Andre Suggs, 35, has been charged by federal officials in the May 28 murder of a bicyclist whose body was found near the Mount Vernon Trail. Suggs was found near the scene of the crime naked and disorderly. When Alexandria Police officers attempted to arrest him, he resisted and attempted to bite one of the officers.
Court records show Suggs to have a history of violence, including a 1990 incident in which he bit an officer who tried to arrest him after he assaulted a pizza deliveryman on King Street. Last year, he was convicted of domestic abuse after assaulting his live-in girlfriend, repeatedly punching her, pulling her hair and dragging her through their house in the 800 block of North Alfred Street.
An affidavit released by the federal detective investigating the murder of Mark Creasy, 48, indicates that Suggs may have murdered him "in perpetration of a crime," and that several witnesses saw the crime and its aftermath. It paints Suggs as a man who assaulted bicyclists, stealing their bicycles and riding away on them. Federal investigators suspect that Creasy, a bicycle enthusiast, died during a struggle to prevent Suggs from taking his property.
An autopsy conducted a day after the crime indicated that Creasy was strangled to death. His body was found on Daingerfield Island between the George Washington Parkway and the Potomac River.
WHEN FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS arrived at the crime scene, they began searching for clues and eyewitnesses. The condition of Creasy's body indicated that the situation would probably become a homicide investigation.
"He had severe bruising around his neck, a contusion on his left breast and what appeared to be a human bite mark on his left torso," wrote the federal detective who is investigating Creasy's murder. A forensic odontologist who examined the remains May 30 was unable to verify this without matching it to a specific dental structure.
One witness who was near the scene of the crime told investigators he heard three screams, "the last of which was noticeably softer than the others." He approached the scene, where he saw the suspect on top of the victim. According to the witness, they were struggling "each with his head near or on the other's chest and their feet pointing in opposite directions." The suspect then looked toward the witness and reportedly said, "You don't want me to do to you what I did to him."
The witness then mounted his bicycle and tried to escape, but the suspect mounted Creasy's bicycle and engaged in a chase. When the witness approached two men walking on the side of the road, he shouted, "That man is a criminal!" The suspect then dismounted the bicycle and ran into a wooded area.
SOON AFTERWARD, a naked man emerged from the other side of the wooden area. He assaulted a bicyclist and, after a brief struggle, stole his bicycle. After a 911 call, Alexandria Police officers arrived on the scene.
"Our officers were in the area helping out the U.S. Park Police in the investigation when they received a call about this naked man running across the parkway," said Capt. John Crawford. "Officers attempted to take him into custody, but he was very disorderly. He threw some sort of a bottle at two of the officers, kicked others and attempted to bite at least one of the officers as they were putting handcuffs on him." According to the federal affidavit, the suspect screamed, "AIDS! AIDS! I got AIDS!" after biting one of the officers.
After the arrest, Andre Suggs appeared in several police lineups. The witness to the murder identified him as the man he saw attacking Creasy. A second witness, whose bicycle was stolen, also identified Suggs. A third witness, whose bicycle was stolen on May 21 near Georgetown, identified Suggs as the man who attacked her.
COURT RECORDS indicate that Suggs has a history of violence. In 1990, he assaulted a pizza deliveryman in the 4200 block of King Street, punching him on the side of the head and stealing $10. When police attempted to arrest him in the 4300 block, Suggs resisted arrest and bit an Alexandria Police officer on his left forearm. After being handcuffed and searched, police found $185 in cash and several rocks of crack cocaine. Suggs later pleaded guilty to assault and possession of cocaine.
In 1997, he was found guilty of possession of marijuana.
Last year, he was convicted of simple assault on a family member after attacking his live-in girlfriend with whom he has two children. In September, he completed the counseling requirements of the Court Service Unit.
Suggs will appear in federal court June 16 for a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing.