Arlington County police are investigating a purse snatching that involved a foot chase, an implied gun and a getaway vehicle.
The incident happened Wednesday afternoon on the 1200 block of S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City, near Pentagon Row.
According to ACPD, a man grabbed a woman’s purse, broke the strap and ran off, but was pursued by a pair of good Samaritans. The man then implied he had a gun, prompting the pair to stop their pursuit.
By the time police were dispatched, the suspect had hopped into an older minivan, which then drove away. Arriving officers were unable to locate the vehicle. No injuries were reported.
More from ACPD:
ROBBERY BY FORCE, 2020-09300114, 1200 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 2:17 p.m. on September 30, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was walking in the area when she noticed someone following her. As the victim turned around, the suspect grabbed her purse, causing the strap to break. Two bystanders attempted to chase the suspect, however, he implied he had a firearm, prompting the bystanders to discontinue their efforts. The suspect then entered a vehicle driven by a second suspect and fled the area prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a Black male, 20-30 years old, approximately 6’0″, with a medium cut beard, wearing a black hoodie, sweatpants. The vehicle is described as an old, green and silver Chevrolet minivan. The investigation is ongoing.
Purse Snatching Outside of Whole Foods Saturday — “The male suspect approached the victims near their vehicle and attempted to engage them in conversation before entering their vehicle. One victim confronted the suspect, who then threatened them, before attempting to steal a purse from the vehicle and flee. With the assistance of two bystanders, the suspect was stopped and the purse was recovered. The suspect was subsequently chased away from the area prior to police arrival.” [Arlington County, Twitter]
Arlington Man Dies in Route 7 Crash — “A 92-year-old man has died as a result of injuries from a crash that occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 in the 5600 block of Leesburg Pike. Donald Buzzell, 92, of Arlington, was operating a 1997 Mercury Marquis eastbound on Leesburg Pike when his vehicle hit two cars that were stopped in front of him, in traffic. The crash contributed to an additional three vehicles being hit.” [Fairfax County Police]
‘Pumpkin Patch’ Event in Ballston This Weekend — “Celebrate fall with a Pop-Up Pumpkin Patch at Ballston Quarter featuring live music, specialty drinks, crafts and of course, pumpkins! All pumpkins will be sold for $5 (cash only), with all proceeds going to Arlington Food Assistance Center. ” [Ballston Quarter]
N. Va. Atop State in Tourism — “Virginia’s tourism industry generated a record $26 billion in tourist spending in 2018 — and 40% of that, or $10.3 billion, was spent in Northern Virginia… Arlington County, Fairfax County and Loudoun County rank as the top three counties in Virginia for individual tourism spending.” [WTOP]
Winter Hours for Arlington National — Starting today, October 1, Arlington National Cemetery will close at 5 p.m. as part of its winter hours, which are in effect until the end of March. The Arlington Cemetery Metro station, meanwhile, will close at 7 p.m. during that time. [Twitter, Twitter]
ALXnow Launches Today — Our new Alexandria local news site, ALXnow, launches today at 8 a.m. Want to keep up with everything happening from Old Town to Potomac Yard to the West End? Follow ALXnow on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and sign up for our daily newsletter.
A group of three men tried to take a woman’s purse near Clarendon early last Thursday morning, but were unsuccessful and instead ended up running away.
Police say the group approached the woman, threw her to the ground and tried to take the purse, but she fought back and the suspects fled empty-handed.
More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 2018-05100029, N. Irving Street at Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 2:39 a.m. on May 10, police were dispatched to the report of an assault just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the female victim was walking in the area when she was approached by three male suspects. The victim continued walking and was again approached by the three suspects. One suspect grabbed the victim around the neck and threw her to the ground, while the other two suspects attempted to steal her purse. The victim was able to fight back and the suspects fled the area prior to police arrival. Nothing was stolen from the victim and she did not require medical attention. Suspect One is described as a black male with a thin build and black hair, wearing a black shirt and dark jeans. Suspect Two is described as a heavyset black male, wearing dark clothing. Suspect Three is described as a dark-skinned Hispanic male with an average build, wearing dark clothing. The investigation is ongoing.
The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, including one that we’ve already reported, after the jump.
Dog and Owner Help Foil Purse Snatching — Mazel was a very good boy. The miniature bull terrier and his owner chased down a purse thief in Clarendon Tuesday evening, retrieving the purse and all of its contents. The thief remains at large but the purse owner is very grateful to get her belongings back prior to a planned vacation. [NBC Washington]
Arlington Woman Plows Into Falls Church Store — A 41-year-old woman from Arlington drove her car through the sliding doors of a Falls Church Rite Aid store this past weekend, damaging shopping carts and an interior wall. She was arrested and charged with DUI. [Falls Church News-Press]
Planet Money Looks at I-66 Tolling — NPR’s popular Planet Money podcast took a look at the sky-high tolls now in effect during certain times on I-66. There is “a beautiful, econ 101 logic behind a toll that spikes when demand spikes,” the podcast explains. [NPR]
White Christmas Looks Unlikely — The odds are low that the Washington area ends its recent draught of white Christmases next week. However, some snow on Christmas Day appears to be a possibility. [Capital Weather Gang, Twitter]
Flickr pool photo by Jim Webster
Arlington County Police have arrested two men for forcibly stealing purses from two women in the Clarendon area.
The incident happened just after 2 a.m. Sunday on the 2600 block of Clarendon Blvd, less than a block from the Whole Foods.
“Two female victims were walking in the area when three male subjects approached them from behind, shoved them to the ground, and took their purses,” according to an ACPD crime report. “The female victims, as well as witnesses, were able to provide police with detailed descriptions of the subjects.”
“Officers in the area identified two subjects matching the descriptions,” the crime report continued. “Christopher Reed, 29, of Alexandria VA, and Justin Payne, 28, of Springfield VA, were charged with robbery and held on no bond. The investigation into the third subject is ongoing.”
A woman had her purse forcefully stolen from her while walking home from the Ballston Metro station around 10:00 Tuesday night. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:
ROBBERY, 10/16/12, 1100 block of N. Utah Street. On October 16 at 9:56 pm, a female victim was walking home from the Ballston Metro station when she was attacked by a male subject and had her purse stolen. The victim chased the man briefly on foot until she lost sight of him behind a row of townhouses. The suspect is described as a black or Hispanic male, approximately 5’8″ tall and very heavy set, with a bald head. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, grey sweatpants and white sneakers at the time of the incident.
The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.
How did a slightly overweight 18-year-old manage to steal an elderly woman’s purse in or around the Rosslyn Metro station during the evening rush hour on a Wednesday — and apparently get away with it? The brazen crime was reported in this week’s Arlington County crime report.
ROBBERY 03/09/11, 1700 block of N. Moore Street. On March 9 at 5:30 pm, an unknown man stole a purse from an elderly woman with a walker. The suspect is described as an African American male around 18 years old, 6′ and 200 lbs. with a round face. He was wearing a red and black flannel shirt and dark pants. A teenage African American female was also seen with the suspect.
The rest of the crime report, after the jump.
