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Liveliest D.C. Neighborhoods Also Jumping With Robberies
The increase in the number of juvenile robbery suspects worries Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey.
(By Linda Davidson -- The Washington Post)
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The number of robberies there might be even higher than police statistics indicate. Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights have a heavy number of Hispanic immigrants, and some are hesitant to report crimes.
Mariela Demetrik, 21, whose mother has a restaurant in Columbia Heights, said she has seen several robberies around Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights.
"You'll see older Hispanic men being robbed by younger boys," said Demetrik, an art student who was born in Bolivia and raised in Washington. "You see other people get robbed, also, mostly at nighttime or early in the morning."
Looking Farther Out
Some pockets east of the Anacostia River -- Fairlawn, Barry Farm, Congress Heights, Benning Terrace -- also have high robbery numbers. But they have been falling, and homicides remain the biggest problem. Neighborhoods east of the river account for 52 percent of the city's killings and 24 percent of robberies.
The 1st Police District, which includes Capitol Hill and RFK Stadium, has the second-highest percentage of muggings in the city. Its commander, Diane Groomes, said criminals are turning to robbery as open-air drug markets are shut down by police or by development.
This year, officers in her district dealt with a string of about 20 robberies called "unking" -- slang for knocking victims unconscious. Police arrested 12 juveniles.
Philip Valenziano, 21, was knocked out at 3:10 a.m. July 2, when he was leaving a Capitol Hill bar to grab a cab. He remembers three big men approaching him. Before he could get a good look at them, one of them punched him in the face.
The robbers took his wallet, which contained $27. The assault left Valenziano with a cut on his face and a broken nose. A student at Catholic University, he missed weeks of summer classes because he needed to go home to New Jersey for reconstructive surgery.
"I don't recall them giving me an opportunity to give up my stuff," Valenziano said. "I'm not dumb enough to fight back against three big dudes."
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