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Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 7:44 a.m.

Robbery suspect caught in the act by camera

by Amy D'Onofrio
Suspect 1

Suspect 1

Suspect 2

Suspect 2

A freshman student reported that her BlackBerry Storm cell phone had been stolen from her purse on Saturday, and the Metropolitan Police Department distributed photos of  two suspects, including a photo of one of the subjects with his hand in the GW student’s bag.

According to a Metropolitan Police Department report, three female GW students were on their way home to Thurston Hall from a party when they asked two unknown males on the street to take a photo of them on the corner of the 2000 block of F Street, which is home to a handful of GW buildings, including Potomac Hall.

While the photo was being taken, the suspect stole the BlackBerry from the purse of one of the students.

The GW InfoMail Crime Alert e-mail sent on Tuesday night to students includes the photos of the suspects, and descriptions of them were included in a “be on the lookout” flyer issued by MPD:

“Suspect 1 - approximately 6′ -6′1″, 25-years-old, 220 lbs., heavy build, dark complexion, short-cut hair and wearing a green shirt and black pants

Suspect 2 – approximately 5′11″, 25-years-old, 180 lbs., slim build, medium complexion and wearing a green cap, green jacket, green shirt and indigo pants.

Anyone with information about the identity of these subjects is asked to contact Detective Neil Jones at neil.jones@dc.gov or 202-730-1903 or the MPD Command Information Center at 202-727-9099. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call 1-888-919-CRIME (2746). Anonymous information may also be forwarded to the MPD’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411. “

The e-mail also encourages the GW community to watch for the two individuals and to contact University Police at 202-994-6111 if they are seen around campus.

The e-mail advises students to avoid asking strangers for assistance and to be cautious walking around campus at night.

- Gabrielle Bluestone contributed to this report

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Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 12:29 a.m.

Man, 58, assaulted with his own belt near Thurston Hall

by Sarah Scire

This post was written by Hatchet Staff Writer Harald Olsen.

A 58-year-old man was assaulted with his own belt just a block away from Thurston Hall last weekend, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report.

Two men accosted the victim on the sidewalk of 18th Street between F and G streets, took off his shoes and socks, and attempted to take off his pants before removing his belt and choking him, according to the report.

MPD officers discovered the victim lying on the sidewalk, after the suspects had thrown him to the ground and dragged him for several feet by the belt, still wrapped around his neck.

The two men then fled toward G Street, and one was arrested after the victim was able to positively identify him. Sheila Miller, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office, said that, as of Tuesday, no charges had been made in connection with the arrest.

The violent attack is one of 35 since Jan. 1 in Police Service Area 207, in which GW is located. The number of violent crimes in the area has increased 21 percent over the same period last year, according to MPD’s crime map Web site.

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009 5:54 p.m.

Boy robbed by armed juveniles on Pennsylvania Avenue, MPD report says

by Gabrielle Bluestone

Three males who appeared to be juveniles robbed a 15-year-old boy on Pennsylvania Avenue near 26th Street last Wednesday, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report.

The alleged victim was walking on the street at 6 p.m. when the three males approached him, according to the report. One of the males asked him, “What do you have in your pockets?” and lifted his shirt to reveal a black handgun, the report states. The victim gave him $5 and the three males ran south down 26th Street.

MPD is trying to crack down on robberies in the Foggy Bottom area, where 16 violent crimes have occurred since May 16, according to data from the MPD crime map Web site. At an Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A meeting earlier this month, MPD’s Sgt. Dustin Nevel said many of the robberies occur during the evening rush hour from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and that Pennsylvania Avenue is a popular spot because of its proximity to the Foggy Bottom Metro station.

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Thursday, July 16, 2009 11:56 a.m.

Officers will focus on stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue to curb robberies

by Gabrielle Bluestone

Robberies are up on Pennsylvania Avenue between 21st and 24th streets over the last 60 days, a Metropolitan Police Department official said Wednesday at the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A meeting.

Sgt. Dustin Nevel, an evening patrol sergeant, said officers are focusing on the area. Nevel said one reason crime may be up in that area is because of its proximity to the Foggy Bottom Metro station.

“Suspects are most likely fleeing on the Metro,” Nevel said. “We’re going to be pulling video.”

Most of the robberies have occurred between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., the evening rush hour, Nevel said. Ten officers have been assigned to patrol the area during the evening shift and 10 to the midnight shift, while the number of officers in the day have been reduced.

