MANASSAS, Va. (WUSA9) -- Two children were found wandering in a neighborhood in Manassas on Friday morning, Prince William County Police said in a news release. 

The mother, Esmeralda Carolina Acosta Montoya, 28, of Manassas, was arrested about 45 minutes after police were notified that the kids were missing, police said. 

It happened at around 10:28 a.m., when a person called police, informing them that the caller had found the two children wandering, police said. 

"The caller located two children, a 3 year old girl and 5 year old boy, walking the area above unsupervised. The caller took the children to nearby Westgate Elementary School where police were notified. The investigation revealed that the accused had left the children in a locked room of the residence while she was gone for about for two hours," police said. 

Charged with two counts of felony child endangerment and she has been released on a $4,500 bond. 

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (WUSA9) -- At Thurgood Marshall Elementary, the whole school is involved in a competition where the winner gets to breathe a little fire.

Some students are focused on fiction while others are focused on facts, but everyone is focused on becoming better readers thanks to a hot new contest.

One scale at a time, each class is building a dragon by reading. 

"My goal was to get the most scales in second grade and help my class win fire breathing dragon status," shared second grader Sammy Krimstein.

Fellow second grader Madison Monkevich explained, "Once a second grader reads 15 minutes they get one scale and when you're a third grader and up you have to read for 30 minutes to get one scale."

The hallways are bursting with color and pride as they go for their goals. One student reached 105 scales.

"Do you not sleep? Do you just read all the time?" asked Mike Hydeck.

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (WUSA) -- Montgomery County Fire and Rescue are on the scene of a fire that broke out in a 2-story commercial building located in the 100 block of S. Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg.

Officials say the fire, which began on the second floor, has since been knocked out.

Route 355 has reopened, but closure remains on Cedar Avenue at Fulks Corner Avenue.