By Tim Clifford

Suspect found in yearbook
A street robbery occurred at a Rapid Line stop on the 2600 block of S.W. Barton St. just before 3 p.m. on May 7. The victim was standing and waiting for the bus with his laptop in a carrying case leaned against his leg. The suspect, a black male around 14 years old and standing about between 5’2 and 5’4 and wearing a red and white striped Chicago Bulls beanie, came running up and swooped down to grab the laptop. Before he could make off with the computer the victim grabbed the bag’s strap and began violently wrestling with the suspect eventually being elbowed and swung away by the suspect. The suspect ran off into a nearby park and got away.

When officers contacted the victim he informed them that he knew who the suspect was and explained that he could identify the suspect in his yearbook as they both attended the same school. Officers quickly found out that the suspect and his brother have been identified in past shoplifting incidents and a metro bus incident.

At about 5:30 p.m. officers spotted a subject who matched the description given by the victim and was wearing the same beanie. Officers detained the subject long enough for the victim to come by and give identification. The victim told officers this wasn’t the suspect. It turned out to be his older brother who looks very much like the suspect and was now wearing the same beanie that the suspect had had during the earlier robbery.

Officers set up a time to interview the victim the next day and have him show them the suspect in the yearbook.

Robbed before vacation
Just before 4 a.m. on May 2 an armed robbery occurred on California Ave. S.W. and S.W. Dawson St. The two victims were waiting on the street with bags and luggage to be picked up by a friend for a trip out of town. They noticed two males standing nearby talking about a bus they were looking for.

Suddenly the two suspects, a black male and Asian male, approached the two victims with handguns out and pointed. They told the victims to give them all of their belongings and then ordered them to the ground. The victims described the two suspects as seeming unprepared for what to do next and that they also appeared to be confused during the robbery. Once the suspects got the bags from the two victims they ran off eastbound.

When police arrived they set up a containment area and searched with a K-9 unit to no avail. The victims were uninjured and were left with a case number. One of the victims claimed he could identify at least one suspect if he saw him again.

Crimes reported by block between May 8 and May 15

Burglaries by block: 8100 block of 12 Ave. S.W., 1400 block of S.W. Roxbury St., 2600 block of S.W. Barton St., 7500 block of 11 Ave. S.W, 8800 block of 37 Ave. S.W.

Car thefts by block: 35 Ave. S.W./ S.W. Andover St., 1000 block of Harbor Ave. S.W., 5400 block of 45 Ave. S.W.