Metro News Release

For immediate release: March 8, 2005

Metro Transit Police Charge Individuals in Auto Theft Case and Take Juveniles into Custody for Missile Throwing Incident

Two 16-year-old males from Washington, D.C., and 19-year-old Eric T. Leeper of Washington, D.C., are facing charges in connection with a string of auto break-ins and thefts in the parking facilities at the Southern Ave Metrorail station. The Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) obtained warrants for the young men. All three are currently being held in connection with additional unrelated charges.

On January 24, thieves broke into 21 vehicles in the parking facilities at the Southern Ave Metrorail station, taking property from 13 of the vehicles and stealing three vehicles. Police have recovered the three cars and some of the personal property stolen from the other cars.

MTPD Detective Vernon Clayton, the lead investigator in this case, worked with police in the District of Columbia and Maryland, and also members of the Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement Team (a local, multi-jurisdictional task force formed to combat auto thefts) to secure the arrests of the three young men.

In an unrelated case, Transit Police took three juveniles into custody last week at the Congress Heights Metrorail station. Non-uniformed MTPD officers observed the three youths throwing snowballs at a Metrobus in the bus bay area at the station and arrested them. Two 14-year-old males and one 17-year-old male, all from Southeast, Washington, D.C., were processed at the Metropolitan Police Department Youth Division and diverted to youth court.

"While crime in the Metro system is rare, we pay close attention to auto theft as it is one of the most common types of crime committed on our property. Members of our police force work to prevent crime and track down criminals when crime occurs to ensure that our system remains safe," said Metro Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson.

"We are sensitive to the security concerns of our Metrobus operators and through diligent police work were able to apprehend three individuals who threw objects at Metrobuses," Hanson said. "We know that as long as there are snowballs and children, snowballs may be thrown. Throwing snowballs or other objects at a motor vehicle or bus is never a good thing and we have tried to communicate this message by taking juveniles into custody."

News release issued on March 8, 2005.