Crime doesn't pay when the shooting begins

The sound of gunfire recently caused several would-be muggers and thieves to realize they didn't need someone else's wallet as badly as they thought.

A man was riding his bike in the 2800 block of Swineford Road at about 10:20 p.m. on Sept. 18 when a vehicle - an older Nissan with three black men inside - pulled up beside him. The driver stayed put, but the other two men got out of the car and assaulted the bike rider while trying to take his wallet out of his pants' pocket.

Fortunately for the rider, there was a witness to the beating and attempted theft. The witness stepped out onto his porch and fired several gunshots into the air as he demanded that the suspects leave the bike rider alone. The suspects heeded the advice of the guntoting witness and ran back to their car. The driver sped away.

Anyone with information about this crime should call police at 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 748-0660, or text the code tip699 with the tip and send to 274637 (CRIMES).

In other crimes:

Arch Hill Drive. Between 4 p.m. on Sept. 14 and 8 a.m. on Sept. 16, someone entered a home under construction by Emerald Homes in the 1100 block and took copper wiring from inside.

Bon Air Crossings. Sometime between 7 p.m. on Sept. 18 and 4 a.m. on Sept. 19, someone stole wiring from a construction site in the 9100 block.

Brixton Road. Between noon on Sept. 18 and 12:20 p.m. on Sept. 20, someone broke into a residence in the 4300 block by prying the rear French doors open and stole guns and electronics.

Buckingham Road. Sometime between 8 p.m. on Sept. 18 and 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 19, someone burned newspaper in several areas of a stairwell in a building in the 1200 block at the Old Buckingham Apartments.

Eastwood Drive. Between midnight and 2:15 p.m. on Sept. 21, gas was stolen from a car parked in a residential driveway in the 700 block.

Gordon School Road. At about 4:45 p.m. on Sept. 20, someone forced apart the doors of a shed at Gordon Elementary School in the 11700 block and took consumable goods from inside.

Groomfield Road. Sometime between 8 a.m. on Sept. 20 and 8 a.m. on Oct. 1, gas was stolen from a minivan parked in a residential driveway in the 9200 block.

Harvette Drive. Between 2 p.m. on Sept. 18 and 2 p.m. on Sept. 19, someone took the inspection sticker from an unlocked car parked at a residence in the 3900 block.

Hilmar Drive. Between midnight on Sept. 15 and midnight on Sept. 18, someone broke into a residence in the 7500 block and stole money and electronics.

Hull Street Road. At about 11:10 a.m. on Sept. 19, someone set a fire in a boy's bathroom at Clover Hill High School in the 13900 block. A 14-year-old boy was charged with burning or destroying in connection with this incident.

Jefferson Davis Highway. Between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sept. 16, someone stole a blue and black 2000 Qingqi QM50QT-6 scooter from the Snow White Motel in the 9300 block.

Longlands Road. Between 4 p.m. on Sept. 19 and 8 a.m. on Sept. 22, copper piping was cut from the walls of a home under construction by Main Street Homes in the 15800 block.

McKesson Drive. Just after 5 a.m. on Sept. 23, a woman saw someone peeping into her front bedroom window in the 2300 block.

Meadowdale Boulevard. At about 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 22, someone used a rock to smash the front door of Movie Gallery in the 4100 block at Meadowdale Shopping Center and stole video games and electronics.

Midlothian Turnpike. Between noon on Sept. 20 and 5 p.m. on Sept. 21, someone stole a large number of bras from the front of the Victoria's Secret store at Chesterfield Towne Center in the 11500 block.

• Sometime between 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 and 8 a.m. on Sept. 20, someone broke into The Thrifty Quaker in the 13500 block and stole money.

Planet Road. At about 9 p.m. on Sept. 22, someone pushed a delivery person into a wall as he was trying to deliver a pizza to a residence in the 6400 block at the Regency Lake Apartments. The suspect took the pizza and fled.

Turner Road. Between 11 p.m. on Sept. 20 and 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 21, someone broke into the garage area of Three Amigos Auto Sales in the 100 block by removing two panels of the door. Two vehicles were broken into inside the garage, but nothing was taken. Two other vehicles parked outside the garage at the business were broken into. Stereo equipment was stolen from them.

Woodpecker Road. Sometime between 1 p.m. on Sept. 10 and 5 p.m. on Sept. 16, someone took copper wiring and tubing from outside a residence in the 7500 block.

Kingston Avenue. Sometime between 10 a.m. on Sept. 11 and 6 p.m. on Sept. 12, someone stole a trailer attached to a road tractor from a service station in the 13200 block.