A 24-year-old man will spend a dozen years in prison for a violent Germantown, Maryland, home invasion that ended only when his victim recognized him as a former middle school classmate.
Devote Dixon was sentenced at the Montgomery County Circuit Court Monday for the November 2015 home invasion.
Prosecutors say Dixon and an armed accomplice broke into a young mother's apartment in the middle of the day. Dixon punched the victim several times as she held her 2-year-old daughter and asked her for money.
At one point, the victim asked Dixon, 'Why are you doing this? I recognize you from middle school.'"
Dixon and his accomplice ran away after Dixon was recognized.
Prosecutors say Dixon and the victim both attended Roberto W. Clemente Middle School in Germantown. The victim was able to identify Dixon using a yearbook from the school.
The yearbook photo and evidence collected at the scene led police to Dixon, who was on probation at the time of the attack.
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Dixon tried to argue that he suffers from attention-deficit disorder and bipolar disorder, but the judge did not factor that into the sentencing.
Dixon's accomplice remains at large. Anyone with information that can help police is asked to contact authorities.
