At around 8:32 p.m. Monday, a person attempting to conclude the sale of an item arranged online was robbed in the back of 1616 Laing Place NE. The suspect, who was supposed to buy the item, instead produced a handgun and took the victim’s property. There were no injuries.
A tentative look-out is for a black male in his 20s with a thin build, standing approximately 5 foot 8 tall and wearing a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. He was last seen leaving the alley.
Police remind people to use extreme caution when meeting a person to buy or sell an item from a social media site such as Craigslist or LetGo. Always meet in a public place in daylight hours. If you arrive to buy an item and something feels wrong, trust that instinct and leave.
If conducting a transaction arranged online, you can also use a Community Exchange Zone which serve as a safe place to conclude such transactions.
The Safe Exchange Zone designated locations are:
- Special Operations Division’s Harbor Patrol (550 Water Street SW)
- Third District (1620 V Street NW)
- Sixth District (5002 Hayes Street NE)
MPD would also like to remind the public of these safety tips when selling or purchasing items from strangers:
- Never meet anyone alone
- Never list your home address, phone number, or any other identifiable information online
- Never meet at night
Anyone with information on the above offense, please contact the Fifth District Detectives Office at 202-698-0660 or the Command Information Center at 202-727-9099.
In Other News
At 12:40 a.m. Monday, a man was arrested on the 1800 block of M Street NE on charges of [Simple] Assault on a Police Officer.
At 7:30 a.m. Monday, a man was arrested on the 2000 block of C Street NE on charges of Speeding and Reckless Driving.
At 8:10 a.m. Monday, a woman was arrested on the 1100 block of K Street SE on charges of [Simple] Assault on a Police Officer.
At 11:20 a.m. Monday, a man was arrested on the 2000 block of C Street NE on charges of Speeding and Reckless Driving.
At 2:10 p.m. Monday, two men were arrested at the First District Substation (101 M Street SW) on charges related to the Riot Act. Another was arrested on charges of Simple Assault.
At 6:27 p.m. Monday, a man was arrested on the 400 block of Seventh Street SW on charges of Simple Assault.
At 6:00 p.m. Monday, a woman was arrested on the 200 block of K Street SW on charges of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
At 7:04 p.m. Monday, a car was stolen on the 700 block of Maine Avenue SW.
Reporting Illegal Activity
Prompt and detailed reporting of suspicious activities helps prevent crime. If a citizen sees suspicious activity, or any activity that seems out of the ordinary, immediately call 911.
When reporting suspicious activity, give an accurate description. Here are some things to include:
- Brief description of the activity;
- Date, time and location of the activity;
- Physical identifiers of anyone you observed;
- Descriptions of vehicles;
- Information about where people involved in suspicious activities may have gone;
- Your name and contact information.
“As we continue to work with our community in the prevention of crime, we ask that if you see something suspicious you contact us immediately,” says First District Commander Morgan C. Kane, MPA.
The Blotter is based on the reports posted on April 10th, 2018 by the MPD to the 1D Listserv and 5D Listserv.
