gun.” Additionally, the son’s sister, who was on the phone with him at the time, reportedly overheard the altercation.
The son reported the incident to authorities, prompting a response from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies traced Hirshowitz’s vehicle, a blue 2013 Ford Expedition, to the Holiday Inn Express using its Virginia registration. Deputies arrived at the hotel, where Hirshowitz was located. According to court documents, Hirshowitz cooperated with deputies, meeting them outside the hotel and consenting to a search of his vehicle. During the search, law enforcement discovered a Byrna LE Non-Lethal Self Defense Projectile Gun loaded with .68 caliber blue and grey ball rounds in the center console. The weapon, designed to resemble a handgun, was inside a holster.
Hirshowitz was arrested without incident and transported to the Calvert County Detention Center. He was charged with four offenses: first-degree assault, second-degree assault, carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure, and carrying a concealed dangerous weapon. The first-degree assault charge is a felony, while the other charges are misdemeanors.
Court records indicate that Hirshowitz initially was held without bond. At a bail review hearing on December 30, 2024, Judge Michelle R. Saunders released him on a $10,000 unsecured personal bond. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for January 27, 2025, at the Calvert County District Court.
David Eretz Hirshowitz, 63, of Port Republic
