Box cutter bandit botches Northwest DC holdup after worker bolts for safety
NORTHWEST DC — A man accused of walking into a business with a box cutter and demanding cash watched the robbery attempt collapse when an employee ran to the back of the store and called police, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
The attempted armed robbery happened Wednesday, April 29, at about 6:48 p.m. inside an establishment in the 2400 block of 18th Street Northwest.
Investigators said the suspect entered the business and approached an employee asking for money. When the employee refused, the suspect allegedly pulled out a box cutter and demanded the worker’s wallet.
Instead of complying, the employee fled deeper into the store to contact police. The suspect ran from the business before officers arrived.
Police later identified the suspect as 45-year-old Charles Lynn, who was listed as having no fixed address.
MPD said Lynn was located and arrested Friday, May 1. He was charged with Attempted Armed Robbery involving a box cutter.
No injuries were reported during the incident.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Key Points
• Attempted armed robbery happened April 29 inside a Northwest DC business
• Suspect allegedly displayed a box cutter after employee refused demand for money
• Charles Lynn, 45, was arrested May 1 and charged with attempted armed robbery
