Police: Robbers targeting iPhone users in G’town, Dupont CircleD.C. police are investigating a series of street robberies near Georgetown and Dupont Circle in which the victims had their iPhones taken away by force.
The robberies took place on the 1400 block of 31st Street, 29th and R Streets, and the 1500 block of 19th Street NW.
The descriptions given by victims in these robberies vary. Police warn residents to use caution when walking at night.
Anyone with information about these cases can call 202-727-9099 or 911 to report any suspicious activity or a crime in progress.
Armed robber gets 67 years
A 23-year-old Beltsville man was sentenced to 67 years in prison after admitting to beating his victims at gunpoint while robbing their homes.
Leonard Steven Riddle, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder, one count of burglary in the first degree, one count of assault in the first degree, two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon and one count of attempted murder.
Riddle and his partner beat and robbed their victims in their homes in College Park and Beltsville. The suspects used a pole and a wrench to beat their victims, police said.
Inmates give scholarship
Some Maryland state prison inmates gave a $500 scholarship to a Hagerstown Community College student for an essay she wrote on drug addiction and peer pressure.
Tomi Dare, a sophomore from Atlanta, won the scholarship, the Associated Press reported.
The inmates awarding the scholarship are participating in a program called Prisoners Against Teen Tragedy, which tries to deter young people from crime.
They raised money for the scholarship through fundraisers.
-Compiled by Scott McCabe and Emily Babay
