DC police investigating series of robberies in Northwest

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The Metropolitan Police Department was investigating at least five robberies that took place Friday morning in the Northwest section of the city.

A spokeswoman for the department wasn’t sure of the exact number, initially, but MPD tweeted about each incident throughout the day.

In all, there were five locations at which crimes took place. Four were described as robberies. One of them, the first to take place, was considered an assault with the intent to rob.

Here are the times and locations of the crimes that MPD tweeted, along with basic information about the car involved in each case and the number of people:

7:55 a.m. — 4100 block of 13th St. NW; gray Cadillac with dark tint; 4 people, 16-20 years old
9:26 a.m. — 1200 Taylor St. NW; gray Cadillac with dark tint; 3 people, 16-18 years old
9:35 a.m. — 5500 block of 7th St. NW; black sedan; 4 people
9:59 a.m. — 200 block of Webster St. NW; gray Cadillac with dark tint
10:06 a.m. — 4200 block of 2nd St. NW; gray Cadillac with dark tint; 3 to 4 people

“Yeah, we’re pretty bummed out about some of the smash and grabs,” said Carl, who declined to give his last name.

He was responding to the string of Friday morning robberies and assaults in his area near 13th and Taylor Streets in DC.

“We seen some ups and downs, we’ve lived through a lot of transformations in the neighborhood,” Carl said. “The last couple years, maybe starting during the coronavirus, a little before that, a lot more petty crimes. We’ve had our car broken into, we’ve had small stuff stolen out of our backyard repeatedly. And it’s tough.”

Diane Pimble also lives in the area where two of the five robberies occurred. She’s
been there since 2006.

“I’ve been here for a long time, I feel safe in this area,” Pimble said. “It’s happening all over the city. So, this is just the part of the city.”

But Barbara Childs, another resident, was troubled by the robberies.

“I’m very concerned because it’s quite distressing,” she said. “You think you’re safe in the neighborhood but then you see what happens and this is in broad daylight. People who do the robbing don’t seem to be fearful of anything.”

These crime sprees could drive Carl and his family out of the District.

“It’s definitely been frustrating,” he said. “Leaving the city is something that we have thought about, more than in passing.”

MPD shared pictures of a person who may have been involved in the incidents as well as the gray Cadillac described in most cases.