Woman says DC police failed to file report about attempted break-in at her home

WASHINGTON - If you are the victim of a crime in the District, can you count on D.C. police to follow through with an investigation? One woman told FOX 5 she reported a break-in to police at her home, but they failed to file a report or investigate the crime.

Last week, someone attempted to get into Jean Darlington's Southeast D.C. home. Surveillance video at her home captured the intruder trying to break in through her basement and even provided a clear image of the man's face.

Her sons contacted police and two officers would come out to her home on Dec. 8 to take a report. The officers would provide a report number, but for six days afterwards, Darlington said she did not hear back from a detective or other D.C. police officials.

When she contacted them, she claims Sixth District officers even questioned if her two adult sons called the police after it happened.

When we stopped by the police station to get an update on the report, the officer we spoke with said it was not appearing in their system.

"If she would have did what she said she was going to do, had her detectives come, they would have had his picture out, they probably could have caught him by now," said Darlington.

Instead, the suspect is still on the run.

Darlington lost her patience with D.C. police and called the mayor's office hoping for help. But instead, she was told, "Somebody made a mistake. Just go file another report. Why should I have to file another report? And he is going to tell me walk over there or drive over there. But why should I have to do it? They made the mistake. Why can't they come to me?"

Now she lives with fear that the man will come back. When she is not at her home, her blind 89-year-old mother is left to fend for herself.

"If something happened to her, does something have to happen to people before the police come?" Darlington said. "I wonder now - is that how it is supposed to work?"

We reached out to D.C. police as well as the mayor's office, but did not hear back. But on Wednesday night, Darlington said a detective sergeant from the police department finally contacted her.