Crime & Safety

T.C. Williams Student is a Suspect in Burglary Case

Detective Goble discusses investigation with DRCA

Deshawn Strattman was enrolled at T.C. Williams High School when he was arrested as a suspect in connection with three Alexandria burglaries earlier this month.

According to Alexandria Police Detective Julie Goble, Strattman, 18, is believed to be still in police custody along with 19-year-old suspects Demarious White and Cordell Walker.

White and Walker are both former T.C. Williams students. All three are being treated as adults in the criminal justice system.

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Goble spoke at Monday night’s Del Ray Citizens Association meeting to offer details and answer questions about the ongoing investigation.

Goble said it was the discovery of a unique guitar at a West End pawnshop that linked the three suspects to the burglaries that took place in January in the 100 block of Sanborn Place, the 100 block of E. Uhler Avenue and the 600 block of N. Alfred Street.

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Surveillance video from the pawnshop was used to identify the suspects, according to Goble. Multiple pieces of stolen property have been recovered in these cases, including three guitars.

Goble said there was no link between the different burglaries other than all three targeted single-family homes and not apartments or condominiums.

The suspects are connected with just the three burglaries, though there is an ongoing investigation into other burglaries that happened in the same timeframe in the northeast section of the city.

On Feb. 3, just one day before police announced Strattman’s arrest, Alexandria City Public Schools issued a release referencing his involvement in a job-shadowing event at the Association for Career and Technical Education headquarters in Old Town.

According to the statement, Strattman and three other T.C. Williams students  “worked with mentors to learn more about convention planning, project assistance, public relations, research, finance and grass roots lobbying. The students actually performed duties of the above career fields with close supervision from their team leaders. The students enjoyed themselves immensely, ate lunch, were offered positions for the Spring 2011 senior experience and received bountiful gifts.”

An ACPS spokeswoman said the school system had no comment on the arrest. 

Superintendent Morton Sherman is currently out of town for a conference.


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