ARLINGTON, Va. — A man accused of robbery went to great lengths to avoid getting caught by police on Sunday.
Freddie Lee McRae, 33, of Temple Hills, Maryland was arrested and charged with robbery, felony eluding, and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
The alleged incident happened along the 2600 block of Columbia Pike just after 5 p.m. when a man allegedly entered a business, brandished a firearm, and stole an undisclosed amount of money and personal property before fleeing the scene. A responding officer spotted the suspect’s car and attempted to stop him. Once the officer exited his vehicle, the suspect fled the scene, leading to a police chase.
“At that point a vehicle pursuit was initiated. The vehicle traveled along the GW Parkway. At one point the driver made a U-turn and started traveling in the wrong direction and the pursuit was cancelled by police, however, the driver continued to drive toward the potomac river,” Ashley Savage, spokesperson for the Arlington County Police Department said.
The driver, later identified as McRae, then got out of the car, jumped into the Potomac River and attempted to swim away before he was captured by police.
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