DC: Second Suspect Arrested in Wheaton Red Line Train Robbery
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) Transit Police announced, on April 20, the arrest of a second suspect wanted in connection with Sunday's strong-arm robbery aboard a Red Line train at Wheaton. Antwan Devonte Haynie, 19, of Northeast D.C., was arrested in Prince George's County this afternoon.
Haynie will face two counts of strong-arm robbery in Maryland.
On April 19, MTPD arrested another suspect, Marcus James Lee, in connection with the Wheaton case, as well as second strong-arm robbery that occurred Sunday about two hours later aboard a Q1 Metrobus in Silver Spring. In that incident, an adult victim reported being assaulted from behind by two suspects who grabbed his iPhone. The suspects fled the bus at Colesville Road and Viers Mill Road. Police canvased the area but were unable to immediately locate the suspects. The victim was not seriously injured.
Haynie is also charged in the Silver Spring robbery.
The Wheaton Red Line robbery occurred around 5:40 p.m. Sunday aboard a train traveling in the direction of Glenmont. As the train approached Wheaton, four suspects approached the victim, an adult male, who was seated on the car. One suspect sat next to the victim and told the victim, "I need you to give me the password for that phone and look the other way, otherwise it will not end well for you." The victim retained control of his phone, at which point multiple suspects began to punch the victim about his face and head. While getting punched, one of the suspects told the victim to "give me that damn phone!" The victim told police that he felt the suspects' hands going through his pockets as he tried to defend himself. When the doors opened at Wheaton, the suspects ran off the train and out of the station. The victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Several credit and debit cards were stolen from the victim's pockets.
Metro Transit Police have identified all four individuals involved in the Wheaton case. Additional arrests are expected in the coming days.
