A man sitting on his scooter at a red light in the 3400 block of Mount Pleasant Street NW was shoved to the ground by a stranger who then tried, unsuccessfully, to ride off with it. Weeks later, D.C. police say they are still trying to track down the suspect, whose face and actions were caught on surveillance video.
Police say the attack happened on September 7, when the suspect approached the victim while he waited at a traffic light, according to WUSA9. The man pushed the victim off the scooter, then tried to climb aboard and ride away with it himself.
Suspect Fled Before Officers Could Respond
The attempted getaway did not go as planned. Police say the suspect could not successfully ride off on the scooter and instead abandoned the attempt, fleeing the scene on foot before officers arrived, per the station's report. The entire encounter was captured on video cameras in the area, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Investigators have released footage and photographs of the suspect in hopes that someone can identify him. Anyone who recognizes the man or has information about the incident is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099 or text a tip to the department's Text Tip Line at 50411, rather than approach him directly.
Part of a Broader Pattern Around Scooters and E-Bikes
The Mount Pleasant case lands amid wider scrutiny of micromobility devices in crimes across the District. The Washington Post has reported that, amid a string of recent crimes, D.C. police issued a lookout for a group of teens seen fleeing on Lime bikes and scooters after an alleged robbery. A separate investigation by WJLA similarly flagged several recent robberies in which suspects reportedly used electric scooters and e-bikes to make their escape.
It's a similar dynamic to one MPD detectives dealt with in Northwest back in May 2024, when a victim told police two suspects approached him from behind while he was driving a moped in the 2400 block of 15th Street NW before stealing it. That case, like the Mount Pleasant incident, started with detectives asking the public for help identifying the people responsible.
No arrest has been announced in the Mount Pleasant Street case, and police have not released the suspect's identity. For now, investigators are relying on the public to help put a name to the face on the video as the search continues.
