Two more robberies have occurred on the Metropolitan Branch Trail, a bicycling and hiking path where a spate of holdups and assaults occurred in May and June, D.C. police said.
The earlier robberies prompted public concerns over safety on the trail, which runs through the heart of the District from north of the Capitol to Silver Spring, paralleling the Metro Red Line in places.
The Crime Scene
In a reflection of concern about the holdups, the Guardian Angels have begun patrols along the strip, which often takes users out of sight of much street traffic.
The most recent reported incident occurred Friday at Third and R streets NE, police said. A pedestrian was held up at gunpoint about 8:15 a.m., police said.
In what police described as a common street-crime technique, the robber approached the victim and asked for the time of day.
In response, the victim, described only as male, pulled out his iPhone to supply the time and then tried to walk on.
However, police said, the robber showed a handgun and took the phone and the victim’s wallet as well.
Police said the suspect was a black man about 18 to 21 years old, about 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds. He was described as wearing dark-framed eyeglasses, police said.
On July 9, police said, another robbery occurred about 11 p.m. in the same area. No further details about that incident were available.
Police said there were five incidents on the trail between May 5 and June 9. A Taser was brandished in one.
Police said that they made an arrest in the June 9 incident and that a month passed without a further incident.
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