Police in D.C. are looking for several young people they say were involved in a Tuesday night theft and assault at a CVS location in the Navy Yard neighborhood in Southeast.
At about 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday, the large group entered the store and took items without paying, police said. When confronted by a security guard, one of the young people threw a bottle at the guard, according to a news release from police.
D.C. police released surveillance photos of 20 young people sought in connection with the CVS incident.
Residents in the Navy Yard area near the CVS said the incident came as no surprise.
“That (CVS) already has nothing in it regularly, so I assume they do that because it gets robbed a lot,” said a resident named Leah, who lives across the street but typically does her shopping elsewhere.
“It is chaotic,” Leah said. “I’ve seen kids run out with stuff and no one stops them.”
Another resident, Neil Watson, said the area doesn’t necessarily feel unsafe to him, but he stays vigilant because “stuff happens.”
“I keep my head on a swivel all the time,” Watson said. “Maybe they’ve got to get control over kids that exploit the loophole in the law, you know?”
Assault on the National Mall
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued a statement in response to the incident as well as a separate incident on the National Mall at 8:15 p.m. the same evening in which a now-viral video captured what appeared to be a group of young people surrounding and physically assaulting a couple. In that case, the U.S. Park Police said that one juvenile was arrested for simple assault.
Schwalb called the behavior “unacceptable and disturbing.”
“Every District resident, visitor, employee, and business deserves to feel safe in our city. Incidents like these can have far-reaching, negative impacts on victims and communities at large,” Schwalb said in the statement. “Swift and certain consequences are critical in deterring crime. My office will continue to hold young people accountable through the justice system when they break the law and ensure they face consequences when they cause harm.”
WTOP has reached out to the U.S. Park Police and the Attorney General’s office for confirmation on whether the two incidents are connected.
Police ask that anyone with knowledge about the incident or suspects to call them at (202) 727-9099, or text the tip line at 50411.
Below is a map of the area where the incident took place:
WTOP’s Kyle Cooper contributed to this report.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
