Stolen Purse/Chase Around 7:30am this Morning by Thomas Circle

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“Dear PoP,

I was jogging down Vermont Avenue just about where it meets 14th street at the Circle and saw an approximately 30-ish year old black guy in a black t shirt and tan pants sprinting like a bat out of hell across the lawn of the red church on the corner. A 20-ish white guy in a white shirt and tie was chasing him. Someone was yelling, “Stop thief!” I chased after both of them, following them into an alley which split into a Y. The business guy went down the alley one way and I went the other. Unfortunately, we lost him at that point. A passing car said they saw him get on the 14th street bus, so we flagged down a cop (someone apparently called the cops), and several cops pulled over the 14th street bus going south. The business guy got on to try to identify him, but he wasn’t on there. At that point, we were saddened to realize he had gotten away and felt badly for the young women whose purse had been stolen.

I’m somewhat dismayed that more people didn’t try to stop him. I also don’t understand why the people in the car didn’t follow the bus.

Would you please ask your readers if they saw a guy fitting that description in the area at that time? He was running like crazy with a purse so he should’ve been sweating like crazy, out of breath and pretty noticeable. I know catching him at this point is nearly impossible. However, it sickens me that these *holes feel entitled to rob people, particularly in broad daylight at rush hour, and they can get away with it!”