By Martin Weil and Elissa Silverman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, October 2, 2007

The Southeast Washington home of D.C. Council member Marion Barry was burglarized recently, D.C. police said last night.

Police said the items taken included watches and jewelry. The value of the items stolen was not immediately available.

Barry had been on a five-day trip to China last month when the burglary occurred, an aide said. On Sept. 20, the former mayor addressed an association of Chinese mayors. It could not be learned from police exactly when the burglary was reported.

Lt. Alan Hill of the 7th Police District, who said he recently had been briefed on the incident, said he understood that there was no forced entry involved.

Andre Johnson, an aide to Barry, confirmed that the Ward 8 Democrat had been a burglary victim. "He feels that the police are using this as a distraction instead of focusing on the murders that have been committed" recently in Ward 8 and elsewhere, said Johnson, who is Barry's communications director.

"He feels it's sad that he is being brought into this when so many unsolved murders are being committed," Johnson said. "His concern is really more with trying to solve some of the unsolved homicides."

In January 2006, Barry was robbed in his kitchen. In that incident, two young men who had helped him carry groceries to his apartment pointed a gun at him and took his wallet, he said at the time.

Barry has apparently moved since the holdup, and his address could not be confirmed last night.

His home was described by police as a rowhouse in the 7th Police District, which is in far Southeast Washington in one of the sections of the city most severely affected by crime and violence.

Barry is not the only high-ranking city official to become a crime victim. Victor Reinoso, the acting deputy mayor for education, was held up at gunpoint in June while walking in the 6800 block of Fifth Street NW.

The burglary of Barry's home was first reported by WTTG-TV. Hill said police are investigating.