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Police find missing Md. mother; children not with her

By WTOP Staff

UPDATE Sept. 15 11:25 a.m.: Police are building a homicide case against Catherine Hoggle as the search continues for her children who have been missing for more than a week.

Montgomery County police are asking residents in Darnestown and Clarksburg to search their property.

Read more on WTOP.com.

WASHINGTON — Montgomery County police continue to question Catherine Hoggle, a 27-year-old mother who went missing with her 2-year-old and 3-year-old last week.

Hoggle was found in Germantown, Maryland, and taken into custody on Friday; her two children were not with her. Police questioned Hoggle, who is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, for 16 hours throughout the day on Saturday, in hopes of locating the children, who have been missing for almost a week.

Police received a 911 call from a resident on Friday, who said that Hoggle was walking in the area of Century Boulevard and Crystal Rock Drive; she appeared to have spent several days and nights on the streets. The caller said her boyfriend had just spoken to Hoggle, who had asked him for the time.

Hoggle, of Clarksburg, Maryland, has been charged with two counts of child neglect, obstruction and hindering. Tweets from Montgomery County police reveal that Hoggle attempted to flee when police tried to apprehend her. She also had the police’s “missing persons” flier in her possession and altered her appearance by changing her hair, police say.

There are currently eight search teams spanning an area from Darnestown to Clarksburg, Maryland, looking for missing 2-year-old Jacob and 3-year-old Sarah. Residents in these areas have been asked by Montgomery County Police to lend to the search effort.

According to The Washington Post, there has been “no confirmed contact” with Jacob since 4 p.m. Sept. 7 and “no confirmed contact” with Sarah since 9:30 p.m. that day.

Montgomery County Police Capt. Paul Starks spoke with reporters during a press conference on Saturday. He said a disheveled-looking Hoggle was questioned, and at one point she said her children were “safe.” He would not elaborate with reporters on what she meant, or what information, if any, she gave to them about the children.

“Some people were saying she … gave the appearance that she was living in the streets and homeless for this week,” Starks told reporters. He said Hoggle had legal counsel with her throughout the questioning.

Starks said there was an extensive search going on for the children in “16 different locations” around Montgomery County Saturday, particularly wooded areas and farm land. The search included the use of cadaver dogs.

“Our interest is the safety of the children,” Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said Saturday. “This case is not over and a large part of her being caught last night was due to the public being aware and calling in … if anyone has any information we need to them to call in and not hold back. “That’s the information we are most interested in.”

On Friday, police had stepped up their search of Hoggle, who had reportedly stopped taking her medication, by releasing a surveillance video of her last known sighting at an office building in the area of Germantown Road between I- 270 and the Germantown Commons shopping center. Read more about the video here.

More related news on this story.

ABC 7 video shows Catherine Hoggle with police:

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Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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