Bus stop thief

A thief made a hit at a bus stop on 15th Ave. and Roxbury around 7 a.m. on Fri., April 15. The victim was waiting for the Metro when he was approached by a black male in his early 20s, wearing a red shirt and black hoodie, asking to borrow his cell phone to make a phone call.

The man handed over his iPhone 5S but did not get it back, despite several pleas for its return. The thief told the man that someone was coming with a gun to take the phone.

The victim walked away in fear, heading south on Roxbury towards his home. Then, he used his father’s iPhone app to locate the phone, tracking it to 20th Avenue S.W. and S.W. Barton Street and reporting the theft to police. Officers responded, checking the area, but they could not find anyone matching the description. Soon the phone was turned off and could no longer be tracked. The victim did not have a serial number for the phone.

A wrench in his plans

A house-sitter noticed something suspicious around 6:30 p.m. on Sat., April 16. The rear French doors at the home, located on the 1300 block of California Avenue S.W., were damaged. He walked inside, and it seemed that no one had actually entered the home. Nothing had been moved or disturbed.

An officer, who was called to the scene, noticed a silver wrench next to the doors, with white paint on the ends. He took the tool into evidence after snapping several photos of it damage to the doors.

Thief thwarted by alarm system

Early in the morning Mon., April 18, several units of officers including a K9 were dispatched to a marijuana store on the 1400 block of S.W. Roxbury— the scene of an attempted burglary. The complainant who called said a man had broken a rear window, climbed into the property, and could still be inside. The alarm had been tripped, indicating motion in the hallway.

Officers entered the building, clearing the rooms and the basement. The complainant then clarified that the burglar had actually broken into the doctor’s office next door, then moved toward the inner hallway connecting to the marijuana business.

After reviewing security footage, officers saw that the suspect had fled the scene as soon as the alarm sounded.

Nothing was missing from the marijuana store and the only damage was to the doctor’s office. Officers took photos and confiscated a black backpack that they believed the suspect left at the scene. Fingerprints were also collected.