It's become an unfotunate trend on the Metropolitan Branch Trail, but it seems there has been another rash of teen-on-cyclist crime lately.
Just before noon on Monday, two men attempted to push a woman off her bike and when she was unable to get away from them, they demanded her money. They ended up stealing her iphone and $50.
A man witnessed the robbery and captured the suspects on video.
"They asked me if I was calling the feds,” he said.
The witness also pulled out his phone and watched as it took the young thieves seconds to rob the victim of $50 and an iPhone.
"They were just walking up and they pushed her and caused her to wobble,” the witness told us. “Knocked her off her bike and took her phone and cash out of her wallet.”
When he called 911, the dispatcher told him that wihout an address, "they could not send help because there are no markers to help direct them to the section of the trail they were at." This is particularly frustrating because this limitation was noted at least 5 years ago, and was suppossed to have been solved. Have they done nothing to address this issue (n
The victim and the witness were able to walk out to a cross street on 3rd and R Streets and meet with a D.C. officer.
Look out for these 2 guys, just shoved a lady off her bike and stole her phone and cash on the #MBT. #bikeDC pic.twitter.com/paj22d4BSe
— jwetz (@jwetz) July 13, 2015
More pictures of the muggers on the #MBT from 1130 this am. Video screencaps. #BikeDC #EckingtonDC @DCPoliceDept pic.twitter.com/VwGXu75RlU
— jwetz (@jwetz) July 13, 2015
Furthermore, it seems that the witness had trouble getting the photos to the police
Hey @DCPoliceDept, got video of 2 guys that mugged a lady. "You need to call back tomorrow after the case has been given to a detective."
— jwetz (@jwetz) July 13, 2015
Two suspects were arrested the next day, even if the police think the MBT is a mountain bike trail.
Police say officers arrested two teenaged boys from Northeast D.C. on Tuesday for the incident and have charged them with robbery force and violence.
But wait, there's more! The Wedesday prior to all of this, there had been another crime that got less attention. This one was reported on the MBT listserv.
I've not seen it mentioned elsewhere, but I just found out yesterday that a friend of mine was jumped/knocked off his bike at the RI Ave ped bridge last Wed nite ~10:30PM. Perp was hiding in the bushes at the base of bridge & sprung out as he was passing by. The guy hopped on his bike & rode off on the trail southbound w/my friend in pursuit on foot. Four others were standing on the stairway, but did nothing (perhaps lookouts?) & were gone by the time police got there. He hadn't heard about yesterday's incident when I talked to him in the afternoon & I him showed the photos posted online & he said that one of the guys may have been the same one that waylaid him; he's following up w/MPD to see if he can help identifying anyone involved. Others on the trail were not far behind & may have fared worse than he did (black eye from being punched & road rash/bruises from hitting the ground) as he's a pretty tough old goat.
I guess we can home both crimes were with the same kids. All of this follows another wave of crime in May.
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