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Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
Posted by:
ferfux
()
Date: July 13, 2007 03:12PM
Gate-Crasher's Change of Heart
The Guests Were Enjoying French Wine and Cheese on a Capitol Hill Patio. When a Gunman Burst In, the Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
By Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2007; Page B01
A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting on the back patio of a Capitol Hill home, sipping red wine. Suddenly, a hooded man slid in through an open gate and put the barrel of a handgun to the head of a 14-year-old guest.
"Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he demanded, according to D.C. police and witness accounts.
The five other guests, including the girls' parents, froze -- and then one spoke.
"We were just finishing dinner," Cristina "Cha Cha" Rowan, 43, blurted out. "Why don't you have a glass of wine with us?"
The intruder took a sip of their Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry and said, "Damn, that's good wine."
The girl's father, Michael Rabdau, 51, who described the harrowing evening in an interview, told the intruder, described as being in his 20s, to take the whole glass. Rowan offered him the bottle. The would-be robber, his hood now down, took another sip and had a bite of Camembert cheese that was on the table.
Then he tucked the gun into the pocket of his nylon sweatpants.
"I think I may have come to the wrong house," he said, looking around the patio of the home in the 1300 block of Constitution Avenue NE.
"I'm sorry," he told the group. "Can I get a hug?"
Rowan, who lives in Falls Church and works part time at her children's school, stood up and wrapped her arms around him. Then it was Rabdau's turn. Then his wife's. The other two guests complied.
"That's really good wine," the man said, taking another sip. He had a final request: "Can we have a group hug?"
The five adults surrounded him, arms out.
With that, the man walked out with a crystal wine glass in hand, filled with Chateau Malescot. No one was hurt, and nothing was stolen.
The homeowner, Xavier Cervera, 45, had gone out to walk his dog at the end of the party and missed the incident, which happened about midnight June 16. Police classified the case as strange but true and said they had not located a suspect.
"We believe it is a true robbery," said Cmdr. Diane Groomes, who is in charge of patrols in the Capitol Hill area. But it's one-of-a-kind, she said, adding, "I've never heard of a robber joining a party and then walking out to the sunset."
The hug, she said, was especially unusual. "They should have squeezed him and held onto him for us," she said.
Rabdau said he hasn't been able to figure out what happened.
"I was definitely expecting there would be some kind of casualty," Rabdau said this week. "He was very aggressive at first; then it turned into a love fest. I don't know what it was."
Rabdau, a federal government worker who lives in Anne Arundel County with his family and lived on Capitol Hill with his wife in the 1980s, said that the episode lasted about 10 minutes but seemed like an hour. He believes the guests were spared because they kept a positive attitude during the exchange.
"There was this degree of disbelief and terror at the same time," Rabdau said. "Then it miraculously just changed. His whole emotional tone turned -- like, we're one big happy family now. I thought: Was it the wine? Was it the cheese?"
After the intruder left, the guests walked inside the house, locked the door and stared at each other. They didn't say a word. Rabdau dialed 911. Police arrived quickly and took a report. They also dusted for fingerprints -- so far, to no avail.
In the alley behind the home, investigators found the intruder's empty crystal wine glass on the ground, unbroken
The Guests Were Enjoying French Wine and Cheese on a Capitol Hill Patio. When a Gunman Burst In, the Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
By Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2007; Page B01
A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting on the back patio of a Capitol Hill home, sipping red wine. Suddenly, a hooded man slid in through an open gate and put the barrel of a handgun to the head of a 14-year-old guest.
"Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he demanded, according to D.C. police and witness accounts.
The five other guests, including the girls' parents, froze -- and then one spoke.
"We were just finishing dinner," Cristina "Cha Cha" Rowan, 43, blurted out. "Why don't you have a glass of wine with us?"
The intruder took a sip of their Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry and said, "Damn, that's good wine."
The girl's father, Michael Rabdau, 51, who described the harrowing evening in an interview, told the intruder, described as being in his 20s, to take the whole glass. Rowan offered him the bottle. The would-be robber, his hood now down, took another sip and had a bite of Camembert cheese that was on the table.
Then he tucked the gun into the pocket of his nylon sweatpants.
"I think I may have come to the wrong house," he said, looking around the patio of the home in the 1300 block of Constitution Avenue NE.
"I'm sorry," he told the group. "Can I get a hug?"
Rowan, who lives in Falls Church and works part time at her children's school, stood up and wrapped her arms around him. Then it was Rabdau's turn. Then his wife's. The other two guests complied.