There have been 16 violent crimes in the entire ANC 2A area since May 15, according to data from the MPD crime map Web site. Seven of those crimes occurred on Pennsylvania Avenue, and there were also several thefts reported in the area. According to the map, total violent crime in ANC 2A is up 60 percent from the same time period last year.

Most of that increase came between May 15 and June 15. Since June 15, there have been five violent crimes in the area, compared to four from the same time last year.

An earlier effort to curb theft from cars in the area has seen success. Eleven thefts from cars between May 15 and June 15 was reduced to seven thefts between June 15 and July 15, according to the crime map.

Despite the jump in robberies, the Police Service Area 207, where GW is located, was given an award in June for the highest reduction in crime of all seven police districts, Nevel said.

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Monday, June 22, 2009 10:56 p.m.

Foggy Bottom crime roundup

by Gabrielle Bluestone

A quick look at some Foggy Bottom crime during the first part of the summer:

A female non-student summer resident was found off campus by a Metropolitan Police Department officer on June 6, according to a University Police Chief Dolores Stafford. The resident was under the influence of alcohol, was not wearing shoes, and did not have any belongings. She told police the last thing she remembered was drinking in the VIP section of an off-campus nightclub and was unsure whether or not she had been sexually assaulted. She was transported to the Washington Hospital Center.

A female non-student summer resident of Strong Hall was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute on June 10 after a Health and Safety inspection resulted in the discovery of drug paraphernalia. A GW employee conducted an administrative search and discovered a medium-sized green smoking pipe, a small purple, green and white smoking pipe, a small orange smoking pipe, a silver metal grinder, a scale, more than three hundred dollars in cash, two white cigarettes containing a green substance, and three clear plastic bags containing approximately 46 grams of marijuana.

A female student was arrested in Guthridge Hall on May 13 for possession of marijuana and mushrooms. UPD officers responded to a report of a suspicious odor and discovered the resident and a male guest in the room. The community director performed an administrative search and discovered “burned down roaches,” 10.5 grams of mushrooms and 1.8 grams of marijuana, according to court documents.

A man was arrested May 4 at GW Hospital for unlawful entry, according to court documents. Hospital staff reported that the man said he refused to leave the hospital due to what he referred to as a civil dispute. Though the man was reportedly asked to leave, he instead verbally abused employees and laid down on the floor. A security officer for the hospital handcuffed the man, placed him in a wheelchair and transported him to the security office, where he was verbally argumentative, according to court documents. After being informed that a barring notice against him had been filed, the man said he was going to sit down in peaceful resistance and would have to be arrested to leave the location. He was then arrested by MPD.

A man was arrested in May for assaulting a co-worker at their office at 2112 F St. NW. According to court documents, the man allegedly entered the victim’s office and stared at her. The victim then told the man she had been trying to get in contact with a client but he had not been returning her calls. The man replied, “he won’t call you back because he knows you won’t give me any pussy,” according to court documents. He then grabbed her throat and said, “Why don’t you just give me the pussy.” The victim lifted her foot to his face to block him and he grabbed her ankle, extended it in the air and then exited the office.

A woman was arrested May 18 for assaulting and threatening a 52-year-old woman and a 72-year-old woman in front at 801 New Hampshure Ave. NW, according to court documents. The arrested woman allegedly approached the 52-year-old, grabbed her hair and accused her of stealing her glasses. The alleged attacker then began to scratch her in the face and punch her in the head. According to the court documents, the 72-year-old attempted to intervene but was hit in the left arm and left side of the face. The arrested woman then fled the scene, but a doorman at the Doubletree Hotel was able to point her out to MPD officers.

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Friday, June 19, 2009 12:27 p.m.

Student attacked by group of juveniles near campus

by Gabrielle Bluestone

A GW student was attacked early last Saturday morning in the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report.

The student reported that she was approaching Washington Circle at 12:20 a.m. when she was attacked by a group of male and female juveniles. According to the report, they surrounded her, began shoving her, and sprayed her in the face with pepper spray. The group tried to grab her purse but she would not let go, and she was pushed to the ground and kicked repeatedly.

The group of juveniles then ran away, University Police Chief Dolores Stafford said, but a GW 4-RIDE driver who had witnessed the attack followed them as they ran north on New Hampshire Avenue. UPD and MPD identified six of the suspects and the victim was able to identify two of them. The two suspects identified by the victim were arrested and the others were released to their parents.

