THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505210076
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Steve Stone
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Local police are asking public assistance in solving these cases:
PORTSMOUTH
On Tuesday, May 2, someone went into several mailboxes in the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Barbour Drive and stole people's state and federal checks.
The mail thieves then, by using false identifications, cashed the checks at local business locations.
At least one suspect has been arrested, but investigators believe more people are involved.
Other areas that have been hit by mail thieves are the Fairwood Homes and Swanson Homes sections. As June approaches, citizens should be aware of this threat and take precautions to make sure they receive their checks.
VIRGINIA BEACH
On Monday, May 15, about 4:30 a.m., a woman was stopped at the traffic light on North Birdneck Road at Pavilion Drive when a man reached in through an open window and unlocked the car door.
The man got in the car and forced the woman to drive a short distance to the rear of a building at the end of old Virginia Beach Road. He took a small amount of cash, raped her then stole her car, leaving her in the parking lot. She was able to flag down a motorist who called police.
The suspect is described as black, in his late teens or early 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, 200 pounds, with 6-inch dreadlocks on top of his head and short hair on the sides.
The victim's car is still missing. It's a 1985 black Chevrolet Chevette, 4-door, with Virginia License ZUE-2340. The car has two rear bumper stickers, ``96X'' and ``White Tail Ski Resort.''
SUFFOLK
On Friday, May 12, six vehicles parked in the northern end of Suffolk were broken into.
Among the items taken were: a Motorola cellular phone, a child's car seat, an Alpine AM/FM CD player, a large quantity of assorted CDs, a Pioneer AM/FM cassette player, an acoustic amplifier, a Sony CD player, a pair of Oakley sunglasses and a man's Seiko watch.
HAMPTON
On Tuesday, May 16, employees of the Burger King in the 3400 block of W. Mercury Blvd. were doing chores outside in preparation to close for the evening when two men approached them.
At gunpoint, the robbers forced the employees back into the restaurant and demanded money from the safe.
Both robbers are described as black. One was tall, with a thin build and a dark complexion. The other was of medium height and build, with a light complexion. Both were wearing masks and blue jeans. by CNB