A 53-year-old foreign journalist who left his Montgomery County home after what a family friend said was a dispute with his wife early Saturday has been reported missing.
Joachim Rogge, who had lived in Bethesda for 14 years while working as a correspondent for a chain of German newspapers, left the house "in a huff," said Kim Barrington, who spoke Thursday night on behalf of Rogge's French-born wife, Valerie.
The Rogges have two children, ages 6 and 8.
Barrington said Valerie Rogge has been in touch with Montgomery County police since learning that her husband's credit card was used to make an ATM withdrawal of $40 at a bank in Edgewood about 3:30 a.m. Saturday. She said police told Rogge's wife that surveillance cameras at a Home Depot store in Edgewood showed a man fitting Rogge's description making a purchase about 10:30 a.m.
On Friday, Montgomery County police said they have not yet found Rogge's vehicle, a white 2006 Ford Explorer with a bike rack on the back and Maryland tags 50678M8.
"We're still looking for any information to help find" Rogge or his vehicle, police spokeswoman Lucille Bauer said.
She confirmed that police viewed "grainy" surveillance video of Rogge shopping at the Home Depot early Saturday. Barrington accompanied Valerie Rogge to Edgewood on Friday afternoon to see if anyone there could give them information. Barrington said the lead detective on the case was going to speak to the manager of the Home Depot, as well as the cashier who checked out Rogge.
Barrington said they plan to return on Sunday if Rogge does not return or is found.
On Saturday, Rogge's 8-year-old daughter will celebrate her First Communion.
"Maybe he will come back for that," Barrington said. "We're hoping for a miracle."
Police described Rogge as 5 feet 9 and about 150 pounds. He was last seen carrying a small gray backpack and wearing a dark blue Izod polo shirt, dark blue shorts and brown low-cut Timberland shoes.
Barrington, who met the couple in the past two years when their children were attending the French International School, said Valerie Rogge told her that her husband left the house with his sunglasses but not his reading glasses. Joachim Rogge is blind in one eye, Barrington said.
She said a missing person's report was filed Monday after Rogge's editor at the Waz Medien Group called asking about his whereabouts. Rogge had taken his Blackberry with him, but not his charger, his wife told Barrington.
The fact that the bank withdrawal and the Home Depot visit took place in the Baltimore area came as a surprise, Barrington said, because Rogge rarely ventured outside Bethesda except for out-of-town assignments. Rogge had recently been in New York for a reaction to the killing by Navy SEALs ofOsama bin Laden.
Barrington said that from what she knew, the Rogges were happily married and that his failure to return home was "totally uncharacteristic."
Added Barrington, "This is a complete shock to everyone."
Anyone with information regarding Rogge's disappearance is asked to call Montgomery County police at 301-657-0112.