Two Arrested in Wheaton Red Line Train Robbery

Metro Transit Police have arrested two men in connection with a strong-arm robbery on a Red Line Metro train on Sunday, and other arrests are expected, police said.

The two men are Antwan Devonte Haynie, 19, of Northeast D.C. and Marcus James Lee, 21, of Northeast D.C., police said.

The robbery occurred around 5:40 p.m. Sunday aboard an outbound train. As the train approached Wheaton, four people approached the victim, an adult male, who was seated on the car. One sat next to the victim and told him, “I need you to give me the password for that phone and look the other way, otherwise it will not end well for you,” police said.

The victim retained control of his phone, at which point multiple suspects began to punch the victim about his face and head, police said.

While getting punched, one of the men told the victim to “give me that damn phone!” police said.

The victim told police that he felt the suspects’ hands going through his pockets as he tried to defend himself, police said. When the doors opened at Wheaton, the four ran off the train and out of the station.

The victim was taken to a local hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. Several credit and debit cards were stolen from the victim’s pockets, police said.

Police said Lee was arrested Wednesday. Currently being held in D.C., he will be extradited to Maryland, police said. Police arrested Haynie on Thursday in Prince George’s County.

Both are charged with a second strong-arm robbery that occurred about two hours later on a Q1 Metrobus in Silver Spring, police said. In that incident, an adult victim reported being assaulted from behind by two thieves who grabbed his iPhone, police said.

Police said the robbers fled the bus at Colesville Road and Viers Mill Road. Police canvassed the area but were unable to find the two, police said. The victim was not seriously injured.

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