Man Steals Hoverboard from Child in Broad Daylight in Crystal City: Police

In one of the most brazen crimes imaginable, a man robbed a child of a hoverboard on 23rd Street in downtown Crystal City in the middle of the day on Monday, police say.

The man approached the child shortly before 3 p.m. in the 500 block of 23rd Street -- near the intersection with Eads Street and along a strip packed with restaurants and bars -- and demanded the hoverboard. Once it was in his possession, he fled the area in a small, four-door sedan, according to the Arlington crime report.

Police described him as black, about 6 feet tall with a medium build, and with brown eyes. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a dark blue hoodie sweatshirt with the hood up, according to the report.

Arlington police spokesperson Ashley Savage said the man approached the child on foot and then fled in the vehicle. He did not show a weapon or imply that he had one, she said.

The popularity of the so-called hoverboard, a two-wheeled motorized board, has exploded in recent months. It was one of the hottest gifts of the holiday season, even though it has been plagued by complaints about spontaneous combustion leading to product recalls.