"That's really good wine," the man said, taking another sip. He had a final request: "Can we have a group hug?"
The five adults surrounded him, arms out.
With that, the man walked out with a crystal wine glass in hand, filled with Chateau Malescot. No one was hurt, and nothing was stolen.
The homeowner, Xavier Cervera, 45, had gone out to walk his dog at the end of the party and missed the incident, which happened about midnight June 16. Police classified the case as strange but true and said they had not located a suspect.
"We believe it is a true robbery," said Cmdr. Diane Groomes, who is in charge of patrols in the Capitol Hill area. But it's one-of-a-kind, she said, adding, "I've never heard of a robber joining a party and then walking out to the sunset."
The hug, she said, was especially unusual. "They should have squeezed him and held onto him for us," she said.
Rabdau said he hasn't been able to figure out what happened.
"I was definitely expecting there would be some kind of casualty," Rabdau said this week. "He was very aggressive at first; then it turned into a love fest. I don't know what it was."
Rabdau, a federal government worker who lives in Anne Arundel County with his family and lived on Capitol Hill with his wife in the 1980s, said that the episode lasted about 10 minutes but seemed like an hour. He believes the guests were spared because they kept a positive attitude during the exchange.
"There was this degree of disbelief and terror at the same time," Rabdau said. "Then it miraculously just changed. His whole emotional tone turned -- like, we're one big happy family now. I thought: Was it the wine? Was it the cheese?"
After the intruder left, the guests walked inside the house, locked the door and stared at each other. They didn't say a word. Rabdau dialed 911. Police arrived quickly and took a report. They also dusted for fingerprints -- so far, to no avail.
In the alley behind the home, investigators found the intruder's empty crystal wine glass on the ground, unbroken
Re: Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
Posted by:
joe
()
Date: July 14, 2007 11:38AM
Hell, I would have given the robber wine, and then when he put down the gun I'd take it and shoot the motherfucker in the head.
Re: Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
Posted by:
bdimag
()
Date: July 18, 2007 01:44PM
settle down.. he just wants hugs.. dont shoot the poor bastard
Re: Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
Posted by:
joe
()
Date: July 18, 2007 09:49PM
bdimag Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> settle down.. he just wants hugs.. dont shoot the
> poor bastard
Why not shoot him? If he breaks into my property, then I am allowed to shoot him.
-------------------------------------------------------
> settle down.. he just wants hugs.. dont shoot the
> poor bastard
Why not shoot him? If he breaks into my property, then I am allowed to shoot him.
Re: Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
Posted by:
Gravis
()
Date: July 19, 2007 07:57AM
joe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why not shoot him? If he breaks into my property,
> then I am allowed to shoot him.
that's not actually completely true. unless you feel your life is in immediate danger, you cant shoot and kill someone. basically, if you took the guy's gun and he surrenders or runs away, you cant splatter his brains on the ground.
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why not shoot him? If he breaks into my property,
> then I am allowed to shoot him.
that's not actually completely true. unless you feel your life is in immediate danger, you cant shoot and kill someone. basically, if you took the guy's gun and he surrenders or runs away, you cant splatter his brains on the ground.
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Re: Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
Posted by:
PTG
()
Date: July 19, 2007 10:44AM
No fingerprints (or DNA from his mouth) on the crystal glass?
Re: Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
Posted by:
Gravis
()
Date: July 19, 2007 11:43AM
PTG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No fingerprints (or DNA from his mouth) on the
> crystal glass?
DNA only matters if you have a suspect. fingerprints only matter if you are in the local system. besides, they probably smudged or cleaned the glasses by then. "CSI" is the worse thing that's happened to CSIs.
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
-------------------------------------------------------
> No fingerprints (or DNA from his mouth) on the
> crystal glass?
DNA only matters if you have a suspect. fingerprints only matter if you are in the local system. besides, they probably smudged or cleaned the glasses by then. "CSI" is the worse thing that's happened to CSIs.
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Re: Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.
Posted by:
joe
()
Date: July 19, 2007 05:32PM
Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> that's not actually completely true. unless you
> feel your life is in immediate danger, you cant
> shoot and kill someone. basically, if you took
> the guy's gun and he surrenders or runs away, you
> cant splatter his brains on the ground.
I'd take my chances. How would a dead person testify in court?
-------------------------------------------------------
> that's not actually completely true. unless you
> feel your life is in immediate danger, you cant
> shoot and kill someone. basically, if you took
> the guy's gun and he surrenders or runs away, you
> cant splatter his brains on the ground.
I'd take my chances. How would a dead person testify in court?