WASHINGTON, D.C. — Metropolitan Police have arrested three juveniles in connection with a series of headphone snatchings that occurred in rapid succession along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in Northeast D.C. on Wednesday evening.
Shortly before 6:00 p.m. on April 30, Fifth District officers responded to multiple robbery calls reporting a group of juveniles stealing headphones from pedestrians. Officers, with assistance from the department’s helicopter unit Falcon One, located and apprehended several suspects matching witness descriptions.
Recovered items included stolen headphones linked to four reported incidents in the area, police said Thursday. The suspects — a 13-year-old, a 15-year-old, and a 17-year-old, all from Northeast D.C. — were charged with four counts each of Robbery (Snatch).
The first incident occurred at approximately 5:47 p.m. in the 100 block of Florida Avenue NE. Minutes later, additional thefts were reported at the 200 block of R Street NE at 5:53 p.m., the 400 block of V Street NE at 5:55 p.m., and the 1800 block of 4th Street NE at 5:56 p.m.
“Multiple suspects were located and placed under arrest. Stolen property was recovered,” the department said in its statement.
Coordinated police response leads to quick apprehension
The quick succession of the robberies and the coordination of MPD’s ground and aerial units contributed to the swift resolution of the case. All offenses took place within a 10-minute window, spanning a roughly one-mile stretch of the trail and surrounding streets.
Detectives were able to connect the juveniles to each of the offenses based on surveillance, victim statements, and physical evidence recovered during their arrest.
The names of the suspects have not been released due to their age. The cases will be handled through the D.C. juvenile justice system.
The Metropolitan Police Department credited the cooperation of local residents and rapid deployment of Falcon One for the arrests. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.
