Police chase man on bicycle after reported theft attempts in Bailey’s Crossroads

A man allegedly responsible for a series of thefts and larcenies in Bailey’s Crossroads was arrested this morning (Wednesday) after trying to flee from police on a bicycle.

Fairfax County police officers responded to the 5200 block of Leesburg Pike around 7:40 a.m. after a woman reported to 911 that a man on a bicycle had “attempted to snatch her purse twice” about 10 minutes earlier near the Crossroads Place shopping center, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.

“Caller is advising he attempted it once, followed her to this location and attempted again,” the dispatcher said.

Upon investigating, an officer determined that the “purse snatching” may be connected to a series of at least four larcenies and robberies in the area, per the police scanner.

A chase began after an officer spotted a man matching the provided suspect description in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods on Columbia Pike. She said on the scanner that she told the man to stop, but he continued bicycling “fast” toward Spring Lane.

A traffic camera video shared by local public safety watcher Dave Statter shows that at least seven Fairfax County Police Department vehicles were involved in the pursuit. They get held up at a stop light in the eastbound lanes on Columbia Pike at the Arlington County border while a bicyclist passes by, headed in the wrong direction in the westbound lanes.

The man was ultimately caught at the Columbia Pike and S. Greenbrier Street intersection in Arlington, according to the police scanner.

“The cyclist matching the description fled from our officers but was detained by our cops with 4 wheels,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a 10:33 a.m. tweet. “Officers [are] on scene continuing to investigate.”

Not something you see every morning commute!
Officers searching for a man who attempted to steal a purse. The cyclist matching the description fled from our officers but was detained by our cops with 4 wheels. Officers on scene continuing to investigate. https://t.co/juCSnMP4TK

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) January 24, 2024