The victim refused medical transport, but recieved anti-pepper spray wipes from a medic, according to the MPD report.

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Thursday, June 4, 2009 1:51 a.m.

Cannaday sentenced to six months in prison

by Gabrielle Bluestone

A former GW counselor who kept drugs and guns in his apartment near campus was sentenced to six months in prison on Tuesday.

Lawrence Cannaday leaving the D.C. Superior Court. Anne Wernikoff/assistant photo editor

Former multicultural counselor Lawrence Cannaday leaving the D.C. Superior Court in March. Anne Wernikoff/assistant photo editor

Lawrence Cannaday, 52, who worked in the Multicultural Student Services Center from 1992 to 2006, was found guilty of four drug-related offenses at the D.C. Superior Court in March. In addition to jail time, Cannaday was given 18 months probation and ordered to complete a substance abuse program and 100 hours of community service.

Cannaday was arrested last August in a raid by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Metropolitan Police Department officers that revealed two handguns, cocaine, marijuana, money counters and nearly $3,000 in cash in his on-campus apartment near the corner of 21st and F streets. Though Cannaday was accused of selling drugs in a drug-free zone, he was acquitted of all dealing-related charges.

All four offenses he was convicted of carry jail time. The possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition both carried a sentence of one year, but that sentence was reduced to a total of a six-month incarceration, according to the court documents.

Jail time for the other charges, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia will run concurrently with the six-month sentence. Judge Russell Canan also ordered Cannaday to 18 months probation and recommended inpatient treatment for his drug addictions.

The prosecution testified during trial that Cannaday tested positive for cocaine and opiates as late as March 12.

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Thursday, June 4, 2009 1:46 a.m.

Man assaulted by a large group on the edge of campus

by Gabrielle Bluestone

An 18-year-old Maryland resident was attacked by a group of 15 to 20 underage males near the corner of 24th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday night, according to a Metropolitan Police Department crime report.

The victim, who does not attend GW, said he was walking to the movie theater in Georgetown when the group of young men, who were estimated to be between 15 and 18 years old, approached him around 9:30 p.m. The MPD report states that the assailants grabbed the victim around the neck and demanded his watch.

He refused to give it to them, and the suspects started punching and kicking him. He fell to the ground and members of the group continued to kick him, breaking his left leg, and stole the Casio G-Shock Watch, estimated to be worth $110, according to the report.

The suspects fled east on Pennsylvania Avenue and the victim was treated at GW Hospital for his broken shinbone.

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Monday, March 16, 2009 10:46 p.m.

Attempted robbery by masked man in the University Parking Garage

by Sarah Scire

A man wearing a black ski mask attempted to rob a female in the University Parking Garage at about 8 p.m. Monday, according to the fourth crime alert e-mail sent in the last two months.

The suspect fled the parking garage, located at 22nd and H streets, after the unidentified female screamed. The man was wearing a black ski mask and was not apprehended, although University Police Department officers conducted a search of the area for him.

As The Hatchet reported earlier this month, there has been an increase in the number of “snatch” robberies on or near campus recently, including a total of eight incidents in January and February.

The crime alerts sent have warned the GW community that “robberies and thefts, including pick pocket, purse snatch, and other thefts where property is snatched from the control of the victims, typically increase with warmer weather and in hard economic times.”

The suspect in Monday’s attempted robbery was described “a black male, 5′ 7″ to 5′ 8″, 160 to 170 lbs, medium build, wearing a black ski mask, dark bulky jacket.”

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Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009 5:47 p.m.

UPD: No indication that robbery suspects are on campus

by Alex Byers

University Police Chief Dolores Stafford said this afternoon that a GW infomail suggesting that two robbery suspects might be on or near GW’s campus was sent out as a precaution.

The e-mail, which listed the descriptions of the two suspects and the location of robbery committed this afternoon, indicated that the two men might be in the Foggy Bottom area. Stafford said she sent the e-mail as a cautionary note, as there is evidence the men are moving around D.C. but nothing yet that specifically suggests they are on campus.

“[The Metropolitan Police Department] appeared to be notifying all law enforcement agencies in the area to be on the lookout for the individuals described, not just GW,” Stafford said.

As of 5:40 p.m., the suspects had not yet been apprehended, Stafford said.

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